Page 31 of Midsummer Phoenixes
“Valentin ordered for you,” I said, and name-dropping who I knew was one of the two most important vampires in Elias’s life made me feel like I almost had a handle on the supernatural world. At least for all of five seconds.
“Aaaaw, you’re so mean,” Elias said and let his head drop on the counter. “Can I get extra cream on the side at least? Please?”
I sighed. There were other tables I needed to take care of. I hadn’t even brought the writer his coffee. But Elias was being very much Elias tonight.
I spiraled a pretty cream dome onto a saucer for him, which made me imagine him like a cat. Before bringing it over, our eyes met, and his were wide and hopeful.
“Can’t believe this,” I mumbled, turned around, and topped the cream with chocolate sprinkles. Then I put that tiny monstrosity in front of him. “Here you go.”
“Hmm.” He straightened and looked at the milkshake and the cream, then took out his phone. I heard the shutter. “For your information, I’m posting this, saying if you ask very nicely, the waitstaff here will work extra hard. And give you extra cream.”
Rae stopped next to me to plate up the last three cupcakes of that batch and one of the two remaining slices of cherry pie. “And you’re accusing me of workplace harassment?”
“We’re close friends, and you are colleagues,” Elias said.
This shift was starting to feel really long. “I’ll be right back. Enjoy your milkshake, Elias.”
“Hah. Vanilla. So not my thing,” the vampire said, which was fine. If I’d learned one thing about him it was that he liked having the last word.
I brought the writer his coffee next. He had his notebook lover out tonight, but moved it aside as soon as he saw me coming. I tried not to stare anyway. My fantasy about his fantasy lovers would’ve made me feel like a Peeping Tom if I’d stared.
“Would you like a menu, or do you know what you want?” I asked. Since he’d started coming in early, well before the kitchen closed, he’d also started eating food other than pie with his midnight coffee, but not always. And he had a strong preference for the antipasti and hummus sandwich.
“I…” He swallowed as if he were struggling to get the words out. As if he were struggling to confess to his notebook lover, my story-spinning brain made me think. “The antipasti and sourdough, please,” he said, only meeting my eyes briefly. The guy was really shy, and I felt sorry that it was so crowded tonight. At least it hadn’t ruined his appetite. “And—” he said right as I was about to turn. “A slice of cherry pie. Please.”
I smiled and nodded. “Coming right up.”
Sorry, Soyer,I thought, wondering how I could make up for the lack of cherry pie and his preferred table when my witch-hunting boyfriend finally got here.
Soyer got there at a little after midnight. Elias was still at the counter, making sure I could see him dealing with the hardships of finishing a vanilla milkshake while I was serving the four leather daddies dessert and fresh cupcakes and everyone else in my section their order too. A lot of people were taking photos of themselves and their food, and some asked Grenadine and Rae for photos as well. I was fine just being in the background.
“What a Friday night,” Soyer said, sliding into the seat next to Elias. His black eyes were trained on me, his black hair looking like he’d had a shower just before coming here.
I leaned on the counter in front of him. “Rae did a promo post. Or video. They and their friend.” I looked over to Grenadine, but he was really hiding now, or trying to. No amount of ducking could make that glowing costume of his vanish.
“I saw,” Soyer said, not even bothering to look at where Grenadine was sparkling. “You didn’t dance. I was waiting for you to enter the frame.”
My cheeks flushed. “I just serve food. I don’t dance. I really can’t, not like the two of them.”
I glanced over to one of the leather daddies, who was walking over. It was the guy with the purple fur coat. He stopped one seat over.
“Black Shuck, may I—”
“I’m busy,” Soyer said.
The guy’s head dropped. I bit the inside of my cheek, not sure what to do. These guys had been nice enough to go along with Rae’s dance thing earlier.
I wasn’t sure whether to say anything, but before I could, Soyer heaved a sigh and said, “But apparently Amory here is willing to allow you to barge into this conversation I was just in the middle of having with him.”
Elias looked on with big eyes, noisily slurping his milkshake.
“That’s kind. I appreciate it,” the guy who was a good half a head taller and twice as broad said to me, inclining his head. I didn’t understand pawns, but they sure made me feel awkward when I was least expecting it. “I and my clan members were in the city. For the Pride festivities. But we’d also like to thank you for what you did at the—” Soyer hissed. The pawn stopped, regrouped. “We wanted to thank you. Thanks to you, one of our own was able to return to us. Thank you.”
“That’s it?” Soyer asked.
“If you’d accept our gratitude—”
“Not interested.” Soyer’s eyes refocused on me. “Bye now.”
