Page 57 of How Not to Date an Angel

It was much cooler out on the patio, and Julian ignored the few glances they earned as they sidled up to the railing in a conveniently free spot. In front of them were huge planters with overgrown shrubs acting as a barrier between the patio and sidewalk.

“So. Who’s next?” Julian asked, wrapping his hand around the rail and rocking forward and back.

“I’m sure we’ll see someone soon,” Rami answered, and stopped beside Julian.

Forced to wait, Julian tried to settle down.

It seemed Rami couldn’t help but fill the silence. “How’s your Earthly experience so far?”

“It’ll be better once I try this fancy chocolate of yours,” Julian teased.

Rami arched a brow. “So confident in your skills of deduction?”

“One hundred percent,” Julian declared. And then added, “The aquarium was pretty cool, I guess.”

Rami beamed, turning to him, looking so innocent in their stupid soft cream sweater. “What was your favorite part?”

Julian hummed as he debated. The jellyfish did look like something out of a movie. Something made up.

He supposed theyweremade up, by something a lot bigger than he was.

The otters had been so adorable. Even the perverted one. But Julian didn’t trust that he hadn’t just been enamored with Rami’s ownenjoyment.

“I think the jellyfish,” Julian finally answered, though it had only been a few seconds. “Pretty magical, if you ask me.”

“I guess, in a way, they are,” Rami said, echoing Julian’s very thoughts. Their shoulder swayed into Julian’s before they stiffened and scooted away.

He glanced over at them in surprise, and found their gaze already locked on Julian. Heat dusted his cheeks, though he couldn’t imagine why, and he sipped his martini to cover it.

The night passed in a blur of chocolates and fruity drinks. Through a bit of magic, their corner of the patio stayed quiet. The humans might have felt uneasy when they spied the two odd balls, and avoided them altogether.

Privacy, after all, was extremely important.

Julian chuckled as the angel won yet again, looking pleased as a peach to reward themself with a chocolate.

“Who returns lost money these days?” Julian muttered. “I would’ve kept that twenty.”

“Money does run the entire world here, so you weren’twrongto assume he’d keep it.”

“And yet Iwaswrong.”

“You were,” Rami agreed, not looking the least bit sorry.

Their shoulders swayed together again around the third drink, but this time they didn’t separate. Rami’s arm was warm against Julian and he soaked it in, wondering when the angel would notice and hoping they wouldn’t.

“He’s going to offer them his jacket,” Rami said, and tilted their head at a couple on the sidewalk.

Julian considered it, feeling the nip of the cold air through his own sweater. It’d be stupid not to offer one to a date, and very selfish. So he said, “Nah, no way.”

“Might as well go ahead and hand me my chocolate,” Rami teased.

Julian scoffed at their confidence, glancing over to find the angel practically sparkling, leaning against the rail, drink balanced in deft fingers as they tried to casually watch the couple without seeming obvious.

A moment later, the two humans paused, and the taller one rubbed a hand down the other’s arm. They exchanged words, and then he was pulling off his jacket and offering it to his companion.

Julian already had the chocolate balanced in his palm for the angel to take by the time Rami turned to him with a triumphant expression.

“Told you,” they said.

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