Lacuna

Chapter 20

Kahli found herself back at the Commerce Guild the next morning, and Antoine was leaning against his desk, watching her as she reviewed the commissions.

"Big town meeting tonight," he said casually.

Kahli met his gaze and raised a brow. "Oh?"

"Mayor Gale asked me to tell you to be there."

Kahli frowned. "That usually means he has some impossible job for me."

Antoine smiled slyly. "Maybe."

Kahli narrowed her gaze on him. "What do you know?"

He pushed himself up onto the desk. "You'll find out tonight, huh?"

Kahli groaned. "Why is it always me? I mean, that's not exactly fair. What about the other builders?"

"Mayor Gale likes you."

She frowned. "That's not a good reason."

Antoine rolled his eyes. "Everyone likes you," he said. He smirked. "Some more than others."

Kahli hesitated. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Antoine looked at his nails, disinterested. "Oh, you know how it is," he said. "Rumors spread quickly in a small town like Portia."

Kahli crossed her arms. "And what rumors are you spreading?"

"I swear, it wasn't me," he said defensively. He met her gaze. "Honest." He picked up a nail file and began filing his nails. "People just notice things, yanno?" He glanced at her. "Or lack of things."

"Lack of things?" Kahli repeated.

Antoine shrugged. "Sure." He paused. "For example, Nora's still pretty new around here, too. So people have had their eye on her. And they notice who she's been socializing with. And who she has stopped socializing with."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"I think you know what I'm talking about."

"No one knows I like Arlo but you and Emily and Sonia!"

"Who said anything about Arlo?"

"Shut up, Antoine!"

Antoine giggled. "Kahli, you make it so easy."

"He doesn't like me," she muttered.

Antoine shrugged. "People see things."

"Yeah and they saw him and Nora hanging around."

"Guess he's just into strange."

Kahli blew her hair out of her face in exhaustion. Without another word, she turned and made her way to the door.

"See you tonight at the meeting, right?" Antoine called after her.

She cursed under her breath. She wasn't exactly looking forward to whatever this project was. But on the plus side, at least Mayor Gale paid well.

Kahli busied herself with the animals for the majority of the day and even took a break to visit with Sophie, who, of course, had a fresh pie waiting for her. By evening, she was back at the plaza where Gale was waiting to begin the meeting.

"Welcome, everyone," he said cheerfully. "Nice Sunday evening we're having. I've got some wonderful news to share today. The city state of Sandrock and our city of Portia have agreed to build a road through the Eufaula Desert between our cities. This will cut travel time by over half. The governments of both cities will fund this road together. We have sufficient reserves built up during my time in office, so funding isn't in question. This is a part of a grand plan that I've been hatching over the past year to make Portia a center for commerce and travel in the Free Cities."