Nyah moved beside Sadie. Her furrowed brow said she didn’t know this was a thing either.
“It’s fairly standard these days,” said Lorraine. “More and more lease agreements are including them.”
“Isn’t that discrimination?” Sadie said.And crappy. And wrong.
“It’s not. It merely states what sort of events can be hosted at our properties.”
“By excluding a certain group of people,” Nyah said, giving Lorraine aThis bitchface. Sadie loved her for it.
The broker made prayer hands, putting on a too-polite mask. “We appreciate the protection our Superheroes provide the city. We just don’t want to invite trouble if it can be prevented.”
This bitch!“Well, I for one don’t agree with signing any document that says someone can’t come to my café. My goal is to provide a safe space for everyone. That includes people born with superpowers.” Sadie leaned forward for emphasis. “Which yes, Lorraine, they areborn with. Where do you draw the line? Who do you get to say has to stay away next?”
Lorraine tittered uncomfortably.
Nyah crossed her arms. “Is that rider a dealbreaker?”
“It is required,” the broker said. “It’s for your protection as our tenant. It will also save you a good amount of money on liability insurance.”
“I don’t care if it makes liability insurance free,” Sadie said, fury raging through her. Imagine a damn piece of paper telling Joan and Mark they weren’t welcome somewhere. That Gus couldn’t enjoy a cup of coffee after all she’d given the city.
She tucked her notebook in her blazer pocket, hands shaking. “I can’t in good conscience work with your company.”
Lorraine took a few steps toward the counter. “I’m sorry to hear that. This would be a perfect fit for your coffeehouse.”
It’s damn perfect, damn it.
“If you’d like to think it over?—”
“Oh, I’ve thought it over,” Sadie said, stalking to the door. She took a last glance at the space that was everything she wanted but was now tainted. “And you know what? You don’t always know who has superpowers. What if I do, huh? What if I can read your mind or make it rain or shoot a great big fireball out of my mouth?”
Lorraine’s eyes grew huge.
Nyah laughed and guided Sadie through the doorway. “Okay, Amazing Girl.”
“Treat people with more respect, Lorraine!” Sadie shouted, pointing a finger for emphasis.
She pounded down the sidewalk, hurt and angry and very, very disappointed.
Nyah kept pace with her, chuckling all the way. “I’ve never seen you get that mad.”
“That’s total bullshit,” Sadie seethed. “And it doesn’t solve the problem. Most damage is done during battles. It’s unexpected. We didn’t wake up Saturday morning thinking Hot and Cold would get stomped into oblivion that day. It’s not likesigning a riderwould have stopped it from happening.”
“Well, I’m sad they suck. That was a nice space.”
“It was,” Sadie moaned. “It’s perfect. But I couldn’t do that to?—”
Nyah watched her, waiting for more.
“I couldn’t sign anything like that. It’s discriminatory. Who knows what else they’d make me sign. That’s not a landlord I want to do business with.” She wiped at a tear that had squeezed out. “Sorry I wasted your time. You have to get to work anyway.”
“It was worth it to see you tell that woman off,” Ny giggled.
“People with superpowers have enough to worry about. They don’t need to be told where they can and can’t go.”
Nyah just kept staring at her, amusement written all over her face. Hopefully this passionate Super defending came off more like Sadie fangirling than?—
“Sadie,” Ny said. “I have to tell you. I know Joan is Spark.”
