I thought about Jazz and the few acquaintances I’d made over the years, then shook my head.I kept everyone at arm’s length—and for good reason.Shopping with Jazz was fun, but I’d never invited her over to my place.How could I possibly explain the mischievous imp running around in all his weird little outfits that I stole from dolls?Sure, I could ask him to hide, but I knew he wouldn’t comply for long.He found terrorizing humans quite hilarious.
“Just my cat, Purrgatory,” I said, leaving Vol out of the conversation.
Jack blinked, then started chuckling.“You have a cat named?—”
“Purrgatory,” I repeated, “With two r’s, like in purr.”
He gave a laugh, then shook his head.“That’s an incredible name.”
“Do you have any pets?”I asked.
His face softened and he leaned forward, his arms folded on the table.“A Doberman puppy named Rebel, actually.”
I managed to refrain from shuddering, but only barely.Of all the dogs I’d met since arriving on Earth, that breed reminded me the most of hellhounds.Thankfully, Dobermans didn’t have spiked tails or venomous fangs.
The waiter returned with our meals, interrupting our conversation.He placed the dishes in front of us, and I marvelled at the presentation.My pesto chicken breast over linguini looked like a work of art, and Jack’s wild boar ribs were equally impressive.
“This looks amazing,” I said, picking up my fork.
Jack nodded.“Absolutely.Let’s dig in.”
We ate in comfortable silence, savoring the flavours.I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten something this delicious.
“So, what’s the best part of being a barista?”Jack asked between bites.“Other than dealing with handsome customers like me.”
I chuckled and swallowed a delicious bite of food.“The smell of fresh coffee,” I replied.“It’s an instant mood booster for me.”
Jack grinned.“I bet.Plus, you get to play with the fancy coffee machines.”
I laughed.“True.I’m a bit of a coffee snob now.”
We finished our meals, and the second I laid my fork on the empty plate, the waiter swept in and cleared the dishes.
“Dessert?”he asked.
I shot Jack a glance and raised a brow.I wasstuffed, but one upside to being a celestial was my angelic metabolism.No matter what I ate, I never gained a pound.
“You game?”Jack asked.
“I am, if you are.”
He grinned.“Oh, absolutely.How about we share the torte?”
“Sounds perfect,” I said.
It didn’t take the waiter long to return with the cake.One slice, two forks.I smiled at the symbolism.I’d never had the opportunity to share something as innocent as dessert with someone before.We picked up our own forks, tapped them together like we were in a cheesy rom-com movie, then dove in.The first bite was delectable.
“This is so good,” Jack said around a bite.
I couldn’t even spare any words, too busy nomming down on this glazed treat, but I did nod my agreement.We plowed through it quickly, barely pausing to chat.When one bite remained, we stared at each other, both grinning ear to ear.
“It’s all yours,” Jack said, relinquishing his pronged weapon.
“No,” I said, laughing.“You should have the last bite.”
“Absolutely not,” he said, mock horror filling his expression.“I would never steal cake from a lady.”
I snickered, then dove in and devoured the last bite.It lingered on my tongue, the chocolaty yumminess giving me quite the sugar high.I washed it down with a sip of water, then lifted my gaze to find Jack staring over my shoulder, the sparkle in his eyes dimmed and a frown now creasing his brow.
