Page 14 of Extra Witchy

Leanne stifled a smile. Her mom had the ability to see whatever she wanted. Those rose-colored glasses would be admirable if they didn’t cause Leanne so much trouble.

“Like a radioactive spider,” she said.

“None of that. You’re not allowed to be cynical. Oh, look at this place! I need to tidy up before he gets here. Are you cooking or—”

“I’ll order takeout,” Leanne cut in.

She’d never promised Trev a home-cooked meal, though she did mention dinner. Food was food, right? Quickly, she requisitioned a few dishes from her favorite delivery app then helped Junie clean up the condo. Her mother even made the bed in the guest room, which showed how desperate she was to make a good impression on Leanne’s man. While her mother worked, she texted her address to Trev. While he’d driven to her place the night before, everything looked a bit different at night, and he didn’t know the unit number. She also added,I may have said we’re serious about each other and considering cohabitation. I will owe you so big if you save me from my mother and play along.

“You should change,” Junie said eventually. “Not that your work clothes aren’t…respectable, but you want to look pretty for…” She hesitated. “I don’t think you ever told me his name. Or anything about him.”

“His name is Trevor. And yes, I’ll go get ready.” That effectively ended the gentle interrogation, a necessity since she didn’t know shit about Trev.

She wasn’t about to admit she’d met her “serious boyfriend” once and that he was walking into this situation as a favor. Hopefully, he wouldn’t mind playing his part in this ridiculous drama, even if Junie grilled him like a choice sirloin. Her babbling could overwhelm a person quick, if they weren’t used to her conversational style.

He hasn’t answered. Did he see the text?

Fighting a wave of misgiving because it felt like this white lie would rapidly spiral out of control, Leanne slipped on a little black dress from her “dress to kill” closet. She even took the time to sort her hair, getting ready as if this was, indeed, a date with the love of her life. Finally, she closed her eyes and focused, drawing threads of glamour toward her so she’d seem wreathed in beauty. Frankly, the spell work was over the top for the occasion, but for reasons she couldn’t articulate even to herself, she wanted to take his breath away.

Leanne winked and blew a kiss to her reflection.

***

Trev filled his gas tank on the way to Leanne’s place.

Thankfully, he’d done some work for Titus recently, pet sitting and painting, so he had some cash on hand, though he hadn’t brought it with him to the party. Since he didn’t contribute to household expenses—a fact he wasn’t proud of, whatever his old man said—any income lasted him a long time. He’d dressed carefully in a pair of navy Dockers and a blue-and-white striped button-down, clothes his mother had bought back when she still held out hope of him getting a day job. And it wasn’t that he hadn’ttried. He’d interviewed until failure made him nauseous every time he’d put on his professional clothes and tried again.

Maybe the problem lay with Trev, just like his parents said. Sometimes he made it to the second round, but he never got that final callback. No matter what he was trying to do, he always fell a little short. And at this point, his resume was essentially useless because no company would be satisfied with his explanation for why he’d been underemployed for almost ten years.

Stop thinking about it.

Leanne had left word at the gate, so the guard waved him through. There were assigned spaces for visitors, well away from the building. If he had been thinking straight, he would have brought…something, but he’d rushed right over, more concerned about being on time than making a good impression. And hell, he didn’t even know what he should get anyway. Wine or flowers, maybe? He’d flubbed meeting Sarah’s parents.They freaking hated me.

Don’t think about that either.

He took the elevator to the top floor. Leanne’s text directed him to 407, and he took a moment to gather his courage.Why am I so nervous? This is a good deed. I’m not meeting her mom for real. It’s more like I’m helping out a friend.A singularly unhelpful voice added,A friend you banged in someone else’s bathroom.

Trev rapped on the door before he could chicken out. There was no telling how this dinner would go, but he was strangely game for it. His life had become endlessly the same, minutiae and monotony with no hope for change, but now, now he dared to imagine something different, at least in the hidden corners of his brain. The full vision of what he wanted his life to resemble wouldn’t coalesce, but before now, he couldn’t even conceive climbing out of the miserable hole he called “home.”

Leanne answered quickly, and her gaze skimmed him up and down intimately, a look he recognized as her unique style. He straightened a little, tugging at his shirt. “Will I do? Is there anything particular I should know?”

“Just go along with whatever I say,” she whispered.

He smothered a laugh. “Yeah, okay. I played a tree in the school play in elementary school, you know. I’m sure I’ve got this.”

She took his hand unexpectedly, sending delicious sparks all the way up to his elbow. It could be the fact that he wasn’t used to being touched anymore, but it was impossible to deny it felt amazing. He shifted it from a peremptory touch to an intimate one, lacing their fingers together. Leanne paused to smile at him, and…wow. His head spun a little. He’d known she was gorgeous, but she was beautiful in a timeless way. Like Marilyn or Rita at their height, almost too glamorous to be with someone who wasn’t a celebrity or professional athlete.

Panic fluttered inside him.This will never work. Her mom will never believe she’d settle for someone like me.Yet it was too late to flee. Leanne towed him into her condo, and for a moment, he glanced around in awe. The place was lovely, exactly the sort of home he’d want if he could afford something on his own. Open floor plan so the kitchen overlooked the living room, connected via breakfast bar. Near the kitchen, she had a four-seat glass dining table. There was a half bath by the front door, and a hallway led out the other side of the living room, presumably to the bedrooms.

The decor was elegant and modern, done primarily in white and gray with red accents. He loved how bright and spacious it was, but he tried not to show his admiration. He’d already figured out he was pretending to be her man for some reason, so it stood to reason that he would’ve been here before. Trev turned to the older woman currently making no secret about giving him a head-to-toe inspection.

He extended his hand. “Trevor Montgomery. It’s nice to finally meet you. Leanne’s told me so much about you.”

When she nudged him, he only smiled. It wasn’t exactly a lie since she told him last night that her mom was a free spirit who enjoyed making trouble. Well, those might not have been Leanne’s exact words, but near enough.

“Junie Vanderpol. I can’t wait to get to you know better.” She smiled then took his hand, which was a relief since he’d been holding it out for a while. To his surprise, Leanne’s mom pulled him into a hug. He returned the embrace in confusion, as she went on, “I can tell you really cherish her. I have a knack for reading people.”

Trev blinked. But he didn’t deny the claim. Leanne rolled her eyes, beckoning him toward the table, where food in Styrofoam containers had been set out.

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