Page 118 of I Accidentally Hired a Shadow Walker
“You have got to be kidding me!” I yelled, and like a needle scratching a record, the party stopped.
Whoever controlled the music lowered the volume, but it still played in the background as Natalie realized who had just crashed her party.
“Jericha! Oh my God, you're here.” Natalie ran over to me, the tree demon keeping very close to her. “They told me you were here and that you would come to get me.”
“Are you serious right now, Natalie?” I looked over her shoulder at the other beings, who were still vibing to the music.
“What?” She looked genuinely confused.
“Do you know what I just went through to save you?” I shook my head in disbelief. “I had to fight demons, literally cross realms, and when I get back here, you are twerking on the tree.”
“Heisn’t a tree. His name is Keanu.” Natalie frowned at me. “Well, actually, I can't really pronounce his real name, so we're going by Keanu now.”
“You named him Keanu, as in the actor?” I choked back a laugh because I was trying to keep a serious stance.
“It fits him, don’t you think?” She twirled her fingers in her hair and looked at the tree like she wanted to climb him.
“It's nice to meet you,” the one now going by Keanu greeted me in a voice that sounded like he spoke through a mouthful of water. “Natalie has told me what a great friend you are to her.”
“Uh, yeah, nice to meet you too.” I pointed at Natalie. “Time to go.”
“Do we have to leave so soon?” She glanced back at Keanu. “Can I have some time to say goodbye to everyone?”
“We’re not even in the right world anymore.” I threw my hands up. “It’s not safe for you here. You do understand that, right?”
“Of course I do. That's why Keanu has to stay close to me, so I can breathe. If he goes too far, I start to choke and pass out.” She waved her hand out. “But he’s right here. I’m okay.”
“Okay, pause.” I took a deep breath. “Natalie. How are you so okay with this right now? I expected you to be panicked, upset, angry at me.”
“Jericha, why would I ever be angry at you? You didn’t do this to me.” She shook her head. “And you know what my life is like on Earth. I've been craving something like this, something magical, something fun, and Keanu gave that to me.”
“Keanu and his goons snatched you from Earth, thinking you were me,” I corrected her.
“Actually, I wasn’t there,” he interjected in that dopey voice.
“Yeah, and once they realized their mistake, they were actually pretty nice about it.” Natalie smiled. “They made sure I had Keanu so I would be okay.”
“Fine. Take a moment to say goodbye, and then we can leave.” I looked at Raymond, who stood silently by my side.
“I mean, do you think we could just spend one more day here?” Natalie asked.
“Is she serious right now?” I asked Raymond.
He nodded, looking at Keanu and not at us. “I think she is.”
“Look, I know we have to go back. I'm not asking to stay here forever, but—” She looked over her shoulder at the tree guy, who pretended like he wasn't listening to us. “Can I just have one more night here with him? He told me once this was all over, he would take me to explore this world a little.”
“Natalie, that's not safe.” I looked around the room, afraid I was the only one with sense. “We don’t know anything about the Bane. What if something attacks you?”
“I'm sorry, but unless I have misunderstood everything, you're literally standing next to a guy who is also some form of a demon. I know you want to protect me, but I'm a grown woman, and yes, you sign my paychecks, but you are not my mother.” She sighed. “Look, I’m not trying to lose my job here. I need that. But can you, for a second, just be my friend and not my boss? Give me just one more night to have a little fun.”
I grabbed her arm and pulled her just a little away from Keanu, who stiffened like he wanted to follow us but knew we needed space to talk.
“Are you telling me you…you like him? Seriously?”
“Why not?” She chewed the inside of her cheek. “He’s sweet, and he’s been so caring. I’m not saying this is my dream man. Never thought the guy for me would have leaves growing out of him, but I want to enjoy it for what it is. You know my track record with men. He is better than most of the scum I’ve encountered on Earth! Besides, how often do you get to explore another world?”
“A night here is a week on Earth. Did they explain that to you?” I asked. “Jackie is back home taking care of everything for us, and there are people depending on me.”
