Page 16 of Adored by the Grumpy Ghost (Mapletown Monster Mates #1)

She starts listing everyone in Mapletown that she’s had sex with, and whether she recommends them as sexual partners.

At one point, Dominic takes a break from beer inventory to gently scold her for gossiping.

Vyla brushes him off, and I half expect her to reveal she’s slept with him too once he’s out of earshot.

She must read my expression because she shakes her head without me asking.

“I wish,” she says. “Him and his ex have been off and on for years. They’re off right now, but I haven’t seen him show an interest in anyone else.”

“Who’s his ex? Has he or she been in here yet?”

“No, she’s a succubus. You’ll probably meet her tonight, though. Whenever there’s a softball game, the winners come grab a drink here after.”

That doesn’t end up happening. Apparently, Dominic’s infamous ex plays for the team that lost tonight, and they don’t make an appearance.

The winning team, however, piles into the bar covered in dirt and eager to celebrate their victory at quarter-to-six.

The Big Bloomers are sponsored by the town florist, and according to Xavier, the burly werewolf who plays first base, they “crushed the Sweet Tsunami’s into motherfucking oblivion. ”

“Wow, was it a shutout?” I ask him as I pour a dozen tequila shots for him and the rest of the team.

“Nah, they got a few runs in, but we blew ‘em out of the pahk. A grand slam and three homahs.”

His Boston accent is thicker than my waist, and it instantly calms my nerves. It reminds me of family gatherings with my mom’s side of the family on Cape Cod.

“You’re new here, aren’t you?” he asks.

Xavier’s hazel eyes are kind as he watches me from behind his glasses.

He’s got wavy reddish-brown hair that falls over his forehead, and a smattering of freckles on his nose and cheeks.

The man is built like a tank, big and wide all over, with a softness to his middle that makes me think he’s an excellent hugger.

“Is it that obvious?”

He chuckles. “Very. Mostly because you’re human. We don’t get too many of you in Mapletown.”

I would guess he’s around my age, but werewolves might age slower. Vyla gave me a detailed rundown of the different monsters I might meet tonight, but there’s still a lot I don’t know about each species.

Scanning the bar, I see a wide range of them milling about, including vampires, satyrs, a Minotaur couple, a harpy, several gorgons, zombies, a gargoyle, and the rest appear to be human, which makes me think only a couple are actually human, and the rest are either witches or shifters.

No part of me is afraid, which might be because none of them seem to notice me. They’re minding their business, enjoying a drink after winning a softball game. Not one of them appears to want to eat me, so that’s good. Just regular folks looking to blow off some steam.

Xavier thanks me for the shots with a wink and carries the shot glasses in his giant hands as he walks gingerly to the booth near the front doors.

I notice the garnish tray is low, so I start cutting lime wedges before the next rush begins.

Dominic calls me to the end of the bar a few minutes later, where a short woman in a crisp baby-blue pantsuit is sitting.

Instead of heels, she’s opted for white sneakers, giving her an approachable, sensible vibe.

She’s sipping a Guinness from a frosty pint glass as she wraps one of her long, black ringlet curls around her finger.

“Natalie Lambert, meet Mayor Emma Crane,” Dominic says with his winning smile. “Mayor Crane, this is our new bartender, Natalie.”

“Ah, yes. The famous Natalie,” Mayor Crane says as she holds out her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” She watches me carefully as I shake it, as if she’s trying to decide something.

I chuckle nervously. “You’ve heard about me? Nothing bad, I hope.”

“I promise, I’ve been singin’ your praises,” Dominic vows as he reaches for a wet glass to dry with the towel on his shoulder.

“I know the name of every person who enters Mapletown,” Mayor Crane adds. “I also know the exact date and time when they arrived.”

Okay, that’s not ominous or anything. “How?”

She nods to the phone sitting beside her glass. “Your phone. It’s some kind of high-tech GPS tracker my chief of staff, Ezra, created. I don’t know much about it. Anyone who crosses town limits, we can access the data on their phone.”

“That seems like a breach of privacy.” Has the mayor seen the nudes I sent Mark last year?

Or the litany of dick pics he’s sent back?

My cheeks grow hot as I try to recall the other potentially embarrassing stuff on my phone.

Like that time I searched for a Thor-shaped pillow with arms that I could wrap around myself.

Or when I googled “Can you tickle yourself?” on a night I was feeling particularly sleep-deprived and depressed.

Mayor Crane shoots me a proud grin. “Oh, it definitely is.”

I swallow the lump in my throat as my palms begin to sweat. “So, you can see everything on our phones?”

“Technically, yes, but we’re not searching through your private messages and stealing photos if that’s what you’re worried about. It’s a program that scans the contents of your phone and looks for things aligned with typical human behavior.”

That makes me feel a little better, I guess. “Like what?”

“Oh, you know,” she says, drumming her freshly painted red nails on the bar as she ponders this, “period trackers, food and exercise trackers, and most of the games in the app store that claim to be free.” She leans in, lowering her voice, “No offense, but humans tend to be more gullible than most monsters. Especially when agreeing to give away personal information in exchange for a game that just overheats your phone.”

I’m relieved that none of those are on my current phone. Or…wait. I deleted that old period tracker, didn’t I?

“Unfortunately, we’ve been burned too many times in the past to trust humans.

Too many have tried to harm us or expose us.

It’s easier this way. And it would go against the federal privacy laws, except that Mapletown doesn’t adhere to federal laws.

It’s considered protected enchanted land, so the town is governed by a committee of monsters. ”

“Shit. Really?”

It’s like they live outside of space and time. In their own little world––a world I’m eager to remain part of.

She nods. “The rule used to be that humans can enter Mapletown with an invite from a resident, and since it doesn’t show up on digital maps, that invitation would be your only way in. That’s the mandate my great-grandmother created anyway.”

“Right,” I reply. “Martha Crane.”

Mayor Crane smiles as her gaze drops to the bar top.

“She was a brilliant witch. When she cast the spell to protect Mapletown, however, she didn’t anticipate how much the town would grow over time.

I think there were only a couple hundred people here back then.

Now, the population is almost fifteen hundred. We’ve had to adapt accordingly.”

I have so many questions, and the one that pops out is by far the dumbest. “Does that mean you’re a witch too?” Of course, she is. Why did I even ask? “I mean, do you still practice?”

She nods. “Indeed. I wouldn’t be an effective mayor if I didn’t. The town is run by magic, and the committee wouldn’t give me access to the portals if I were no longer practicing.”

“I’m sorry, did you say portals?”