"Are you stating that as fact, or asking for confirmation?"
"Fact," she responded firmly, putting the almond milk in the fridge door a little too enthusiastically."Sorry.I guess it's just getting to me more than I thought.Things with Nick are going great, I just wish that we didn't have to think about all of that kind of stuff."
"Maybe you should talk to your boss about it?"I suggested."The clause is there, but maybe it can be taken out and replaced with a new one?"
"Do you think they'd do that?"
I shrugged."Maybe sound them out first if you don't want to risk losing your job.But I imagine you'll probably be able to find another one.Maybe Jinx is hiring, they'd probably benefit from your marketing knowledge."
She raised an eyebrow."You're suggesting I work for the dating agency?"
"I just meant that there are other companies out there," I responded."You don'thaveto work for this one if it's making you miserable in a different part of your life."
She sighed."I know you're right."
"I often am."
"Is that how you're going to deal with it when you fall afoul of theno datingclause in your contract?"She closed the fridge and turned to look at me with a knowing expression on her face.
"There isn't a clause like that in my contract," I pointed out."I don't have clients."
"Just chefs you interview."
"Not just chefs," I responded."Sometimes I'll be interviewing sommeliers, restauranters, gourmets...chefs are only part of it."
"Mmhmm.Sothat'swhat you're going to say instead of saying that you have no interest in anyone?"Her mischievous expression is impossible to ignore.
"If you're talking about Poseidon, there's nothing going on."
"The fact that you know I'm talking about Poseidon says it all."
I rolled my eyes."We had one bottle of wine while I interviewed him for my job.That's nothing approaching dating him, or wanting to date him."
"You can say that all you want, but I saw you flirting with him."
I shrugged."He's an attractive man, with a nice voice, and an interest in food.Whywouldn'tI flirt with him?"
"Maybe we'll be going on triple dates next time you have to review a restaurant," she teased.
"Not likely.And even if we did, can you imagine the disaster of having Poseidon and Cupid at the same table?Both of them have mentioned the feud between their pantheons."
"They'd get over it for love."
"Well, it's not going to be an issue," I said.
"So you keep saying."She opens the fridge again before shutting it."Why is it that every time I buy food, I don't have anything I want to eat in the house?"
"You used up all of your good sense shopping, so now you want to please the more impulsive side of you by getting something that you didn't buy.Probably something bad."
She wrinkled her nose."I hate it when you're right."
"I know food," I responded."But you're also in luck.One of my next pieces is supposed to be about what makes a great takeaway, so you can pick what you want, and theParanormal Gourmetwill pay."
"I love your new job," Ivy said, pulling out her phone and tapping through to the takeaway app.
"I know you do."My phone screen lit up, and I grabbed it, assuming that it was going to be Ivy sending through the link for me to add my stuff to the order.
Except that it isn't her.The unknown number and the preview of a message made my heart skip a beat.I glanced over at my friend, happy to see that she wasn't paying me any attention.I clicked on it.
