WITCH SHIfT

I was standing outside Keggers and thinking this was your typical bar in a tourist town. It was a large building and it looked a little worn, but it was a typical bar in every sense of the word with the neon lights and big doors to get in.

I walked in and looked around. It had a long bar off to the left and a bunch of tables in the center. There was an open space to the right and with the bathrooms and back room all the way to the back.

“We don’t open till five, but for you, I will make an exception.” A voice called from the bar and I turned that way again.

A man about six feet or so with really brown wispy hair stood behind it with a beaming smile. It was easy to see, even from here, he was good looking with a fit body. He was probably the centerpiece of many late night fantasies for a lot of women, but I had work to do.

“Good afternoon,” I said walking toward the man. “I am looking for Lincoln Jones.”

I had pulled a card out of my purse but he turned his back on me. He poured two beers out of a tap and sat them on the counter. “I’m Lincoln,” he said smiling. “But before you tell me what you’re selling you have to drink a toast with me.”

I just smiled. He was a player. I knew it as sure as I was standing here. I knew enough of them in school and college to know the type. I reached forward and grabbed the glass and held it up waiting for him to do the same.

He did just as I thought he would and then he looked deeply into my eyes and said “to the gods, for finally bringing Athena to earth.”

I laughed. “To the gods, for letting Dionysus, get you so drunk you can’t tell the difference.”

We both drank and we both emptied our glasses. “A girl after my own heart,” he said looking me over.

First the young man at the inn and now him. A girl could get a bloated head in a town like this. I mean I wasn’t ugly, but I wasn’t my sister. I had a mix of red and blond hair from my parents with a body that was more fit than slim. I was curved, and maybe that was what was appealing to these men, but I never looked in the mirror and said “oh yes.”

“Only if your heart is interested in making money and not pick up lines.” I bantered back.

“I do like money.” He said smiling. “What can I do for you?”

“Well, I’m Maryse Oliver, your beer rep. and you have been a bad boy with all your last minute orders and complaints. What’s going on Lincoln?”

“You’re from North? Well this is a nice surprise. I’ll get us another drink.”

“Not right now,” I said to catch him. “You have filed seven complaints this month. What is going on Lincoln, and looking around it looks like you have plenty of storage space, you should not be running out of product.”

I knew I was right. The building was big, and I was sure, had a very large back room. Him, and the business across from him, were major buyers, but they were both a pain in the ass. Two bars in town and they each got two deliveries a week. I couldn’t ask for better business but the complaints were driving Mr. North crazy and in turn he was driving me crazy.

“You’re shipping my competitor all the product he needs and I am getting shorted.” Lincoln complained.

“I looked over your orders and your deliveries and we are shipping you exactly what you are ordering. Your competitor is complaining as loudly as you are and I am going to go see him next. This has got to stop. What is really going on?”

“Bah,” he said taking the glasses away. “You aren’t shipping me my stuff when I need it. You only care about that stupid dwarf. Go on, get out, go talk to him. I don’t want to talk anymore.” He said throwing himself.

If I didn’t know it before I would have now. He was a shifter. His sudden mood changes were a typical sign of shifters and he was no exception. “I will go and speak to Mr. Grumoleton. I do hope we can discuss this more Lincoln.”

He waved me away and I picked up my bag and headed out. Grumpy men I could do without.

I walked across the street to Ale House which was a much newer building. I opened the door and walked in and some of the tables already had people eating at them. The bar part was way in the back with the dance floor to the left and four pool table to the right. The dining area was in the center and I followed a small path to the bar and to the man waiting behind it.

“I see you went to my competitor first,” was the first thing he said before I could even pull my card out.

“I did.” I said extending my card which he didn’t take and I left it on the bar between us. “I will assume you are Al Grumoleton, owner of this fine establishment.”

“I am. You are Maryse Oliver, level one witch and my beer representative from North distributing. Now that’s over what do you want?”

The man was rude and arrogant and way too well informed. “I came to discuss all your complaints about deliveries when everything you have been ordering has been delivered. From our advantage point you should have nothing to complain about.”

“My complaint is simple. You coddle my competitor and give him whatever he asked for while I have to beg for even a single delivery. Well it won’t be like that when he is out of business and I am the only bar left in town. Then you will bow to me.” He said smugly with a light hitch in his left eyelid.

“Mr. Grumolrton, you are mistaken. We deliver you each what you order. We do not provide either of you with something the other does not have access to. Yet the complaints roll in and we have no idea why. We need to discuss this and come to some form of reconciliation.”

“Ridiculous, you want my competitor to make it and not me. I’ll have you know I will be the only bar left in town, and then we will see who is answering to who. Now get out. I have no more time for you.”

“Fine,” I said grabbing my bag off the counter. “I’m staying at Harpers if you change your mind and want to talk.”

“I won’t,” he called as I walked out the door.

I was out to the sidewalk before I noticed Lincoln was standing on the sidewalk on his side of the road waiting for me. Maybe he finally came to his senses. With his next words I knew I was wrong.

“You can conspire with him against me all you want. I’m not going anywhere and it will be a cold day in hell before I do.” He yelled across.

I didn’t acknowledge him as I turned and walked back toward my car.

“It’s the two of you who are conspiring.” Al said following me out of the bar and standing on his front sidewalk.

“Bah, you are a vindictive dwarf with no morals. I will help you to hell the first chance I get.”

“I’ll take your shaggy shifter ass with me when you do. I will not bow down to you no matter how much pack you have. This is my town, not yours.”

I stood by my car and listened to the two of them throw insult after insult at each other. They were really getting revved up when a man came around the corner from the side of the Ale House and he did not look happy, but he did look hot as hell even with the frown that was on his face. He was dark haired with crystal clear blue eyes and I felt a little flutter as he walked on.

He walked past me and stood in front of both men’s views and looked at each of them till they shut up. Then he talked and with a voice that said he knew what he was doing. “I’ve had enough of your twos yelling. You will both go inside and I don’t want to hear another word from either of you for the rest of the day or so help me you will never get another delivery unless it’s one of my special deliveries. Do I make myself clear?”

“Bah,” Lincoln said but he walked back inside his business without another word.

“You don’t scare me Jonathon Prestyr Worth,” Al said but I see he turned around and walked inside as well.

Finally some quiet. I turned to thank the man but now he was looking at me and he did not look happy. “Stop riling the idiots up. Those two are morons and it doesn’t help when some out of town nobody comes in and gets them riled up. What were you thinking? Does it have to be spelled out for you that they like fighting with each other? I think that’s the whole reason Al even opened the bar years ago so they could. Just go back where you came from and leave the paranormals alone. Damn humans,” he said turning and he walked back down the street toward the biggest building on the block.

“I’m not human,” I said but he was too far away to hear me.

Why did the hot sexy ones always have to be the biggest jerks?