Page 32 of Meet Cute Magic

“No, no. That’s not embarrassing at all.” I side-eye him and he shakes his head. “Really. It’s not.” Suddenly, I believe him. Even more so when he speaks again. “It’s admirable, dropping everything to help and be there for your sisters. You could be jaded or closed off, but you’re not. I don’t know many people who could say the same if they were in your shoes.” A beat passes, and I take in his side profile, his strong jaw, his straight nose, and the five o’clock shadow coming in, and warmth fills me.

“You know, Jack, you’re not as bad as I thought. Maybe we can be friends after all of this.” And when he smiles over at me, I really, truly believe it.

CHAPTER 11

Rosie

39 days until Halloween

If Heartwood Hollow is the quirky little suburb where paranormal creatures feel comfortable settling down, Diamond Ridge is the city with nightlife where they can comfortably go out and have a good time. Obviously, not every bar, restaurant, or club is supernatural-friendly, but many are, including Ghastly, an exclusive club with rigorous standards and rules governing admission.

My heart races as we approach the front doors, remembering my plan. Find Cooper, bat my lashes, and get Jack through the doors without issue. I’ve repeated it at least a dozen times in my mind since we parked, but when I see the bulk of a man at the door, my plan goes right out the window.

“Hold my hand,” I say low, reaching mine out. Jack stares at it, confused, like he can’t fathom the concept of hand-holding. I groan internally, realizing at the last moment that this is going to be more difficult than intended. Instead of yapping about secrets and getting-to-know-you’s on the way here, I should have just told him my plan, or, at least, the reality of taking him here. I didn’t want to freak him out, but maybe that would have made things a bit easier.

“Designation?” a deep, gravelly voice asks, and I sigh, my fingers tightening in Jack’s hand in a way I hope gets my silent, shut the fuck up and let me handle this message across.

I was hopeful this wouldn’t happen, and really didn’t think I’d need to come up with a plan B, instead manifesting that plan A would work just fine. I’ve found that living in my delusion and best-case-scenario headspace usually serves me well, but today it’s betraying me.

I think Jack might just be bad luck.

The bouncer, a giant guy who I’m pretty sure is a gargoyle, approaches us. I groan internally because if it were Cooper, the wolf shifter who literally always looks at Poppy with puppy dog eyes whenever we come, I could probably talk my way in without any fuss. Especially if I mentioned that Poppy had been asking about him. (She has not, for the record.) I turn fully to him, putting on my most darling smile and hoping to whatever god is listening that it works.

“Witch,” I say with a smile and continue walking. Maybe if I just pretend…

“Stop,” the bouncer says, and I tighten my jaw before turning to him.

“Hey,” I say, hesitating and looking at the name tag on his shirt. “Dan. What’s up?” He looks me over for a moment, taking in the tight black dress with the long sleeves and low scoop neck with pleasure before shifting his gaze to Jack. The look becomes much more assessing and much less heated in an instant.

“He’s not supernatural,” Dan says, and I groan inwardly.

On the outside, though, I play dumb. “Yeah, I know,” I say with a shrug, as if that’s the only issue at hand, as if I think he’s just letting me know so I can stay up to date. “The heart wants what it wants, and all.” That’s not why he’s pointing it out, of course. There are rules governing this place to protect both the members and the guests. I just hoped I could avoid them.

“Is he yours?” Dan asks.

“Yeah, he sure is!” I say with a bright smile before Jack can say anything else, since, knowing him, he would have blown our cover in a moment. I shift closer to him, putting an arm around his waist while he stands there awkwardly, arms at his side. Obviously, I should have given him a more detailed rundown of our mission ahead of time, but I figured he would be able to play the game if necessary.

Note to self: never assume Jack knows how to engage with people.

After a beat, Jack’s arm shifts to my shoulders, and for a split second, it’s like we’re in middle school and I’m his first girlfriend. But then the arm moves, his hand gently caressing down my side and shifting me so he’s standing behind me, his front to my back. The heat of him calms my nerves a bit, and the way his hand splays on my stomach over the fabric of my dress sends a wave of… something through me.

Well, I’ll be damned. Maybe he does know how to play the game. I look over my shoulder and give him an appreciative smile, but he’s already looking down at me, that same stoic look on his face. Shockingly enough, he looks… normal, like this is just how we are, like we do this often, him holding me. I rest a hand over his other hand that’s on my hip and let my body relax.

We are so selling this. I turn back to Dan with a smile, genuine confidence in the look now, but that confidence vanishes quickly when I see that despite my hopes, we are not selling anything.

“Doesn’t seem like it,” Dan says, looking from Jack to me. Jack’s body stays still, but his hand beneath mine tightens just a bit with a healthy dose of human panic. He doesn’t know what or who this man is, but his human instincts undoubtedly are kicking in, telling him that Dan is trouble. It’s a protective instinct that humans have developed over centuries, a survival tactic that dates back far beyond our existence to help us stay out of danger.

Danger I dragged him directly into without giving him any warning.

I totally fucked this up.

Still, I shrug like it’s no big deal and wave a hand at the big man.

“I had a stomach bug last week, and he’s recovering from a cold sore. We’ve been trying to keep things from spreading, you know?” Dan looks from me to Jack for what feels like the hundredth time before raising an eyebrow. My goodness, when did the security get so tight here?

“Then why are you here?” he asks, crossing his arms on his chest. “Are you both better now?”

“Oh, yeah, totally. No contagion anymore.” I take a step closer to the door, but his hand moves to my shoulder, holding me in place and stopping me from moving into the club. For a moment, I think I feel a jolt from Jack, his body tightening further.