“Nothing, just excited,” I quickly covered.
Jack’s smile softened, and he reached over to gently squeeze my hand.
I returned his squeeze, guilt tugging at me as I thought about Rathiel and everything I’d left behind in the apartment.But tonight was supposed to be about me and Jack.Maybe I was foolish for trying to hold on to some semblance of normalcy, but I was determined to give it a shot, even if only for a few hours.I liked Jack.My feelings for him differed from how I felt for Rathiel—softer, gentler, less murderous, for sure.And that seemed the healthier choice.
The drive to La Ronde was pleasant, and Jack kept up a light and easy conversation.I laughed more than I had in weeks, the tension of the past few days slipping away.By the time we arrived at the restaurant, I’d almost forgotten about the supernatural shit-show that was my life.
La Ronde was just as impressive as I’d imagined—a revolving restaurant offering a panoramic view of the city.The lights of Edmonton twinkled below us as we the host led us to our table, and I took in the breathtaking view.
I removed my jacket and draped it over the back of my chair.
“Beautiful view,” I murmured.
When I turned, I found Jack staring at me with an awestruck smile, his warm eyes sparkling with interest.“Not as beautiful as you.”
To that, I laughed.“Okay, that was a pretty cheesy line.But also appreciated.Thank you.”
Jack grinned, clearly pleased with himself.“Hey, I aim to impress.Especially when I’m dining with someone who could light up the entire city.”
I rolled my eyes playfully.
The waiter appeared at our table then and handed us menus with a practiced flourish.I opened mine, pretending to peruse the options, though the words were swimming in front of my eyes.The truth was, I couldn’t stop replaying last night—Rathiel’s bite—in my head.
“What are you thinking?”Jack asked, his tone casual as he glanced over his menu.
“Hmm?”I blinked, realizing he was talking about the menu, and not my current thoughts.“Oh, um, maybe the filet mignon?That sounds good.”
“Solid choice,” Jack said, nodding appreciatively.“I think I’ll go for the rack of lamb.”
The waiter returned, and Jack gave him our orders, adding a bottle of red wine to go with the meal.
“Drinks should be here in a minute,” the waiter said before leaving.
Thanking him, Jack reached across the table, his fingers brushing lightly against mine.“Are you sure everything’s okay?You seem a little…distracted.”
I searched for the right words.“It’s just been a bit of a crazy week, that’s all.But I’m here now, and I’m really glad we’re doing this.”
Jack’s smile was warm and understanding.“Me too.”
Before I could respond, the waiter arrived with the wine in hand.He poured a generous amount into each of our glasses, then left us to our conversation.I took a sip, savoring the rich, velvety flavour.
“So,” Jack said, leaning back in his chair with a grin, “tell me something about yourself that I don’t know.”
I considered his request.Except, everything that came to mind, I couldn’t divulge.I pictured myself being brutally honest.Like, “Well, I’m Lucifer’s daughter.A trained warrior who knows a thousand different ways to kill a man, or rather, kill hellspawn.I’m currently rooming with a former fallen angel who confuses me in about a dozen different ways.And my father wants me dead.”
I almost laughed, picturingthatparticular conversation.Jack would run screaming into the night.So, instead, I pulled out something entirely random and completely irrelevant to my personality.“I have an uncanny ability to remember the most useless trivia.Like, did you know that a group of flamingos is called a ‘flamboyance’?”
Jack blinked, then laughed, the sound warm and genuine.“That’s actually amazing.I love it.What other little facts do you know?”
“Crocodiles can’t stick out their tongues,” I quickly added.
He gave another light chuckle, his eyes twinkling with amusement.“And what led to you learning all this?”
I opened my mouth, almost about to admit the truth, before catching myself and adjusting the answer just a smidgen.“Earth fascinates me.And I love discovering all the quirks and details of the life that lives here.”It wasn’t a lie.Earthdidfascinate me.I just left out the part about me not being from here, which was the real reason I’d taken to studying it so intently.
Jack's eyes softened, a hint of admiration lighting up his features.“It’s rare to meet someone who’s so genuinely curious about the world.Most people take it for granted.”
I gave a small shrug.“It’s mostly useless information, but it’s fun to throw out there now and then.”
