Page 9 of Howling Mad
She brandishes a carrot in greeting.“Hello, matchmaker.Survive your day?”
I roll my eyes, reaching for a head of lettuce.“It was fine.Michael Thornton is all set for a date with a lynx.”
She arches a brow.“I bet you were oh-so-friendly while signing him up.”
I shoot her a look that clearly says “Enough.”She laughs, dropping the carrot into the basket.“You’re too easy to poke, but seriously, how was it?”
“Professional,” I say, selecting some apples.“He’s polite, quiet, and probably dreading Friday.I hope it works out.”
Penelope tosses a few bell peppers in and then turns down the aisle with me.“Let’s do a stir-fry tonight.I’ll chop if you do the cooking.Deal?”
“Deal.”I stare at a zucchini that looks suspiciously limp.“Do you actually trust me to cook?I burned eggs the other day.Remember?”
She smirks.“We’re unstoppable if we team up.Plus, I can handle a bit of char if it’s comedic.”
We finish shopping amid a barrage of questionable produce and a debate about whether we need basil for anything.By the time we get home, the sky’s turned a soft navy, the city lights flicking on.I spread the veggies on the counter, Penelope wields a knife, and we form a clumsy assembly line.She hums a strange tune that might be an MMA anthem, and I rummage for spices, hoping we can create something vaguely edible.
While I’m stoking the stove’s flame, she asks about my mother.“You going to call her back?”
I sigh, drizzling oil in the pan.“Might do it tomorrow.Maybe I can summon enough patience to politely decline for the millionth time.”
She tosses chopped peppers into a bowl, a grin forming.“Or you can tell her you’re dating someone super normal in the city.That might shut her up.”
The pan hisses as the oil heats.“That’s lying, and she’d sniff it out in two seconds.She has a weird sixth sense for when I’m not being truthful.”
Penelope wags her knife, clucking her tongue.“Then we need to find you a fake city boyfriend.Some random guy from your building, maybe.Or an extremely tall vampire, who only emerges at midnight.”
I bark a laugh, stirring the oil so it won’t scorch.“No vampires.That’s a whole other subcategory of shifters, or so I hear, and it’s complicated.Also, I’m not lying to my mother about a relationship.”
She dumps in onions, and the kitchen sizzles with aromatic promise.“Too bad.Could have been fun.”
We proceed to create a passable stir-fry.It’s not going to win any culinary awards, but at least we won’t be ordering takeout for the second night in a row.After an awkward moment with the sauce that nearly splatters, we manage to dish everything onto plates and then collapse onto the couch to eat.
She tries a bite, her eyes widening.“Not half bad.Good job.”
I poke at mine.“It’s definitely an improvement over my scorched eggs fiasco.Maybe I’m finally adulting properly.”
She laughs around a mouthful.“Don’t get too excited.We both know adulting means your bills keep coming, no matter how grown up you feel.”
A sigh escapes me, remembering rent is due soon.“Yeah.At least the job pays better than I expected.If I keep doing well, maybe Red will give me more responsibilities.”
Penelope’s eyes narrow in playful suspicion.“Like personally delivering suitors to Michael’s door?Check yourself, wolf girl.”
I roll my eyes, ignoring the spark in my chest at the mention of his name.“He’s so composed.Not arrogant, just…careful.”
She laughs.“You’re describing a gourmet dessert.‘Refined, with a hint of mystery.’”
“Shut up,” I say, grinning.“It’s professional, but we get each other’s family drama.”
“That’s the problem.Shared baggage leads to feelings.Keep your walls up if you want to keep your job.”
“I’m not sabotaging my job,” I insist.“It’s the first place I feel like I belong.”
She smirks.“Just saying, this sounds like a rom-com setup.”
I snort, brushing off the flutter in my stomach, and go to set the table.The stir fry is edible, and we don’t discuss Michael again, to my relief.
Later, as I drift off to sleep, my mind tangles with images of my parents’ disapproval, Michael’s calm gaze, and a lynx with an agenda.Dreams pull me into a bizarre chase with an alpha’s nephew as my mother waves a contract.I wake up sweaty, reminding myself it’s not real.I’m building my own life, helping shifters find love, and I won’t lose sight of my own path again.
