Meow.
“Yes, exactly. I mean, I feel like you should be thanking me, actually. After all, you’re a member of the community now, too. You should be counting your blessings that Artemis and I are here to keep this place running smoothly,” Luna insisted.
I felt a rush of warmth and affection for the little cat at the same time as I was trying to keep from laughing at this kind of ridiculous conversation. Although she acted like she was superior to me a lot of the time, I knew deep down Luna only acted that way because she was rather embarrassed of how much she loved and respected me. It didn’t quite fit with her feline code of ethics to be modest and obedient to her witch, and Luna was an especially proud kitty.
Lucy gave her a weak little questioning mew and Luna continued as I quietly shuffled by, trying to act like I wasn’t eavesdropping on the kitty conversation.
“Right, right. Apology accepted. But you’re on thin ice! Anyway, I didn’t find any clues, per se, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t get something of almost equal importance. What is that, you might ask? Gossip, my dear friend. Steaming hot gossip right off the presses!”
I clapped a hand over my mouth to stifle my laugh as I headed into the kitchen. I could just barely make out the sound of Luna telling her fluffy friend about the latest cat gossip in town. Apparently, as it turned out, a new cat had just moved in down the street, and Luna was certain that he was going to be trouble. Of course, Luna also liked to exaggerate, so there were no guarantees.
Rubbing my hands together, I walked over to my gigantic cookbook. I flipped idly through the pages, looking for something interesting to make for dinner. I tried not to reuse recipes too often, as it made things rather boring. Plus, I wanted to constantly expand my culinary knowledge and skill set, so that my guests would get a fresh, exciting menu every time. I wondered what kind of meal I could make that would be both quick and impressive. After all, that panini at The Bean was something to live up to. I needed something that would convey the sentiment, “I’m sorry my town quarantined you in my house. I hope this delicious meal will soften the blow.”
“Aperioroa,” I said to the refrigerator and pantry. Both doors opened and I squinted, taking a quick inventory of the ingredients I had on hand. I noticed a bunch of vegetables, some egg noodles, and a veritable treasure trove of spicy sauces and seasonings. In the meat drawer was a beautiful pair of chicken breasts, just begging to be cooked. An idea immediately began crystallizing in my mind and I smiled to myself.
“Chicken lo mein, it is!” I announced to no one in particular. I stood back and held out my hand, pointing at the fridge and pantry. “Convocoroa: egg noodles, chicken breasts, cabbage, mushrooms, bell pepper, bok choy, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, peanut oil, mirin.”
Each ingredient came floating out as I named it, all dancing in a neat line over to the far counter, arranging themselves in a wide arc around my favorite huge chopping board. “Wok and knife, you too,” I added. The wok came clanking out of the cabinet and plonked down on the stove noisily. The knife, however, essentially threw itself across the room to lodge in the wall, whizzing right by my head.
“My moon!” I swore, jumping backward in shock. The knife was wobbling in the wall, clearly confused as to what it had done wrong. “Well, that was close,” I muttered as I reached over to yank it out. I tossed a quick repairing charm at the dent in the wall and gingerly carried the knife to the sink to rinse it off before chopping my ingredients. I made a mental note to just grab the knife by hand next time. Clearly the assembly spell was not particularly conducive for all items, and I would rather not have been stabbed by my knife in my own kitchen.
As I was chopping vegetables and marinating the chicken breasts, Luna came padding into the kitchen. She hopped up on the counter and eyed the meat hungrily.
“Wait a second. There are three humans in this house. You, Lara, and Daphne. Why only two pieces of chicken?” she asked.
“Nothing gets past you, huh?” I said good-naturedly. I picked up the chicken pieces and set them in the wok, where they immediately began to sear and snap in the hot oil.
“Which one of you isn’t eating?” she asked, staring at me.
I sighed. “Me.”
She looked aghast. “I hope you’re not going on one of those vegetarian diets all those weirdos on television are doing.”
I snorted. “No. Don’t worry. I won’t go all herbivore on you. But you shouldn’t be so rude to vegetarians. They’re not bothering you.”
“Pfft. Says you. Anyway, what gives?” she prodded.
“Alright,” I said, setting down the knife for a moment and looking at her. “I have a date, okay?”
“A what?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.
“A date. You know, like with a man,” I whispered.
“A human man?” she said incredulously.
“Well, yeah. What other kind of man would I date, Luna?”
She pondered that for a moment. “A bigfoot.”
I was so surprised by that answer that I wasn’t even sure how to respond. Luckily, she changed the subject quickly. “But anyway, why are you going on a date? You don’t need a date. You don’t need a man. You have me.”
I laughed. “Lu, you do realize that there are some things a human man can do for me that you really just… can’t?”
She looked confused for a moment, then I saw the realization dawn on her. She wrinkled her nose and hissed. “Oh, gross! Artemis! That’s disgusting!”
“Well, you’re the one who brought it up!”
“Still, ew,” she said, shaking her head. “So what’s your plan, then? Go on a date, then go on a lot of dates, then get married and abandon me?”
“Why - what? Luna, why in the world would I abandon you?” I asked, surprised.
She shrugged. “Isn’t that how it works? You can have a husband or you can be a cat lady. That’s what the TV says. You can’t have both.”
I sighed and reached out to scratch her behind the ear lovingly. “Luna, I promise you that no matter what happens with Xander, I am never going to abandon you. I wouldn’t even dream of it, okay?”
She nodded, still looking at me suspiciously. “Alright. I’m going to hold you to that promise, though. And if you betray me, well, I know where you sleep.”
I chuckled. “Fair enough. If I ever leave you for a man, you have my full permission to slash my throat while I’m sleeping at night.”
“It’s a deal!” she said brightly. I could tell that she was instantly relieved. I supposed maybe that should had worried me, but oh well. Most people who lived with cats probably had to confront the fact at some point that their cat would both die for them or be the one to kill them. The threat of homicide was a fair price to pay in exchange for Luna’s companionship.
“Besides,” I said as I resumed cooking, “this isn’t really like a real date just yet. It’s more like a professional engagement.”
“Engagement?” she repeated, eyes wide.
I giggled. “No, not that kind of engagement. Okay, it’s a meeting. Is that better?”
“Sure. I suppose so,” she relented. A moment later, Lara came walking into the kitchen, sniffing the air and looking pleased.
“Wow, Arti. That smells fantastic!” she exclaimed. “What is it?”
“Chicken lo mein. I hope you and Daphne are hungry,” I told her with a smile.
“Oh, yes. I’m starving,” she said, leaning against the counter. To my surprise, Luna actually allowed Lara to pet her, too. That was rare; Luna was usually exceptionally picky about who she’d let get close to her.
“By the way,” I said, glancing at Lara sidelong, “I hope you don’t mind, but I peeked in your room earlier and I just happened to see some of your artwork.”
Her face went bright pink and she looked away. “Oh gosh. That’s embarrassing.”
“What? My moon, no. It’s not embarrassing. It’s amazing. Lara, your paintings are really, really good,” I told her empha
tically. “How can you not see that?”
She shrugged and nervously tucked a lock of hair back behind her ear. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s not really something I do to show to people. I started painting back when I first started to make it big in Hollywood. When I was bored and lonely, you know? I was surrounded by people all the time, but none of them were my real friends, they were just people who wanted to use me to make money or for a photo op.” She sighed. “It was a dark time, and I wanted to fill it with color, somehow. So I started painting to keep myself busy and add a little light to my life. Just a little bit of self-care, you know?”
I smiled warmly. “Yeah. I get that. But you shouldn’t be ashamed of it. I’m serious. Your work is fantastic. It looks totally professional. Have you ever thought about selling it?”
She looked amused. “Definitely not. I don’t really think it’s good enough for that.”
“You’re too hard on yourself,” I told her wisely. I dumped the veggies into the wok and hit it with some of the liquid ingredients, making it all sizzle as a fragrant smell rose through the air.
“Maybe so,” she conceded in a soft voice.
“Besides, with your being retired from Hollywood, you’ll need something else to keep you busy. I mean, I’m sure money isn’t exactly an issue for you, but it would be fun to try selling your work anyway, I bet.” I suggested cheerfully.
She grinned. “You’re too nice to me. As always.”
“Nah. I’m exactly as nice as you deserve,” I told her with a wink. “Now, this will be done in just a few minutes. Can you run and let Daphne know it’s almost dinner time? As soon as this is plated up, I have to run upstairs and get changed.”
“For what?” she asked, tilting her head to one side.
I blushed. “For my date.”
“With Xander?” Lara gasped excitedly. I nodded.
“Yup,” I said, my stomach twisting into knots.
“Ooh, that’s awesome! You two would be so cute together! And I mean, this has been a long time coming, hasn’t it?” she gushed.
I sighed. “Sure seems like everyone else already knows. Even before we did.”
Lara patted me on the shoulder before she turned to leave. “Ah, don’t stress about it. Moonlight Cove is a small town, and the rumor mill must be constantly going. But your date is going to go really well, and everything is going to work out. I promise!”
“I hope you’re right,” I said, smiling weakly. I wasn’t nearly as confident as Lara was.
Chapter 12
Looking at myself in the mirror, I tried to ignore the fact that my palms were sweating so much I thought I was going stain my clothes.
Casual. Just keep it casual. This is a casual work dinner for casual work. Casual detective work.
I wore a long, bottle-green sweater dress with thermal black leggings and black boots. A silver crescent moon necklace dangled from my neck, with the chain connecting to the moon on each tip of the crescent. I wore subtle silver stud earrings - nothing flashy, just something to go with the necklace. Pursing my lips, I felt a pang of anxiety run through my body for the fiftieth time this past hour as I second-guessed myself over the red lipstick.
This was too bold, right? I didn’t think he’d ever seen me in bold lipstick. Sure, this was the exact same stuff I wore every day, and the exact same mascara, but it was different this time. He was going to notice it was different. Shoot, he was going to think I was trying too hard, wasn’t he?
I heard a scratching at the door, followed by Luna’s voice. “Hey. Hey! Arti! I’m out here. You left the door closed. Arti! Hey!”
I smirked. Luna’s criticism was one thing I did not need tonight.
Checking myself over one last time, I picked up a modest but cute silver scarf to wrap around my neck, then picked up a couple of hats. One was a wide-brimmed floppy black hat, while the other was a beret.
I stood in the mirror, paralyzed for about ten seconds, just staring at myself holding the two hats.
I set the beret on my head and turned around in the mirror, giving myself a nervous smile that told me exactly where my self-confidence was at that moment: somewhere around my boots. Oh well, this was going to have to do.
“I can hear you moving around in there!” Luna said, and I rolled my eyes before opening the door to see her glaring up at me, tail swishing angrily.
“Oh, sorry! I didn’t hear you,” I lied.
“Uh-huh,” she said, making sure to rub up against my leg as she entered. “Well, well, aren’t you all dressed up?”
“You think so?” I said, and Luna snickered.
“Wow, someone’s nervous for her date.”
“Shut up!” I chided her. “This is a work dinner. I want to look professional.”
“Professional and dateable aren’t mutually exclusive,” she quipped.
“You think I give that vibe off?” I asked, glancing at myself in the mirror. “The nails are too much, aren’t they?”
“Get out of here, lovebird,” Luna moaned. “Have you checked the time?”
“Shoot!” I hissed as I hurried out the door.
Thanking the moon I didn’t run into either Lara or Daphne on the way downstairs, I caught a glimpse of a familiar tall and broad frame sailing down toward the yard on a broomstick by the time I got to the door. I paused, looking at a spare bottle of perfume I kept on a table near the front door. Indecisive, I danced back and forth from one foot to the other for a few moments before hurriedly putting on a tiny bit and opening the door just in time to see Xander standing there with his fist raised.
“Hi!” I blurted out, Xander looking completely taken aback.
Ok, I had definitely come on a bit too strong.
“Hi,” I said again in a more mellow tone. That was a lot better.
“Hey there,” Xander said with a lopsided grin on his face. “All ready to go?”
Xander certainly was.
I was used to seeing the man in uniform - this was not him. He wore a white button-down shirt, and the uppermost button was ever so slightly threatening to burst open from the strain his broad, muscular shoulders put on it. A thick, warm bomber jacket lined with wool hung over his shoulders. His slacks were a dark blue with white pinstripes running down them to tasteful brown shoes. To top it all off, the faintest hint of masculine cologne reached my nostrils.
“Totally,” I said with a stupid smile on my face.
I grabbed my broom as Xander made his way back to his own, and as I cast one last look behind me, my face went white at the sight of Lara and the cats on one of the balconies, the former holding a glass of wine and giving me a wave and a wink. I rolled my eyes and lifted off behind Xander.
He had decided on Frankie’s, a comfort food diner on the outskirts of downtown Moonlight Cove. I felt a wave of complicated feelings wash over me as we landed and made our way towards the door. Frankie’s was good, but it wasn’t exactly romantic. I noticed Xander glancing back at me when we landed, as if to check my reaction, and I made sure to put on a mild smile.
I was relieved in part - I would have had a heart attack if we’d pulled up to some dimly-lit restaurant with tea lights and soft music, but something in me almost wanted to deal with that anxiety. Yeesh, what was wrong with me?
“Do you come to this place often?” I asked as we made our way to the doors.
“Yeah, on lunch breaks every now and then,” he said. “But Morgan and I used to come here for dinners some nights when Mom worked late.” He winced a little after he said it, as if realizing how it sounded, but I didn’t really mind.
The vibe inside was homey. A handful of cooks were visible behind the back wall, and the smell of fried food wafted through the whole building.
We took our seats at a booth, and a waitress bustled over to us with a knowing smile on her face.
“Well don’t you two look sharp!” she chimed. “What can I get for you?”
Xander ordered a beer while I stuck to a gin and tonic, and it was easy enou
gh to pick out what food I wanted. Not wanting to risk trying to eat a patty melt and looking like a messy goblin, I went for the chili, and he opted for the steak and eggs. It was easy to see where he got all that muscle.
“So,” he said at last, once the waitress left. “Everything is good to go with Illinois. My mom actually happened to be in Milwaukee visiting some relatives of ours, so it’s only a little bit of a detour for her and she’ll be in Chicago tomorrow.”
“That’s great news,” I said, a small smile forming on my lips. Hopefully by tomorrow afternoon we would have a better idea as to what kind of guy George was. “Did I miss anything exciting after I rushed off from Francine’s house? Sorry about that, by the way. Things have just been kind of a mess taking care of the guest who’s getting a few extra days at the B&B.” I realized what I just said and quickly tried to backpedal. “Not that it’s your fault! I mean-”
But Xander simply laughed good-naturedly. “No, no, I have it coming. I was expecting to get drawn and quartered by the whole town when I made the call, so anything short of that is an improvement.”
“I’d like to see someone try to take you down to do that.”
“Well, muscle is one thing,” he admitted, glancing down at himself, “but a little magic goes even further. Anyway, to answer your question, no, I just went back to the office and filed some paperwork with Morgan.”
“Are you kidding? That sounds like a blast,” I joked.
“Right? Maybe we can swap for a day. You come be the cop, I’ll try to fry some eggs for a B&B guest. You probably have enough five-star reviews that a couple one-stars from my cooking won’t hurt.”
“Oh, don’t remind me of the reviews,” I giggled, “I’ve got enough reasons to be anxious.”
There was a pause after we laughed, and we found ourselves just kind of sitting there, both desperately trying to think of something to say.
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