by Logan Jacobs
“That doesn’t mean anything if the theatre shuts down,” the young dancer murmured as she looked around the room.
“You’re right,” I said. “With that attitude, all your talent, beauty, and smarts will mean nothing. But it doesn’t have to be that way.”
Ashlin nodded.
I knew there was great power in beauty, and I’d learned how to harness it, but I’d also learned talent is what keeps you in the room. That’s why I was in this bed instead of a cot with the other girls.
“How do you keep the same routine fresh?” Ashlin asked as she kicked her leg out into a stretch on my bed. The frown she’d carried into the room was now replaced with a small smile. “If the theatre isn’t going to close, I at least want to enjoy the dancing, you know?”
“As you should, that’s why you fit in here.” I adjusted her leg to get a deeper stretch. “I know, after a while, every show starts to blur together into one never-ending pirouette. But that too passes with time.”
Ashlin finished her stretch and slightly nodded.
“You coming to eat downstairs?” she asked as she perked her head up.
“I’ll meet you down there.” I nodded toward the door. “I have some work to finish.”
“Okay, thanks, Cim. ” Ashlin stood in front of my bed and did a plié before she left.
“Get your knee lower,” I called after her with a smile as she ran out the door and down the hall.
I sighed as I looked back to my notebook of lists and the theatre’s profit numbers from the previous few weeks. In the world, being a human meant hanging on the precipice of starvation or death, but anyone could have drawn a line between Wade’s schemes and the downfall of the theater. If not for the elven raid on the party we hosted, business probably wouldn’t be quite as bad as it currently was.
Then again, I wasn’t just ‘anyone’ with half a brain. I’d seen the writing on the wall as soon as I started doing the count’s books. He was slowly bleeding each month, and it wasn’t necessarily the revenue, it was that he spent too much on his own gaudy hobbies and wasn’t interested in sprucing up the show any.
What the count really should do was close the place for a month and bring the show to some of the other major cities in the realm, since he could demand high coin for the experience, but I also understood the risk in this. The next closest major city was a good two months travel away, and the risk of attack across the dangerous world was high. At one time, the count could have easily afforded it, but now there was no way he could embark on the endeavor.
Wade buying the place was a great solution. I had my personal reasons that agreed with the strategy, of course, but it really would prove to be a good front for my lover’s business, and I knew we could quickly turn it into a profit center.
I was extremely fortunate he’d decided to pursue me that day.
My stomach growling interrupted my thoughts, but I didn’t have time to eat today, at least not yet. I needed to double-check if my numbers matched the count’s for the past few weeks, so I put on some dance shorts we practiced in and a gray sleeveless top. Then I went downstairs, where most of the girls were busy chatting and eating some boiled oats for breakfast.
What were we, horses?
I soon passed the small cafeteria and headed toward the count’s office. His dark wooden door was shut, so that meant he wasn’t in. That’s what I preferred, though, especially since we had to meet later anyway.
After I walked over to the count’s office, I gripped the golden knob and opened the door. I didn’t need a light since the hallways had plenty of lanterns lit, so I moved inside the round, red-carpeted room and made my way toward his desk. Then I shuffled through a pile of papers I’d left for him to sign.
Typical Count Kieran. He hadn’t signed them yet, so I organized the stack of papers in the middle of his desk and then opened his drawer.
“Got ya,” I mumbled and grabbed the small note I had the count make with the week’s profits. Then I flipped open my book and leaned against the doorway to use the lantern light.
I moved my finger with the chipped nail across my book and then to the note he scribbled down. Thank the Ancients they matched, but they weren’t good numbers that’s for sure.
I placed the note back in the desk and shut the door behind me as I left. My stomach grumbled again, and I thought about having a few bits of the oats.
I supposed everyone needed to eat.
“Cimarra?” The count’s voice caught me off guard as he wobbled down the hallway with a cane he didn’t need. His hand raised toward me, and his face was as red as his suit jacket.
“Yes, sir?” I turned just outside the cafeteria full of clanking spoons and bowls as the few girls still in there finished their meals.
“Why is Vazmet here asking for you?” The count’s shoes squeaked as he stopped in front of me, and then he patted his lips with a soiled handkerchief.
I hated washing those rags back in the day.
“Vazmet’s here?” I adjusted my shirt and noticed the count’s eyes drifting down to my chest.
“Yes, the idiotic miner is asking for you,” he huffed.
“Oh … “ I breathed. “Of course.”
When I didn’t offer any further explanation, the count narrowed his eyes at me and then sighed.
“Please go find out what he needs from you.” The count waved his handkerchief to dismiss me as he wobbled to his office.
“Is he waiting at the front?” I called out to the count’s back.
“He is!” he replied, and he sang the word “is.”
I’d learned to ignore his odd actions. I never understood how he came into the position he was in. He held more clout than most human men ever dreamed of.
That’s what struck me about Wade the most. He could handle the clout that was destined for him.
I hurried up the stairs and changed into a more appropriate attire to meet with an ancient dwarf. We weren’t scheduled to meet for another few days, so I felt my stomach spin a bit with nervousness.
I slipped on a dark blue dress with white hemmed lining around the rounded collar and made my way toward the theatre’s entrance.
“Off to see Wade … again?” Loki, one of the dancers, asked as she flipped her red braids over her shoulder. She was standing by the stairwell, and she peered in the direction I was heading with a hungry look on her pretty face.
“Not yet.” I winked at her but felt the blood in my face heat up.
I’d earned the position I was in, but there were still girls who would do anything to see me fail. They knew Wade had my heart, and that intrigued them enough to draw their affections. None of them had told me this directly, but it was painfully obvious a few of my “sisters” would love nothing more than to take him from me.
It wasn’t like with Penny. I knew she loved Wade but was afraid to admit it. These girls knew I was smarter and more capable, so they reasoned that going after my man would get them whatever hint of greatness I saw in him.
It was annoying, but none of them were really competition.
Once I reached the first floor, I walked through the seating area where the sand stage was covered with a blue tarp. Then I opened the doors and saw the wrinkled old dwarf was waiting for me in the rundown foyer just like the count had said. There were two other dwarves off to the side near the street entrance, and they glanced over at me as the door clanged shut at my back.
“Mr. Vazmet, how can I help you today?” I asked as I approached the tiny wrinkle of a creature.
He didn’t budge as he gazed upon the painted show posters on the wall. Most of which featured a painting of me in the middle.
“Mr. Vazmet!” I tried again a little louder.
“Huh, oh, ya, ya.” The old dwarf hobbled around to face me and squinted his thin eyes. “Cimarra, ya the only human I find decent enough to lay my eyes on, how are ya?”
“I’m fine, thank you very much.” I held out my hand for him to shake, and he did, even though it
was rare for a dwarf to touch a human in any pleasant way. “How can I help you today?”
“Ya know, that fat slob of a man didn’t even say hi to me as he walked in?” Vazmet tugged at his beard. “Here I am, hundreds of years old, and I still don’ get the respect I deserve.”
“The count?” I asked with a frown.
“The who?” He tilted his ear toward me.
“Count Kieran didn’t say hello?” I spoke a little louder.
“Ya, ya … ” The dwarf looked up at me and covered his mouth as he coughed. “Anyway, I came to deliver some unfortunate news to you.”
“I’m not a fan of bad news,” I said as I folded my hands behind my back.
“Who is?” the dwarf gasped and covered another cough. “We took a vote, and we hated the muffins last week.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. What can we do to fix them?” I asked and felt the pit of my stomach begin to tighten.
We couldn’t lose the miners. They were our link to deliver to Hebal.
But Penny and Dar were exhausted when they had to make all of those muffins, and Marver didn’t even have the right ingredients available to him. Of course, they weren’t good.
“Uh, never make them again,” Vazmet sighed. “I’m sorry, but we aren’t going to use your catering company anymore.”
Shit.
“I do sincerely apologize … ” I paused since it seemed like he had more to say.
“One thing we did quite enjoy was the storyteller.” Vazmet’s eyes grew bigger as a small smile formed on his cracked lips. “No other caterer had ever provided the entertainment. We’ll surely miss the tiny lad this week.”
I had no idea what he was talking about but assumed he meant Dar.
“Well, if I could say something Vazmet?” I asked hesitantly. I didn’t want to disrespect him. I was still a mere human and a woman.
“Please … ” The dwarf gestured for me to continue.
I took a deep breath and let a warm smile spread across my face. “We were under old management last week and in the middle of a transition, but now we have finalized a contract with one of the best chefs in the entire Halfling District.”
“Is that so?” The dwarf nodded. “Hal Hamfast?”
“Not the master himself, but his pupil. I assure you our chef is superior in most categories when it comes to food.” I let my smile grow and continued. “He would be in charge of baking muffins and cookies or whatever else you order.”
“You have a sample with ya now?” The dwarf licked his lips.
“I don’t have one on me at this moment, but … ” I tapped my temple with a finger, “I’ll make a mental note to include an extra free box of cookies in the next order if you give us one more chance.”
“Make those a box of potato mash cookies, and I can feel myself leanin’ toward givin’ ya another shot.” The dwarf smirked and raised an eyebrow.
“Of course, I’ll let our chef know,” I replied. “So, do we have one more chance to prove why we deserve your business?”
“Include the storyteller too, and I’ll smooth over the rest of the crew for at least this week.” The dwarf extended a wrinkled hand to me. “If the food isn’t good again, I’m sorry, but we’ll have to move on.”
“Of course, Vazmet,” I said and gently shook his hand. “We won’t disappoint you.”
“I sure hope not.” He slowly hobbled back around to gaze at the poster. “I usually don’t do business with humans.”
“I understand, and we’re thankful to have yours,” I said as he slowly hobbled over to the two other dwarves who opened the door for him.
“I’ll see you next week to let you know where we’ll be meeting,” he said just before he walked out the door.
“I’m looking forward to it.” I waved and then let out a sigh of relief.
I had to let Marver know their order for next week needed to be perfect. Adi’s catering had picked up a few more contracts, but none was as crucial as the one with the miners. Without them, Wade’s operations were at risk.
I took another deep breath and decided to use this time to check in on the horse stables before heading over to the elephant stables. I wasn’t sure if Wade was there or not, but I told him I’d take note of what we needed to get for our next supply run.
I walked back through the sanctuary and past the stage. Once I was backstage, I followed the creaking wooden floor to the rear of the theatre and exited the back door.
Then I made my way over to the horse stables, and the smell of hay and manure hit my senses like the first time I tasted the whiskey. The few horses were busy munching on some hay, so I turned to leave and walked over to the elephant stables tucked away in the back corner of the property.
As I got closer, my heart began to beat a bit faster. Just the thought of maybe seeing Wade made me happy.
“Hey!” Penny’s voice stopped me.
I turned to see her redheaded form walking down the alley by the theatre.
“Missed you this morning, where did you run off too?” I asked, and I tried not to let my voice crack.
Penny still intimidated me. Not only was she pretty, but she was strong and could fight. As for me, I couldn’t physically protect myself by using my brain or beauty.
“Yeah, sorry about that.” Penny scratched at her neck. “I usually don’t sleep too good, and I end up staring at the ceiling if I’m in a nice comfy bed.”
“Well, please know that bed is empty for the time being, so if you want, you can sleep there anytime.” I shrugged. “Just don’t tell the other girls.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to rob them of a bed,” Penny said as she shielded her eyes from the sun.
“No, I meant, not in that way … I don’t know.” I tapped my foot against the dirt. I felt like I was on an awkward first date. “Please, what I’m trying to say is it’s no big deal.”
“Kay, I’ll take ya up on that offer.” Penny smirked. “A bed is still better than a pile of hay.”
“Speaking of a pile of hay, I was just going to check on our supplies.” I gestured toward the barn. “Care to join me?”
“Uh, sure.” Penny sniffed and shrugged. “Wonder if the guys are still sleeping.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” I said as we both approached the front door.
“Who’s your friend?” the count suddenly shouted from the back of the theatre, and his voice sent a dagger into my gut. If that’s anywhere near what Penny felt when she was stabbed, then I couldn’t fathom the real thing.
Penny looked at me from the corner of her eye, unsure of what to do either. Thankfully, I hadn’t opened the stable door yet, but still.
“Uh, this … ” I let go of the handle and turned to face the count, who leaned on his wooden cane near the back door of the theater. “This is my childhood friend, Penny.”
I gestured for Penny to follow me to meet the count.
“Ah, of course, another mystery person Cimarra hasn’t told me about.” The count eyed me, smiled, and extended a hand to Penny. “What beautiful red hair you have.”
“They work well with my pretty eyes,” Penny said as she shook the count’s hand, and then he bent down and kissed hers.
“The pleasure is all mine.” The count winked.
“Of course it is,” Penny snickered as she winked back at the man.
I realized my mouth was hanging open, and I closed it with a snapping sound that drew the count’s attention. I’d never seen Penny flirt with a man before, but she obviously didn’t have a problem with the count’s bumbling attempt at complimenting her.
“Did your other friend leave already?” he asked me.
“Vazmet?” I nodded. “Yes, he sends his regards and wishes you well.”
“I’ll send him my regards next time,” the count huffed. “What were you going to show our beautiful redhead in the vacant elephant stalls?”
My heart hammered in my chest, but I plastered on my calmest, most innocent smile.
“I ran int
o her after Vazmet left, and she wanted to take a look around.” I gestured to Penny beside me. “It has been so long since I last saw her.”
“Is that so?” The count smirked at Penny.
“I used to ride elephants and was curious about what your stables looked like.” Penny smiled and batted her eyes at the count.
“An elephant rider?” The count clapped his hand on his chest. “That’s too bad since we just had to sell our last one away, but what an act you would’ve made.”
“If she would’ve wanted to of course,” I played along.
“Of course, of course.” The count leaned down on his cane toward Penny, but he still towered over us. “Any other hidden talents?”
“Oh, I got a’ plenty,” the redhead purred, “but I’ve been picking up cards and such as of late. I’m not that good at them, but I hear people sometimes take off their clothes when they play and lose. Ya heard of that?”
“My, my, my,” the count chuckled as he dabbed his lips with a cloth. “Yes, I have heard of such things.”
“Maybe ya’d like to play a game sometime?” Penny snickered at the man.
“That does sound very intriguing,” the count said as he cleared his throat.
“But I was still wanting a tour of your fine establishment.” Penny gestured to me.
“Well, please don’t let me interrupt your reunion any longer.” The count rested his hand on my shoulder. “I’ll see you later for our meeting, right?”
“You will, as soon as I’m done,” I replied and unleashed the smile I knew made him melt inside.
“Very well.” He bowed and tipped his hat toward Penny. “I’ll be wandering around my business, in case you’d like to play some cards.”
“You bet,” Penny said, and as soon as he turned around to walk back into the theatre, she flipped him off. “Shit, that was close.”
“He never usually comes out this way,” I said and headed back down to the stables as Penny followed.
“He seems harmless, though,” the redhead snickered. “Like the kinda man who loves boys more than women, so he makes half-assed attempts to fool himself that he ain’t.”