>>
|
fc100b.jpg
Lucky Whisper
fc100b
Maybe it’s best not to push Samantha into a sale. I’ve already drained her month’s “stipend” according to her, and I don’t want her to think all of this friendliness wasn’t genuine. It was! But I can still sell stuff while being genuinely friendly.
I get the feeling she really, really wants time away from Naomi. I handled the hyperactive half-fox well enough the last time she was here. Maybe I could get some brownie points with Samantha if I take the technicolor terror off her hands for a bit longer?
Buuuuuuuuuuut then again, do I feel like keeping that girl around so much valuable merchandise for longer than I absolutely have to?
“You’re always welcome here,” I say with a bob of my head. “Even if Naomi can be a bit of a handful. Please, drop by any time.”
“I’ll be back in two days,” Samantha says. “I’m praying Naomi will be entertained by her noontime escapades. The longer she’s distracted by whatever it is she’s doing with her illusory swimwear, the more time I’ll have to focus on this lens.”
I wave Samantha goodbye, and my magical lens with her, at least for the next two days. I sincerely hope she doesn’t figure out there’s an x-ray spell buried in it…
Oh! I think I see a green glowing fairy down Busalla’s main street! They’re ducking into the Enoteca! I quickly lock up my shop and hurry to find Zinnia. I mean, Clover. I need a maid so my shop can be presentable for customers! Soon enough I catch up with Clover and her bard companion in the wine bar. It’s just me and them in the wine bar, and they’re heading toward a small secluded table with a curtain that can slide shut. Isn’t it little early in the afternoon to be drinking?
“This is a pleasant surprise,” says the bard. Clover ducks behind his head, suddenly nervous for some reason.
“Hello!” I give a quick curtsy. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”
“No worries. My fairy companion is a tad shy. Clover, this is the new seamstress in town. We met her a few days ago at the tavern.”
“Who?”
Oh yeah he was the bard performing that night. Which means… did they see it?
“The girl with the garishly neon garter belt, next to Tineola?”
“Oh! Yes, I remember.”
OH NOOOOOO
“That was made from leftover scraps!” I hurriedly say. “I have much better taste than that when it comes to-“
“Easy, easy,” the bard laughs. “I believe you.”
GOOD
“So, other than my roguish good looks, what brings you here?” he asks. “The name’s Duran, by the way. He reaches out and gives the back of my hand a kiss.
“Oh! I’m, um, I’m Shirley! I mean, Saiorse!” I blush furiously, even more off-kilter than I was a second ago. “Actually, I’m here to, um, ask Clover for some assistance with cleaning my shop, if that’s okay.”
Clover peeks out from behind her friend’s slicked-back hair. “You want my help? Me?”
“Of course she does,” Duran says, smiling widely. “Word must have gotten around about how reliable you and your siblings are.”
Zinnia’s glow brightens.
“I’d like to help you businessgirls out,” Duran says. “Saiorse, right? What do you say I offer to pay on your behalf for Clover’s first cleaning? To get everything off on the right foot here in Busalla.”
“You’d do that for me?” I smile. How generous!
“Well, it’s not just for you. It’s in all our adventurers’ best interest to have a clean clothier in town. And…” he gives a devilish grin. “If you like, I’ll pay for another of Clover’s cleanings. As many as you like, even.”
WOW
Wait…
“What’s the catch?” I ask, suddenly suspicious.
Duran pulls out a pair of dice and shakes them in his palm. “Fancy a roll of the dice? Every time you win, I’ll pay for one of Zinnia’s cleaning sessions. Of course, things won’t truly be fun unless you decide to stake something of your own against that.”
“…How do I know those dice aren’t loaded?”
“Good question. I know a certain feline who plays with loaded dice,” Duran smirks, “But mine are fair. If I knew for certain I was going to win at craps, there’d be no thrill in it, would there? You can even ask Clover. Fairies don’t lie.”
Somehow, this bard seems trustworthy, at least compared to the cat he mentioned.
Should I gamble? The odds will be fair in this game of street craps, and I can be the shooter if I want.
1. Yes, go for more free cleaning!
2. No, one is enough.
If I do gamble, what should I put up as stakes?
A. Money. I have very little now that I’ve spent most Naomi’s outfit profit on my lens and groceries.
B. Merchandise. I have plenty of that, but I’ll lose out on the material cost and profit.
C. Other
|