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“Wet? Why would it be wet?”
Cody shrugged, focusing on his mop, and Damian sighed. Not another leak. They’d had four over the last three months. He went to look for the source but the area beneath the sink and dishwasher was dry. It wasn’t until he heard a faint drip that he found the source.Fuck.The freezer door was ajar. It wasn’t open far enough to be immediately noticeable, but it was far enoughthat the contents were defrosting and sending water dripping to the floor.
“How the hell did this door get left open?”
Cody abandoned his mopping long enough to come and stare at the soggy contents of the big industrial freezer.
“Dude, everything’s melted.”
“I noticed,” he snapped, then sighed. It wasn’t Cody’s fault—at least he didn’t think it was. Despite his laconic speech patterns and laid back demeanor, Cody was a true brownie, compulsively neat and tidy. It would be completely out of character for him to have left the door open.
But how could it have happened? The building had been locked since Saturday night. Even if someone could have managed to break in, his sensitive nose hadn’t detected the scent of an intruder. It must have been another accident—the latch just hadn’t caught properly.
Unfazed by his irritation, Cody returned with a box of garbage bags.
“I’ll clean it out,” the brownie said, then tugged on his scraggly beard. “Unless you wanna try and keep anything?”
He considered for a moment, then shook his head. Some of the items might be salvageable, but he wasn’t willing to take the risk. He’d just have to get more supplies.
More supplies…Fuck.Another one of the hundred and three things that had been going wrong lately was issues with getting deliveries. Trucks got lost or diverted or simply showed up with the wrong order.
Maybe I should just shut down tonight…
No.He had a number of reservations booked—including Wendy’s. That thought made him groan silently.
“Get it cleaned out and wiped down, then make sure the door is closed and the temperature is dropping,” he ordered.
“You got it, dude,” Cody said amiably as Damian stalked out of the room.
He was going to make sure everything went perfectly tonight if he had to go out and hunt down every last item himself.
CHAPTER 4
Wendy studied herself in the mirror, then gave an approving nod. She’d chosen one of her favorite vintage fifties cocktail dresses with an off-the-shoulder neckline and a full skirt. The cut flattered her curves and the green of the dress brought out the green in her eyes. The subtle butterfly pattern woven into the fabric made her smile before she turned to consider footwear.
Normally she would have worn a pair of vintage pumps with flirty little bows across her ankles, but they wouldn’t stand up to the snow. She settled for a pair of tan booties with a low heel instead. After a final swipe of hot pink lipstick, she wrapped her white fake fur half-cape around her shoulders and headed downstairs.
Alison came out of the back just as she reached the main floor.
“Oh my goodness, I love your dress. Is it vintage?”
“It is. I love checking out used clothing stores wherever I go, and this was a great find.”
“I’ll say. You look like you belong in a Doris Day movie.”
A sudden wave of doubt assailed her. She’d refused to look too closely at why she’d chosen the elegant outfit, but although she did love pretty clothes, perhaps she’d overdone it.
“I’m not overdressed, am I? I have reservations at Midnight Manor.”
“Not at all,” Alison said firmly. “You could wear almost anything in there, but most folks like to dress up at least a little. You might even give Damian a run for his money—he usually outshines everyone.”
“Damian?”
She did her best to sound casual, despite the leap in her pulse.
“The owner. Did you meet him last time you were here?”
“Unfortunately,” she sighed before she could stop herself, and Alison raised a curious eyebrow.
