Just seeing her lights up my insides. Her bright smile, her happy eyes… She’s beautiful and surprising and fantastic. I lean down to kiss her before I slide into the booth opposite her, and I have to force myself to not extend the kiss into pushing her down onto the seat and climbing on top of her.
Her eyes sparkle as I meet them across the table. “I feel better now.”
“Me too.” One corner of my mouth lifts.
“What’s wrong?” Her eyebrows push together.
“Ziggy called me.”
“Oh shit. Was I that bad?”
“Well, sweet thing, you definitely got their attention.”
“That’s bad, isn’t it?”
“Who knows?” I slide a menu closer to me.
The waitress arrives at our table, and I order fish and chips. Romy gets a Cobb salad.
“Okay, tell me how it went from your perspective.”
She tells me about the interview and the things she’s been doing with apps. “I thought I was showing initiative. I always get rated highly on that on my performance reviews.”
My lips twitch. “I guess this is sort of like that.”
“But I didn’t mean to insult them. It seemed like I offended them.” She sighs. “I guess I came on too strong.”
“Considering you’re brand-new, maybe so. Obviously I know you didn’t mean to insult them. But they don’t. They don’t know you as well as I do.”
Our lunches arrive, and we spend a minute arranging things, having our water glasses refilled, and picking up cutlery.
Romy gazes at me as she stabs her fork into an avocado chunk. “So what do I do?”
“Well. I totally get where you’re coming from.” I share some of my discussions with Joe about improving our business using technology. “And after spending time with you, I don’t see that you’re hurting anything. Keeping things the same just because that’s the way we’ve always done it isn’t a good strategy.”
“It isn’t in business. We always say those are the seven most expensive words: because we’ve always done it this way.”
I laugh. “Yeah.”
“But… a coven isn’t a business.”
“That’s true. But that’s not to say we couldn’t learn some new things.”
She sucks on her bottom lip, lowers her chin, and looks up at me through her eyelashes. “So you’re on my side?”
My heart knocks around in my chest. “There aren’t sides. We’re all witches. But yeah… I support you, Romy.”
Her eyes glisten. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
“Maybe just slowing down might help. Backing off. Give everyone a chance to absorb what you’re doing.”
She nods eagerly. “I can slow down. Should I apologize to them?”
“That probably wouldn’t hurt. You can tell them what you told me—that you didn’t intend to offend them. Explain your motivations.”
“Okay. Thank you.” She takes a deep breath. “I feel better now.”
“Finish your lunch.” I nod at her barely touched salad. Meanwhile, I’m plowing through the fish and chips.
“Can I have a fry?”
I blink, then grin. “Sure.”
She reaches over to snag one and pops it in her mouth. “Yes, I am that girl. I will order a salad and steal your fries.”
“You can have all the fries you want.”
Our eyes meet, and somehow this discussion makes me feel closer to her. Like we’re on the same wavelength. I already knew that… but this really crystallizes in my mind that I do support her. And I will support her… no matter what.
Even if that means losing my powers?
I break out in a sweat. It won’t come to that. Surely to Mattsowder.
“I’m sorry you were dragged into this,” she says. “Mr. Cox shouldn’t have called you.”
“He knows I’ve been working with you.”
She frowns. “It feels a little paternalistic to me. I can speak for myself.”
Huh. You know what? She is totally right. The more I think about that, the angrier I get. My back molars grind together briefly. Why the fuck was Ziggy calling me? She’s an independent, strong-minded woman, and that’s something that should be valued, not disparaged. “Yes. You are absolutely right,” I finally say. “Next time I’ll tell him that.”
“Oh.” Her eyelashes flutter, and she presses her hand to her heart. “Thank you, Trace. But also, hopefully there won’t be a next time.”
Somehow I have a feeling there will.
“It doesn’t cause trouble for you, does it?” Her forehead furrows.
I haven’t told her what Ziggy said to me. And I don’t plan to. She feels badly enough. “I doubt it.”
She studies my face. “Felise and Magan told me that you have a future on the Board of Elders.”
I roll my eyes. “Nope. I don’t see that happening.”
“Why not?” Her gaze is steady.
“I don’t want to be part of that. Long story. It’s in the past.” I feel a nudge of guilt at not being honest with her. She’s been nothing but honest with me. But she doesn’t need to know what a worthless witch I am. “What time do you have to be back at work?”
She checks her phone for the time. “Ack! I better get going.”
“I’ll walk with you.”
I take care of the check, and we leave and amble along the sidewalk. The sky looks like one of Romy’s watercolor paintings in shades of smoke and silver, the air humid with no breeze at all. Romy makes a turn and stops in front of a tall office building. “This is where I work.”
I slide my gaze away from the granite-and-glass lobby to look upward. “Nice.”
“It’s okay.” She smiles. “Thank you for lunch. And the pep talk and advice.”
“You’re welcome.” I set my hands on her waist and give her a lingering kiss. “Talk later, okay?”
She nods and disappears into the building.
I walk past her building to the parking garage where I left my truck. This morning after her and Ziggy’s calls I was annoyed and frustrated. But after talking to Romy, after calming her down and listening to her perspective, I feel better myself. Things will be fine.
Back to work. I head to a reno project we’re doing in Ukrainian Village.
ROMY
I’m crushed about messing up the interviews. I was eager to please and wanted to show that I can bring something different to the witch world. I didn’t realize I was going to piss everybody off.
I just got home from work, and I’m lying on my bed, curled on my side. I hate feeling like this—like a loser. My insides are tied up in knots, and my temples throb.
I keep beating myself up over it. I hate it that they involved Trace, and I also hate it that they called Joe. What a great way to pay back everybody who’s helped me! I feel like a failure as a witch and as a family member.
Trace made me feel better though. The fact that he’d stick up for me just about knocked me off my seat in that booth at Murphy’s Pub. I was so filled with gratitude and elation I wanted to launch myself across the table and squeeze him until he couldn’t breathe. I wanted to drag him back to my place and do filthy things to him to show my appreciation. And… my love.