Novel & Cerita Temporarily Closed

The boutique was closed that morning. Claudia had drawn the curtains before I arrived, and someone had written a note in careful block letters and taped it to the door: “Temporarily Closed for Inventory.” It was not a lie, but it was not the full truth either. We were not counting garments or checking receipts. We were collecting ourselves.

“That's what I called to say, but I understand that you needed to vent.” I felt slightly embarrassed, but I quickly discarded the feeling. “I'm sorry,” I said, speaking slowly now. “I've just been so upset and confused as hell since morning. I haven't been able to think straight all day.” Jane chuckled lightly. “It's alright, boss. I totally understand.” There was a second of silence before she continued. “Anyway, we got news that the account has been permanently suspended.” My anger paused, replaced by confusion. Permanently? That didn’t sound like a normal removal. Usually accounts received warnings. Temporary bans. Appeals.

"Yes, sir, the same, I told you that you have already attended to him and you don't have time, but you are very insistent. Jonathan smiled sarcastically, and shook his head "Keep it going, I've got five minutes to spare." The secretary obeyed, and in a couple of minutes Harrison was walking through the door again. "Good afternoon, sir, excuse me to come again, but it's important "Tell me, did you manage to get the appointment with your boss?" "Well, I did, but until twenty days from now, you have a very busy schedule, so I came to propose the closure of the business temporarily while she takes care of the situation.

“And so we decided that, we maintain our opening hour at eight in the morning. But instead of closing at 10PM, we’ll be closing at 8PM as from today.” “Thank you!” Derrick exclaimed happily and we laughed. We were all satisfied with what we were hearing. “And, you will be provided with an hour’s break everyday, from noon to 1PM during which we’ll temporally close the restaurant’s doors with a sign that tells customers that we’ll be back at one. Then you’ll have a second break from five to six PM. Is that okay?” “It’s perfect!” “We’re all fine by it. Right guys?” Stephan turned to the rest of us and we agreed.

Pulling it from my pocket, I checked the caller ID before answering it. “Hey, Aly,” I greeted. “Hey, JJ. What are you up to?” “Nothing much, just sitting on the patio.” “Are you busy later? Do you have plans?” “No, I don’t. What’s up?” “I hate to ask, but I wanted to know if you could watch Reyna overnight for me. Mason and I have to attend a meeting with his dad and mom, and Carson will be looking after the pack. I would ask Sage and Rian, but…well, they just aren’t an option at the moment.”

I state and she nods while typing, but as she enters my rank and name a beep sounds. "Captain it looks like there is an active note on your file. Council member Hik has requested a meeting with you," she says and my stomach leaps as I hear the name of the council member who handles retirement. "Is he available," I ask trying to keep my voice even and she nods. "He is. I will beep him. Give me a moment," she replies before pressing another button. "Councilman Hik, Captian Cull from planet Shikaz is here," she states and the clear button flashes green.

"Can you stop that?" "I can try to unbound their souls. But like I said I will need time." "They can find out her location and come for her before then. That is if they don't already know." "I can place a temporary block that will prevent them from getting to her," Kadila says. "It can last from a couple of hours to days or even weeks. Depending on how powerful the Witch doctor they will consult is." "You're not giving me something solid to hold onto, Kadila."

Another rejection appeared instantly. “What the hell?” I muttered. I clicked on the help chat and typed out a message. “Hi, I think there’s a problem with my account. My applications are being automatically declined.” The support agent replied a few minutes later. “Hello Clarissa, your account has been temporarily restricted due to a report filed under the Devereux Legal Group. We recommend contacting them for clarification. I sat back, staring at the message. My heart sank. Nicho. Of course it was him.

“There’s a generator, but it’s not going to power everything. And with this storm, not only will everyone have trouble getting there but also we won’t get our order and we’re likely to be short on customers. It’s easier to shut it down for now.” I give a nod, though I’m thinking about the hours that I’m going to miss out on if we’re closed for more than a day. “Since you’re here, I can tell you myself. Club is closed until further notice. The city wasn’t sure how long it would take to get things back up and running. They’ve got all their crews out but there are lines down everywhere. Everyone gets paid for their schedule until we open again.” It’s a generous offer and I’m surprised that he’s

Sandra was curled up on the couch, scrolling through her phone. She looked up when she heard me. “Hey, you look like you just fought with the devil himself.” I let out a weak laugh. “Something like that.” She tossed her phone aside. “You’re just in time to hear bad news. The club’s closing for maintenance tonight.” “What?” My heart sank. “You’re kidding, right?” She shook her head. “Nope. They’re fixing the lights and the VIP floor. No shifts, no cash, no tips. Spider said to take a break.”