Page 26 of Spies without a Face
Once we had our hot beverages, we sat at a small round table in the kitchen area with Cassandra and Nova.
After some chit chat, Gianna said, “Pandora and Cassandra, I have an event you may be interested in Friday night.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“A special night for supernaturals at the Danger Zone.” She paused and then added, “Speed dating” with a broad smile.
“Oh no, no, no.” I shook my head for emphasis.
“Why not?” She asked.
“I’m not interested in rushed, blind dates.”
“Oh, come on, Pandora,” Cassandra prodded. “Just because the other night with your neighbor didn’t go as planned, doesn’t mean you must shut down other opportunities.”
Gianna’s eyes widened. “You had a date, Pandora?” She leaned forward and propped her hands beneath her chin. “Tell me more.”
“It wasn’t a date.” I exhaled with an audible sigh. “Why does everyone here have trouble taking that in? It was just my neighbor thanking me for a favor.”
“What kind of favor?” Gianna asked, her tone rising with speculation as if I meant something salacious.
“Completely innocent,” I said, shooting down any sordid interpretation.
She pouted. “Oh, too bad. I was hoping for something juicy.”
Gianna’s interest in all topics sensual was well known. She had to be the most uninhibited person I’d ever met. I secretly admired how she went after whatever she wanted without shame and wished I could be more like that. Then again, with my love life as bland as a tea bag that stewed in water for three days, I didn’t have an opportunity to act on any of those desires.
Except…
A vision of Austin popped into my head. We were neighbors. We had easy access to each other. If anything good came from going out with Austin, it was knowing that my libido wasn’t dead. Maybe I had been ignoring that part of me for much too long.
“What was the disaster?” Gianna interrupted my train of thought.
I groaned. “Don’t ask.”
“It wasn’tthatbad.” Cassandra flicked her wrist. “It could have been much worse.”
“True,” I admitted.
After I gave her the quick rundown of how I’d met Austin and our night out, Gianna clasped her hands together. “Oh, I do love an awkward story!” She slanted her head toward Nova. “Mostly it’s Nova entertaining me with her daily adventures.”
“I’ve avoided those for a while, thank you very much,” Nova replied with a sly grin.
“That was the last one you’ll get from me for a while since I don’t have any prospects,” I said.
Although I thought of Austin far too often, nothing would come of that. He was too young, and I was too stuck in my ways. Yet, I entertained various scenarios of what could have happened if I’d summoned Gianna’s carefree attitude and invited him when he’d brought over the cat treats rather than overthinking everything. He was so sweet, even his nervousness had a charm to it.
“No one?” Cassandra asked.
Last week, I had two men at my back door. That was simply a fluke. Despite Marius’s promise to return, he hadn’t shown up. Did I want him to?
No, of course not. He’d hurt me badly. But the emotions that welled inside when I’d seen him reminded me of the intensity of our relationship once upon a time. I hadn’t felt that way with anyone since. Sure, I’d dated and been intimate, but those encounters lacked the passion from when I was with Marius. Was that simply part of getting older?
But around Austin, I felt a zing.
Maybe that instance with Marius announcing his return from the dead was just him stirring me up as he passed through Salem before he continued cavorting throughout the world.
“Come on, Pandora,” Cassandra insisted, touching my forearm. “Let’s give it a go. It’s only one night.”
