Page 11 of To Cuddle A Gremlin

“How so?” Sebastian tipped his head to the side, feeling comfortable for the first time since the date began.

“Tony is happiest in the kitchen. Not good with compliments.”

“Brownie.”

“I love all of your electronic devices and toys. It’s fascinating to me to dive into the insides of computers and tablets to see how they work.” Isadore lit up as he discussed his job.

Sebastian took a stab in the dark about what Isadore was. He didn’t want to be insulting, but his guess made sense. “Gremlin?”

“That’s the term we’re using here. According to your internet, gremlins are small beasties who cause a lot of mischief. I am trying hard not to be that creature. I want to be one who finds the problems and solves them while being a teeny bit impish.” Isadore lifted his nose up and sniffed. The snobby routine was ruined by his wide smile.

Sebastian snickered. This was fun. “Just a bit?”

Isadore pinched his fingers together and nodded. “This much.”

“Why don’t I believe that?” Sebastian joked. Being with Isadore felt a lot like an in-person chat with Kazmier. They had the same easy way of bantering, and it soothed Sebastian.

“Because you don’t know me well enough, obviously.” Isadore laughed. “Your eyes are like the changing leaves on a beech tree.”

Snorting at the odd compliment, Sebastian shook his head at Isadore’s sincerity. “That was pretty bad.”

“I don’t have access to all those words like you do.” Isadore set his hand on the table, palm up, as an invitation for Sebastian to hold. “I stand by them though.”

“You are so odd,” Sebastian muttered, hiding his face once more.

“Odd is good though.” Isadore beckoned once more, and Sebastian gambled on his luck. Holding another person’s hand was a huge step, but the reward was Isadore’s pleased expression. “Tony is going to bring out our food. I took the liberty of ordering 'cause I know you have a time limit. Should I have asked permission?”

Sebastian glanced at the doorway to the kitchen and nodded. “Oh, thank you. How thoughtful.”

“Oh, blessed stars. I’ve read some dating things, and they said doing that was the highest offense ever, but I didn’t want to waste your lunch.” The relief on Isadore’s face caused bubbles to fizz and pop in Sebastian’s stomach. He’d done that. He made Isadore smile and glow in such magical ways. This man with his sharp cheekbones and crooked nose was all Sebastian’s. The bubbles exploded with an effervescent joy, and for the first time ever, Sebastian felt that bone-deep need for another person. “You—you have the nicest face,” Sebastian blurted out, studying every nook and cranny. “I’d like to trace it.”

Pupils dilated, Isadore swallowed hard. “Sebastian. That’s—what the hell?”

“Oh my God! Sebby! Watch out!” The heat of slick food had him arching back before he realized what had happened. Becky had tripped on a chair and tipped her tray of lunches onto Sebastian.

As the gooey liquid dribbled down his back, Sebastian kept his eyes locked on Isadore before him. The dismay on Isadore’s face told him that bad things had happened. The shock of having someone’s lunch dumped on him and the horror on the diners’ faces had Sebastian freezing in place. Becky yipped and began cleaning up the plates on the ground. Isadore snorted, jostling Sebastian out of the frozen pose. The sound reminded him of high school when bullies would trip him in the hall, causing people to laugh, including his cousins. Wounded by the sound Isadore made and embarrassed by the commotion surrounding him, Sebastian stood up and threw his coat on. He knocked the water glasses over, creating more of a mess. Mortified, he swore and slunk out of the café, ignoring Isadore’s pleas to stop. With his head held high, blind and deaf to anyone laughing or calling, Sebastian left.

Returning to the library was cold and humiliating. Sebastian accepted the curse had returned. This was evidence of it. Thiswas the reason why dating should never have been part of Sebastian’s life goals. Sebastian contemplated bypassing the library and going straight home. However, with every step, a drip of food moved down his back. Every movement caused the fabric to stick to his skin. Every second, the rehash of words created a whirl of anxiety to twist into thorny vines. Gasps turning into snorts echoed in his ears. He'd heard the sneer in Isadore’s laughter. Every date he attempted turned into a humiliating encounter, to the point where it felt like a jinx. Sebastian soon called it a bad luck curse. When he tripped or was too earnest, his dates always rolled their eyes and mocked him.

Slipping into the workroom, Sebastian tugged off his coat. The wool was probably ruined. He didn’t even see Sammi sitting at the small table.

“What happened?” Her voice was low and cautious. He shrugged and blinked away the threatening tears.

“I happened. Evil God of Dates happened. Becks stumbled into me carrying food and dumped it on me,” Sebastian stated. He was done.

“Oh, sweetie, how awful.” Sammi grabbed the ruined coat and began wiping food residue away with a paper towel. “Do you want me to find Jake?”

Sebastian sighed as he sat. He had to go home; he couldn’t work with food clinging to his back. “Thanks, Sammi. I don’t think I can be here right now.”

“No worries. I’ll send him in.” She left the room with one last worried look in his direction. Minutes later, his supervisor popped in, and the quick intake of breath told Sebastian exactly what Jacob saw.

“Sammi told me you had a mishap at lunch and you might want to leave for the day.” Jacob approached Sebastian and pressed his lips together. “I can see why. I am so sorry, Sebastian.”

Sebastian unbuttoned his shirt and pulled off the wrecked garment. With gentle strokes, he cleaned the stains as best he could with paper towels. He assumed salad dressing and soup were the main culprits. “Big mishap.”

“Do you need anything else? A ride home?” Jacob asked as he offered another wad of clean towels and took the soiled ones.

“I should be fine. The walk will help.” The smell of food wafted up to his nose as he continued his task, and Sebastian’s stomach turned.

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