Page 54 of Tiger Bitten

Mars looked down at her, and the corners of his blue eyes crinkled with his smile. “Yeah?”

“We already have to cancel our return flights because we have to drive your truck back. Can you change your lawyer meetings?”

“I can try. You want to ask your Mom if she can get your shift covered? If so, I’ll message my lawyers and ask if we can do a video conference.”

“What’s all this lawyer stuff?” Dame asked.

“It’s just life stuff at home.”

“Spill it.”

Mars puffed air out of his cheeks and admitted, “I sold my company, got screwed in the deal, made a huge mistake, and now they’re running it into the ground, and I’m figuring out my options of buying it back or at least getting it to run better under the new owners. Maybe a part-time management position just to transition them better or something. I’m still working it all out.”

“What do you want to do?” Ren asked him.

“What everyone needs me to do is blow my savings on lawyer fees and save my old company—”

“Yeah, but what do you want to do?” she asked again.

Mars frowned thoughtfully. “I kind of want to start over. I kind of want to build something new. Save my money. Invest it into something I know how to grow.”

“The same type of company?” Dame asked. “Detailing?”

Mars nodded. “They’re firing my main guys over at the old one. Contract says I couldn’t poach them, but since they’re doing the firing, I could hire them to help me build a new car detailing company.” He shrugged. “I don’t really want to save someone else’s burning building. It was mine and I was so proud of it, but now it isn’t. I sold it for a reason, so…sometimes I want it to stay sold, cut my losses, cope, learn a hard lesson and build something new. Maybe not make all the mistakes I did with the last one.”

Dame said, “You could always start one here, in Salt Lake.”

“This again?” Mars asked, shoving his head. “You’re so annoying.”

Dame chuckled, and told him, “Hey, it’s worth a try.”

Ren felt eyes on them, so she turned slightly to find Stellan was still sitting at the bar, watching them. He didn’t look angry. Just distant. Or distracted, perhaps.

“I’ll be right back,” she told Mars, and he nodded and continued talking to Dame about possible plans for a new company name.

She loved that he was going back with the frame of a plan. They were headed back to the real world soon, but he had seemed stressed with the work stuff when they’d left. She could understand him needing to lead a company. He seemed like that type of personality. She bet he was a good and fair boss.

“What do you want?” Stellan asked.

“An ice water. I’m parched after winning ax throwing.” She slid onto the barstool next to him and ordered an ice water from the bored looking bartender.

Stellan was still slowly spinning the same full shot on a coaster.

“Not much for drinking tonight?” she asked.

“Not much for drinking ever. You know what I can’t figure out?” he asked, turning toward her. He pushed his sunglasses up on his head and she froze at how bright and unnatural his eyes were as he stared right into her soul.

“What?” she asked.

“Why you don’t smell like us.”

“Okay,” she gritted out, taking her ice water to leave.

“No, I’m serious. I’m not meaning to argue with you.”

“I don’t smell like you because I’m not you, Stellan.”

“Yeah, but you don’t smell like fur.”