Rise of the Wadjet Witch - By Juliet C. Obodo Page 0,31

barstool. She selected one by the wall, hoping that she would blend in and Lawrence wouldn’t notice her. It wasn’t that she didn’t like him—he was charming and would probably win an award for being so congenial—but he made her feel unbalanced and she liked to remain in control, especially with everything that’s been going on in her life. And he also had girlfriend. He was likely to push her over the edge; luckily she was against the wall, because he appeared by her side.

“Thanks. It was my turn to pick a place this week; I thought you might like it. Jill mentioned that you enjoyed sake.” He grabbed the stool next to her and sat on it cowboy style. Anyone else would have looked like a cheesy frat boy, but he looked appealing.

He selected the bar with her in mind? This man was not making things any easier for her.

“Oh, I didn’t know there was a weekly happy hour. Jill never mentioned it to me,” she responded, changing the subject.

“Well, boss lady usually doesn’t grace us with her presence, but I guess your attendance was an exception.”

“I see.” She didn’t feel comfortable with a spotlight on her relationship with Jill. She hoped that none of her other coworkers thought she was hired because she was Jill’s friend.

“We know that you’re close friends, but we also know that you’re very talented.” It seemed Lawrence had read her mind. “Your horoscope predictions are well researched, but they’re also very intuitive. You have quite a sixth sense there.” He cocked his head as if to examine her.

“What do you mean?” She signaled the bartender. She needed a drink. His comments and the fact that his leg repeatedly brushed against her thigh made her jumpy.

He gazed at her in admiration, and she felt warm under his scrutiny. His eyes were so blue, but it wasn’t their allure that unnerved her. It was as if he saw right through her. She was known to have a poker face, but he managed to read her so easily.

Just the other day she was thirsty but refused to get up from her desk before she finished writing her assignment. Lawrence suddenly appeared with a cup of water and a cup of ice. She was anemic and liked to chew on ice, but she usually only did this when she was alone because it annoyed anyone in earshot. He could probably tell she was thirsty by reading her body language, but she could not figure out how he knew about her ice chewing habit. Maybe Jill mentioned it.

Another thing that she was unable to explain was her own heightened sensitivity to him. Though he used the same language when he was on the phone with a good source or a bad one, she could always tell when he was agitated when one did not pan out. She knew when he entered a room; it was as if his presence electrified the air surrounding him. It made her jittery, and she would find an excuse to leave the room. She would feel his eyes on her as she left.

That was another issue—his staring. She would look up and meet his gaze, and would be startled by the intensity in his eyes. No one had ever looked at her in awe. She would practically run out of the office at five thirty on the dot to avoid any after-work invitations that she knew were on the tip of his tongue.

Now she was lodged between him and the wall. There was no way she could escape without making a scene. She looked over his shoulder at Jill and their coworkers. She envied them sipping sake and laughing so easily. They were oblivious to the tension and sparks that crackled in the air surrounding her and Lawrence. Jill didn’t even notice that the guest of honor wasn’t interacting with anyone else.

“They’re having fun, and so should we.” Lawrence diverted her attention from the crowd by sliding two shots of sake in her direction. She didn’t notice when he placed the order.

“This one is watermelon and this is strawberry.”

“Pardon?”

“The sake is infused with different flavors,” he explained.

“Oh.” She felt a bit silly. To hide it she picked up a shot and sniffed. It smelled just like watermelon.

“Bottoms up.” He tilted his head and threw back the flavored alcohol. She was mesmerized by his Adam’s apple. He caught her staring when his head came down.

Memphis hastily brought the glass to her lips and took