The Feline Gaze

“I don’t really have anything to say.”

“Well, what do our projected sales numbers look like?”

That’s the real question. Am I going to do enough business this year for my company to turn a profit? Am I going to be able to give my team members raises this year? How do the projected numbers look in reference to the new projects we’re working on? Am I going to be able to lease some apartments?

“Honestly, pretty positive,” Justin says, nodding. He shifts his position in the cha

ir and makes himself comfortable. “There are a lot of new, young families in Lyon County. They want to be here and be around other shifters. We’re in a great location. We’re outside of the big cities and for families who want that shifter-centered kind of appeal, we offer that.”

“But?”

“But,” he says, pausing for a minute. “There are still some traditional shifters who don’t want anyone but tigers to live here.” Of course. Why wouldn’t that be a problem? It’s just my luck that the traditional generation is the one that happens to be the loudest. They also still hold a lot of the power in town, which means they’re able to keep things more or less the same. Shifters may be strong beasts of the wild, but they’re also incredibly fucking stubborn.

It’s annoying, really.

“Fuck, it’s like a damn boy’s club around here,” I tell Justin. Sometimes I feel like I’m going to rip my damn hair out. Dealing with shifters day in and day out is fucking exhausting. I don’t know how my vampire friend manages to handle it.

“No joke.”

“Well, the real question is whether they’re going to cause a fuss and give us any trouble. We’ve already started construction on the young professional apartments. Those should be done by the end of the summer, so the new college students will be able to move in as projected.”

I hope against hope that we’re able to finish these homes quickly with little interference from the city. You never know what might go wrong, but damn, I want these things built. It’s not even about the money, although that’s nice. No, what I’m interested in is expanding Lyon County in new and interesting ways. I want the area to grow and I want shifters of all shapes and sizes to be able to live here comfortably.

I just want everyone to be happy.

I guess I’m kind of a dreamer like that.

Lyon County consists of several small mountain towns. The tiniest of which is where I’m focusing my efforts on building. Tigress is only a 15-minute drive from Landmark, one of the biggest cities in the state. There are four different colleges and universities in Landmark, making Tigress the perfect place to advertise low-cost student apartments and rentals. College students who attend school in Landmark are already paying for tuition and it’s no secret that books cost roughly the same as an organ. Affordable housing is a growing need.

Besides, the towns of Lyon County could all use some young, fresh blood.

Tigress is just a starting point.

Eventually, I’d like to expand and make sure that more and more people in the area are able to enjoy low-cost and affordable housing that will enable them to pursue the things they really want to do, whether that be work or study or anything in-between.

“No fuss so far,” Justin says, drawing me back to the present. “But you know how the rumor mill is.”

“Do I?”

He raises and eyebrow and shoots me a look like he has no interest in me playing dumb.

“All right, all right,” I say. “Fair enough.”

It’s no secret that small towns love gossip. In fact, gossip is practically a hobby around these parts. People love making up stories about anyone and everyone, especially when the “anyone and everyone” involved happen to be out-of-towners. What better way to spread a juicy story than to throw a stranger into the mix? At least, that’s how people around Tigress seem to think.

At some point, someone is going to start a rumor and we’re going to have to fight it. I have no idea what it’s going to be, so it’s impossible to prepare for. All I can do is make sure that I’m dotting all my i’s and crossing all my t’s. I just hope that’s going to be enough.

Who knows whether it will be?

Shifters are a feisty lot. If you piss off the wrong person, they’re going to cause trouble.

“Don’t worry too much,” Justin says. “We’ll deal with any problems as they arise.”

“Of course,” I agree, happy that he’s on my team. He’s one of the best employees I’ve got and honestly, he’s more of a friend than an employee at this point.

I notice that Justin isn’t wearing is usual jeans and polo. Instead, he’s wearing khakis and a button down. It’s a little unusual for his normal style. Generally, Justin looks business-casual. Today he looks professional. I realize that work, for him, is simply a stop on his way to another place.

“Hot date tonight?” I ask.