Chasing His Kickass Luna Back by Jane Above Story

#Chapter 9 – Shut Down
Abby

I stand with my hands on my hips, watching a group of law enforcement officers pour into my

restaurant.

One of them approaches me, a stern expression on her face. “Mam, you need to shut down this

restaurant immediately and straighten out your practice.”

“Pardon?” I say, looking around with wide eyes. I can’t believe my ears.

“The restaurant needs to be closed for the month.”

I lower my hands. “Please, I can’t do that,” I say. “I have customers with reservations, and regulars that

are expecting to be seated. I can’t just close for a month.”

Just the thought of doing so makes me feel a little sick. The last thing I want is to let my customers

down, and who knows what negative effects it could have on my business long term.

“Please, officer–” I start, but she waves me off. She looks completely unmoved by my pleas.

“You have a food safety problem here.”

“No.” I shake my head. “That can’t be right. We’ve gotten an S+ in sanitation every time.”

The officer rises to her full height, that stern expression unwavering. “If you disobey the order again,

the police department will detain you.”

I stare down at the cease-and-desist notice, desperately trying to wrap my head around what it means,

but even holding it in my hand doesn’t make it seem real. How can this be happening? I’ve never failed

a health inspection. Now my restaurant is closed for a month and there’s nothing I can do about it.

“I can’t think of anything that would warrant this,” Olivia says. She’s the only one I didn’t send home

after the police raided the place.

“Can you think of any recent hygiene problems?”

She thinks for a moment, then shakes her head.

“Did we offend any regulators?”

frowns. “No, I

“Any customer complaints?”

that I

my forehead. “Great, so there’s nothing. We haven’t done anything,

of business for

front of Olivia, but it does sort of feel

with my customers.

come in for the reservations some of them made months in advance.

meantime, what if they find somewhere else to go?

pinched look

“What?”

who were here the other night

table.”

me a minute to register who she’s talking about, then my hands curl into fists. Karl. I

a reservation, and now

He’s never gone easy on the people who’ve offended

I turned him away, in full view of

get his revenge on people

the sort of thing

certainly has the power to make

right,” I say.

office in the back, my muscles tense. I will not let him get away

mess with my business. I yank the phone

the reservation number

“Hello?”

you to put me in touch with

“He’s on the phone right now.

can respond. I cross my arms over my chest and sit

don’t care how long it

to fix

long for the phone to ring, and I force myself to take a calming

it to my

His voice sounds a little

“Karl.”

clears his throat. “Are you ready

coldly. “I want to

didn’t expect you to change your mind

the silence. “I thought it would take

what you

me an address, and I put the phone down a little harder

walk back out, my

Olivia, you can go home,” I say. “I’m going to

She nods.