A Wolf at the Door

For a moment, I thought she was going to slap him in the face. Personally, I kinda wanted to see that. Instead, she just shook her head. “I’m going to go make a copy of this. I’m gonna find someone who can read it.” She stalked out of the office, leaving me and Reggie to eye each other warily.

“You did this. She didn’t give a shit about that damn contract until you showed up.”

“You really wanna go there? Start pointing out who is to blame for what?” I raised a brow at him, and ultimately he couldn’t meet my stare. He looked down first. In man-speak, that meant I won. With a smirk, I started walking around, exploring his office. Golf trophies. Autographed celebrity pictures for just about everybody who was anybody in Hollywood. Framed press releases. Everything displayed in very careful order, very neat placement.

There were also some old books, the bindings so faded I couldn’t even tell what they used to say. I picked one up and flipped a few pages, just to hear Reggie hiss in caution. They were practically ancient, whatever they were. Handwritten in fading ink, the paper thick and yellowed. The words in it were English, but not the version we speak now. The kind where they put an e at the end of random words. Olde. Towne. Taverne. There were a few sketches on some of the pages, not professional drawings, just little idle doodles. I fancied that this was the journal of some medieval student, bored in his classes. On the next page, surely I’d find the equivalent of “Kilroy was here.”

“That book is priceless. Please be careful.”

I raised a brow at him, and toyed with the idea of dumping the old tome on the floor. But being a fan of old written works myself, I relented and put the book back on the shelf. “How many, Reggie? How many souls have you bargained away at the behest of your clients?”

“It is my job to do what the client wants, regardless of how ill-advised I think it is. And really, most of the time, it works to their benefit. At least in the short term.”

“And yours?” I picked up one of his trophies, turning it over in my hands then replacing it on the shelf crooked just because I could and I’m petty. “I notice you haven’t sold your own soul in one of these very profitable arrangements.”

“Of course not. Do I look stupid?”

“Then what do you get out of all this?”

“As their representative, I get a small percentage of their earnings. If I can enhance that earning potential with this kind of contract, so much the better. That’s not evil, Mr. Dawson, just good business.”

“And if it gets you in good with the forces of Hell, then maybe you’ll get a little compensation on the back side, right? Should you ever need it?”

He was quiet a while before he answered. “That possibility hasn’t been addressed yet.”

I snorted. “Not out loud, maybe, but you have it all worked out in your head. Who to ask for a favor, what leverage you have where. All planned out neatly in that tiny, oily little brain of yours. ’Cause that’s the kind of guy you are. You’re a planner.” I finally turned to look at him. “You’re disgusting.”

Reggie smirked at me. “Glass houses and stones, Mr. Dawson. Remember, I know who sent you here. An interesting…side job you have going, there. Could be lucrative in the future, if you play your cards just right.”

That stung. Bad. Mostly because he wasn’t wrong. “My business is mine. And at least I’m not dragging other people down with me.” Except my wife. My daughter. My friends, family, loved ones. Yeah, I’m a real freakin’ hero.

“To each his own then.” He shrugged, smiling at me as if we were old friends just chatting about the weather.

I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to punch somebody in the face so badly in my life. Luckily, Gretchen came back about then, keeping me from devolving to my baser nature.

She slapped one copy of the contract down on Reggie’s desk, and thrust the other one at me. I rolled it up and crossed my arms over my chest again. “If you can’t tell, Reggie, I’m really unhappy about this. I’ll be reviewing my contract with you as well over the next few days.” She gave him a cold smirk. “I already have a copy of that one at home.”

“Of course, honey. As you see fit. Let me know if there are any points you want to renegotiate.” He gave her a smile too, charming and poised. Somewhere in all this, he’d gathered himself, recovered from his upset earlier. I didn’t like that. Somewhere in that slick, sleazy mind of his, he’d come up with something, something we didn’t know. And if it made him happy, it wasn’t something I wanted to see happen.

“Come on, Jesse.” She turned on her heel and stalked out, leaving me to follow. My skin itched, right between my shoulder blades, the entire time my back was turned to Reggie. Pretty sure that was the exact spot the daggers from his eyes were landing.