Chapter 4
Dina
T he bell over the door jingles as I push into Pizza Girls, and I’m immediately hit with the familiar scent of baked dough, garlic, and melted cheese.
Ah, my happy place.
I tug my hoodie off, slinging it over my arm as I catch MJ hustling out the door like she’s late for a hot date.
Which, knowing MJ, she probably is.
She winks as she passes. “You’re up, sis. Don’t burn the place down.”
“Have fun charming the pants off Mr. Tinder,” I call after her, earning a cheeky laugh as the door swings shut behind her.
I sigh, cracking my knuckles as I head behind the counter, ready to jump into my shift. Friday night rush, here we come.
Except, it’s weirdly quiet.
Like, too quiet.
Where's the usual hum of conversation and clatter of plates?
I glance around and spot Carina near the register, nervously twisting the ties of her apron into some sort of macramé nightmare.
Uh-oh. That’s never a good sign.
My sister only does that when something, or someone, is stressing her out.
I grab an apron and make my way over.
“Okay. What’s with the worried face? Did someone send back the smoked clam and roasted pepper pizza again? Because if so, I vote we ban them for life.”
Carina’s eyes dart toward the back corner of the restaurant.
“No. Worse. Look,” she whispers, jerking her chin subtly like we’re in some kind of pizza-based spy movie.
I follow her gaze and spot a table tucked away in the shadows.
Oh boy.
Horace, Carina’s main squeeze, is sitting at a table with Uncle Uzzi, and some unfortunate slob with a bandage on his head, like he’d been recently brained, and a dozen or more welts in various stages of healing on his otherwise handsome face.
I know I’ve seen him before, but I can’t place him. Not yet.
“Hey, who is that?” I whisper. Curiosity making me anxious.
“That’s Doug. You met him at Horace’s.”
“Oh,” I reply noncommittally.
He’s slouched in the chair, and I frown because he’s a big guy. Athletically built.
But he must be accident prone as all get to be sporting that many fresh bruises. Or maybe he’s just really unlucky.
Either way he looks miserable, and the very angry hives on his skin must be itching him like hell.
“He’s in trouble and Horace is trying to help,” Carina fills me in.
I nod, but I am already moving to the soda fountain where, instead of making myself a tall glass of delicious iced green tea, I grab a plastic baggie and fill it with ice.
The poor guy is trying to act like everything is cool while a woman and some beefy, scowling dude stare him down like he’s about to be served medium rare.
“Uh, so is Doug molting or something?” I murmur, arching a brow and tying the ends of the baggie together.
Carina snorts, but it’s tight.
“Dina! You are so bad! But no, he is not molting. He’s a Wolf, not a Parakeet. And he’s meeting with a former client— she’s a Witch. See, Doug caught her husband cheating on her. But you know how it goes when you interfere?—”
“Right. She’s pissed at him now, isn’t she?” I conclude correctly.
“Yep. Apparently, she cursed him after the job and now he’s having the world’s worst luck. He’s here to try to make peace with them and Horace and Uncle Uzzi are moderating.”
I blink.
“Wait, so this is, like, a magical truce summit over pizza?”
“Pretty much. I mean Uncle Uzzi was coming to meet Horace about Date to Mate , anyway. It’s good he offered to mediate the whole thing. With conditions, of course.”
I frown. “Conditions?”
Carina rolls her eyes, though there’s amusement under the worry.
“If Doug wants Uzzi’s help to break the curse, making peace, he has to sign up for Date to Mate . Uncle Uzzi’s logic? If you're cursed and unlucky in love, maybe it’s time you stop dodging fate and let the app help .”
I stifle a laugh.
“So, the Big Bad Wolf is basically being magically blackmailed into online dating? That’s hilarious and tragic all at once.”
Carina shrugs.
“Honestly, he’s been a grump about the whole thing, but from what Horace says, Doug’s been through it lately. Hornet attacks not being the worst of it. This morning he tried to use our microwave, the one over the oven range, and it fell on his head. Then he tried to drive, and his car broke down.”
“Yikes. Poor guy.”
Poor, grumpy, very-bruiseable guy.
I glance back over at Doug.
He shifts in his chair, flexing his shoulders with a grimace like even sitting hurts.
Despite the disaster vibes radiating off him in waves, there’s something positively attractive about him.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Five o'clock shadow like he’s been too busy surviving supernatural smack downs to shave.
And his eyes.
They flick up, almost as if he feels me staring.
They meet mine—and wow.
Warm, amber-hued, and tired.
Like, really tired.
But still, kind of intense in a way that makes my stomach do a little flip.
Oh, stop it, I scold myself, heat creeping up my neck.
He’s literally covered in hives and bruises.
This is so not the time for my ovaries to be like “ Hello, who’s this scruffy-faced walking disaster and can we have him? ”
And yet there’s something there.
Something impossible to ignore.
Some sort of weird little zap of awareness that makes me suddenly very aware that I am standing here in my work best with a melting bag of ice in my hands.
Pull it together, Dina. You’re being ridiculous.
“This man tried to wreck my marriage! I will not be appeased until he proves he is sorry!” The woman, his former client according to Carina, is still staring angrily at Doug as she snaps her fingers.
I watch, getting madder by the second, as the poor guy winces, hissing through his teeth.
Then, before I know what I am doing, I move.
“Hi everyone,” I say with false brightness as I unobtrusively hand Doug the ice pack and greet my soon-to-be brother-in-law. “Horace. Uncle Uzzi. Are we all set here? Can I bring you anything?”
“What’s this for?” Doug asks, frowning at the ice pack.
But Horace beats me to the punch as he grabs it and smacks it on Doug’s neck.
“Fuc—I mean ouch! Oh, wow, that’s nice .”
He sounds so relieved, I actually feel good about interrupting.
“Hello, Dina. How are you, my dear?” Uncle Uzzi is all charm.
“Fine. Just taking over the night shift. So, can I bring you anything?”
“We are in a meeting,” the nasty woman replies.
“No, thank you, liebling. Perhaps when our business is finalized.”
“Okay. I’ll be here if you need me,” I reply, ignoring the woman as I turn to leave.
I feel tingles up and down my spine and I can’t help but sneak another peek behind me.
Uncle Uzzi’s blue eyes sparkle and he leans in toward Doug, saying something that has the Wolf’s eyebrows going sky high.
I can barely make it out.
“Now Douglas…sign up for the app…I’ll help smooth things over,” Uzzi says, voice carrying just enough for me to catch.
I watch as Doug sighs, scrubbing a hand down his face like a man defeated.
“Fine. Whatever. I’ll Date to Mate or whatever it’s called. Just—please—make this stop.”
Carina snickers softly, suddenly she is standing beside me. “I almost feel bad for him.”
I hum, watching Doug nod solemnly as Uzzi claps him on the back like this is the best decision of his life.
Almost.
But not quite.
Because as ridiculous as it is, and as very much not ready as he looks for love, part of me wonders.
If this Wolf gets his curse lifted, and if he really does join Date to Mate , does that mean Doug will find his mate?
And even more, could he maybe be my match ?
I shake the thought away, but I can’t quite wipe the stupid little smile off my face.
No way. Right?
That would be crazy.