and I fell asleep without taking my makeup off again last night, and I know my mascara is smeared under my eyes.
Knowing Ethan is watching, I get out of bed without grabbing a sheet to cover myself and walk into the bathroom. I take a super-fast shower, pull my hair back into a French braid, and put on a minimal amount of makeup, hiding the dark circles under my eyes.
Dressed in scrubs, I go into the kitchen, finding Ethan at the stove. He redressed in the clothes he had on yesterday, and he turns the burner off right as I walk in.
“Perfect timing,” he says and takes the frying pan over to the table, dishing up scrambled eggs on two plates next to pieces of buttered toast. Fresh coffee is in the pot as well. A girl can get used to this. Ethan let Hunter out as well, and filled his bowl with too much kibble, which of course, Hunter is happy about.
“Thanks for making breakfast,” I tell Ethan and pour myself a half cup of coffee with way too much creamer. “I feel spoiled now.”
“I like to cook,” Ethan tells me, taking a seat at the table. “Which is something else I don’t get to do much because of the Order. We’re on the move a lot and I’ve spent more nights at cheap hotels than I care to count.”
“You don’t like being in the Order, do you?” I pick up my toast and take a bite.
“I don’t like being told what to do.”
“I can tell…though I am curious.”
“About?”
Now it’s my turn to flash him a cocky grin. “What would you do if I told you to sit back and unzip your pants?”
“Anora, right?”
I’m in the waiting area of my favorite Mexican restaurant, picking up a lunch order for the clinic staff. Turning, I see Marcus, one of Harrison’s co-workers.
“Right. Hi.”
“I’m Marcus, I work with your brother.”
“I remember,” I say with a smile. “How are you?”
“Good. And you?”
“Good too. Picking up lunch for work.”
“Are you a nurse?”
“No, a vet tech.”
Marcus nods. “That’s probably why you have cats on your scrub top, right?”
“Right,” I say as the hostess returns with two large paper bags full of food. “I better get this back before the tacos get cold. It was nice seeing you.”
“Yeah, you too.”
“Tell Harrison I said hi,” I say as I head out the door, dashing through the misty rain to my car. It’s one PM and I still have five hours of my twelve-hour shift left. I’ve been texting Ethan when I can throughout the day and cannot wait to see him again. He’s back at home, helping Julia research the bird-demon thing I saw, which isn’t much to go on, I know.
I’m sitting in the break room, scooping up the last of my rice and beans with a chip when Harrison texts me.
Harrison: Are you still interested in Marcus?
Me: No, why?
Harrison: He said he ran into you today and wants your number.
Me: Did you give it to him?
Harrison: Not without asking you first. Do you want me to?
Me: Thanks, and no. I’m seeing someone.
Harrison sends two laughing emojis.
Me: I really am! Remember Ethan from the diner the night you picked me up?
Harrison: You’re not joking?
Me: Nope. I left him in my bed this morning so I could go to work.
Harrison: Gross, Annie.
Now it’s my turn to send laughing emojis.
Harrison: You’re feeling better?
It takes me a second to remember I’d told him I was sick and not at work yesterday.
Me: Much better.
I put my phone down and finish lunch. We have a busy afternoon of back-to-back appointments today, and I still need to talk to Tammy about taking all of next week off. There’s an “aggreeance spell” in the Book of Shadows, and I snapped a photo of it before I rushed out the door for work. I’m not sure what realm of right or wrong this falls into, but I’m taking a week off work so I don’t get attacked by demons and so I don’t attract said demons to my place of work, putting others in danger.
About an hour later, I get a small break between appointments and find Tammy in her office. Next week’s schedule is on the desk in front of her, and it’s totally blank.
Perfect.
“Hey,” I start, knocking on the door frame.
“Oh, hey, Anora. What’s up?”
“I know this is short notice, but is there any way I could take a week of my vacation next week? One of my cousins surprised us by