Page 8 of Ditching the Dragon (Fated Dates)

The bachelorettes cheer for that.

Wickham B., no age, investment bankerhasn’t taken his eyes off me the entire time I’ve been with Vi. I haven’t been watching him exactly, but I can feel his gaze. It’s like there’s a tether connecting us, stretching across the room and cutting through people.

Perhaps it’s the alcohol or the euphoria of a success after so many failures, but excitement bubbles in my belly.

I approach and take the seat beside him again. How it remained empty is a minor miracle.

“So . . . ” I begin.

“Hi,” he replies.

“Wickham?”

His head tilts, his eyebrows knitting together. “Yes. How did you know?”

“It was in the app. We matched.”

“App?”

“Yeah, Kis-Meet.”

“Right, of course.”

He seems unsure, but there’s no time to investigate that before he asks, “What’s your name, gorgeous?”

Annie.

I almost say it and have to catch myself.

“Grace,” I reply instead, but it’s like tar on my tongue. I want to give him my real name and everything that comes with it.

“I like that. Classic. Beautiful. Grace Kelly. Grace Jones.”

“Do you like fashion?”

“I like to keep busy. Current affairs and events keep me fresh.”

“Falling off of trends already? We aren’t that old.”

“How old do you think I am, Grace?”

He doesn’t look that much older than me, butinvestment banker. I tack on a few years to be safe.

“Thirty-eight?” I ask.

Wickham chuckles, and it has this gravelly, smoky quality to it that makes me shift in my seat.

“Older than 38.”

“How much older?”

“A lot. Add on another 200 years, give or take.”

Shit.I wasn’t picking up any magic vibes. Then again, half the time, I forget Violet and her girlfriend are special.

Explains the thrall, though.

“I don’t appreciate you using your magic on me.”

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