Sleet Banshee by S.J. Tilly

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

MEGHAN

Sebastian: Goodnight, Banshee. I know what I’ll be dreaming about tonight. (Your sweet hot mouth. And killing my twin.)

Waking up to Sebastian’s text this morning got me all flustered. I’m almost glad that I was asleep and didn’t wake up when he sent it, since I probably would’ve responded with a request for phone sex. Which may not have been a terrible thing, now that I think about it.

Seriously, that man has my libido on speed dial, and I need to get him out of my mind. At least for the next hour or two.

Taking a deep breath of the chilly spring air, I mentally shake my thoughts clear and push through a pair of heavy glass doors.

Since we’re short on time, I chose to meet Annabelle right at the venue. Their event is going to be at The Syndicate, a historic rehabbed hotel that overlooks the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis.

It’s a gorgeous building with a lot of history. Rumor is there’s a secret tunnel under the building that was used to supply the basement speakeasy during prohibition. Which was apparently run by the local organized crime family. And rumor atop the rumor is that the then head honcho of the Mazzanti family killed his brother somewhere in the building, then dumped the body in the river. But that’s rumors for you. Probably a bunch of scandalous bullshit.

Having done events here before, I know my way around. There’s an art deco feel throughout the hotel. Everything’s been redone, but they stuck to the original design, and it’s beautiful.

Stepping through the threshold into the infamous ballroom, I take in the details again. The space itself is large without being intimidating. Perfect for a decent-size event or wedding. The ceilings are about 20 feet high, and the wall opposite me is all windows, overlooking the river. The floors are shiny black tiles, with gold inlay, that reflect the light from the three elaborate chandeliers evenly spaced throughout the room. The walls are painted an antique cream and host ornate sconces to complete the lighting. On opposite ends of the room, the walls are covered in geometric metallic panels. They almost look like mirrors, but they refract the glow of the room rather than reflecting the image back and forth a million times.

I grin. This place is amazing.

The sound of heels clicking down the hallway pulls my attention back to the open double doors just as a stunning woman enters the room. She’s on her phone and holds up a finger, with an apologetic smile letting me know she’ll be a minute. Which gives me a moment to take her in.

Wearing a pair of heeled black ankle boots, she’s about my height, and I’m glad I wore flats so I’m not towering over her. I’m also glad I decided to dress up a bit today, in a simple but flattering all-black ensemble. My only dash of color - yellow feather earrings - just so happens to match her bright yellow blouse. If I tried to wear that much sunshine, I’d look like that mobster’s corpse after spending a night in the river. But on her - with her olive skin, sleek black bob, and leather leggings - she looks like a model. She’s slim and beautiful, and I almost hope she’s a bitch so I can hate her.

“Gah, sorry!” Annabelle says as she shoves her phone into her bag. “You must be Meghan, it’s so fantastic to meet you!”

“Annabelle, I presume. And the pleasure’s all mine.”

I shake her hand and am happy to feel that she has a strong grip. Nothing grosser than a limp handshake.

“Thank you so much for coming on such short notice.” She’s beaming at me, and I swear she gives me a once-over.

“Thanks for meeting me here - ” I gesture around the room. “This is one of my favorite spaces in the city; you won’t need any decorations.”

She laughs. “That’s one thing off the list then!”

“It’s a start!” I smile. “But don’t worry, we’ll make this fundraiser the talk of the town.”

“Here’s hoping," she puts her hands together, as if in prayer.

“I don’t think I got the name of your organization yesterday.”

Annabelle makes a self-deprecating sound. “Sorry, that’s my bad. I was a bit of a headcase when I called you since I’d just found out about all of this. But I work for Snips. We’re a non-profit and we work with different organizations throughout the Midwest to spay and neuter cats and dogs. They can be shelter animals or pets of families who just don’t have the money.” She sighs. “As you can imagine, the green dollar is our biggest need, so this event is huge for us.”

“Huh - that’s a pretty fantastic mission. I watched enough Price is Right as a kid to know it’s important.”

Annabelle chuckles. “I had a super-inappropriate crush on Bob Barker as a kid.”

I laugh. “I’d love to unpack that, but since we’re short on time, how about we just jump right into it?”

“Perfect. I’m all about cutting through the bull and getting shit done.”

I smirk. “You and I are going to get along just fine.

For someone who claims to have been caught off guard, Annabelle sure has a handle on the details. We slowly walk around the room as she tells me how many they’re expecting. What items are coming in for the auction. What sort of food and bar set up they’d like to have. And lastly, her desire for live music.

“I’m going to be honest with you,” I turn to face her fully.

She meets my eyes. “Please.”

I smirk. “This is gonna be a piece of cake.”

Annabelle waits a moment, maybe thinking I’m joking. “Really?”

“Yeah, really. Like I said on the phone yesterday, I know people. And I mean that in a serious way, not a douchey way.”

She laughs. “But the timeline, it’s so soon...”

I wave her off. “I have a few favors I can cash in. If you trust me to make the right decisions for you, and give me the authority to make menu selections, things like that, we’ll make this happen. I promise your event will go smoothly, your guests will have a great time, and I’ll keep you on budget.”

Annabelle gives me a deep curtsey. “I defer to you completely. You come highly recommended.”

“I was meaning to ask, who was it that recommended me?”

“Oh, it was Sa… umm, I think it was Samantha, in the office. But you didn’t work for her, it was someone she knew. But I don’t know who… Sorry, that’s not helpful!”

“No, that’s fine. I just like to know if I should be thanking someone for the recommendation.” I tuck my notebook into my bag. “Oh, and as far as the number of expected attendees, did those invites go out a while ago, or do you need help on that end?”

Annabelle shakes her head. “Thank the gods, Gwen sent those out before she left. We should be right on target, otherwise I’d probably be sitting in a puddle of my own tears right about now.”

“Good thing, then. Too bad the event is next Friday. I know some of the Sleet players; I probably could’ve gotten some of them to come and bid on things.”

Annabelle smacks a palm to her forehead. “Holy duh! Why didn’t I think of that? We should’ve picked a different night. Too late now.”

This girl is funny, and more than a little weird. “Well, you couldn’t have known that Gwen would leave the planning unfinished, and that you’d hire me, and that I’d know some of the Sleet guys.”

She looks confused for a moment, then rolls her eyes. “Wow, extra duh. I think I’m caffeine deprived.”

I smirk. “I know a place that makes a mean latte.”