Page 57 of The Nowhere Witch

“I don’t want to bounce anything off you. I want you to leave.”

He leaned a hand on the wall as he stared at me. “I understood that the first time you said it. Clearly I’m not leaving, so what were you thinking?”

“Why do you have to be so damned difficult? Why can’t you go? I don’t want to work with you all the time. It’s bad enough I’m back living with you.”

He leaned a shoulder against the wall, as if he were just standing in the forest having a relaxing moment while I lost my shit on him. It made me want to rage even more. “Everything has to be your way, and you don’t care how anyone else feels or what they want. You, you, and you. That’s all that matters.”

He raised an eyebrow, silently asking if I were through.

I shrugged like I was having a spasm, finally spitting out, “What?”

He shook his head. “Did that make you feel better?”

“No.”

“Then what do you need? Because there’s work to be done, and we can’t afford you to be emotional and causing problems. You’re going to have to figure out a way to get along with me until we rectify this issue.”

That was it. My emotions were an issue, because I had some. That must be a really big drag to him, with his shriveled-up black heart.

“What I need is for you to be human,” I said, turning and walking away from him.

“You’re going to be waiting a long time for that one,” he said, remaining where he was.

I didn’t know if he was being figurative or literal. Neither would surprise me.

23

I’ll quit drinking the day after my fiftieth if I can just have one last good party.

I flipped through the directory of names in the book Zab had given me, skimming for parties. There were twenty different names. Seemed parties paid well, or they were quick, easy work.

“Who’s the best person to call for a good birthday party? There are a lot of names. Is there a better or worse witch or warlock?” I asked, holding up the slip that had been in the pile on my desk. I looked at Zab, consciously ignoring the fact that Hawk had just walked into the office. Also trying to ignore the way Bibbi was watching Hawk enter the office, Oscar in tow.

“What kind of party? Any hint of what they consider a good party? Are they looking for raunchy or clean?” Zab asked, slumping back in his chair and kicking his feet up on his desk. Clearly he was unaware of all the tension that had just been lit inside this room.

“It’s a fiftieth. No other mention. Just that they’ll quit drinking after it.”

Hawk was on the other side of the office still, talking to Oscar. He was leaning on the bookshelf, his arms crossed in front of him, showing off his good side, of which he had two.

When someone looked the way he did, it was hard not to glance over from time to time. It didn’t mean anything. It was akin to looking at a pretty painting. Just because I admired the way something looked, didn’t mean I wanted to marry the thing or have its babies. It only meant it looked good.

Hawk looked my way, and the heat in his eyes could have seized my engine. I turned toward Musso for a little cooldown. I couldn’t overheat like this in public. People would get the wrong idea.

“Musso, what do you think?” I asked, turning so I could cut Hawk out of my peripheral vision.

“If they’re a drinker, might mean they want a bit more than a good game of dominos. I’d newsflash Sadie P.,” Musso said.

“I’ll do it,” Zab said, grabbing the newsflash papers before I could get them.

“It might not be a dragon every time,” I said, keeping my back to Hawk and focusing on the job at hand.

“And it might be,” Musso said.

“Hey, what happens if this person has a good party and then doesn’t quit drinking?” I jotted Sadie P. down on the slip and added it to my job pile.

“Not good,” Musso said.

Helen’s gears spun long, slow, and loud, as if to second that remark.

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