Page 4 of Scr*wed By the Minotaur in Hallow's Cove
The break was clean, amicable. But since then? I hadn’t met anyone who sparked my interest. Until this morning.
As I flipped the open sign and fired up the register, my thoughts drifted back to the curly-haired stranger. She didn’t look like she belonged in a place like this, which made me wonder if she was trying to belong. That struck a chord in me. I had been there once. In Hallow’s Cove, no less.
The bell over the door jingled and I shook myself out of my head. A young faun approached the counter, balancing a pile of mismatched hardware in her arms. That was the norm around here—ambitious DIYers who barely knew the difference between a screw and a nail.
“Hi,” she said, tentative. “I’m trying to mount shelves in my house, but none of the screws are working. They just spin and spin and make a cloud of dust everywhere.”
I forced on a smile, my tail flicking the only tell I was irritated. “Sounds like you’ve got lath-and-plaster walls. You’ll need toggle bolts and anchors. Regular screws won’t hold.”
After a few minutes of back and forth, I got her sorted, but I had little faith she’d pull it off on her own. Odds were good Randy would end up fixing whatever she tried. The grumpy old ogre had a soft spot for anyone attempting to be self-sufficient. That’s what I liked about Randy—he didn’t make a show of it. He just helped.
I stayed busy through the rest of the day, a steady stream of customers flowing in and out, but my mind wasn’t on drywall anchors or torque settings. It kept circling back to the woman in the diner. I found myself wondering what kind of books she liked. If she had a favorite drink. If she’d wear that same curious look on her face if I kissed her.
Would she even be interested in someone like me?
It was barely six when I locked up shop early. I told myself I needed a break, but the truth was, I needed a shower and a clean shirt. If there was even a chance she’d be at Killy’s, I wanted to be ready.
I picked out my best button-down and a pair of dark jeans that hugged my thighs and made my ass look good. I threaded my tail through the back hole and buttoned up, giving myself a once-over in the mirror. My horns were polished, my hair combed back, and I’d even spritzed on the cologne I usually saved for dates.
I felt like a teenager before prom. Ridiculous.
But I hadn’t felt this kind of anticipation in a long time. Not the raw lust—that was easy. This was something else. The kind of interest that made me wonder what her laugh sounded like in a quiet room.
I gave the mirror one last glance. I looked good. I just hoped she was into monsters. I had been on dates with humans before,but nothing serious. Who was I kidding? I rarely committed to anything serious.
The moment I stepped into Killy’s, the comfort of the place wrapped around me like a worn leather jacket—familiar music, warm lighting, the scent of fried onions and spiced cider in the air. Brooks waved from the corner. Gwen and Gabe were already deep in a game of darts, and Jake and Hayley were talking animatedly over shared pints.
Harley, polishing a glass behind the bar, gave me a grin. “The usual?”
“Yeah. And start a tab,” I said, sliding my card across the counter. “Might be here a while.”
She poured my snakebite without a word. I took a slow sip, eyes already scanning the crowd—and found her.
The woman was here, standing near Randy and Beth, her curls pinned up in a charming halo. She wore a soft green dress that caught the light when she moved. Not flashy. Just effortlessly radiant. She was laughing—genuine and bright—and something twisted in my chest. Randy and Beth don’t usually hang around newcomers. For them to stick close meant they liked her. Maybe she was more than a tourist passing through.
I forced myself to turn away, giving my attention to Gabe, a gargoyle, and Gwen, his human wife. They ran the town’s game store, Gargoyle’s Games. But Gwen noticed my distraction immediately.
“At it again?” she said, taking a sin of her gin and tonic. “Subtle, you are not.”
“Huh?”
She jabbed a thumb toward the new girl. “That’s the third time in ten seconds you’ve looked over there. Go.”
I smirked, caught red-handed. “Alright, alright.”
I crossed the floor slowly, wiping my hands on the back of my jeans. Must be condensation from the snakebite. My palms didn’t normally sweat this bad
“Hi there,” I said, stopping just behind her shoulder. “I seem to remember meeting you this morning.”
She turned, startled at first, then smiling with recognition. “Oh. Right. Sorry again.” She extended her hand. “Lea. Visiting for the weekend.”
Ah, so she was a tourist.
I took her hand, warm and small in mine. “Rick.”
She held my gaze a beat longer than polite, then looked away. “Sorry, I’m not usually this... flustered.”
“I’m not usually this intrigued,” I replied before I could stop myself.
