Page 38 of Moonlight Hearts

Thaeros gave them a warm smile.“Feel free to sit where you like.I’ll be with you in a moment.”

Rae brushed the snow off their sleeve.“That’s my line.I work here.Amory?”

I was behind the counter myself, coffee pot in hand, about to start another round of refills.

“Right.Gimme a moment.”

I finished my round quickly while Rae went to the back to hang up their jacket, holding the swing door for Thaeros.Rae was back out in record time, tying their apron as they jogged toward me, wearing the guys’ uniform.

“What happened?Tell me.But don’t tell me someone fired Levi?Amory, you wouldn’t let them fire Levi, right?He barely broke anything last week.”

They shook me by the shoulder as if I had the power to fire or unfire anyone.But as their manager, I was definitely proud that they were ready to defend Levi.

I tried to keep a straight face as I said, “No one fired Levi.You got a raise.But…”

They took my hands in theirs, winter’s chill still clinging to their skin.“But what?”

“I’m only allowed to work four shifts a week going forward.They even found a co-manager for me.Soyer did, I suppose.”

They nodded.“Finally someone’s cutting you off from your work addiction.Good riddance.”

“Hey!”I scowled.Behind Rae, Elias cackled noisily, and Ben was hiding his laughter, badly, by coughing into his coffee.“Hey, you two!This isn’t funny actually.I don’t have a work addiction.”

Rae crossed their arms.“Obsession then.Trust me on these things.I know.”

“Did you hear me say I got you a raise?”

They stuck out their chin.“Well, that was very nice of you.Thank you, Amory.”

“And I guess you don’t have to do all the late shifts anymore.”

“I might do five out of seven.So I can miss you once a week.”

Ben had now joined Elias in openly cackling.If I hadn’t liked them both, I might have been offended.

I was still trying to figure out what to say to them when the bells above the door behind me twinkled.I turned.

“Welcome to the—”

Soyer stood there, snow melting in his black hair, his dark eyes already focused on me.“Yes?”

I smiled.“To the Moonlight Diner.”

Soyer wasn’t the kind of person who’d show much emotion on his face, not when the diner was still as crowded as it was.I knew him well enough though.I could see the way his lips almost wanted to smile, the spark in his eyes.

“Ambrose.”Soyer nodded to Elias’s Ben, then walked past his customary table, which was a good thing.There was still a group of three sitting there; older women dressed so nice that I thought they’d either come from or were headed to an event.I didn’t know that they were supernatural, and I didn’t want Soyer to scare away people who didn’t even know him.

“Yup, totally an obsession,” Rae said.

“Shush!”I said, and headed to meet Soyer.

I knew there was nothing wrong at all with hugging in public—with kissing in public, for that matter.It was just one of those things that caught up with me sometimes, grooves in my mind of habits, fears, and prejudices I needed to unlearn.I immediately felt smaller for it, for being unable to just step past it, then worse for not giving my fiancé the hug and kiss he deserved.

But Soyer, after all, was my phoenix mind reader.He saw my hesitation, his raised left brow told me as much.It didn’t faze him, and he stopped next to Elias and climbed onto the chair.

“Young Hawthorne.I hear you absconded.”

Elias huffed.“I did no such thing, Mr.Bennet!I would never.Amory, tell him.Tell him I’ve been here all this time.Tell him how good I was.”