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"Yes, I can see where that wouldn't necessarily work so well."
"Not that I don't find you interesting," I hurried to add. "I just did have an ulterior motive. What's going on ... well, it's big. And important."
He frowned in thought for a moment. "A new client is always good," he said after a while. "I have some time free at ten Monday. Would that work?"
I was pretty sure we'd make it work. Besides, Merlin would probably know already, in that weird way he had. "Ten would be fine."
I didn't have my own business cards, but I found the one Rod had given me in my purse. "Here's the address, and there's a map on the back. Let me write in my direct line for you." On the back of the card where the map was, I wrote my name and my office phone number. "Just ask for me at the front desk."
He took the card and studied it. "MSI, Inc., huh? What's that stand for?"
"Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc."
"Okay, then, I'll see you Monday. Do you mind if we call it a night? I'm not sure I'm up to dealing with anything else tonight."
"Not at all." I grabbed the check before he could. "I insist. After all, I lured you here under false pretexts for business purposes." He didn't put up a fight. He looked too drained to argue.
"At least let me make sure you get home okay. You said you live near Union Square?"
"Yeah, off Fourteenth. But I'll be fine." In the state he was in, I doubted he'd be much of a bodyguard."
"No, I can't leave a lady to get home by herself."
"Believe me, I'm well looked after. But you can walk me to the subway. I live very close to a stop, so I'll be fine." We left the restaurant, with Rod and Owen still sitting at the bar, and walked down the sidewalk toward the subway station. I saw Sam still on his perch from earlier in the evening and waved to him. "Hi, Sam!"
"Hey, sweetheart!" He left his perch and glided down to join us on the sidewalk.
I thought poor Ethan would have a stroke. "Okay, that's a gargoyle, and it's talking to us," he said.
"Ethan, I'd like you to meet Sam. Sam, this is Ethan. Ethan will be coming by the office Monday for a talk with the boss."
"Yeah, I can see why. Good call, doll face."
"Okay, I am definitely coming to your office," Ethan said, his face ashen. "If this isn't real, I need serious professional help."
I heard a voice singing my name, winced, and said, "Unless you don't think you've maxed out your weirdness quotient for the day, you should probably go now." He looked like he was about to ask a question, then changed his mind and took off.
seventeen
Ethan got away just in time, for as soon as he disappeared around one comer, Jeff arrived around another corner, loudly serenading me with his version of "Mandy." I didn't want to know how he knew how to find me. There were way too many people following me these days—Idris's henchmen, my MSI bodyguards, and my lovelorn suitor. On the bright side, the more people who followed me around, the harder it would be for Idris and his people to pull anything funny. "Hi, Jeff," I said with a resigned sigh. "Want to make yourself useful?"
"Of course, my lady fair."
"Walk me home." He looked like I'd handed him the world on a platter, and extended his elbow to me. I hesitated a second, then took it. He extolled my beauty the entire way home, and by the time we got there, I'd come to the conclusion that I could get used to that. It would have been even better if he hadn't been under an enchantment that made him say those things, but I consoled myself with the idea that Owen was at least a little bit behind it all. Somehow, I didn't see him being quite so corny—
or so eloquent—but it would be nice if he shared the same basic ideas about me.
I was hoping to sneak home and be in bed before the others got home so I wouldn't have to answer the ritual postdate interrogation, but my recent luck held, and Gemma and Marcia, with Philip on Gemma's arm, were just starting to unlock the front door as we approached. I hurried to disengage myself from Jeff's arm, which took elbowing him in the ribs, so I wouldn't have to explain why I'd gone out with one guy and come home arm in arm with another. I was about to send him away, but then I took another look at the trio at the door.
Philip and Gemma had that glow of new love. Marcia looked glum. I had a good idea what must have happened. Gemma had set Marcia up with someone so they could double date, and it had gone horribly wrong. I imagined another evening of arguing, as had happened when she'd been set up with Ethan. Then I took a look at Jeff. He was the opposite type from anyone Gemma ever set her up with, but that might be what she needed. He was good-looking, well built, and didn't seem like he'd give her much of a challenge. She'd like that, at least for a while.
I thought I might not need Owen's help to break this spell after all. "Come on, I'd like you to meet my friends," I said to Jeff. Then I shouted, "Hey, hold on a second!" to Marcia before she let the front door close. The three of them paused in the doorway as Jeff and I hurried to catch up.
Gemma and Marcia looked pointedly at Jeff, who was very clearly not Ethan. I gave them my best "I'll explain later" look and launched into introductions. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Jeff. He's a friend I ran into on the way home. Jeff, this is Gemma, Philip, and Marcia."
Gemma gave him a dazzling smile. Philip gave him a proper handshake and said,
"Pleased to make your acquaintance," then frowned and asked, "Do I know you?
