Like Cats and Dogs by Kate McMurray (scary books to read TXT) 📗

Paige looked at her own notes. “We’re basically covered. There’s a case of plastic cups in back for drinks. The bartender is all set to arrive a half hour before doors open. We should probably buy a few more bottles of wine just in case, but we can also just run down to the corner liquor store if we’re getting low.”

“Food?”

“Ah, you’re going to love me.” Paige grinned. “I called all of our regular food vendors and asked if they could donate anything. So we’ll have some pastries, and Pierre’s Bakeshop is bringing some savory things. So there will be mini-quiches and something else. All free of cost to the event.”

“You are a rock star.”

“Evan designed signs for each of the cats up for adoption, so I got those printed today,” said Paige. “I figured we could post them around the room. And I talked to Olivia when I went out for lunch. She’s got flyers made up about the kittens you brought in, and she said you could stop by this evening to grab those.”

“Cool, thanks.”

“We should be nice to them because they gave us a pretty fat check in exchange for having their name all over everything. So maybe don’t murder their new vet.”

“I won’t. This week. After the adoption night, all bets are off.” Lauren sighed. “Sounds like we’re in good shape, though.”

“We are,” said Paige. “I know this is the first time we’re serving liquor, and that adds some variables, but this should really go well. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Me too. Thank you, guys, really. I know this is your job, Paige, but you’ve really kicked ass planning this one.”

“Thanks, boss.”

“Pierre is really giving us food for free? That’s wild.”

Paige laughed. “I think I said, ‘It’s for a good cause’ about eight hundred times before he relented, but yes.”

“I should give you a raise.”

Paige grinned. “I don’t want to tell you what to do, but…”

Paige did deserve a higher salary. Lauren knew she could be assertive when needed; she’d likely charmed fancy hotels into discounts when she’d done event planning for a bank. It bothered Lauren that the café couldn’t afford to pay her more because she was worth three times her salary. But if Paige was happy working for peanuts so she didn’t have to go back to her corporate job, Lauren was grateful.

The bell over the front door rang and Diane’s voice drifted toward the back. It sounded like she was with at least one man, and they seemed to be arguing.

“I wonder what that’s about?” Lauren said.

She got up and walked to the café area. Diane was there with two men in suits, which seemed very strange. Monique was behind the counter and wore an alarmed expression. Lauren pulled the door to the cat room closed and walked over to the men. “Can I help you?”

“Ah, Lauren,” said Diane. “Lauren is my manager here. Lauren, this is Mr. Randolph and his assistant, Mr. Newton. They work in real estate.”

Lauren shook each man’s hand while thinking that “they work in real estate” sounded a lot like a euphemism. She took it to mean Mr. Randolph was an investor and not an agent. And then her stomach flopped. Was this the developer buying up property on Whitman Street? Was he here to buy Diane’s building?

Would she sell after all?

Lauren tried to smile and not let the horror she felt show on her face. The assistant, Mr. Newton, was not doing as good a job at that and looked thoroughly disgusted.

“You know it’s illegal for animals to be anywhere food is served,” he said, eyeing Sadie’s cat bed in the corner. Sadie was currently asleep on a sofa in the cat room, which Lauren was grateful for, because this looked like the sort of man who might report them.

“Our lawyer says the current set up is compliant with the law,” Lauren said.

“It’s dangerous having animals and food so close to each other.”

Mr. Newton was a skinny man with a nasal voice, and he was clearly grossed out by the idea of an animal getting anywhere near his food.

“I take it you don’t have pets,” Lauren said.

“God, no. Cats carry disease, you know. Having food near a cat is a good way to get toxoplasmosis.”

“There are no litter boxes anywhere near the food. And you can get toxoplasmosis from uncooked meat, too.”

“Okay!” said Diane. “This business is thriving and I’m committed to it continuing to thrive, so we have a lawyer on retainer to make sure we’re following the letter of the law, and I can assure you the cats and the food do not interact. Customers who don’t want to eat near the cats can eat out here. They are free to choose to eat with the cats, too. It’s really no different than if you had dinner at your own house with your dog in the room, now is it?”

Mr. Randolph had been silent during this whole exchange, but now he said, “Thriving? There are no customers.”

“It’s the slow time of day. And we do have a customer in the back,” said Lauren. After all, Evan paid for his coffee. Most of the time. “It’ll pick back up later this afternoon. And we’ve been doing great business in the morning, especially since the café across the street closed.”

“Yes,” said Mr. Randolph. “I own that building now. I’m here meeting my neighbors, you see.”

Sizing them up, more likely. Why else would he get in touch with Diane first? Lauren would have bet Randolph had designs on this building and was here to look at the retail space. Sure enough, he said, “Mind if I peek in there?” He gestured toward the cat room.

“All right.”

Not surprisingly, Newton stayed put, standing near the counter with his hands shoved in his pockets. Diane shot Lauren a look that briefly expressed her displeasure at the situation.

Randolph came back a moment later and said, “Cute.” To Diane, he said, “And next door is a veterinary clinic?”

“Yes. One of the biggest