'Succubus Heat CHAPTER 2\r'

'I dont real take in whatsoeverthing against Canadians. Theyre nice. Re in comp allowelyy nice. But that didnt smashed I valued to go curling with them, and t present(p uprise-cheekedicate) was al rooms a danger that if Jerome was in the pay mood, he might decide to make this terminable assignment a permanent unity.\r\nI didnt speculate he would, though. Underneath all the gruffness, Jerome want me-inas oftmagazines as a demon could truly uniform any(prenominal)one. Admittedly, hed standardizedd me a little less since stage set had saturnine my life history upside down last fall, barely when I wasnt sporting massive attitude, I say I amused Jerome. Amusing things are hardly a(prenominal) in the face of eternity, so hopefully that would be enough to en authoritative my job security.\r\nI left over(p) Belltown and promontoryed over to Queen Anne, anformer(a) Seattle neighborhood. I both(prenominal) lived and crumbleed in Queen Anne, and if I was to the hi ghest degree to depart for a magical spell, my mortal employer should belike know. Unfortunately, waiver into work meant facing some unpleasant things that I wasnt unfeignedly in the mood for to dark.\r\nâ€Å"Georgina! What are you doing here?”\r\nMaddie Sato, the Brutus to my Caesar, came scurry up to me as I entered Emerald City Books and Caf?¦. In Maddies defense, she hadnt known curing and I were go out(p) when theyd slept together. So, it wasnt like shed knowingly stolen him from me. That didnt really change my olfactory modalitys toward either of them, though.\r\nâ€Å"I need to look on Warren,” I say, suspecting I probably reeked of vodka and smoke. â€Å"Is he here?”\r\nShe move her head word, making her showy black hair sway. It was worn in a coherent, sleek style Id taught her how to do. â€Å"He left ab pop an hour ago. Didnt want to stick near for stop.”\r\nI glanced at a clock. Id barely do it in before they locked the d oors. I tapped my foot impatiently, wondering if I should travel to Warren at home. Finally, I asked, â€Å"You got a sec to go over some docket stuff? Im going to be out for a few days…or maybe more.”\r\nâ€Å"Sure,” she verbalize, rejoicing and showing dimples. â€Å"You want me to grab Doug likewise?”\r\nâ€Å"Hes here?”\r\nBoth assistant managers closing in one night. It was a stroke of luck. I headed off to my attitude while she went to fetch her brother Doug. My desk was organized for a change, and I found the clipboard bearing the schedule for the side by side(p) couple of weeks. I skimmed it, relieved to manipulate we had a full complement of staff for a change. My immortal friends didnt understand why I alimonyd so much to the highest degree this job. at that place had been days recently-days when I didnt want to get out of bed because I was so depressed-that Id wondered the same thing. But the truth was, eternity was an extremely long measure, and Id spent most of my time everlastingly occupied with some activity. It was part of my record; I couldnt be idle. And sometimes- sometimes -I could get so caught up in the day-to-day affairs of the military personnel world that I could almost pre cristald for a heartbeat that I was one of them again.\r\nâ€Å"I dont hypothecate well need anyone to cover me,” I said when I heard the office door open a few minutes later. â€Å"Someonell just need to lodge in over my-” I looked up.\r\nMaddie had returned, along with Doug, exactly they werent alone. readiness was with them.\r\nAll the easy confidence Id shown in the store, all the brashness and bravado Id shown at the club…it all shriveled up into a cold, hard mat as I looked at him. Walls slammed down around me. How could he affect me like this, particularly while wearing a Buck Rogers T-shirt? It had been troika months. Why wasnt I over him? Why did I equable want to cry or break somethi ng whenever I saw him?\r\nâ€Å"Whoa, Kincaid,” said Doug, partially distracting me from my angst. He glanced at my outfit and raised an eyebrow. â€Å"We interrupting your brotherly life?”\r\nI wore a knee-length black trench coat over a short red dress. My makeup was done to seductive perfection, whorish dark eyeliner and outline to match the dress. Shape-shifting in the car would have been a snap, save I didnt feel like I needed to prove anything here. In fact, I manikin of reveled in my tramp look tonight.\r\nâ€Å"Apparently this is my social life, if Im pathetic enough to come in on a Saturday night.” I forced myself to focus on Doug and Maddie only, trying hard non to look at Seths soft, coppery brown hair or dispirited eyes. Why did he have to be here of all nights? The answer: he was here any night. He was an author and did his best work in coffee shops. When wed broken up, hed tried to tactfully get wind another and impediment away(predicat e) from me, but Maddie-oblivious to his reasons-had begged him to stay at the bookstores.\r\nâ€Å"Where are you going?” asked Maddie. â€Å"Is all(prenominal)thing authorize?”\r\nâ€Å"Yeah, yeah,” I said brusquely. â€Å"Long story.”\r\nI beckoned Maddie and Doug to the clipboard, explaining again how I was pretty sure the store would be handsome without my labor, so long as they could cover the tasks I did as manager. We sketched out a brief nominate of my responsibilities, like payroll and inventory, and began divvying them up.\r\nDoug tapped the list. â€Å"Ive done all these before, at one time or another. Theyre no problem. Ill proceeds the first half.” He elbowed his sister. â€Å"What about you? You gonna take the bear and pull your share here?”\r\nMaddie pursed her lips. She was immensely talented but suffered from bouts of insecurity, which Id repeatedly told her was ridiculous. Shed improved a cover over the months-again, thanks to me-but still faltered. â€Å"I didnt effect you did so much. I hope I gutter learn it all.”\r\nâ€Å"Stop playing coy. Ill t from each one you,” said Doug. â€Å"Youll be as good as Kincaid in no time.”\r\nâ€Å"Yeah,” I said dryly. â€Å"Were practically joint anyway.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Seth shift uncomfortably.\r\nâ€Å"The whole thing seems bod of sketchy, though,” remarked Doug, tilting his head so that his black hair fell away from his face. â€Å"Youre going to be gone, but youre not sure when or how long? I thought you were the true one around here.”\r\nâ€Å"Its…family stuff,” I told them. â€Å"Just gotta be dealt with. Besides, now you evoke have a prospect to be responsible. You should be thanking me, Doug.” He stuck his tongue out at me.\r\nâ€Å"Is Warren going to be okay with it?” asked Maddie, still fretting on my behalf.\r\nâ€Å"Let me deal with Warren,â⠂¬Â I assured her.\r\nDoug scoffed at that, but Maddie didnt catch on. Warren, the stores marginally moral owner, had been a longtime sex crony of mine. He gave me about as much talent as Dante, but he was convenient and worthy my mood lately. Id stopped our tryst while dating Seth but had since returned to old habits. Doug had known about my affair with Warren then and now but was tactful enough to leave me to my own choices, off from the occasional bit of eye rolling. I surmise Seth knew what was going on as well as, but I didnt care. Warren wasnt going to give me any rue about taking time off. I was too good at what I did, both at work and in the bedroom.\r\nWe shuffled one shift where I was supposed to have closed, and then I tossed the clipboard corroborate on its pile, suddenly needing to get out of in that respect as soon as possible. â€Å"Al indemnify. Thanks, team. Ill leave you to your work.”\r\nâ€Å" off to hit the town?” asked Doug, still amused . â€Å"I can join you in about a half-hour. I know a killer companionship.”\r\nI shake my head. â€Å"Already hit the town. Im heading home.”\r\nâ€Å"Loser,” he called by and by me.\r\nMaddie indirect requested me well with my mysterious time off, and then I left them, walking through the store and exchanging greetings with my other co-workers as they scurried around with their closing tasks. Id nearly made it to the door when I heard someone call my name. I turned and saw Casey hurrying toward me. She was 20 or so and went to the University of Washington. Shed worked here almost the sinless time shed been in college and was one of our best employees. So, I stopped and forced a smile, my eyes stray longingly toward the door.\r\n â€Å"Hey, whats up?”\r\nShe grinned, dark eyes sparkling. â€Å"I wanted to know if you were going to go to my party neighboring weekend,” she said. â€Å"You never answered the e-mail.”\r\nI didnt remember any e-mail, but then, Id been pretty trigger-happy with the delete find out lately. â€Å"I didnt get it,” I lied. â€Å"Whats going on?”\r\nâ€Å"Its my graduation party. This Sunday.”\r\nI frowned. â€Å"Its April.”\r\nâ€Å"Im graduating early. I got all my credit finished up, so I dont have to do spring quarter. Pretty coolheaded, huh?”\r\nâ€Å"Whoa,” I said, actually impressed. â€Å"That is cool. Math, right?”\r\nâ€Å"Math and Latvian.”\r\nâ€Å"Why on earth-never mind.” Now was not the time to pursue why someone of Filipino heritage was studying Baltic languages. â€Å"I wish I could go, but Im leaving town tomorrow for some family stuff and dont know when Ill be back. Im really sorry.”\r\nCaseys face fell a little, but she told me she understood. And like Maddie, she wished me well and hoped my â€Å"family” business concern would be taken care of easily. That made two of us. She left me and we nt to finish her closing tasks.\r\nAs soon as I clean-cut the stores door and was outdoors, I stopped and exhaled. Breezy night air washed over me. Being in Seths presence was smothering. It stirred up too much in me. Even while talking business and numbers with Doug and Maddie, most of my attention had been on Seth-exactly how farthermost away he stood from me, the way he smelled, the way his messy hair stuck up today. Everything else had been background interference compared to him.\r\nReaching into my purse with shaking hands, I pulled out my butts, desperately needing one for the walk home. Id smoked for a century or so and stopped ten years ago, something Id been very proud of, even though I was immune to the effects. Stress had driven me to deplume up the habit again. I felt a little bad about subjecting others to secondhand smoke, but honestly, smoking was the least of my problems right now.\r\nâ€Å"Fuck.” I flicked the replenishment on my lighter and got nothi ng. Three more flicks produced interchangeable results. Holding the lighter up to my ear, I shook it. Nothing. It was out of fluid. â€Å"Fuck,” I repeated. I only lived a few blocks away, but somehow, that walk was now going to be agony.\r\nSuddenly, I heard what sounded like a boot scuff around the corner of the building. Frowning, I took a few stones throws forward, wondering if anyone was on that point. This force field was pretty safe, but Lower Queen Anne still had its share of vagrants. Yet, when I glanced around the corner, there was no one there.\r\nThere was, however, a pack of matches craft on the ground.\r\nKneeling down, I picked the book up and examined them. Marks Mad Martini Bar. Id been there a long time ago. It was in Upper Queen Anne, not too far away if you didnt mind trekking up the hill. It wasnt overweening that a pack of their matches would find their way here. What was uncanny was that the matches showed up right when I needed them.\r\n seat me , I heard the stores door open. â€Å"Georgina?”\r\nI rose and turned sharply around. Seth.\r\nâ€Å"Hey,” I said, hoping for blandness. The smothering skin perceptiveness returned.\r\nLight from inside the store lit up his features in the twilight, and I ate up every line and angle of his face. His eyes looked dark in the dimness, but in full light, they were brown infused with amber. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, and his gaze wouldnt meet mine. It was painfully redolent(p) of how hed been when we first met, too shy to look without delay at me.\r\nâ€Å"I wanted to see if you were okay,” he said subsequently several awkward moments.\r\nI turned the matches over in my hand a couple of times and then placed them in my purses outer pocket. â€Å"Im fine,” I said, keeping my voice cool and distant.\r\nâ€Å"Its just…” He relaxed slightly and gave a small, penitent laugh. â€Å"When youre vague about your activities and mention â⠂¬Ëœfamily, it usually government agency immortal business. And immortal business always manner trouble.”\r\nI started to smile, then immediately squelched it. â€Å"Yeah, it does, and conceptualize me, its a great one this time.” Even after everything that had gone down between us, there was much(prenominal) a comfort and familiarity with him that I immediately wanted to launch in and recap the story for him. I could already see us both laughing at the idea of Canadian Satanists. I could suddenly picture the way Seth would shake his head in exasperation. But it wasnt to be. I was too languish and too proud to even allow him friendship, so I just shrugged and said, â€Å"But itll work out. It always does.”\r\nâ€Å"Yeah…but usually not without a lot of hassle. Im just worried about you, thats all.”\r\nâ€Å"You dont have to be.” Not anymore . â€Å"Im not in any danger. Mostly just annoyed.”\r\nHe opened his blab to speak, and I knew the gesture. He wanted to argue that there was still cause for concern-but times had changed. He swallowed and let the comment go. More silence fell. I knew I should leave, but somehow, I couldnt make myself do it. He apparently couldnt either. â€Å"You…you look really great tonight,” he said at last, still fumbling for conversation.\r\nThere was a catch in his voice. He knew my looks tonight had to do with more than just my body and outfit. The cogency Id stolen from sleeping with the therapist wreathed me. Life and its power were resistless to all creatures, mortal and immortal alike. Immortals could literally see that life glowing around me. To mortals, I simply looked beautiful. Unearthly. Perfect.\r\nFor the sake of politeness, I pretended he was complimenting me for median(prenominal) things. â€Å"Thanks. I was out with the others when all this…stuff…went down. Its kind of put a damper on my partying, though.”\r\nHe nodded by way of an swer and shifted so that he actually made eye contact. I wished he hadnt. My heart melted inside me, and I felt a sob building in my chest. expansive for something to do, I took out the serendipitous matches and lit the cigarette Id been holding the whole time. I took a long drag and exhaled. Seth stepped back. He wasnt a raw sienna of smoking. It was like I suddenly had armor.\r\nâ€Å"Well,” I said, feeling bolder, â€Å"I should go home and pack. See you around.”\r\nI turned and had only taken a step when he called out to me. â€Å"Georgina?”\r\nI glanced back. â€Å"Yeah?”\r\nâ€Å"Do you…um…” He faltered, and again, I was reminded of that long-ago Seth. Bittersweet feelings burnt within me. â€Å"Do you need someone to race your cat?”\r\nI didnt know whether to laugh or cry. â€Å"No, but thanks. Codyll do it.” I spoke the next words, fully knowing theyd inflict damage. â€Å"Or Dante will.”\r\nSeth flinche d, and somehow, I felt both triumphant and good-for-naught at the same time. â€Å"No problem,” he said haltingly. â€Å"Just thought Id, you know, check.”\r\nâ€Å"Thanks,” I said again. We held each others gazes a few more moments, and then I turned away and walked off into the night.\r\n'