Page 24

“Can you move to the pickup counter, lady? There are other customers.” Dishwater Blonde said flatly, picking up the bill toset it in the register. She moved to give me my change, and I waved her off, popping another crisp twenty in the tip jar.

The surly, sour look she gave me could’ve peeled paint.

Justice. Who didn’t love an underdog success story?

I hadn’t even realised I wanted to see Ren until that moment, but now that it was clear…shit.

It wouldn't be the first time I’d had a crush on a coworker, and it probably wouldn’t be the last, but something told me that getting mixed up with that coven would be more than I could handle. Besides, this was only a temporary detour while I looked for something else. I wasn’t going to stay and work at O forever.

I stepped aside to give the new customer—a human with grey hair and way too much cheap, chemically cologne—space to order, leaning against the pickup counter with my phone in hand to scroll mindlessly.

Todd had just slid the little cardboard tray in my direction when the bell chimed a second time. A familiar, soft voice made my cheeks heat, drifting toward me on a blast of cold February air.

“Pet,” Ren called with a cheeky little lopsided smirk that showed off a fair bit of fang as she shook out her umbrella. “I love the hair.”

Fuck, now I was blushing for a whole new reason.

I knew the bangs were a bit of a botch job, uneven in a sort of devil-may-care way... If you squinted.

If you didn’t, they were a total mess.

It wasn’t really my fault! I shouldn’t be trusted around scissorsever, let alone after sharing two bottles of the disgusting cheap pink wine Kaylee loved.

Especially when that disgusting pink wine had led to a long bath with the image of a certain short haired bartender having her way with me on the bartop while Elsie watched from the stage keeping me company.

I shivered even now at the thought, clearing my throat.

“Thanks,” I offered awkwardly, nodding toward the ordering station. “Picking up?”

“Hope so,” Ren said with a suggestive laugh, her dark eyes trailing down the front of my jacket, stopping at the shimmery black minidress and the fair bit of bare skin she could see along my upper thigh. “Wait for me? We can walk together.”

Thank you, Kaylee, for many, many things, but especially your far superior closet.

“Sure, yeah, totally.” It was like I’d somehow swallowed a thesaurus full of ways to sound like a desperate weirdo—which wasn’t entirely far off, but my hot coworker absolutely didn’t need to know that!

Please, god, I’ll do anything, just don’t let this woman think I am half the dork I actually am.

Todd slid the tray of four coffees across the bar toward Ren as she tapped her card, with Dishwater Blonde offering the vampire a beaming smile.

Oh. Well, I guessed that made sense.

I’d be annoyed too if I’d been flirting with a regular only for them to play knight in shining armour to some down-on-their-luck fresh-faced asshole who looked like she’d just gone through her first major breakup. All that was missing was a kitchen sink dye job, and I’d be the poster child for a quarter-life crisis.

Though now that I was thinking about it… Maybe Iwouldbe cute with blue hair.

“Alright, Todd?”

“Peachy keen, Ren. See you tomorrow—both of you!”

“Have a nice night?” Ren asked with a wave, collecting the tray in one hand and motioning with her head toward the door in a clear order for me to go first.

“Can you really call itnightat four in the morning?” I asked, stepping out of the café. I moved to pull up my hood when thelight patter of rain suddenly stopped, replaced with the gentle sound of it tapping against Ren’s umbrella as she held it over our heads. “I can carry those, if you want.”

“Nah, I’m an acts-of-service girl,” she said with a shrug. “It’s night so long as the sun is down, Vi.”

“The sun never rises in the Lower City,” I shot back, our arms brushing as we made our way down the rain-slicked street.

Puddles filled the dips and ridges in the uneven pavement, reflecting the neon lights and all the glowing, digitised ads featuring vampires artfully styled to sell perfume or beauty products—even cars—with their fangs on display as they looked down on us, watching us pick our way toward the club, carefully trying to avoid our feet getting wet.