Page 35 of Cookbooks and Demons

Honey continued to beam up at both of them before offering the opened up shoe for the human-looking demon to slip into.

“Oh cherry pie, I’d give these clothes to you for free if it wouldn’t get me fired. You look too good in them,” Honey assured, tying the laces of the first shoe then bringing forth the second one. A few moments later, after several adjustments at cuff, seam, and a good tug on the back of the jacket, she stepped out of the dressing stall. “Oh my. Look at you.” She gestured over to the tri-fold mirrors, inviting himto look.

“No, that’s okay. I don’tneed to—”

“Go ahead,” Helena insisted, giving him a little push onhis back.

Reluctantly, he stepped into mirrored space, rolling his eyes. Then he sighed and lifted his head to look.He froze.

Honey brought her hands up clasped before her, her smile beaming even more if that was possible. “Now, look at that. A man who has found his true self,”she said.

Rafferty squinted at the three people reflected in the mirrors. “I’ve never been a vain person,”he said.

“It’s not vain to like how you look,” Helena assured him. “Do youlike it?”

He kept staring, then rolled his shoulders. The images in the three mirrors did the same. “Yeah. I guess it’s alright,” heconceded.

“Oh high praise indeed!” Honey declared before turning to Helena. “Usually all I get is an acknowledging grunt.” Then she bent down and lifted up a large paper shopping bag with the store’s logo on it. “Here’s for his other clothes. I’ll meet you both out front and then you can get on with your da-ate!” She sang out the last part with a little excited shimmy, then the store clerk disappeared out to the main floor.

“Yeah,” said Helena. “Then we can get on withour date.”

Chapter 19

It’sCalled

L’apertif

The restaurant was gorgeous. High above the city, the place was walled with glass. Beyond the windows, the darkness twinkled with a million lights from the various buildings, streetlamps, and countless cars moving along the street. There was a little observation room by the host podium that had a glass floor, daring guests to go and stand out on apparent nothingness and get a three sixty view ofthe city.

“Though it’s really one eighty, right?” Helena said as she crept up to the edge of the glass floor, but she just couldn’t work up the courage to trodupon it.

“More than one eighty,” Rafferty said. He had no problem standing on the glass floor. He even had his hands in his pockets like it was no big thing, gazing out into the cityof stars.

Helena huffed at him. “Could you like, give me your hand or say something to help me have a little confidence? I’m finding it really difficult to move my leg out there. It just won’t go that way.” She demonstrated her body’s resistance. Granted, the dress she wore went down to her knees in a tight, slinky way that wasn’t helping. In fact, it was like the short black thing with its silver threads around her bodice area was trying to tell her, “No, don’t do it. You have so much tolive for.”

Rafferty turned to her and offered his hand. Before she could take it, he re-adjusted himself and bowed even deeper, his hand even more proffered. “My lady, if you would join me,”he said.

That made her laugh, and as she took his hand, her legs unlocked for a second. Then when she took the first step, she looked down. “Oh damn, no!” she squealed and backed away. “I can’t. I can’t do it.”

“It’s fine. It looks like the hostess is back,” Rafferty said, walking off the observation deck to offer her his arm in the more modernfashion.

They approached the podium just as a woman in a short black dress with a matching short black coat took her place behind it. “I do apologize for the wait,” she said. “We had a mess up in the kitchen and…” She sighed and renewed her professional smile. “Sorry, do you have a reservation withus today?”

“Yes,” Helena said, stepping up. “It’s under Scarlet Promotions.”

The hostess looked down at her list. “Yes, I do think I saw that. One second.” She ticked something near the bottom before plucking up some menus. “This way, please.”

She led them through the dimly lit space filled with tables set up on different levels, one table on each, to a table along the window. Scarlet’s name had been recognized in this establishment, and while theTower Top Restaurantdidn’t often cater outside of itself, for Scarlet they would bend over backward to do it. The Winter Rose Ball was a choice event.

Once they approached the table, Rafferty held her chair before taking his own seat, and the hostess waited politely before presenting them both their menus.

“A server will be by to explain the menu, but before we get started tonight, please let me know if there are any food allergies the chef should know about.”

“No, nothing for me,” Helena said, glancing at Rafferty, who was focusing very hard on his menu.“Raffie?”

He blinked and lookedup. “Yes?”

Helena tipped her head toward the hostess. “Do you … have any allergies?” she asked. She couldn’t imagine he did, but one could neverbe sure.

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