Don't Hex and Drive (Stay a Spell #2) - Juliette Cross Page 0,81

seat at the back of the Cauldron, I tried not to stare at the door, but it was impossible. I was basically on a blind date. I mean, sure, I’d seen his profile pic and we’d messaged via Zapp a handful of times before he asked me out and I accepted. But I basically knew nothing.

What did I know about him? Well, he liked quiet nights at home with a good meal. So did I. He also enjoyed reading biographies and books on philosophy. I wasn’t a big reader, but I could totally respect that. These were quiet pursuits. But was I playing it safe again? I didn’t know because that was all the information his limited profile listed.

The one thing that did set him apart from any guy in the past was that he was a grim reaper. I was going out with a grim! And his profile pic? Devastatingly gorgeous.

I’d chosen the Cauldron for our date because it felt familiar and made me more comfortable. Violet warned me to be safe because you never knew who you were meeting through dating apps. If this guy was dangerous, then I could wave to JJ to help me out. I glanced at the bar where he was talking to a customer. He tossed me a wink before pouring a draft for the customer.

I straightened my green cardigan sweater one more time just as my date walked through the door. Wow. Yeah, his profile pic didn’t lie. Jet black hair, smoldering eyes behind black-rimmed glasses, a fit but not athletic physique. More on the thinner side. But so was I. Something we had in common, right? Or was I already reaching?

He wore a gray sweater and dark pants, conservative but attractive. He looked good. He looked nice. Too nice? I don’t know. My brain was racing a mile a minute and I couldn’t believe I was doing this. Was this wrong?

Devraj popped into my mind. Those devastating, warm brown eyes filled with a resigned sadness when he left our family dinner on Sunday. My stomach suddenly hurt. Maybe I could still slip out the back door.

Oh, hell. My date spotted me.

He gave me a lopsided smile and headed in my direction. Confident gait. Okay, that’s good. Really good.

“Isadora?”

“That’s me.”

He held out his hand for me to shake. “Terry. It’s great to meet you in person.”

I shook his hand, which was warm and soft. Too soft? Well, for a bookish guy, that was totally normal. I mean, what did I expect? Large, long-fingered hands that looked and felt like they did more than hold books all day? Okay, maybe I did.

Stop it right now!

“Are you alright?” he asked nicely as he slid in the opposite side of the booth. “You said you’re a Conduit, right?”

“Yeah. Oh, yeah. It’s all fine,” I assured him. He obviously thought his grim magic was affecting me, but I’d automatically pushed out my own magic to shift it away.

Auras like Clara were completely unaffected by grims’ unique powers. Conduits like myself could be, but we could also shift their energy away so that it didn’t pull on our senses the way it did others.

Belinda popped over. I’d made sure not to sit in Evie’s section because sisters could be too nosy. She might say or do something to make me nervous. Like now, she was staring at Terry like he was an insect under her microscope from two tables over where she was taking a drink order.

“What can I get you guys?” asked Belinda, pretending not to know me like I’d asked her. I didn’t want my date to know how paranoid I was about dating a guy I’d met on an app.

“Chardonnay for me,” I said.

“I’ll take the same,” said Terry before Belinda flitted away. “So, Isadora, tell me all about yourself.”

He folded his arms on the table, and I blinked. I hated statements like that. I mean, all about myself? That was a lot. If I summed it up, I’d sound so boring. So I went for a semi-shortened version. “Well, I live with my sisters and work at our metaphysical shop right next door actually. I spend a lot of time in my garden and greenhouse when not working.”

“Really?” His dark eyes were nice, but they didn’t make my pulse trip faster the way Devraj’s did.

Why was I thinking of him? I was on a date with another man. I had to stop comparing.

“Interesting. What kinds of plants do you grow? Is it all