Page 60 of Thirsty

But then again, Lorenzo had no idea if he could actually read Charlie or not.

Charlie tilted his head down and pressed small sucking kisses to Lorenzo’s chest, licking up the sweat there. Lorenzo knew all the reasons not to do it; not to play some game with Charlie there was no way to win. But when Charlie flicked a look up at Lorenzo through his eyelashes, he knew he was already lost.

“I suppose,” he said, “I did promise to teach you about supernatural-human relationships.”

“Yes, you did,” Charlie said, leaning forward to kiss him. “Lucky me.”

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: May 2, 11:42 AM

Subject: Horror Workplace

Dear Crone,

I think I’m being discriminated against at work because I’m a zombie. First they said that I should have to work more shifts than everyone else just because we don’t sleep. Then they put a sign up in the break room saying “NO MICROWAVING BRAINS” even though I’ve never done that (I’m a zombie, not a monster). Someone even started a rumor that I deliberately became a zombie to discharge my student debt, because of how they changed the law so that vampires retain their debt but not other undead creatures. It’s become a totally toxic workplace, but I’m also nervous about going on the job market again because last time I didn’t have to deal with people staring at my gaping head wound during interviews. What should I do?

Sincerely,

Shuffling Toward the EEOC

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: May 4, 9:06 AM

Subject: Sorceress Stalemate

Dear Crone,

I met a wonderful sorceress when a spell she was working on backfired and dropped her here from her own time 342 years ago. It’s been a whirlwind romance, and I care about her a lot—and now that she’s worked through her personal issues and her powers are back, she can undo the time-travel spell. There’s just one problem: we can’t decide where to go! She wants me to come back to her time, meet her friends and her family, which I totally understand—but I’m not exactly eager to go live in a time without modern medicine, women’s suffrage, or the internet. On the other hand, she’s not wild about climate change, nuclear power, or the internet. We’re at a stalemate—maybe we could try to go even further in the future, or into another dimension entirely? We’ve pledged to abide by whatever you decide. Where should we go?

Sincerely,

Stop Living In the Past

Wise Old Crone

Should I Sell Out, or Keep the Magic Alive?

And how do werewolves deal with rejection?

June 16

Dear Crone,

I own a rare magical bookshop that’s been in my family for generations. The local werewolf pack has offered to buy us out—I guess they want to bring our stock in-house as part of their collection of magical resources. If I accepted their offer, I could stay on as a kind of librarian or pack consultant, or I could take the money and walk away. Or, I could reject their offer and see how werewolves deal with disappointment. I love my store, and I don’t want to see it changed...but I also can’t stop thinking about what I could do with that money. I could travel, pursue hobbies I’ve never had time for before, or maybe even start a new business. Every option feels dangerous. How do I even begin to decide what the right move is?

Sincerely,

Choosing My Own Adventure

Dear Bookshop Adventurer,

That’s the thing about danger, isn’t it? It’s intoxicating.