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“I know, I know,” I whispered, mad at myself.
“He’s trying to seduce you.” Josie glared at the man who was now fixedly staring at his phone while simultaneously writing notes at a furious pace. What had he found? Surely it couldn’t be about me. Honestly, besides having weird abilities, I had a boring history; you know, other than traveling the world in search of exotic plants and curing people.
“What reason would he have to seduce me?” I kept my voice low in the hope that none of my other customers heard what we were talking about. The town was already abuzz about the reporter. Some people had purposefully sought him out, offended on my behalf. I’d heard sweet Fran, who was a regular customer of mine, had even set her German shepherd on him, though apparently Eric was some kind of dog whisperer and it all came to nothing except him being licked half to death. I was almost jealous of the dog.
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because you’re hot and he wants to sleep with you,” Josie responded too loudly.
I elbowed her.
She lowered her voice. “He’s probably waiting to offer you a deal. Sex in exchange for him keeping his mouth shut.”
That would be a fatal error on his part. And it made me sick to think that was his plan. My insides squirmed imagining he was that kind of man. Sure, he was a jerk, but sexual coercion was inexcusable. “There’s nothing for him to keep his mouth shut about.”
Josie patted my arm. “I know. Seriously, you’re so vanilla.”
“Thanks for that.”
She laughed. “You know it’s true. You don’t even date.”
I stared at Eric, thinking about the dates we had shared in my dreams. Last night it was a picnic at Emerald Falls, above the town. It started out cute and innocent, and then we ended up in the water, and let’s just say it became a hot spring. Apparently, I had a better imagination than I ever knew. So much so, I couldn’t wait to go to bed tonight. I shook myself out of those thoughts. “I need to get to work,” I commented.
“All right. I’ll keep an eye on the reporter. Do you want me to seduce him? I’m not above some bribery.” She wagged her brows.
“No,” I said way too fast.
She flashed me a crooked grin. “You like him.”
“Of course I don’t.” I blushed. “I gotta go.” In haste I headed back behind the counter to make Eric’s tea.
Josie giggled before sauntering Eric’s way and taking a seat at his table. She said nothing, just folded her arms and gave him the look. The look only a southern woman could give. It had been known to put the fear of God in many a child and man, I was told. However, Eric hardly paid her any attention. Whatever game he was playing, he was good at it. But he had no idea who he was up against. Josie stretched out her legs and propped her feet up on the table. Normally, I wouldn’t have wanted her to do that, for sanitary reasons, but I let it slide. Seeing the shock in Eric’s eyes was worth it. His shock, though, was soon replaced with determination. He went right back to work as if she weren’t there.
All my employees and customers were glued to the cat and mouse game going on in the corner. If anything, I think Eric’s presence would be good for business, at least in the short term. What if he did find something to raise suspicions that I wasn’t normal? Would people start to believe it was witchcraft, as a few people already suspected? Would I get figuratively burned at the stake? Maybe I would be forced to leave and take on a new identity before I was ready. I’d hoped to stay in Riverhaven until I was thirty-five. It was the first place that had felt like home in a long time. The first time I’d had a best friend other than my mother. Mom had always cautioned against forming attachments to mortals, yet all I’d found myself wanting to do was get close to people.
I had Leann drop off Eric’s tea at his table. I chose a rose damiana tea that would not only help him relax but maybe soften his heart a bit. I could never be sure. I had a feeling he was a tough cookie to crack. Maybe he hadn’t gotten enough love as a child. Something told me he hid who he really was behind his beautiful, hard exterior. I could tell that he carefully watched his emotions. Even when he’d told me he couldn’t wait for me to return, I could see how it agitated him that he’d expressed how he truly felt. I wasn’t the only one with secrets to keep. Or maybe it was just the nature of his job.
