Page 5 of To Cuddle A Gremlin (Monsters in Love Side Stories #1)

CHAPTER 5

Crash: Omg omg omg

Kazmier: What happened?

Crash: I think I have a date, and I’m gonna throw up

Kazmier: Aww it’s not that bad. You’re still talking.

Crash: Not helping

Kazmier: Fine, tell me about this date.

Crash: What if I screw things up?

Kazmier: You won’t. It’ll be amazing

Crash: What if I embarrass myself in front of a lot of people and the date?

Kazmier: If you do, smile and move on. It’ll be a good story.

Crash: I’ll never be able to face him again. You don’t understand.

Kazmier: If he truly likes you, he will help you get past it.

Crash: I have a curse, and it’s going to ruin everything.

Kazmier: Walk me through it then 3

“ A re you sure I should wear the stormtrooper shirt? I don’t want to scare him away with my nerdiness.”

“But you love that shirt. You always look so happy and relaxed with it on,” Sammi cajoled, laughter evident in her tone, even over the phone. “Put on the chinos. They make that ass of yours pop.”

“I’ll give you the pants, but I’m not sold on the shirt or that you think my ass pops.” Sebastian studied the tiny stormtroopers and then his Darth Vader black on black. Shrugging into the long-sleeved shirt, he gazed at himself in the mirror. “I think Vader needs to be shown off.”

“Aww, Sebastian, not that one.” Her tinny voice whined loudly from the cell phone as he turned on the selfie function and snapped a picture. “Sebby, too much black. Wear the stormtrooper shirt.”

“I like the Vader one.” He resisted the urge to stomp his foot, but only by a smidge.

“Fine, if it makes you happy. So now let’s play with your hair,” she demanded. Sighing, he went to the bathroom and followed her precise instructions as he prepared for the day ahead. He had a date. Today. With Isadore. Sebastian’s stomach dropped, and he had to grab hold of the sink. This was going to be the end of his life. His curse was going to make its presence known, and Isadore would never want to be seen with him again.

Sebastian blushed as his older patrons oohed and ahhed over his appearance. Three ladies stood at the desk, clustered around his computer monitor, giving him advice about how to behave while out with Isadore.

“Now, boy, make sure you treat him nice. We want you to be with the right person. Who’s treating? You or him?” Ms. Smith turned to her friend at the desk. “I am never sure with homosexual relations. Do you know?”

Sebastian opened his mouth and closed it again. Heat bloomed over his face. No way was he going to live down this conversation. “Yes, ladies, I will do my best.”

“Since it will be his first date with someone important,” Sammi murmured as she walked by with a stack of books.

“What was that, Sammi?” Ms. O’Leary asked, catching some of what Sammi had said. “You were mumbling a bit.”

“I wished him well.” Sammi dimpled, her eyes big and innocent as a child’s. “It’s so exciting to be a part of Sebastian’s dating experience, eh?”

“I like to think every date requires special attention.” Sebastian blushed even more as the ladies giggled at him.

“It’s a shame nobody has snapped you up yet. You are the sweetest thing.” Ms. O’Leary made pinching motions toward Sebastian’s face, and Sebastian backed up and crashed into his desk. Sebastian bit off the swear words and turned the conversation to new releases and favourite authors.

Sniffing, the ladies toddled off once he began asking about book titles they hadn’t read and he wanted them to try out. Once they were gone, the butterflies in his stomach began fluttering violently.

“Can you imagine them at the café when I meet up with Isadore?” Sebastian tried joking to lighten himself up.

Sammi smirked. “They’d go there just to see you in action.”

“Do I look okay? Am I ready?” He shifted on his feet and attempted to run his fingers through the stiffened spikes. “What if?—”

“No what-ifs. It’s going to go great. Lean down a bit.”

Ducking to allow Sammi access to his hair, Sebastian closed his eyes as she slicked back his cowlick and brushed a thumb across his cheekbone.

“Remember to smile. You have a fantastic vocabulary, so use it. And most important, he’s not an evil asshole, and he wants to be there with you.”

Nodding vigorously, Sebastian grinned. “We will do the talking thing. If you insist.”

“I do. I expect a picture with you and him smiling.” Sammi nudged him toward the exit. “Go get ’em, tiger.”

Standing in the entranceway of the café, Sebastian waited for his glasses to unfog so he could see where everyone was seated. Inhaling deeply, he nodded once he spotted Isadore sitting at Sebastian’s usual spot. So far, so good.

“Hi, I made it,” Sebastian said as he approached Isadore. He was on a date.

“You did.” Isadore stood and helped Sebastian with his coat. “I, uh, ordered you a coffee. Becks agreed.”

“Oh, thank you.” Sebastian fumbled while pulling the chair back and tripped into the seat. “Shit. I’m not this clumsy.”

“I get it. I’m hella nervous too.” Isadore bobbed his head before sitting himself. “It’s just lunch. We’re having a chat, getting to know each other.”

“Right. That’s important. I’m Sebastian, and I like coffee?” Sebastian held his hand out. Isadore eyed it with some confusion before grasping it in his warm ones. Sebastian glanced at Isadore’s long, pointed ears and claw-like fingers. “Shit, that was a human greeting. I am so sorry.”

“It’s fine. It's a habit for you. Something I’m getting used to. Will not understanding your human interactions be a problem?” Isadore arched an eyebrow as he leaned in his seat.

“What? Why? No!” Sebastian sucked in air and choked. God, he’d already offended Isadore after being in his presence for a minute. That had to be a record. Gathering himself, Sebastian prepared to apologize, but the light in Isadore’s eyes told him his gaffe wasn’t as bad as he expected. “That sort of stuff never occurred to me. By the way, your eyes are amazing. They’re like the deep layers of glaciers, so bright and still so mysterious.”

“That’s beautiful. Thank you. No one’s ever compared my eyes to ice before.” Isadore’s cheeks pinked up.

“I didn’t mean. Oh my God. I am so sorry. I’m sitting here insulting you, and this is supposed to be a date.” Mortification swept through Sebastian, destroying his mediocre confidence in one motion. What a fool . He'd compared Isadore’s perfect icy blue eyes to glaciers. Fucking glaciers. Slow-moving blobs of snow.

“No. You can’t take my compliment away. I loved it.” Isadore stretched out his hand across the table and beckoned to Sebastian with a wiggle of his claws. Sebastian set his hand down, and Isadore grasped it so Sebastian couldn’t escape. “It was sweet and adorable and completely unexpected. Exactly like you.”

“That’s not me. Geez, I’m not sweet. What gave you that idea?” Sebastian freed his hand and placed it on his hot cheeks. God, he was surprised he hadn’t set off the fire alarms. “I’m very?—”

“Kind? You are the nicest person I’ve met since we came to this town,” Isadore explained as he sipped his water, his eyes never leaving Sebastian.

Sebastian furrowed his brow, sweating under his Vader shirt. “I—I. Maybe this is not a good idea. I can feel the bad luck closing in. Something is going to happen, and it will be my fault.” The butterflies turned to thorny vines in his stomach. Honest compliments were uncommon, so Isadore’s behaviour baffled him.

“Sebastian, shh. Take a deep breath. I’ll stop. I promise. Please don’t leave yet,” Isadore apologized. His demeanour softened as he leaned away from Sebastian. Somehow, those few small inches allowed the vines to rest. Breathing became easier. He was fine. Isadore was perfect. “Thank you for joining me. I enjoy your company. This café is special to me, and it helps me feel at home.”

“Where was your home?” Sebastian asked. He hoped his question wasn’t too invasive. Some cryptids were protective of their former dimensions. They didn’t want their location bandied about because of bad apples.

“It was a cold realm. We stayed in warrens beneath the earth during the long winter season. Coming to this place was eye-opening. And we all discovered new aspects to ourselves.”

“How so?” Sebastian tipped his head to the side, feeling comfortable for the first time since the date began.

“Tony is happiest in the kitchen. Not good with compliments.”

“Brownie.”

“I love all of your electronic devices and toys. It’s fascinating to me to dive into the insides of computers and tablets to see how they work.” Isadore lit up as he discussed his job.

Sebastian took a stab in the dark about what Isadore was. He didn’t want to be insulting, but his guess made sense. “Gremlin?”

“That’s the term we’re using here. According to your internet, gremlins are small beasties who cause a lot of mischief. I am trying hard not to be that creature. I want to be one who finds the problems and solves them while being a teeny bit impish.” Isadore lifted his nose up and sniffed. The snobby routine was ruined by his wide smile.

Sebastian snickered. This was fun. “Just a bit?”

Isadore pinched his fingers together and nodded. “This much.”

“Why don’t I believe that?” Sebastian joked. Being with Isadore felt a lot like an in-person chat with Kazmier. They had the same easy way of bantering, and it soothed Sebastian.

“Because you don’t know me well enough, obviously.” Isadore laughed. “Your eyes are like the changing leaves on a beech tree.”

Snorting at the odd compliment, Sebastian shook his head at Isadore’s sincerity. “That was pretty bad.”

“I don’t have access to all those words like you do.” Isadore set his hand on the table, palm up, as an invitation for Sebastian to hold. “I stand by them though.”

“You are so odd,” Sebastian muttered, hiding his face once more.

“Odd is good though.” Isadore beckoned once more, and Sebastian gambled on his luck. Holding another person’s hand was a huge step, but the reward was Isadore’s pleased expression. “Tony is going to bring out our food. I took the liberty of ordering 'cause I know you have a time limit. Should I have asked permission?”

Sebastian glanced at the doorway to the kitchen and nodded. “Oh, thank you. How thoughtful.”

“Oh, blessed stars. I’ve read some dating things, and they said doing that was the highest offense ever, but I didn’t want to waste your lunch.” The relief on Isadore’s face caused bubbles to fizz and pop in Sebastian’s stomach. He’d done that. He made Isadore smile and glow in such magical ways. This man with his sharp cheekbones and crooked nose was all Sebastian’s. The bubbles exploded with an effervescent joy, and for the first time ever, Sebastian felt that bone-deep need for another person. “You—you have the nicest face,” Sebastian blurted out, studying every nook and cranny. “I’d like to trace it.”

Pupils dilated, Isadore swallowed hard. “Sebastian. That’s—what the hell?”

“Oh my God! Sebby! Watch out!” The heat of slick food had him arching back before he realized what had happened. Becky had tripped on a chair and tipped her tray of lunches onto Sebastian.

As the gooey liquid dribbled down his back, Sebastian kept his eyes locked on Isadore before him. The dismay on Isadore’s face told him that bad things had happened. The shock of having someone’s lunch dumped on him and the horror on the diners’ faces had Sebastian freezing in place. Becky yipped and began cleaning up the plates on the ground. Isadore snorted, jostling Sebastian out of the frozen pose. The sound reminded him of high school when bullies would trip him in the hall, causing people to laugh, including his cousins. Wounded by the sound Isadore made and embarrassed by the commotion surrounding him, Sebastian stood up and threw his coat on. He knocked the water glasses over, creating more of a mess. Mortified, he swore and slunk out of the café, ignoring Isadore’s pleas to stop. With his head held high, blind and deaf to anyone laughing or calling, Sebastian left.

Returning to the library was cold and humiliating. Sebastian accepted the curse had returned. This was evidence of it. This was the reason why dating should never have been part of Sebastian’s life goals. Sebastian contemplated bypassing the library and going straight home. However, with every step, a drip of food moved down his back. Every movement caused the fabric to stick to his skin. Every second, the rehash of words created a whirl of anxiety to twist into thorny vines. Gasps turning into snorts echoed in his ears. He'd heard the sneer in Isadore’s laughter. Every date he attempted turned into a humiliating encounter, to the point where it felt like a jinx. Sebastian soon called it a bad luck curse. When he tripped or was too earnest, his dates always rolled their eyes and mocked him.

Slipping into the workroom, Sebastian tugged off his coat. The wool was probably ruined. He didn’t even see Sammi sitting at the small table.

“What happened?” Her voice was low and cautious. He shrugged and blinked away the threatening tears.

“I happened. Evil God of Dates happened. Becks stumbled into me carrying food and dumped it on me,” Sebastian stated. He was done.

“Oh, sweetie, how awful.” Sammi grabbed the ruined coat and began wiping food residue away with a paper towel. “Do you want me to find Jake?”

Sebastian sighed as he sat. He had to go home; he couldn’t work with food clinging to his back. “Thanks, Sammi. I don’t think I can be here right now.”

“No worries. I’ll send him in.” She left the room with one last worried look in his direction. Minutes later, his supervisor popped in, and the quick intake of breath told Sebastian exactly what Jacob saw.

“Sammi told me you had a mishap at lunch and you might want to leave for the day.” Jacob approached Sebastian and pressed his lips together. “I can see why. I am so sorry, Sebastian.”

Sebastian unbuttoned his shirt and pulled off the wrecked garment. With gentle strokes, he cleaned the stains as best he could with paper towels. He assumed salad dressing and soup were the main culprits. “Big mishap.”

“Do you need anything else? A ride home?” Jacob asked as he offered another wad of clean towels and took the soiled ones.

“I should be fine. The walk will help.” The smell of food wafted up to his nose as he continued his task, and Sebastian’s stomach turned.

“We will see you tomorrow. Get some rest tonight and try not to think about what happened. It was an accident, I’m sure,” Jake suggested before surveying the room once more and slipping out. Sebastian sat at the table, his date shirt wrecked. Sebastian wiped the tears from his cheeks, slid on his coat, and grimaced at the sensation of wet fabric against his back. It was fine. He was fine. The mantra echoed in his head as he walked out of the library without making eye contact with anyone entering the building.

Stepping through the sliding doors, Sebastian jumped when Isadore peeled away from the wall to stand in front of him. “I’ve told you to come inside. You don’t need to wait here in the cold.”

“I didn’t know if you’d like me there. May I walk you home?” Isadore’s cheery voice was subdued, the opposite of its usual tone. “I can’t allow you to be alone while so uncomfortable.”

“I guess I can’t stop you.” Sebastian winced at the snarkiness of his voice. “I’m sorry. That was rude. It’s just that I stomped out of the café without helping. And you sat there. And it feels like everything is ruined.”

“Shush, the most important thing is you. Are you okay? Are you warm enough?” Isadore asked, peering into Sebastian’s face. Sebastian saw no mirth, no mockery in Isadore’s eyes. Maybe he'd been wrong about Isadore laughing at him.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. These things happen.” Sebastian waved the concern away, pretending to be strong. This was how he coped, and the lie helped him.

Glaring, Isadore took his own scarf and wrapped it in a loose loop around Sebastian’s neck, holding onto the ends. “You had soup dumped on you. Of course, you should be upset. I’m upset. Stars, Sebastian, this was not how I wanted our date to end.”

“Why you? Food didn’t cascade all over your back.” Sebastian tipped his head to the side in confusion.

Isadore heaved a great sigh before explaining. “A terrible accident happened to my friend, and I didn’t get to see if they were alright. They could have been hurt. Oh, Sebastian. May I hug you? It will help me put the fear at bay.”

Sebastian blinked at Isadore’s request. He’d never been asked for a hug, and he never assumed that Isadore would be as upset about his ordeal as he was. “Sure. I guess?”

Shuffling closer to Sebastian, Isadore slid his arms around Sebastian’s waist and squeezed. Instinctively, Sebastian looped his own around Isadore’s neck. The hold was comforting and broke Sebastian’s mighty grip on his emotions. He dropped his head on Isadore’s shoulder and let out a watery sigh. Nothing was said. Isadore squeezed Sebastian in his arms, and the world faded to black for a few brief minutes.

Isadore stepped back and gazed at Sebastian before speaking. “That was perfect. You give amazing hugs.”

“You’re welcome?” Sebastian shifted on his feet, unsure of what was next. Getting clean and away from people beckoned to him. His clothes were sticking to his skin, but being in Isadore’s presence soothed him. “I’m sorry, but?—”

“You’re ready to go home. I get it. I’m feeling that way myself.” Isadore agreed. This wasn’t in Sebastian’s playbook. No one he liked ever stayed with him when bad things happened. They always made excuses and disappeared.

“Really?”

“Oh yeah. My lunch date with this incredible guy was cut short because of a food-related accident. We were just getting in the groove of a fun conversation and then he got understandably upset. It wasn’t how I wished my afternoon would go. I don’t know what to do now.” Isadore dipped his head to the side and studied Sebastian.

“Me neither. I was hoping—” Sebastian’s nerve almost betrayed him, but he persevered. Something good had to come out from the day because maybe he deserved it. “I was hoping we might try again, sort of like a do-over?”

“That sounds delightful. I’d like to try again. In fact, I insist on it. But I’m not sure when. There’s this festival the BIA is planning that sounds like fun. Would you like to be my date?”

Sebastian hadn’t expected Isadore would come up with a plan so fast. He’d expected him to hem and haw and say he’d call Sebastian. “You mean at the park behind the library?”

“The nighttime one where the cryptids and the humans are working together to dispel the bad karma from previous years? Yes, that place. How about it?” Isadore played with the ends of the scarf again. He was a tactile person, and Sebastian swallowed. He wasn’t sure if he should be annoyed or intrigued. Both made sense, but joy bubbled up, winning over the negative thoughts.

“I’d love to. For sure. Thank you.” Sebastian nodded. Despite the awful middle part, his day was looking up.

“Great. Let me have your number, and I will confirm details with you. Okay?” Isadore whipped out a phone and waited for Sebastian to do the same. They exchanged numbers. “Fantastic! Do you want me to walk home with you? I can’t leave you like this.”

“I think…I think I’m gonna be okay. My apartment is five minutes away.” Sebastian scratched his chin and lifted his lips for his first real smile since the food dumping. “Thank you again?”

“No worries. I did what a good person would do. And you’re giving me another chance. That’s the thanks I want. You have a relaxing rest of your day. Use water and baking soda mixture on your coat, and the paste should help remove the worst of the stains, okay?” Isadore said.

Sebastian nodded and did one last brave thing. He took a step forward and brushed a light kiss on Isadore’s cheek. The scent of coffee and mint washed over him, and a warm feeling filled his stomach. The intake of breath from Isadore was the reaction he'd hoped for as he stepped away. “I’ll return your scarf when I see you next.”

“Yeah, no worries, mate.” The awed confusion in Isadore’s voice made Sebastian giggle as he left Isadore standing alone in the middle of the street.

Despite the world always trying to trip him and his dates up, Sebastian had managed to get a second date with Isadore. And this was with the awfulness of food sliding down his back.

Not even having to clean his clothes could dim Sebastian’s joy.