by Rose Pressey
I didn’t sense it from him. I guessed I’d find out soon enough though. That was, if he told the truth on the forms. What type of woman was he looking for? That was when the thought popped into my head. Jennifer. I stared at the good-looking man as he filled out the forms. Was this Jennifer’s Mr. Right? No. It couldn’t be that easy. He’d practically fallen into my lap. There had to be something seriously wrong with him. It was never that easy.
After a few minutes, he must have felt my stare because he looked up. I couldn’t even fake and pretend that I hadn’t been staring.
“So are you all done?” I asked.
“Yeah, I think that about wraps it up.” He stretched his muscular arm toward me and handed the forms back. “You’re very thorough in your questions. I like that,” he said.
Was he teasing me? I couldn’t tell by the devilish grin that never left his face.
Chapter Five
How to Date a Demon, Rule #5
Don’t tell your date that they have fire breath.
I looked down at the page, then glanced back up at him. He was looking for a bubbly blonde from New Orleans who was independent and liked to laugh. Hmm. Where ever would I find one of those? This was just weird. Matching people had never been this easy before. In spite of the fact that he’d shown up as if by some kind of magical force, I was still reluctant to set him up with Jennifer. I thought it was still too soon for her to date anyone. But it was her life and I couldn’t tell her what to do. If she insisted on paying my matchmaking fee, then I had to do my best to find the perfect mate for her. Was this guy it? I needed to look into his background before I made the date official. Make sure he wasn’t a serial killer. But there was really no way to know for certain. People were good at hiding facts when they wanted to be sneaky.
“I think I have just the right person for you already,” I said reluctantly.
He sat up straighter. “Already? Wow. You are fast. So what do I need to do next?”
“I’ll call you when I’ve confirmed with her and then we can set up a date. I think you’ll really like her.”
I wanted to warn him that if he hurt her I’d have to cause great bodily harm to him, but that probably wasn’t the best move for customer service. Anyway, maybe I could go as a chaperone for the date. Hmm. No, I doubted Jennifer would go for that.
Neil stood and shoved his hand toward me. “Thank you so much, Ms. Cruz, I’m looking forward to your call.”
I shook his hand and smiled, while searching his gaze. There was something strange about his eyes. Had I seen him somewhere before? No. I didn’t think I had. Maybe I’d seen him around and didn’t realize it. After all, he said he lived close by. That was probably it.
I watched as he made his way out the door. I needed to call Jennifer right away and tell her about this hot guy. He was hot with a capital H. Jennifer didn’t answer when I dialed her cell, which didn’t surprise me. She was always busy at work and didn’t have much time to answer calls. I left a message and hoped that she could call back soon.
I’d heard Jack go to work while I’d been talking with my new customer. Too bad I hadn’t gotten a chance to see him before his busy day had started, but we’d made plans to have lunch together and I was looking forward to that. Not just because I was already starving at nine a.m. but because I wanted to steal a few kisses too. I couldn’t get enough of his lips.
***
Jack and I made our way to Café Beignet. It was a short walk from our place and it was one of my regular haunts. The laws of attraction pulled me to the beignets on a routine basis. The hot, powdered-sugar covered pastry made my mouth water. A gently breeze caressed my skin as we walked; I relished the milder temperatures of fall in New Orleans. Finally some relief from the heat.
A large chalkboard menu board sat out front on the sidewalk and French doors swung wide open, welcoming us inside. Exposed bricks covered the walls and a mural of clouds decorated the ceiling. Small iron tables and matching tables were sprinkled around the space. My mouth watered thinking about the golden pastry sprinkled with the powdery white sugar.
A mural of clouds and palms was painted on the ceiling with exposed bricks on the walls. A ceiling fan whirled in a slow rhythm above us. Topiaries flanked the French doors that led inside the café. A large statue of a pig in a chef’s outfit set against the far wall. Chalkboard menu boards hung on the wall above the register. I secured a table by the door as Jack placed our orders. My stomach rumbled. I eyed the glass dessert case while I waited. Maybe I’d leave room for something sweet.
I had the gumbo and Jack had jambalaya. After a couple minutes, he placed the dishes down on the table and took a seat next to me.
I inhaled the delicious aroma, then said, “So what do you think of the whole Stephen and Jennifer thing?”
“The guy is obviously confused. She doesn’t need to deal with that.”
I gestured with my fork. “Good answer. But I think he’s keeping more secrets from her.”
He shoved jambalaya onto his fork. “What kind of secrets could he be keeping from her?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I mean, does he have children?” I asked. “Obviously he lied to her about being married, so what else has he lied about.”
“You really think he has more secrets?” Jack asked.
I nodded as I took a sip of my soda. “Yeah… probably a lot more.”
“That’s not good.” Jack hesitated for a second, then asked, “What did his wife say to Jennifer?”
“The usual stuff a woman would say to her husband’s mistress, I guess. She probably wants Jennifer to stay away from her husband.”
“That makes sense.” He stuffed a forkful of food into his mouth.
We contemplated in silence for a moment, and then I said, “The way Stephen was acting was creepy. He broke into our house, for heaven’s sake. He’s a policeman and he should know better than that.”
“Did Jennifer give him a key?” Jack asked.
I shook my head. “Not that I know of, but even if she did, when she threw my paperback out the window at him, he should have known he wouldn’t be a welcome guest. I guess some people just can’t take a hint.”
“Was the book any good?” he asked around a grin.
I fought back a smile. “It was getting good, yes. Anyway, I hope he doesn’t come back around. Keep an eye out for him, okay?”
“You know I will.” He took a bite of food.
I placed my napkin down. “I have to say, I was surprised by what happened though. I thought they were getting along so well.”
“They seemed happy,” he said.
“Thankfully, I think she’s done with him. Stephen said he’s getting divorced, but I doubt she’d ever forgive something like that.”
We ate in silence for a minute, then I asked the question that had been on my mind all morning. “So what’s going on with Quinton? I thought you couldn’t stand him.”
“I do what I have to do.” He took another mouthful of food.
A feeling of uneasiness fell over me. I looked around, but everything seemed fine. People chatted while enjoying their lunches. Workers were busy behind the counter. I took another bite of food, but the sensation remained. My attention was pulled to outside on the sidewalk.
Just then, Stephen walked by. He didn’t look our way, but he had to know we were there, right? Then again, he did have a far-away look in his eyes. Had it been just a coincidence? I guessed that was definitely possible.
“Speak of the devil,” I said, touching Jack’s hand.
He followed my gesture and spotted Stephen. “What the hell is he doing here?”
I shrugged. “I guess he could just be walking by, but…”
Jack jumped up and I followed him out onto the sidewalk. Stephen disappeared down an alleyway, never turning around to acknowledge us. Whether he knew we were around was something I might never know. I just hoped he didn’t do it again.
Lunch with Jack had been wonderful. Well, except for seeing
Stephen. That couldn’t have been a coincidence. Beignets and the beautiful weather had made the day perfect. Things were going surprisingly well. So why was I waiting for the bomb to drop? What could possibly go wrong with this day?
I’d been busy with work. Well, I’d made sure to keep busy. There was less time to worry if I worked hard. Once the clock hit 5 p.m., I climbed the narrow stairs to my apartment. Thank goodness I had an easy commute. Stress knotted my shoulder muscles and my feet ached.
I walked through the apartment door and kicked off my shoes. I had to decide if I wanted to lounge in the bubble bath or prepare a delicious dinner. If I picked the bath, I’d be stuck with eating one of those so-called filling low-calorie microwave meals. The thought of one more frozen dinner wasn’t appealing, so making dinner won over the bubbles.
I pulled the ingredients from the cabinets and the refrigerator and got busy in the kitchen. It would be nice to have a relaxing evening in, enjoying a home-cooked meal. I’d make enough in case Jennifer wanted some too. I could talk to her about her potential date with Neil. I prayed everything worked out okay. Maybe I was worried for nothing. Who knew, maybe they’d hit it off right away. This could be her Mr. Right.
As soon as Jennifer walked through the door, I bombarded her with the news of my find for her, although it wasn’t so much of a find as it was just plain luck.
“He says he is in banking,” I said as I poured us a glass of wine.
She frowned as she took the glass. “Well, I guess that means he’s good with money and won’t be dirt poor.”
“There you go.” I dished out the pasta onto her plate.
“You say he’s good-looking?” She took a bite.
“Dark hair and olive skin. The longest eyelashes I’ve ever seen on a man. His eyes will make you melt into a puddle.” I waved my fork through the air for dramatic effect.
“Do you think he’s good in bed?”
I almost choked on the wine. I stared for a beat, then nodded. “As a matter of fact, I think he is probably great in bed.”
How was I supposed to answer that question? He did have a wild look in his eyes. Maybe that was a sign of his sexual prowess.
“I guess I can give him a try. I mean after all, I did ask you to fix me up.”
Was she having second thoughts? I didn’t want her to do it unless she was absolutely sure.
“I just didn’t think you’d find someone for me this soon.” She pushed the pasta around on her plate with the fork.
“Would you like for me to double-date with you? If you’re nervous?” I asked.
She looked straight ahead without answering. Why was she sweating so much? It wasn’t that hot in here. I walked over to the thermostat and turned the air down another notch. I was looking forward to winter when it would be warm instead of scorching.
“Okay. I’ll do it,” she said pushing to her feet. “I’ll go out with him. I’ll let you know about the double date thing, okay? Let me think about it for a bit.”
“Sure. No problem. Take your time. I’ll call him and see when is a good time for him, then we’ll get everything all set up.”
She nodded with a half-hearted grin.
“You know, Jen, you don’t have to do this, you know?”
She shook her head. “No, I want to. I mean, a hot guy? Why wouldn’t I want to go out with him? How did you find him anyway? Was he someone you’d been looking for a date for?”
I mulled over her question before answering. I knew when I said it out loud that it would sound even stranger than it really was. I mean he’d just shown up at the perfect time. Maybe I would leave that part out. It wasn’t important anyway, right?
I nodded. “Yes, he’s just a guy looking for a great girl.” I smiled. “And I just so happen to know a great girl.”
“You’re the best, Rylie. I knew I could count on you,” Jennifer said as she walked toward her bedroom.
I retrieved Neil’s phone number from my purse, then picked up the phone and dialed. I’d call Neil and set up the date for the following night. All of this was moving quite fast. I guessed that was good for business though. People knew that when I said I’d find them a mate, I meant business.
After the debacle with Lily, business had been better. At least something had settled down in my life and now it looked as if my relationship with Jack was working out as well. So much for that curse. It hadn’t been true after all. I shouldn’t have listened to that silly story in the first place.
After several rings, he finally answered.
“Neil, this is Rylie with Get a Mate.”
“Are you calling to tell me you’ve found my dream girl?” he asked in a teasing tone.
“Well, yeah, I guess you could say that. At least I think she’d be a perfect match for you.”
Get a Mate’s brochure proclaimed to get it right the first time. I was proud of that motto. Okay, I’d had a few bad match-ups, but I’d show Neil what a true matchmaker was all about. Whether this guy was a perfect match for Jennifer remained to be seen.
“I didn’t think you’d be that fast. Apparently you’re good at what you do.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
“How about tomorrow night? Would that work for you?” I asked.
“Tomorrow night sounds great,” he said with enthusiasm.
“There’s just one small detail…” I hated that I had to add this part. But it had to be done.
“Oh, what’s wrong with her?” he asked.
“No, no, nothing’s wrong with her. It’s just that she’s my best friend and I thought it might be a little less awkward if I went along with you guys.”
“A chaperone?” he asked with surprise in his voice. “You’re going to chaperone your friend?”
“No, it would be a double date. I just figured I could fill in the spots if there were any weird lapses in conversation. Like if you all didn’t know what to say to each other.”
“Do you accompany all the people you match up on their dates?”
“Of course not,” I scoffed. “But she’s my friend, you know? I usually don’t match-up my friends.”
“So you think the date will be a failure and she’ll be mad at you?”
“No, no. That’s not it.” I tried to hide the uncertainty in my voice.
Okay, that was it a little, but he didn’t need to know that. Thank goodness, in spite of the supervision, he agreed on the date.
Chapter Six
How to Date a Demon, Rule #6
Holding a séance is not an ideal date night. No need to conjure up more demons.
The next evening, Jennifer stood in front of her closet, searching for just the right thing to wear. Something she usually didn’t have a problem with. She had impeccable fashion sense.
Jennifer pulled a pair of jeans from the closet and tossed them on the floor. “Ugh, I hate those things.”
“I thought they were your favorite. What’s wrong with them?”
She rolled her eyes. “They’re ugly. They’re practically mom jeans.”
“They’re low-rise. They barely cover your goods,” I said, picking up the pants from the floor.
She scoffed. “If you think they look so good, then you wear them.”
Okay. This wasn’t going to be easy.
“How about that great black dress you bought the other day?”
“It looks like something I’d wear to a funeral. I’m taking it back.” She pulled out a pair of shorts that I’d seen her wear to sleep in. “What about these?”
“Don’t you wear those to bed?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Well, everything I own looks like I’m trying to cover every square inch of skin on my body.”
I frowned. “You probably don’t want to show too much skin on the first date anyway, right?”
She glared at me. “Don’t you have to find some clean sweats to wear for our date?”
Ouch. That was a completely unprovoked attack. I’d let it slide though because she was obviously ne
rvous about the date. And I did need to get ready. I’d leave her to find whatever it was she was looking for.
“Fine. I’ll just get ready then,” I said as I made my way to the door.
She didn’t answer as she continued tossing clothing onto the floor.
Jennifer was freaking out about the date. If she was acting this way, then how did Neil feel about it? I knew he had to feel weird going on a date with the three of us. It was awkward enough to have a first date, but to have another strange couple tagging along was downright bizarre. He probably thought I was some kind of freak. Regardless, this was the way it had to be.
Neil had left the section blank where I asked if he was interested in dating a particular paranormal or human. I still couldn’t figure out if he was paranormal. Not that it mattered, although Jennifer might want to know if she was dating another vampire.
Proving Jennifer wrong about the sweats, I decided on my best pair of jeans and a royal blue blouse that I’d purchased at a half-off sale at a boutique around the corner. My mother said royal blue was a good color for me. I hoped that was true. Of course, she said orange was a good color for me too and I knew that wasn’t true. Anyway, I’d just put on a layer of my favorite lip gloss and walked into the living room when Jennifer emerged from her bedroom.
When I saw her, it was as if someone had whacked me over the head with a baseball bat. I stared at her, speechless. What did I even say to her about her outfit choice for the evening? She wore a fire-engine-red mini-dress. The fabric barely reached her thighs, almost not covering her delicate flower. The neckline plunged, showing off most of her perky girls. Jennifer had always been fashionable and her style was timeless and classy. Now she looked as if she should be hanging out on the street corner waiting for Richard Gere to pull up in his Lotus Espirit. The black thigh-high stiletto boots topped off her hooker-chic look.
“Jennifer, sweetie, where did you get that dress?” I wiggled my finger in her direction.
An evil grin spread across her face. ”You like it?” She spun around and struck a pose.