Page 11 of Extra Witchy

In hindsight, she couldn’t believe they’d gotten a room to cuddle and talk.I’m never telling anyone. I’d never live it down.Quietly, she moved back to the bed, her heels in hand.

As she gazed down at Trev’s sleeping face, she considered leaving him to make his own way home. But coming here had been her idea, and it would be shitty to abandon him when she knew he was financially challenged—by his own admission. So he’d either have to pay for a ride he might not be able to afford or call someone, which entailed admitting she’d left him stranded.I don’t want to screw him over.

So she perched beside him on the bed and woke him by touching his cheek. “Morning. Did you sleep well?”

Before he even opened his eyes, he gave her a sleepy smile, so much effortless sweetness that it wreaked havoc on her insides.I’m hungry, that’s all.

“Surprisingly, yeah. Better than I have in years. You’re great in bed.” Suddenly, he snapped alert. “I mean, you’re great to share a bed with.”

“I’ll take either,” she said lightly, trying not to reveal how awkward this felt. Leanne rarely spent the night with people, and she couldn’t recall the last time she’d had a conversation the morning after. “Get dressed. I’ll drive you home.”

It took all of five minutes for Trev to put himself together. Soon, they headed out—with a brief pit stop for Leanne to check out of the room—and then he gave her his address. Mentally, she charted the route. Taking Trev home meant she’d have minimal time to get to her condo and tidy up before work.Hopefully Junie doesn’t delay me further.While she couldn’t put off finding out why her mom was here forever, she doubted the conversation would go anywhere good.

The last time Junie showed up unannounced, she’d proposed moving in with Leanne. “It’ll be fun,” she’d said. “Just like having a roommate! Think about it anyway. I miss you and we’re both single, so…”

A cold shudder ran through her. She’d lived through the joy of listening to her mother’s active love life through the walls, and she had no intention of experiencing it again. It wasn’t that she opposed Junie doing as she wished; Leanne just didn’t want to hear it. And the converse was also true: living with her mom meant she couldn’t bring people home as she pleased. Silently, she shook her head.

“Arguing with yourself mentally?” Trev asked.

The question surprised her. He was sharper than he initially seemed, quietly paying attention to every detail. She forced a smile.

“Mother-daughter stuff. It’ll be fine.”

He didn’t press the issue, and she drove the rest of the way in silence. He lived relatively near Danica and Clem, in a similar neighborhood, though the lots were a little bigger and farther from downtown St. Claire. She pulled into the drive, but she didn’t go all the way to the house.

Trev turned to her with a tentative smile. “This is it, I guess. Not sure if I’m supposed to ask, so I’ll make it a statement instead. I’d like to see you again. You said something about swapping numbers, but I understand if you’re not into it, if this was a one-time thing or whatever.”

Normally, she’d flash a smile and say “This was fun” and that would be the end. But he so clearly expected she had no use for him that she couldn’t stick to the usual script. “Give me your phone.” Leanne held out her hand imperiously.

Wearing a baffled expression, he unlocked it and passed it over. Silently, she created a new contact and keyed in her number. His tense posture eased when she returned it.

“Taking this as permission to call you. Thanks for an amazing night.”

Before she could respond, he kissed her cheek and hopped out of the car, sauntering toward the house with a certain confidence in his step. Hard to believe getting her number boosted his mood so much, but she found herself smiling as she backed out of the drive.Crap, look at the time.She sped over to the condo and crept inside like a thief. Fortune favored her: Junie was asleep in the guest room, freeing Leanne to freshen up and change her clothes. She was in and out in fifteen minutes.

That got her to work with a few minutes to spare. She greeted everyone on the way in, ignoring the looks. Nobody had ever seen her hair in a braid, but there had been no time to fix it, and spells could only go so far. There was a difference between a good glamour and an outright illusion. With a sigh, she settled at her desk and dove right into her to-do list.

Sadly, that bright start to the day didn’t last long. Mayor Anderson called her into his office, and she strode in ready to fight. If this was about the meeting with the community center, she’d love to remind him that attending such events in his stead wasn’t even part of her job description. Writing speeches and press releases, handling social media, controlling the way he appeared in the media—yes, all of that. But she wasn’t the deputy mayor, and she wasn’t even his chief of staff. Leanne was sick of filling in and being used as a convenience. She’d taken it up until now because it wasn’t like she could easily find another job like this; it would entail moving, most likely, and she was happy here.

Anderson kept her waiting, shuffling his papers around, and she folded her arms, determined not to lose this fight before it ever began. Finally, he glanced up from the busywork and indicated the chair opposite his desk. “Have a seat.”

“Will this take long? I have a meeting in twenty minutes.”

With a journalist. And I’d love to tell the truth about you. But I won’t.Like everyone else, she’d bought into Anderson’s progressive bullshit, but as it turned out, he only cared about reaping the benefits of office and upholding the status quo. He’d only kept one of his election promises, and it wasn’t to the people who mattered. More than once, she’d considered hexing him, but so far, Danica had talked her out of it.

“I got an email from the community center. You gave them hope that we’ll revisit the budget? What were you thinking?”

You can find the money; you just don’t want to.

“If you don’t like the way I respond in those situations, don’t put me in them. It’s simple. Frankly, you should be talking to Deputy Mayor Dudley or your chief of staff. They’re the ones who off-loaded their responsibilities onto me. I won’t be so willing to assist in the future if this is how you react to me going above and beyond.”

She straightened her shoulders and strode out without looking back.

***

Trev had never been more grateful to have his own entrance; he came in through the back door of the garage then went straight down the steps into what qualified as home.

Dealing with his parents while doing the walk of shame? It didn’t bear thinking about. Except this didn’t really fit the bill. For once, he didn’t feel shitty about how the night turned out. He had Leanne’s number, even if he didn’t know her last name or what she did for a living. Better, he knew how she tasted, he’d seen her face when she came, and he understood she had a complicated relationship with her mother.

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