Page 6 of Fenrir

“Thanks, but I don’t do the one-night stand thing.” To be honest, Grace had never done any night-stand thing. She was still a virgin.

“I’ve told you before, it doesn’t have to be like that,” said Vivian. “It’s just a good way to get out and meet some guys. See if you are compatible or even find the one meant for you. DeLux prides itself on being able to find the perfect person for everyone. It doesn’t always happen right away, but for plenty of Underworlders, it’s happened for sure.”

If Grace was being honest, the idea of a speed dating event intrigued her. It had since the first time they’d invited her, but she’d just never felt… ready to try something like that. It had taken her at least four months to get over the fact that her mom was dead, and she now lived in the Underworld and worked for Odin. The Odin. Not to mention that the guys who left her tips were usually demons, vampires, fallen angels, demigods, and more. But for some reason, this time, the idea tugged at her like a small child asking her to go somewhere with them. Grace bit her lip. She didn’t want to just go home and rewatch the million K-dramas she’d become addicted to in the past months or read another of the fifty books in her TBR pile.

“Okay,” she said without thinking.

“Really?” said Brigeeta and Vivian together. “Wahoo! Party time!”

Vivian looked over Grace, strode forward, and set down Grace’s handbag. “You are going to have a blast. But first, we must do something about your wardrobe and makeup.”

Grace looked down at her t-shirt and jeans. “What’s wrong with my outfit?”

Vivian snorted and looked at Brigeeta. “Find her something.”

Brigeeta broke into a huge smile and took off. “Wahoo! Dressing room time.”

“Wait,” said Grace. “The dressing room? As in, the dressing room for the dancers?”

A Cheshire cat smile stretched over Vivian’s face as she pulled a chair from the vanity and plopped Grace into it. “That’s the one.”

This wasn’t good. Not good at all. If she were lucky, Brigeeta would find a skirt long enough to cover her ass and a shirt big enough to cover her boobs, and that was about all. If she wasn’t lucky… well, Grace might as well go to the speed dating event in her underwear because that would cover more.

Grace wasn’t sure if she should be mortified or grateful. While the outfit Brigeeta had brought her covered more than she had been afraid it might, it didn’t cover nearly enough of her to make her comfortable.

Grace had always known she had a nice figure. A bit on the curvy side, but she’d always liked that about herself. She’d never fancied herself as one of those kale and water dieting waifs. She preferred her meals big and full of meat. She tugged at the hem of the mini dress, but that only served to pull down the top half making her D-cup breasts pop out a bit more.

Yup. Not near enough to make her comfortable. Even her wolf spirit side seemed uncomfortable with the arrangement, which was ironic because her spirit side’s favorite time was when Grace walked around her room naked.

Brigeeta grabbed Grace’s arm and hopped up and down in her mile-high heels. “Oh my gosh, you are going to love this. I can’t wait to see if tonight is my night to meet the man I was meant to be with forever.” Brigeeta tripped over a cobblestone, and it took both Vivian and Grace to keep her from face-planting.

“What do you do if you don’t find someone?” Grace asked. She had no interest in wasting time with men she knew weren’t meant for her.

“Oh, I always find someone to have fun with.” She winked at Grace and flashed her fangs.

Grace didn’t want to think about what Brigeeta considered ‘fun’. More than a half dozen times since they’d become roommates, Grace had come home to find Brigeeta, and her most recent boy snack hadn’t made it past the front room or, worse, the kitchen before beginning the feeding frenzy. Thank the Goddess Vivian was a bit more discreet with her conquests.

“Come on,” said Viv. “Don’t scare the girl. This is her first time. Just try to relax. Talk to people. At the very least, you might make a new friend or learn something new about what you are looking for or what you don’t want. Think of it as a game. A place to hone your flirting skills.”

Flirting? Grace didn’t know the first thing about flirting. And to be honest, she was pretty sure she would be about as good at flirting as she would at trying to fly. Wasn’t going to happen.

“Here we are!” Brigeeta announced with a twirl and a giggle.

Grace’s gut clenched as she took in DeLux Café. The sounds of soft music and chatter floated out the front door. The scents of dozens of beings assaulted her. Vampires, shifters of varying species, demons, fae, gods, and more. Her mouth dried, and suddenly, she wasn’t sure she wanted to go inside.

Viv slipped her arm into Grace’s and squeezed Grace’s hand. “It’s gonna be fine. Forget everything we said and be yourself. It doesn’t matter if you don’t meet anyone. Just give it a try, okay?”

Grace glanced up into Viv’s face. The genuine smile on Viv’s blood-red lips made Grace relax a fraction. She swallowed hard and nodded.

Just be herself. She could do that, right? What was so hard about sitting at a table and conversing with a dozen guys? She’d done the same thing standing up and waiting tables at Odin’s. What was so different this time? Except for the fact that she wore practically nothing except a pound of makeup and a gallon of hairspray?

She could do it. It was just for an hour, right? And besides, she’d told herself she didn’t want to just go back to her house and read about other women getting their happily ever afters. She’d come to the Underworld to make a life for herself, and staying hidden in her house wasn’t living. It was existing, and if that had been her plan, she might as well have stayed with her pack.

The slight pull she’d felt previously tugged at her and told her she needed to go inside. Grace reached out and opened the door. “Let’s do this.”

* * *

Fenrir stoodacross the street from DeLux Café wondering for the millionth time why he’d caved and told his dad he would finally go to it. What had he been thinking? Speed dating? What was that going to do for him? He rubbed his hands over his scruffy face and groaned.

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