My Fake Fling

“You’ll want to give that case number to your insurance. I don’t think you’ll ever get any restitution out of them, but you may as well get your name on the list.”

“Thank you. I’ll do that.”

I shared the good news with Ally after they left. I couldn’t wait to tell Reese it was over. No one else was going to be harassing us. I was certain of it. A couple of bad apples did not ruin a neighborhood. Granted, the other criminals were still around, but they always minded their business.

The day was almost over when I was working with a person interested in adopting one of the kittens. “What happens when this place closes?” she asked.

“We’re not closing,” I assured her. “We’re replacing the windows this week. We just have to wait for them to come in. Everything is fine. The guys that broke in have already been caught.”

She looked confused. “I heard all of this was coming down.”

“Coming down?”

“Yeah, everyone has been talking about it,” she said. “Some people are happy to have this eyesore wiped off the face of the planet, but others are worried they won’t be able to afford to live around here.”

“Eyesore?” I asked with just a little irritation.

“This area. The old, condemned buildings.”

“What do you mean they are coming down?” I asked again. “Is the city finally going to demolish them?”

“I believe it’s a development company that’s going to do it,” she replied. “Are you going to relocate the shelter or close for good? I really hope you relocate. I hate seeing all the strays around my own neighborhood. Plus, I like adopting from here instead of some of those fancy rescue places that want your kidney and first born signed over in blood. You guys always do such a good job of making sure the animals are healthy.”

“Thank you,” I murmured. I was only half paying attention. I wondered what development company she was talking about. There had been talk for years about the old warehouses being taken down and replaced with apartments. Every couple of months there was a new rumor. “Where did you hear the rumor?” I asked.

“I heard it while I was at the grocery store the other day. Plus, there is a sign that just went up on the corner.”

“A sign?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said. “I didn’t stop to look at it, but it’s all very exciting. It will breathe new life into this place. And hopefully make it safer.”

I nodded and smiled. “Very true.”

After she left, I sat back down to finish up some paperwork for my insurance. I sent it off and noticed an email from the lawyer I used for business matters. I assumed it was about the break-in and quickly opened it. I read through the brief email and felt my rage boiling.

“No!”

“What’s wrong?” Ally asked.

I shook my head. “I’ll be right back,” I said. “I need to check something.”

I grabbed my phone and rushed out the front door. I looked up and down the sidewalk and saw the sign posted on the corner. My lawyer had just informed me my warehouse had received a generous offer as he called it. Within the offer, there was basically a threat to sell or be condemned.

My lawyer wanted to meet this week to go over the terms. I hated these developers that thought they could just throw money at a situation and make it go away. I couldn’t just go away. I had a hundred animals that couldn’t just disappear with the stroke of a pen.

I crossed the street and saw the sign. “No, no, no,” I breathed. “Coming soon, Sky Tower East!”

Under the image of a massive building there was a list of things the development would bring. I took a picture of the website information and rushed back to the shelter to look it up.

“What is going on?” Ally asked.

“I don’t know,” I said and rushed upstairs to my office. I sat down at my desk and quickly typed in the website name.

My heart twisted in my chest. This could not be happening. Again. How in the world could I be so stupid to think Reese had come back into my life without there being some ulterior motive? I clicked on the image of the building he was planning to erect. It wasn’t a single building. It was several buildings.

I read through the list of businesses already attached to the project. There was a daycare facility along with the typical coffee shop, restaurant, and even a gift shop. What there wasn’t was a shelter. He had included the dog park and the grooming area but no shelter. I flipped to the next page and scanned the information about the project. It was all about reimagining the eastern part of the city. Restoring it to its glory and providing more amenities for the current residents. There was nothing about a shelter.

In fact, an urgent care clinic was where my shelter currently stood. Was he going to raze the whole block? I was the only functioning business in the area. I was the one thing standing in his way. Instead of talking to me about it, he was going to throw money at me and hope I went away quietly.