Page 75 of Violet Moon
twenty-three
Serastoodinfrontof her mirror in the outfit Billie and Harry had helped her pick out.They tried to make something date-worthy from her “sea of brown.”There was color in the pattern on her trousers.Parisa would like that.
“You can do this,” she said to the mirror, flashing two thumbs up.It didn’t help.Her palms were sweaty and her voice cracked when she spoke.It was a shame her wolf couldn’t go instead, but the wolf probably wasn’t a great dinner companion.
Gathering her courage, she stepped out of her room and rushed towards the front door, ignoring the knowing glances and grins she received on the way.Parisa was already there, waiting patiently in a long-sleeved navy dress with crisp white and gold details on the pockets and collar.
“Hi,” Sera said in a tiny voice, taking her in.Not a single hair was out of place.Parisa was perfect most days, but now she was well beyond that in a realm that only consisted of Parisa and people like her — no, no one else was like her.
She whipped her head around at the sound of shuffling behind her.Out of the corner of her eye she saw faces disappear around a corner.
“Hi,” Parisa echoed, pulling Sera’s attention back to her.“I’m ready if you are.”If she was nervous like Sera, she was hiding it well.
Sera felt eyes staring at her back.She nodded, heading for the front door.“Let’s get out of here.”
Once the door shut behind them, Sera took choppy steps down the path that led from the house to the bakery and the busy street it was on.Silence with Parisa had never been anything but comfortable, but now it was stifling.
Parisa’s earlier confidence had vanished, as well.She wrung her hands together and kept glancing in Sera’s direction.
“I thought we’d try somewhere new,” Sera said, once they reached the sidewalk in front of the bakery.She weaved past a tourist couple that weren’t paying attention to where they were going.“I may have asked every single one of our packmates for places to go tonight.I got too many different opinions, often conflicting, and ended up more confused than when I started, but I did find one place I wanted to try.Up for a drink to start the evening?”
“A drink first?Feels naughty, like having dessert before dinner.”Parisa bumped their shoulders together.“I like it.”
Sera’s shoulders relaxed.Parisa stopped wringing her hands.They fell by her side, gently swinging where they poked out of her warm coat.
“Harry and Billie helped me get dressed today.”
“I think they did well.”
“I didn’t give them much to work with, but I did make sure to include color.Have you spotted it yet?There’s orange and red”.
“That orange is definitely brown, but I happily accept your offering of red.”
“It’s orange and you know it.”
“Sera, I have excellent werewolf abilities, but even I can’t see colors that don’t exist.”
“Where’s the line between a warm light brown and orange anyway?It’s orange.”
“You look good in all your neutrals.I wouldn't worry so much.”
Staring at her shoes, Sera mumbled, “You look nice, too.”
Parisa’s hand wriggled against hers before their fingers slotted together.Sera inhaled with surprise and the light touch made her skin tingle.
“So, tell me, what’d I miss at the bakery today?”Parisa asked.
Sera took a moment to find her voice, but with each word, she settled into something more comfortable with Parisa.Swinging their hands at their sides, she told Parisa about her day, about their favorite regulars at Violet Moon, and complained about some of the less than wonderful moments.Parisa chimed in as she did, adding a quick burst of laughter or her own thoughts, and it felt a lot like every night that’d come before in front of the fireplace, but so much better.
Sera led them to the bottom floor of one of the more expensive, trendier hotels in the city.She peered inside and got a sinking feeling she was underdressed.
“Carina recommended this one,” she said as she opened the tall glass door.
She bumbled her way through their reservation with the sharply dressed man out front and they were shown to a linen draped table towards the center of the creamy white room with chandeliers dotting the ceiling.With every step, Sera felt her unease creeping back in.She tensed and curled into herself.
Even after trying to settle in, it didn’t get better.She stumbled her way through ordering and failed to find ways to make conversation.She wished they were back out on the sidewalk, talking and holding hands.
When their drinks came, she stared at the small sphere filled with smoke floating on top of her drink.It looked interesting, but her first sip was awkward because her nose kept pushing into the sugar sphere and smoky bubbles kept bursting up from the bottom.
