Page 37 of My Blind Date is a Demon

CHAPTER 13

By the time we get home, I’ve already sobered up a bit. Beverly’s car is in my driveway, and the porchlight is on.

“I had a good time tonight, Tamzin,” Damon says as he puts the car in park.

“I did too,” I admit. He opens his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. “It’s nice to have a new friend in my life.”

“Umm, yeah. Exactly,” he says.

“I mean—” I turn in my seat to face him. “—we are friends, right? Like, can I really trust you? You aren’t just, like, trying to gain my trust so you can turn on me and torture me, right?”

“It doesn’t work like that, Tamzin,” he says. “If I were torturing you, you’d know it. And besides, you trust Beverly, right? She told you I’m not a threat.”

“Okay, maybe not now. But what about when we free you? Will you fulfill your duty to the Dark Lord then and torture me?”

He pauses for a moment, thoughtful. “I don’t want to torture you. Yeah, I enjoy my life. The freedom, the power. But torturing humans lost its appeal a long time ago. It’s just a job to me now. But that is why we have to find out who cursed you and how to break the curse. We can’t have Bella free me but still leave me bound to finish the job I was assigned.”

I nod slowly. I believe him. Or, at least, I want to believe him.

“We should go inside,” I say. “Beverly is probably going to think we are doing something more than talking if we linger too long.”

“Yeah. Can’t let her think she was right about us being soulmates,” Damon says, opening his door. “She might get a big head or something.”

I chuckle and try to open my door, but it seems really heavy. I then remember that I’m a little punch drunk still. Damon opens the door for me and helps me out of the car. I lean into him as we walk up to the door. I’m not sure where my keys are, so we have to knock, which sets Dash to barking. I then remember that Damon has them since he drove. But before he can manage the keys and me, Beverly opens the door with the biggest grin on her face I’ve ever seen.

“Well, looks like you two had a nice night,” she says, moving out of the way so we can walk in. Dash barks and happily dances around my feet.

“Yeah, thanks,” I say deadpan. Mr. Darcy meows at me from the kitchen table.

“Mommy, Mommy!” Bella says as she runs toward me with a stick in her hand.

“Hey, no running with sticks,” I say.

“It’s not a stick. It’s a magic wand,” she says. That’s when I get a better look at it—I have to squint—and see that it has a crystal on the end, is tied with ribbons, and has symbols carved into it. It’s cute, but looks like something you could pick up at the Ren Faire.

“Oh, really? That’s awesome, sweetie,” I say. “But why are you still up? It’s late.” I look at my watch and see that it’s only around ten o’clock. Not crazy late, but still past her bedtime.

“Beverly was showing me how to use the wand,” Bella says. She waves it and says some magic words, turning on the coffee pot. I can’t help but laugh.

“That’s awesome, but I think what I really need is some cold water.”

“Okay!” She does the trick again, this time turning on the sink.

“That’s great, honey.” I kiss the top of her head. “Why don’t you go upstairs and get into your jammies and I’ll be up to tuck you in soon.”

“Okay!” She runs upstairs, Dash happily barking as she follows behind her. Mr. Darcy meows at me again, so I try to go to the cabinet where I keep his food, but I nearly twist my ankle in the process.

“Hey, careful there,” Damon says, helping me to a kitchen chair.

“I’m fine,” I say. “I just have to get these shoes off.”

“Well, let me help you,” he says, but I push him away. I don’t like how he is taking care of me in front of Beverly, giving her ideas about us.

“I’m fine. Can you, like, go upstairs or something? I need to talk to Beverly.”

I can see on his face that his feelings are hurt, but I can smooth things over with him later. Right now, I need to focus on Beverly.

“Right,” Damon says. “See you tomorrow. Night, Beverly.”

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