100% That Witch - Celia Kyle Page 0,12

she tried to be cute about it.

“Going for drinks is a customary first date, you know.” She wrinkled her nose over her shoulder, and started working out her other foot. As she considered her aching toes, Tiffany couldn’t help but think that her friend was right. Even if only a little bit. It would have been nice to have been escorted. Not that she wanted to admit that out loud.

“Anyway,” she said brightly, “it was really delightful. He had to come right from work and had an early morning, so the night ended earlier than I’d hoped, but it was so good. We watched Bride of Frankenstein over the bar and everything.”

“Thayne and I watched that one too! It always makes me melt.”

“Right?”

“Still,” Kiki said. “Shame to go to all the trouble of wearing your fuck-me boots and not have them live up to their name.”

Tiffany gasped in delight and playfully slapped Kiki’s arm. “Naughty!”

They descended into a fit of giggles so raucous they didn’t even hear the bell ring above the door.

“Hope I’m not interrupting?”

The girls caught themselves and looked over to see a tall burly frame filling the doorway. It was Nero. Thankfully, he’d passed on the beard flowers that day. Almost imperceptibly, Tiffany’s heart tightened, which made sense, given the reservations she held over the favor Ryan had asked her.

“Hi, Professor Baines,” Kiki said, greeting him warmly. “What can I do for you?”

“Just a few things for my class. I’ve got a list.” He sauntered up to the counter, digging into his pocket. As he did, he cast an almost bashful look Tiffany’s way before nodding in greeting. When he put a hand on the counter, she found herself marveling at the size of it—at once strong yet delicate.

Nathan’s a lucky guy, she thought and then chided herself, remembering Ryan’s heartbreak. It wasn’t Nero’s fault, but she couldn’t exactly root for him and Nathan either.

“Most of this stuff is pretty easy,” Kiki said, eyeing the odds and ends he had come for. “But Crow’s Weed?”

“I thought it might be a long shot,” Nero said with an easy smile. It crinkled up the edges of his eyes and gave him a welcoming aura. He looked over toward her and added in a mock conspiratorial whisper, “I’d have foraged for it myself, but I’m a tiny bit pressed for time.”

“It’s possible we have some in the back,” Kiki said, her tone not offering a lot of hope. “It’s rare enough that we don’t really keep it out front. There was a bit of shoplifting a while back…”

“I understand. If you wouldn’t mind checking, I’ll take as much as you’ve got.” Again, he cut a secretive little look at Tiffany. “It’s on the university’s dime, after all.”

Almost in spite of herself, she giggled. Even if she was on Ryan’s side, she had to admit, Nero was not only handsome but charming as well.

“Great,” Kiki said, handing the list over to Tiffany. “Why don’t you grab these items for him while you stock the shelves. It’ll help you learn the layout of the store.”

“Sounds good.” She took the list, secretly glad for some time alone with Nero. It’d give her a chance to do a little bit of snooping for her friend. She’d already promised herself not to dig too deep into Nero’s personal life, but a few casual questions couldn’t hurt. Kiki disappeared into the back, and Tiffany picked up some of the boxes on the cart beside the counter.

“I don’t suppose you need any voodoo powder,” she asked brightly, gesturing with the product she was to stock. Nero chuckled lightly and raised a palm.

“I’m good.”

As she made her way around the shop, she tried to figure out a way in. He wore a beautiful knitted sweater, but it seemed like something too obvious. Besides, how would she tie that back to Nathan? In the end, she settled on the shortest route.

“So nice to have you at dinner the other night.”

“Yeah, that was really fun,” he said. “And it was really generous of you all to invite a total stranger to a family event.”

“Well, that’s Aurora for you,” she smiled. “So how long have you known Nathan?”

The question seemed a little bald, but she said it casually enough she hoped it would pass. Given the easygoing smile Nero had as he leaned back against the counter, she was in the clear.

“Quite a while,” he said. “You could kinda say we’re linked.”

And there it is.

“It’s always good to meet the people