from school now that youre „out as a witch,” I
warned him.
“People did crap like this to you too?” Kelly asked. “Yes.”
“Well shit.”
I totally agreed.
Chapter Eight
T
HAT night the bar was my retreat. Serving beer and burgers made time fly. Everyone in the bar was a regular, yet every hour or so Id feel someones eyes on me, only to turn and not find anyone looking in my direction. Twice I heard what I thought was Matthews voice calling me. Each time there was no one there.
Jamie and Gabe were busy at the bar, so I tried to ignore it. Jamie had bought me special medicated gloves that replaced the heavy bandages. They let me work and didnt look overly odd. Though I was sure my hands would hurt by midway through the night from all the flexing.
“Can you grab a pitcher for table seven, Sei?” Gabe asked me in passing. He was on his way to the kitchen, stack of dirty dishes in hand.
“Okay.” I pulled up a clean empty, glanced at the computer order screen to confirm their drink of choice, and filled up the pitcher. After delivering it to the table, I made another round of cleanup, stacking plates and glasses.
Id just turned back toward the kitchen when someone grabbed my arm. “Hey, baby. How about another brew?” a voice asked.
The tone sounded so much like Matthew I tripped, sending the platter full of dirty dishes crashing to the floor. Everything shattered. There was a hodgepodge of voices, but that deep drawling voice calling me baby just rang over and over in my head. I couldnt even look at the table. Gabe and Jamie appeared to help clean up the mess. “I got it,” Jamie said.
“Sorry, everyone,” Gabe apologized. “The serving trays
are so slippery.” He pulled me up and led me away from the crowd into the empty locker area. His arms folded around me. It wasnt until then that I realized how badly I was shaking.
“Im sorry,” I mumbled against his chest.
“Theyre just dishes. I can buy more. Everything okay?” I shook my head.
“Want to talk about it?”
“Youll think Im crazy.”
“Been seeing Smurfs lately?”
“Huh?”
“Smurfs. Small blue people. That would be the only way
Id think youre crazy.” He looked thoughtful for a minute or two. “Though I suppose they could exist, especially since vampires, witches, and faeries exist.”
“Faeries arent real,” I protested.
“Are so. Ive met some.”
“Maybe Matthews a faerie then.”
“Highly unlikely. Male faeries are rare, and about the
size of your thumb. Females are a little smaller but number in the thousands.” Gabe hugged me tightly while he rambled on about faeries. “Reproduction is less than two per lifetime for each female, I think. And with so few males….”
“Youre nuts,” I told him, but just being with him made me feel better.
He laughed. “The two of us are perfect for each other then, arent we?”
I sighed.
“I called Jo. She said shed cover for you tonight. And Mike is on the way to take over for me. How about we take off?” Gabe gave me a suggestive wink. I dont know why he kept trying, but as long as he was, so would I.
“Okay.” I let him help untie my apron and hand me my coat.
Mike and Jo arrived almost at the same time. Jo gave me an affectionate kiss on the cheek, telling me we had to do a movie night soon. Had it really been almost two months since the last time? Before Frank died. Before Brock had messed me up. I sighed and promised wed get together soon. She looked good, healthy, and not so world weary. Her lover had been murdered by Brock. I suppose if there was hope for her, there had to be hope for me, right?
In Gabes car a few minutes later, I was surprised when he leaned across and kissed me like he really meant it. He always tasted like copper pennies unless hed been drinking, and it was something I enjoyed. When he pulled away, he looked a little flushed. But he helped snap my seatbelt into place and started the car.
“Wow,” I told him.
“Liked that?”
“Why doesnt
warned him.
“People did crap like this to you too?” Kelly asked. “Yes.”
“Well shit.”
I totally agreed.
Chapter Eight
T
HAT night the bar was my retreat. Serving beer and burgers made time fly. Everyone in the bar was a regular, yet every hour or so Id feel someones eyes on me, only to turn and not find anyone looking in my direction. Twice I heard what I thought was Matthews voice calling me. Each time there was no one there.
Jamie and Gabe were busy at the bar, so I tried to ignore it. Jamie had bought me special medicated gloves that replaced the heavy bandages. They let me work and didnt look overly odd. Though I was sure my hands would hurt by midway through the night from all the flexing.
“Can you grab a pitcher for table seven, Sei?” Gabe asked me in passing. He was on his way to the kitchen, stack of dirty dishes in hand.
“Okay.” I pulled up a clean empty, glanced at the computer order screen to confirm their drink of choice, and filled up the pitcher. After delivering it to the table, I made another round of cleanup, stacking plates and glasses.
Id just turned back toward the kitchen when someone grabbed my arm. “Hey, baby. How about another brew?” a voice asked.
The tone sounded so much like Matthew I tripped, sending the platter full of dirty dishes crashing to the floor. Everything shattered. There was a hodgepodge of voices, but that deep drawling voice calling me baby just rang over and over in my head. I couldnt even look at the table. Gabe and Jamie appeared to help clean up the mess. “I got it,” Jamie said.
“Sorry, everyone,” Gabe apologized. “The serving trays
are so slippery.” He pulled me up and led me away from the crowd into the empty locker area. His arms folded around me. It wasnt until then that I realized how badly I was shaking.
“Im sorry,” I mumbled against his chest.
“Theyre just dishes. I can buy more. Everything okay?” I shook my head.
“Want to talk about it?”
“Youll think Im crazy.”
“Been seeing Smurfs lately?”
“Huh?”
“Smurfs. Small blue people. That would be the only way
Id think youre crazy.” He looked thoughtful for a minute or two. “Though I suppose they could exist, especially since vampires, witches, and faeries exist.”
“Faeries arent real,” I protested.
“Are so. Ive met some.”
“Maybe Matthews a faerie then.”
“Highly unlikely. Male faeries are rare, and about the
size of your thumb. Females are a little smaller but number in the thousands.” Gabe hugged me tightly while he rambled on about faeries. “Reproduction is less than two per lifetime for each female, I think. And with so few males….”
“Youre nuts,” I told him, but just being with him made me feel better.
He laughed. “The two of us are perfect for each other then, arent we?”
I sighed.
“I called Jo. She said shed cover for you tonight. And Mike is on the way to take over for me. How about we take off?” Gabe gave me a suggestive wink. I dont know why he kept trying, but as long as he was, so would I.
“Okay.” I let him help untie my apron and hand me my coat.
Mike and Jo arrived almost at the same time. Jo gave me an affectionate kiss on the cheek, telling me we had to do a movie night soon. Had it really been almost two months since the last time? Before Frank died. Before Brock had messed me up. I sighed and promised wed get together soon. She looked good, healthy, and not so world weary. Her lover had been murdered by Brock. I suppose if there was hope for her, there had to be hope for me, right?
In Gabes car a few minutes later, I was surprised when he leaned across and kissed me like he really meant it. He always tasted like copper pennies unless hed been drinking, and it was something I enjoyed. When he pulled away, he looked a little flushed. But he helped snap my seatbelt into place and started the car.
“Wow,” I told him.
“Liked that?”
“Why doesnt
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