Chapter 9

Dinner and sourness.

"Thank you, again. I don’t think we could’ve pulled this off without you," I said, thinking about Rufus and Nathaniel. We were outside my apartment.
"I always get myself into trouble," she said. "Stop me if you think that I’m talking some sentimental crap, but I got the impression that we have a connection."
She was right; although we’d just met, we got on really well.
“It's not sentimental crap; I would love to have a friend like you," I said, smiling. Kelsie looked moved, even if she was trying really hard to hide it. We decided to see each other again, and exchanged numbers. Kelsie was a shifter; she probably had a completely different lifestyle but that didn’t mean we couldn’t be friends. I promised to be in touch soon.
Once I got to my apartment I made a quick dinner, thinking about Rufus. I tried to ease the thoughts about what happened today, but I was still shaking once I finished eating. Rufus never struck me as the kind of guy who was dishonest. I refused to believe that he could sell information about La Caz Pharmaceutical to StaffSpell. Caleb McGregor was the key to everything that had been going on—I just knew it—but Dad didn’t back up my theory. For some reason, McGregor hated Nathaniel, and if it wasn't for me, he would’ve had a prospective business still hunting down fairies and elves for their blood. I couldn’t switch my mind off, even when I went to bed an hour later.
The next few days passed in a blur. After another sleepless night, I was exhausted. Kate tried to avoid conversation about StaffSpell in front of Sara. After what went on with Jennifer, we weren't sure who we could trust. I never had a strong relationship with Kate, but Rufus’s disappearance brought us closer. The day ahead of me was going to be hectic, so I was glad to relax once all the clients were taken care of. My phone rang just after I filled my stomach; it was a private number, but I answered anyway, hoping that maybe it was important.
"Julia."
Nathaniel’s smooth voice sent an inescapable shiver down my spine. I hadn't had time to think about him in the past few days. Hearing his voice reminded me that he’d invited me for a dinner. I had enough problems already and I didn’t need another one.
"Hi, Nathaniel," I breathed. "What can I do for you?"
I knew why he was calling, but I wanted to tease him for a little while. The dinner with powerful business clients could only give me more connections, but I didn’t think I was ready to expand our base of clients while Rufus was missing. Nathaniel had no idea what was going on.
“I'm calling to remind you about our little dinner. You’ll be happy with the people that I invited."
"Yes, right. Where are you hosting it?" I asked, keeping my voice indifferent.
"My apartment, this Saturday. I only invited a few people, nothing fancy."
"Great, I’ll be there with a date." I was playing a dangerous game; the fire between us was still alive but I wasn't prepared to forget how he left my apartment a month ago.
"I was hoping you were joking when you said you were going to bring someone," he said coldly.
"I don’t see any problem mixing business with pleasure."
"Of course, I remember well how we liked mixing those two things together," he whispered and the lust in his words curled my toes.
"If you expect me to come, then you need to accept that I’m bringing a date."
"Fine, whatever, Julia, but you’ll never find anyone who can replace me. The dinner starts tomorrow at eight o’clock."
I was just about to ask him about the dress code, but I realised the line had been disconnected. I tossed the phone on my desk, chewing my bottom lip. I pissed him off a little and I should’ve been happy, but I was worried. Nathaniel didn’t just give up—he was stubborn and determined. If I showed up at his apartment with Loony, I knew I would be looking for trouble.
Besides, I had no idea if Loony would be willing to go out with me again. I never called him back after our terrible date. Feeling a little guilty for giving him mixed signals earlier on, I dialled his number.
"Loony Crocker speaking."
"Hi, Loony, it’s Julia Taylor," I said cheerfully.
"Julia, wow! I'm glad you called. How are you?"
The tiny voice in my head was telling me I was becoming one of those women that used a man to piss off another one; it was sad. "Fantastic. Listen, I was just wondering what you’re doing tomorrow evening?"
"I don’t have plans, why? Do you have something in mind?"
"Well, I need to go to this really boring business dinner and I was wondering if you would like to come with me?"
"That sounds good."
"Really? It will be dull, though."
"It won’t be boring as long as you’ll be there," he said, and I blushed a little, even though he couldn’t see it. So, his obvious crush on me didn’t magically fade.
"Great, thank you, Loony. It starts at eight."
“I'll pick you up at seven, then."
I was smiling again when I put my phone down. Last time I saw Nathaniel, he’d kissed me, and I loved it, but this time I’d have Loony with me; I thought it was better to be safe than sorry.
***
Dressing for a date was easy, but dressing for a posh dinner at my ex-boyfriend’s apartment was a struggle. He had to see what he was missing out on. After careful consideration, I opted for a sleeveless, red knit bandage dress with matching stilettos. I looked hot and the dress showcased all my curves. Loony had no idea that Nathaniel La Caz, the famous business tycoon, used to date me, and I wanted to keep it that way.
My elf was waiting for me outside my apartment just after seven. When I got into his car he gave me a quick kiss on a cheek. He looked good wearing a grey shirt and trousers; I had to admit I liked his aftershave.
"You look stunning, Julia," he whispered in my ear.
"Thank you."
"So, what kind of dinner is it?".
"A friend of mine is hosting it. He’s going to introduce me to a few very important potential clients," I replied, feeling a little breathless.
"Right, interesting. May I ask why you wanted to bring me?" he asked, staring at me intensely.
He threw me off guard asking about our previous disastrous dinner date. I was terrible; I hadn’t even called him and let Nicky deal with it.
"Loony, listen, I’m sorry I didn't call. I didn’t think that it could work out between us." I had to be honest with him.
“Don't worry about it. I'm glad you called last night. We can start again," he said. "Where are we going?"
"Canary Wharf."
Loony pulled an impressed face, but he didn’t comment. My stomach was churning, and magic crawled around my skin, slowly waking up.
Half an hour later, we managed to get through the gate. I remembered Nathaniel’s apartment well enough; he’d rescued me from the Christmas party after someone slipped something into my wine and I ended up falling asleep. Sticky, warm lust embraced me when I thought about our first night together. I’d never felt so connected to anyone. Too bad we exploded when we were too close to each other.
Soon, contractions in my stomach turned into butterflies as the door opened. One of the caterers stood beside the door. Loony looked surprised at the setting, but recovered quickly when he picked up two glasses of champagne, handing one to me. Nathaniel’s apartment was crowded. The setting—the art, and everything else—was exactly as I remembered, luxurious and rich. I was planning to leave Loony and start pitching as soon as I could so we could leave early.
"Julia, how nice to finally see you," a sexy voice from behind me sang. He took me by surprise; I turned around and somehow, tripped over Loony’s foot, landing on the floor.
"Are you all right?" he asked, automatically helping me up. My face matched my dress within a moment. I’d just ruined my grand entrance.
“I'm fine," I said through the gritted teeth.
"Oh, Julia! Are you Okay?" Loony asked, looking pissed about the fact that he wasn't the one who gave me a hand. A shot of electricity whipped through my spine; Nathaniel’s touch still drove me insane.
“I'm all right. It’s just an unfortunate fall," I said, staring at Nathaniel who was dressed casually in a navy jumper and black trousers. He didn’t use aftershave; he had his own signature smell that left me breathless every time he was near. "Nathaniel, this is Loony—my date."
Nathaniel’s eyes drifted away from me and rested on Loony. His expression hadn’t changed. I was glad when he let go of my elbow.
“It's a pleasure to meet you," Nathaniel said. “I'm curious to know how you two met?"
I was just about to reply when Loony spoke first.
"Her fairy friend set us up on a blind date. Unbelievable, don’t you think?"
"Is that so?" He was laughing at me; I knew him well.
"Yes, that’s what happened," I cut in, annoyed. “Aren't you supposed to introduce me to someone?"
"I would rather hear from Loony about how the date went. You can meet those rich businessmen later on."
“I'd rather do that now. If you’ll excuse me."
I turned around and walked away, leaving them alone. I couldn't stand there and listen to what Loony was about to say. I didn’t remember much from the date with him. Nathaniel wasn't fooling me. I knew he wasn't curious; he already sensed that the setup was a mismatch.
“You're a terrible liar, my firecracker. You’re not dating him," Nathaniel said, unexpectedly appearing by my side.
"Will you stop calling me that?" I hissed. "Just introduce me to whoever you were planning and let me get on with it. I’m fed up with your games."
He was standing too close to me and my energy was scoring through my body.
"Why did you bring him here? I ought to believe I was supposed to be your date as it’s my dinner."
"We’re over, don’t you remember? You finished it?" I balled my fists, ignoring my lusty sensations mixed with fear. I glanced at Loony who was talking to a tall witch, glancing at me and Nathaniel. A few vampires turned their attention toward Loony, probably aware of his intoxicating scent. I didn’t want Loony to notice how I reacted when Nathaniel was around. It was still early, and I had a long evening ahead of me. If everything went well, then Loony would have no idea that Nathaniel and I used to date.
"I made a mistake. I want to fix us," he murmured, moving closer. My throat went dry and I idly wondered if there was any place I could hide.
"I didn’t come here to discuss our failed relationship." I shrugged, but there was so much unease in my voice that it was difficult to hide it. He knew I wanted him, more than anyone in this room, but I couldn’t do this to myself again.
"It didn’t fail—I got scared," he replied, sipping his whisky.
"Scared of what? That we were getting closer?"
"You know that’s not why I left."
"Nathaniel, I’d rather not—"
"Let me introduce you to a few people; I don’t want to talk about us here," he cut me off. "We can finish this conversation later."
"Or never," I muttered. I was going to tell him that there was no point in dwelling on the past; we were better apart.
A few minutes later, he introduced me to an owner of a large pharmaceutical company. I expected him to leave me alone, but he kept caressing my back while I was presenting my pitch. I kept pulling away, but he didn’t stop, causing an eruption of blazing heat in my core. It was hard to concentrate, but between the times when I knew what I was doing, I learned enough to keep people interested in Paranormal Personnel. I had the perfect opportunity to sell our services, but deep down, I wasn't that bothered if people were up for it or not. Rufus was still in the back of my mind and I couldn't quite figure out how the agency would run without him.
An hour later, a few more people joined me, and I had another opportunity to present the agency in a positive light. When Nathaniel finally left me alone, I was relieved. An intense conversation with a few other paranormals went on for about an hour; I managed to gain a few business cards. A stocky wizard who I’d met during the networking event was among the people I was trying to pitch. All of the sudden, our formal conversation turned into a debate about the recent murder.
"The traces of magic were obviously strong; a wizard must have been the killer," he said.
"My dad works for the Paranormal Unit; he agrees with you. Unfortunately, he still doesn’t have any suspects," I told him, making sure no one was listening.
"Does he? Well, I’m glad we met again," he said. "Dark magic has been prohibited but only a few paranormals ever cared about rules—these days we’re hungry for power."
“It's difficult to say who must have wanted him dead," I said, playing dumb.
"I shouldn’t say that I believe that a wizard is behind this crime, but, no offence, elves’ or fairies’ magic has never been that strong."
The announcement that dinner was ready came, so I didn’t have a chance to disagree with him. A stocky wizard named, Michael, promised to talk to me later, but I was glad to get away. When I sat down, Nathaniel found the place next to me. Loony smiled, sitting on my left. The food was delicious, but I couldn’t concentrate on what I was eating as Nathaniel’s arm kept brushing mine. He didn’t react when I shot him a sharp look, pretending that he was immersed in a serious conversation with the witch opposite him.
There was an odd mix of creatures around the table: two vampires, a shapeshifter, wizards, and a witch who was running a dating agency. It was difficult to find common ground, especially when the men talked about football.
"So, Julia; Nathaniel mentioned that you used to go out?" the witch asked unexpectedly, shifting the subject away from sports.
I nearly choked on the piece of bread that I was about to chew. Everyone stopped talking and looked at me. Loony shifted in the chair next to me.
"Yes, we used to date." There was no point pretending I didn’t know what she was talking about. Everyone at this table, apart from Loony, knew.
"Dhampir and an elf—don’t you think that’s a bit risky, La Caz?" Michael chuckled, sending me a wink. My face heated up and I started playing with my food, hoping that Nathaniel would shift this uncomfortable conversation away.
"Keep your nose out of my business, West. You shouldn’t ask inappropriate questions during a business dinner," Nathaniel said calmly.
Michael started laughing. “I'm only teasing; don’t get all grumpy," he added. “We're all curious to know if you’re ever planning to settle down?"
"If I do, then you’ll be the last to know."
Michael laughed out loud but didn’t continue with the subject. I exhaled, wondering if my date with Loony could be any worse. Now, I didn’t have a choice. I had to explain myself to him. After dinner, two vampires that owned a bakery cornered me, so I had to talk to them. When I finally found Loony, he was alone drinking champagne.
"Hey," I said, approaching him. “How's it going?"
"You were right; everyone wants to talk about business, not pleasure," he joked.
"Listen, Loony," I began, contemplating how to start this awkward conversation about Nathaniel, “I'm sorry that I didn’t tell you about Nathaniel and me."
"I guessed that there was something between you two," he said, wrinkling his forehead with effort. "The air changes when he’s around you."
"I should have told you. I’m sorry that you had to find out like this."
“Don't worry, Julia, I understand. You probably felt awkward."
"Really? You aren’t upset?"
He shook his head. "We all have secrets." He laughed. I smiled but kept wondering if he was ready to date me. He was handsome, had a good job, and wouldn’t have problem with commitment. Nicky was right; he was ideal for me. Maybe I should consider giving him another chance?