Page 56 of Hot in Witch City
Sebastian
Without trying to smother Gianna, I had to see how she was doing. I’d texted her the day after she’d met her mom to see if she was okay, and she’d said she was fine. It took all my self-control not to try to meet up with her again. How much longer did I have to wait? It was difficult to give her space. Considering all the progress we’d made, I couldn’t ruin it by pushing too hard.
I waited until the next day to text again. She noted she’d be at the club all week. I scowled. Was she blowing me off?
What’s your next night off?She texted.
Thursday.
Want to come down to the club?
A lightness spread inside my chest. Gianna invited me—just me—to hang out with her. No insistence that Nova or my roommates join us.
Waiting that long to see Gianna again was another herculean effort. I entered the now familiar club with the red and purple lights shining on the dark space with bats on one wall. The sound of Prince’s “The Beautiful Ones” surrounded me. The moment I spotted Gianna, wearing a black and purple rockabilly dress near the bar, my breath hitched. My wolf rose with awareness, murmuringmate.
Was this how it would always feel when I saw her?
When we made eye contact, my palms heated. I strode over to her forcing a slower, confident swagger to offset my rapid heartbeat. Once I reached her, I hesitated. Would she freak out if I kissed her in public? We hadn’t discussed that. Instead, I teased, “I hope I don’t get booted on my ass this time.”
She countered with a sassy grin. “If you don’t act like an ass, I’m sure you can avoid landing on it.”
“Fair enough.” I laughed and then kissed her on the cheek. That was a friendly greeting, conveying nothing about our intimacy, and her smile lingered. “How did things go with your mother?”
Her lips turned downward. “I don’t want to talk about that right now.” She perked up. “What can I get you to drink?”
Judging by her expression, whatever happened bothered her. Not wanting to poke at that wound, I wouldn’t push her to tell me anything.
I glanced at the drink list. “How about a Gorky Park?” I had their version of Moscow Mules the first night I was here and liked it.
After we each had drinks, she led me to a booth at the back where the music wasn’t as loud. She handed me a menu. “Are you hungry? We don’t have the fine dining options like you’re used to, but I assure you, it’s all edible.” She quirked a brow.
I laughed. “I’m sure everything is delicious.” After sipping my drink, I confirmed it. “Yes, perfect.” I motioned around the club. “Did you create all this yourself?”
She nodded. “I made all the major decisions and financed the costs, but others helped with the actual set up.”
“I like the vibe.” Groups of people congregated around the space, mostly near the bar. There weren’t as many as on New Year’s Eve, as to be expected, but it appeared to be quite full, boding well for the future of the club. “No wonder it’s so successful.”
She gave a modest shrug. “Who doesn’t like good music?”
“Exactly,” I agreed. “This is a great album.”
She smiled. “Nova and I listened toPurple Raincountless times when we were young.”
“You grew up here with her in Salem, right?”
“Yes,” she agreed. “We met in elementary school and were friends all through high school.”
“Have you always lived in the area?”
She shook her head. “After I graduated, I moved around for a few years—New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and more. I worked in clubs and picked up ideas. Also, I worked my ass off to save some money. When I felt it was time to return, I searched for where I could build my dream club. This building had been abandoned and was in rough shape, so I nabbed it at a great price. It took alotlonger to get it into a usable condition.” She motioned around her. “And now, here we are.”
“I’m impressed.” I raised my chin. “You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished.”
“I’m happy I can support myself by doing something I love.” She took a sip of her drink.
"I can understand that. My primary goal when I left my pack was to take care of myself. Discovering a passion for cooking made it far more enjoyable.”
“It shows in what you create. Everything I’ve tasted has been incredible.”
