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Laughing, Janie held her hand up. “In the over two-hundred years I’ve known you I can count on one hand the times I’ve seen you turned down and, if I remember correctly, and I do, one had to catch a plane, one had her boyfriend with her, and one ended up in your bed a few weeks later.”
Tears poured down Selena’s face. She was laughing so hard she’d lost her breath.
Shaking her head Lottie hopped off the table. “Whatever. You’re wrong. There’s something about Nova. I would like to get to know her better, even if she is Lucid.”
Janie held out the class schedule she had taken from Lottie. “Then go find her, Casanova”
Chapter Three
It had taken another three days, but Lottie finally ran into Nova outside one of her classes. At first, Nova had ignored her but after Lottie continued following her into her next class, she agreed to meet her for a cup of coffee the following day if she promised not to follow her anymore. Lottie readily agreed, going her own way. She arrived at the coffee shop twenty minutes early, ordered a black coffee for looks then found a two-person table as far away from other people as she could. She didn’t want any gossip floating around about her and Nova.
She tried to keep her mind occupied on the book she brought but she wasn’t having much luck. Lottie watched the people walking by the shop. The new styles that were popular always amused her. One thing she could say for sure was that everything came back around. She continued staring out the window until she saw Nova. Smiling, Lottie waved a server over to order coffee and muffins. As she placed the order, she kept an eye on Nova walking her way. Once the server left, Lottie tried to locate Nova out the window again but didn’t see her. She frowned. Where had she gone? Just as Lottie stood up to make her way outside, Nova stepped back into her view, but she wasn’t alone.
Walking closer to the window, Lottie watched as a good looking, dark-haired man enveloped Nova in a hug.That looks friendly. They could be related.The man kissed Nova, wrapping his hand around the back of her neck.Well, shit. The boyfriend.She shuffled back to the table feeling defeated before their conversation even began. Maybe her friends were right. She was debating if she should leave the shop and leave Nova alone for good when she appeared next to the table.
“Hello Lottie.”
“Hi. Please sit.” Just as Nova got comfortable in the chair across from Lottie, their server returned with the coffee and muffins she had ordered.
“Here’s the cream and sugar as well. Let me know if you need anything else.” She smiled brightly at Lottie.
Nova rolled her eyes. “What are we doing here? I thought I made myself clear.”
“Crystal clear but I wanted us to start over. I feel like we may have gotten off on the wrong foot.”
“May have?”
“Look Nova, I’m trying to apologize.”
“Well, you’re not doing a particularly decent job. It doesn’t matter any way. Cain is here now, and I can’t be associated with you or Alex or Mae. You all seem like lovely people but what you do is deeply against my beliefs.”
Lottie leaned forward, lowering her voice. “Is it? Have you ever tried living differently than the Lucid do or even having relationships with people who do?”
Nova stared at her hands wrapped around her coffee cup.
Lottie instantly regretted what she’d said. “I’m sorry. That was rude. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”
Standing, Nova took a step then turned back. “You did mean it. I did my research too. You’re not always a nice person, Lottie Merrick.” With that, Nova walked out the door. Lottie watched as she went directly back to the man sitting on a bench. Cain, she assumed.
Lottie sat at the small table in the coffee shop for hours thinking about the conversation she and Nova had, and the conversation she, Selena, and Janie had.Wasshe a bad person? She could admit to herself that she was used to getting what she wanted but she had always attributed that to her vast knowledge of the world. She’d been unalive over eight-hundred years. She had picked up a thing or two traveling the world. Including companions. She could also admit she wasn’t the best in relationships but at least she was honest about it. She couldn’t help if women thought they could change her. None of that mattered now, Nova was straight, and she was deeply Lucid. Regardless of how she felt, she knew it was time to leave well enough alone.
###
Selena peeked through the doors of the library, making sure no one else had Lottie’s attention. She’d been in a terrible mood for days. Selena was concerned for her friend, having never seen her act this way about a woman before. Spotting Lottie sitting at the circulation desk with her chin leaning against her hands, Selena put a huge smile on her face and swung open the door.
“Lots! Happy to see you’re looking much better today.”
Lottie jerked. “Am I?” she asked, rolling her eyes, and crossing her arms over her chest.
“Sort of.” Selena kept the smile plastered across her face. “Something has come up and I’d like to talk to you about it if you have a minute.”
“I’m very busy.” She muttered back.
With her hands on her hips, Selena looked around to make sure no one was with in ear shot. “Lottie Merrick, get your ass out of that chair now.”
Lottie jumped up, shocked by the tone of her friend’s voice. “Jeez, I’m up!”
“Follow me.” Selena walked in front of Lottie, guiding her out the library door.
