He pressed a soft, sweet kiss against my lips, and then he was gone. A minute later, I felt Carter's presence behind me.
“Parting is such sweet sorrow.”
“That it is,” I agreed sadly. “But that's life, mortal or immortal.”
“How's your high-wire act with Seth going?”
I turned to him, almost having forgotten that reference. “Bad.”
“Did you look down?”
“Worse than that. I fell off. I fell off and hit bottom.”
The angel regarded me with his steady gaze. “Then you'd better get back on.”
I choked on a bitter laugh. “Is that possible?”
“Sure,” he said. “As long as the wire hasn't snapped, you can always climb back on.”
I left him and walked a few blocks to catch a bus back to Queen Anne. While I was waiting, I blinked and did a double take as Jody walked by. I hadn't talked to her in ages. After the Dana scandal, Mitch and Tabitha Hunter had dropped off the face of the Earth.
I left the bus stop and ducked into a dark doorway à la Superman. A moment later, I hurried to catch up with her as Tabitha.
“Jody!”
She stopped and turned around. Her brown eyes widened when she recognized me.
“Tabitha,” she said uncertainly, waiting for me to get to her. “It's good to see you.”
“You too. How are things?”
“Okay.” We stood there awkwardly. “How are you? I mean, after everything . . .” Her cheeks crimsoned.
“You don't have to avoid the topic. I can deal with it,” I told her gently. “It happened. Nothing to be done about it now.”
She looked down at her feet, clearly troubled. “I've been wanting to tell you something. It wasn't . . . it wasn't just you, you know.” She looked back up, embarrassed. “She sort of, you know, approached me too, and we did some things . . . things I didn't really want to do. But I couldn't say no either. Not to her. It was a rough time in my life . . .”
So. I wasn't Dana's first taste of forbidden fruit. The notion that she had forced Jody appalled me, more so than Dana throwing herself into rallies that denied her own nature. Suddenly, I didn't feel so sorry for her anymore.
“Then she got what she deserved,” I declared icily.
“Maybe,” said Jody, still looking upset. “It's been a disaster for their family. I feel the worst for Reese. And then there's the CPFV . . . they're a disaster too.”
“Maybe it's for the best,” I said neutrally.
She gave me a sad half-smile. “I know you don't believe in them, but they do have potential to do good. I'm actually on my way to a meeting right now. We're going to decide the fate of the group. I don't think we'll disband . . . but I don't know what direction we'll go in either. There are some people who think just like Dana. They're not a majority, but they're loud. Louder than people like me.”
I remembered our gardening conversation. “And you still want some of the things you talked to me about? Helping those who need help now?”
“Yes. I wish I could walk right in there and speak up. If I could get enough people's attention, I think we could really go in a new direction. A better direction that might actually affect change instead of just censuring and calling people names.”
“Then you should do exactly that.”
“I can't. I don't have the skill to talk to people like that. I'm not that brave.”
“You have the passion.”
“Yeah, but is that enough if I can't get it out?”
Suddenly, I had to fight a giddy smile from taking over my face. “I've got something for you,” I told her, reaching into my purse. “Here. Take this.”
I handed her the last packet of ambrosia. It was dangerous, perhaps, to give it to a mortal, but one dose wouldn't hit her too badly, and she'd never be able to get more. Besides, taking the temptation away from me was probably for the best.
“What is this?”
“It's an, um, herbal supplement. Like an energy blend. Haven't you seen those?”
She frowned. “Like ginseng or kava or whatever?”
“Yeah. I mean, it won't change your life, of course, but it always sort of gives me a kick. You just mix it in a drink and go from there.”
“Well, I was about to buy coffee . . .”
“That's perfect. And it can't hurt or anything.” Smiling, I squeezed her arm. “Do it for me, so I'll feel like I've given you a good-luck charm.”
“Okay. Sure. I'll take it as soon as I get the coffee.” She glanced at her watch. “I've got to take off now if I want to be on time. You take care of yourself, okay?”
“I will. Thanks. Good luck tonight.”
To my surprise, she gave me a quick hug and then disappeared into the crowd of pedestrians. As I rode the bus home, I found I felt better about myself than I had in days. I'd sort of wanted to save the ambrosia for next year's Emerald Lit Fest, but I supposed I wouldn't need it so long as I actually allowed myself two days instead of one. After all, a little leeway never hurt.
Chapter 23
T
he CPFV meeting didn't get nearly as much press as a hot lesbian affair did, but it still drew a reporter from the
Seattle Times
, as well as some other media attention.
Jody had delivered the speech of a lifetime at the meeting. She'd outlined a fully detailed vision for the CPFV, one that involved dropping the group's current attack on homosexuality. Her plan encouraged outreach to those in need, the same teen mothers and runaways she'd spoken to me about before. Since the CPFV had a national presence, she also wanted the chapters to address local needs in order to have a more meaningful impact and foster a sense of community. Her presentation had been brilliantly thought out and inspiring. The meeting had ended with cheers and applause, as well as a vote that made her the organization's new head. I suspected that, post-ambrosia, she might be a little terrified by what she'd wrought. After all the creative and interesting things she'd done in her life so far, though, I felt confident she could manage. Plus, I had a feeling she'd be happier being involved in some meaningful vocation again after her days in the doldrums as a housebound wife.
It occurred to me also that although we might be hellish superstars for our Dana-related actions, Bastien and I hadn't really helped the greater diabolical cause in the end. Really, Dana had been spreading evil and intolerance. Ousting her for Jody had actually brought more good into the world than before. I hoped Jerome never made that connection. He was pretty pleased with me at the moment.
The CPFV article was a few days old now, but I kept it on my desk at work because it made me happy during what had otherwise been an unsettling week. Seth hadn't shown at the store at all.
“Did you see that on the Internet?” Doug asked me, noticing the paper.
I gave him a blank look. “Why would I watch something like that?”
“Because it's hot. You're totally missing out.”
He sat on the edge of the desk and played with a pen, flipping it in the air. Neither of us were doing the work we should have been. It was just like old times.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“Pretty good, I guess.” He knew that I knew about the ambrosia, but he wasn't aware of my role in what had happened. All he knew was that Alec was gone. “The band's sort of plateaued now. I guess that had to happen. Not having a drummer really doesn't help either.”
“Well, you'll fix that, won't you?”
“Yeah. Just a pain. Gotta have auditions.” He stopped playing with the pen and sighed. “We were so close, Kincaid. A little bit farther, and we'd have made it.”
“You still will. It'll just take longer. Everything you guys didâthat was still you.”
“Yeah,” he said, not sounding convinced.
“Besides, I'm still your groupie. That's got to count for something, right?”
His easy grin returned. “You bet it does. I think Maddie might be joining your ranks. She won't get out of my apartment.”
I laughed. “Doesn't she have to go back to her job?”
“
Womanspeak
is run out of Berkeley. She was already telecommuting, so she's just doing more of the same. She says she wants to keep an eye on me.”
“That's sweet.”
“Dude.” Doug gave me a droll look. “I'm trying to be a rock star, and my sister lives with me. That's not sweet.”
“Working hard as always, I see,” a smooth voice said.
We both looked up from our banter. “Paige!” I exclaimed delightedly. I would have hugged her, but we'd never exactly had a touchy-feely relationship.
Our long-absent manager stood in the doorway. She almost looked casual in loose black slacks and an empire-cut pink maternity blouse. Her stomach had grown even more in the last month, and seeing it made a little fuzzy spot tickle in my chest. I'd been unable to conceive a child while mortal and could not now as an immortal. That knowledge still stung on a personal level, but I never held it against those I knew. I loved pregnant women and babies. I was happy for Paige, happier to see her back and looking well.
A smile played on her glossed lips as she took in the two of us. “Georgina, could you come to Warren's office? We want to talk to you. It won't take long.”
“Sure,” I said standing up. Doug quietly hummed the
Jaws
theme.
Paige, Warren, and I sat down in his office with the door closed. I didn't really think I was in trouble, but being with them like this felt kind of intimidating. Especially since both seemed to be watching me expectantly.
“So,” began Paige, “we've been looking over all the accounts of what happened while we were gone. We've talked to some people too.” She paused purposefully. “You've been busy.”
I smiled, relaxing. “It's always busy here. If I wanted a slow store, I'd go down to Foster's.”
Warren laughed. “I heard he offered you a job.”
“Yeah, but don't worry. I'm not going anywhere.”
“That's good,” Paige said crisply, “because I understand we now have some sort of annual event you've got to plan. Lorelei Biljan sent me e-mail asking to be invited back to next year's Emerald Lit Gala.”
“Fest,” I corrected. “It's a fest.”
“Whatever. The point is, what you did was remarkable . . . if a little unorthodox. To pull that together so quickly and then turn over such amazing sales stats.” She shook her head. “It was superhuman.”
I squirmed at the adjective. “It needed to be done.”
“And you did it. Just like you've been doing a number of other remarkable things around here. Things that we're very impressed with.”
“Hey, now,” I said, suddenly uncomfortable with the way they both watched me, “don't think that was an ordinary day. It was kind of an exception. I can't do that kind of stuff all the time. I was just having a good day, that's all.”
“You've had a lot of good days, Georgina,” Warren spoke up. “You haven't had a full staff here in weeks. You've come in on your days off. You've run this place when no one else was around to do it. You've handled crisis after crisisâand not just the Fest thing. I'm talking about the whole situation with Doug too.”
I sat up straighter. “What are you going to do? You aren't going to fire him, are you? Because it wasn't all him . . . I mean, there were extenuating circumstances. He's better now. He's the best employee you've got.”
“We've spoken to him,” said Paige calmly. “And he'll stay on for now, although he understands he'll sort of be on probation.”
Relief coursed through me. “Good. That's really good.”
“I'm glad you think so because you'll be the one who's supervising him.”
“Iâwhat?” My train of thought derailed horrifically, and I looked back and forth between their faces, waiting for the punch line.
“This pregnancy is proving more difficult than expected, as you've probably guessed. The baby's healthy, and I'm still on track for a normal delivery, but I need to eliminate certain risk factors. One of them, unfortunately, is working.”
I stared. Paige had hired me. She couldn't leave. “What are you saying?”
“I'm saying that I can't keep working here.”
“But . . . after the baby . . . you could come back, right?”
“I don't know, but I'm not going to put the store on hold while I figure that out. I'm resigning, and we want you to take my place.”
“As manager,” added Warren, like that wasn't perfectly obvious.
“I . . . I don't know what to say.”
“You'd get a salary increase, of course,” she said. “And then we'd hire someone to fill your old position. You'd take over all of my duties.”
I nodded. I knew what her duties wereâespecially since I'd done them for the last few weeks. They involved more paperwork than sociability, but certainly Paige had worked the floor plenty and interacted with others. The job still involved people, but in a different way. I'd have no peers and no one above me save Warren. It could potentially put a damper on how much I hung out with the staff after workâparticularly my goofing off with Doug. The position would entail a whole new set of complications and difficulties.
On the other hand, I'd have a lot more freedom and power. Paige planned all of our signings and promotional events, much as I had the Fest. It had been fun. I could do that all the time now. I could experiment with new things. That had appealâa lot of it. And really, the challenging aspect of it also had its appeal. It would be new and different. I'd lived for centuries, and I knew the dangers of a static lifestyle. I had enough experience and education to take on very prestigious occupationsâand I had done so in the past. This time around, I'd chosen a more laid-back job; was I ready to move on now?
My decision was made, but when I saw how anxious my silence had made them, I couldn't resist a little teasing. “Would I get my own office?”
They nodded as one, still tense, thinking that was what held me back.
“Oh. Okay. Sold.”
I went home that night heady with the knowledge of my new job. I would miss Paige, but the more I thought about it, the more excited I grew about being store manager. Celebration was definitely in order, so I called Hugh and the vampires, and we went out on the town. I had fun with them, but honestly, I wished I could celebrate with someone else.
The late night of drinking made me sleep in considerably the next morning. I awoke to Aubrey sprawled across my neck, dangerously close to cutting off my air, in a position only a cat could find comfortable. My clock read noon, and I lay there, warm in the blankets and wondering what I was going to do with myself. The store wasn't open. It was Thanksgiving.
My phone rang. I rolled over and grappled for it, just barely avoiding getting Aubrey's claws in my jugular.
I stared at Seth's name on the caller ID as if it had magical powers. Taking a deep breath, I answered.
“Happy birthday,” I said, trying to sound cheerful and not utterly petrified.
There was a pause and then a small, surprised chuckle. I hadn't known what to expect when he and I finally resumed contact after last week's drama, but his laughter hadn't been a contender. Unless it was bitter laughter while my heart bled onto the floor and I begged for forgiveness.
“Thanks,” he said, his voice sobering a little. “But, uh, I don't believe you.”
“Believe me what?”
“That you want me to have a happy birthday.”
“I just said I did.”
There was a long silence. My anxiety grew with every passing second.
“If you wanted me to have a happy birthday, you'd come over to my party.”
“Your party,” I repeated flatly.
“Yeah, remember? Andrea invited you?”
I remembered. I'd been thinking about it every day this week.
“I didn't think I was still invited.” I hesitated, heart aching. “I didn't think you'd want me there.”
“Well, I do. So hurry up. You're late.”
We hung up, and I just sat there. Seth had called at last. And he wanted to see me. Now. What was going to happen? What should I do? I looked at Aubrey and sighed.
“Guess I should have kept that last pack of ambrosia, huh?”