Maintenance & Management (Naughty at the Nouveau) by Indie Sparks

Author:Indie Sparks [Sparks, Indie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Twice Shy Publishing
Published: 2023-07-30T16:00:00+00:00

Carina already has coffee going when I walk into the office. She’s bright-eyed as always. “Good morning. How was the commute?”

“Brutal. The elevator stopped twice on the way down.”

“Glad you showed up with a sense of humor. I have a feeling we’re going to need it today.”

“Why?”

“Full moon.”

“Do you really believe that makes people more dramatic than usual?”

“It does. You’ve honestly never noticed?”

“I don’t really keep up with the phases of the moon, so I can’t honestly say.”

“I’ll keep you updated from now on. You’ll see the effects.”

“I’ll try to keep an open mind.”

“I’ll open it for you. Don’t worry.” She holds out a small, floral gift bag.

“What’s this?”

“A housewarming gift.”

“Carina, that’s so sweet.” Under the layers of pastel tissue paper, I find a cotton drawstring pouch. I let its contents tumble onto my palm. There are five rough multicolored stones and a card that says Housewarming Crystals.

“I almost got you the polished set, but something told me you might like the raw crystals better.”

“Is it offensive to call them pretty?” I wince because I really don’t want to offend her, but I know nothing about crystals.

“Not at all. But they’re more than pretty. The card explains their purposes. There’s a bowl in there, too.”

I remove more tissue paper and find a small white bowl that’s carved from some other kind of stone. Again, I have no idea what I’m looking at, but it’s pretty. “Thank you. Is there a specific place I’m supposed to put them?”

“That set is particularly good for a living room or an office, anywhere you want protection but also energy and clarity. They work well together so you can keep them all in that bowl. It’s selenite to charge them.”

I’ve spent my whole life thinking crystals were nothing more than pretty rocks and that people who believed anything else were delusional, but Carina’s so sincere, and she’s one of the nicest people ever, so I wouldn’t dare say anything dismissive about this gift. “Maybe we can close the office for a little while at lunch and go upstairs. You can see my apartment and help me decide where to put them.”

“I’d love that!”

For the time being, I place the crystals in their charging bowl and set it on my desk. This Monday is off to a great start, full moon or not.

Our good vibes are splintered by a flustered tenant who barges in holding a plastic cup at arms-length. There is a paper towel over the top and it’s held in place by a rubber band around the rim. “I found this in my apartment!” she shrieks. “Do we not have pest control here?”

My stomach flips at the thought of what she might’ve captured in that cup. There is no way in hell I’m taking that rubber band off, and if she reaches for it, I swear I’ll pelt her in the forehead with crystals. They’ll be good for protection all right.

“What is it?” I ask.

“A tarantula, that’s what it is!”

I pull my legs up

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