I turn, preparing to go back inside, only to see Spenser’s face in the window, grinning at me.
Damn him and his mothman hearing. “You heard everything, didn’t you?”
He nods and I bury my face in my hands, not that there’s any way to conceal my embarrassment. I just screamed, in public, that he probably knows how to give someone an orgasm. Not exactly the kind of thing you say about someone you work for.
A moment later, he comes outside and wraps an arm around my shoulder. “That seemed intense. You want to take the afternoon off?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m fine.”
“All right. Come back inside, then. Aside from me, I don’t think anyone actually heard any of that. Well, maybe Jin. Hard to say. If it helps, Flick gave him a twig covered in bird shit. Her way of calling Braeden a shitstick, we think.”
I laugh. Leave it to Flicker.
His arm around me gives me the strength and confidence I need to go back inside and pretend the good people of Harmony Glen didn’t just see me getting into it with my asshole ex. I lift my head high, relying on Spenser’s support, and go finish my shift.
JULIET
Between my hours at the bookstore and Maggie’s various entrepreneurial undertakings, it’s been a few weeks since we last hung out. Gabe is chilling with his werebear friend Mack tonight, watching some sporting thing, so it’s the perfect chance for me to go visit my cousin and Jasper.
At least, I think that’s the plan, until Maggie texts me.
Let’s get drinks at Hip Hops. I need mozzarella sticks.
Works for me. 7:00?
See you then.
I get there first, so I go to the bar and say hi to Vienne, who’s wearing red leather tonight, instead of her customary black. Gillian is at a stool in the corner, wearing a gold caftan and sipping something fancy-looking out of a coupe.
“Ladies,” I say. “Are you enjoying this month’s book club selection?” Gillian has a paperback version of it with her, sitting on the bar. It’s a very spicy romantasy calledThe Nightshade Prince.
“You’ll find out when we meet,” Vienne says with a grin.
Gillian pats the empty barstool next to her. “Sit,” she says. “And yes, I’m having fun with it. I didn’t realize how popular spicy fantasy had become. Those are some very sexy elves you’ve assigned to us.”
I grin. “Hey, the group voted for it. I had a memoir picked out, remember? And I would have been just as happy with a beach read.” I lift the glass to my mouth.
“We can do that next month,” Vienne says, sliding me a pink cocktail I didn’t order. “June is for beachy fluff. May is for elf fucking.”
I choke on my drink. “That’s one way of putting it.”
My phone dings, and I expect it to be a text from Maggie, telling me she’s on her way. Instead, it’s from Spenser.
You busy tonight?
Having drinks with Mags at Hip Hops. Free later, though.
He gives my response a thumbs up and I turn back to the gals at the bar. Maggie rolls up a few minutes later and asks Vienne to put in a double order of mozzarella sticks. Vienne raises her black brows, puts in the order with the kitchen, and immediately grabs the blender, whipping up a frozen margarita.
“You look like you need this,” she tells Maggie.
“Thank you.” My cousin takes a grateful sip and then sighs. “I love my job, but today was a long one, you know?”
I nod. “We all have them.”
She smirks. “Sure. I bet you have bad days all the time at the job that was basically tailor made for you.”
“As a matter of fact, Braeden stopped by earlier this week. We got in a fight outside the store, I yelled at him for being a pig, and then when he insulted monsters in general and my boss in particular, I shouted that Spenser could probably make a woman come way better than Braeden ever could. And Spenser witnessed the whole thing, thanks to big windows and his moth super hearing. So, you know, that wasn’t great.” I finish my drink and nod to Vienne for another one.
