I don't really have anything against Canadians. They're nice. Really nice. But that didn't mean I wanted to go curling with them, and there was always a danger that if Jerome was in the right mood, he might decide to make this temporary assignment a permanent one.
I didn't think he would, though. Underneath all the gruffness, Jerome liked me-inasmuch as a demon could truly like anyone. Admittedly, he'd liked me a little less since Seth had turned my life upside down last fall, but when I wasn't sporting massive attitude, I think I amused Jerome. Amusing things are few in the face of eternity, so hopefully that would be enough to ensure my job security.
I left Belltown and headed over to Queen Anne, another Seattle neighborhood. I both lived and worked in Queen Anne, and if I was about to disappear for a while, my mortal employer should probably know. Unfortunately, going into work meant facing some unpleasant things that I wasn't really in the mood for tonight.
"Georgina! What are you doing here?"
Maddie Sato, the Brutus to my Caesar, came scurrying up to me as I entered Emerald City Books and Caf¨¦. In Maddie's defense, she hadn't known Seth and I were dating when they'd slept together. So, it wasn't like she'd knowingly stolen him from me. That didn't really change my feelings toward either of them, though.
"I need to see Warren," I said, suspecting I probably reeked of vodka and smoke. "Is he here?"
She shook her head, making her glossy black hair sway. It was worn in a long, sleek style I'd taught her how to do. "He left about an hour ago. Didn't want to stick around for closing."
I glanced at a clock. I'd barely made it in before they locked the doors. I tapped my foot impatiently, wondering if I should call Warren at home. Finally, I asked, "You got a sec to go over some schedule stuff? I'm going to be out for a few days...or maybe more."
"Sure," she said, smiling and showing dimples. "You want me to grab Doug too?"
"He's here?"
Both assistant managers closing in one night. It was a stroke of luck. I headed off to my office 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 next couple of weeks. I skimmed it, relieved to see we had a full complement of staff for a change. My immortal friends didn't understand why I cared so much about this job. There had been days recently-days when I didn't want to get out of bed because I was so depressed-that I'd wondered the same thing. But the truth was, eternity was an extremely long time, and I'd spent most of my time always occupied with some activity. It was part of my nature; I couldn't be idle. And sometimes- sometimes -I could get so caught up in the day-to-day affairs of the human world that I could almost pretend for a heartbeat that I was one of them again.
"I don't think we'll need anyone to cover me," I said when I heard the office door open a few minutes later. "Someone'll just need to take over my-" I looked up.
Maddie had returned, along with Doug, but they weren't alone. Seth was with them.
All the easy confidence I'd shown in the store, all the brashness and bravado I'd shown at the club...it all shriveled up into a cold, hard knot 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 three months. Why wasn't I over him? Why did I still want to cry or break something whenever I saw him?
"Whoa, Kincaid," said Doug, partially distracting me from my angst. He glanced at my outfit and raised an eyebrow. "We interrupting your social life?"
I wore a knee-length black trench coat over a short red dress. My makeup was done to seductive perfection, whorish dark eyeliner and lipstick to match the dress. Shape-shifting in the car would have been a snap, but I didn't feel like I needed to prove anything here. In fact, I kind of reveled in my tramp look tonight.
"Apparently this is my social life, if I'm pathetic enough to come in on a Saturday night." I forced myself to focus on Doug and Maddie only, trying hard not to look at Seth's soft, coppery brown hair or gentle eyes. Why did he have to be here of all nights? The answer: he was here every night. He was an author and did his best work in coffee shops. When we'd broken up, he'd tried to tactfully find another and stay away from me, but Maddie-oblivious to his reasons-had begged him to stay at the bookstore's.
"Where are you going?" asked Maddie. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, yeah," I said brusquely. "Long story."
I beckoned Maddie and Doug to the clipboard, explaining again how I was pretty sure the store would be fine without my labor, so long as they could cover the tasks I did as manager. We sketched out a brief list of my responsibilities, like payroll and inventory, and began divvying them up.
Doug tapped the list. "I've done all these before, at one time or another. They're no problem. I'll take the first half." He elbowed his sister. "What about you? You gonna take the rest and pull your share here?"
Maddie pursed her lips. She was immensely talented but suffered from bouts of insecurity, which I'd repeatedly told her was ridiculous. She'd improved a lot over the months-again, thanks to me-but still faltered. "I didn't realize you did so much. I hope I can learn it all."
"Stop playing coy. I'll teach you," said Doug. "You'll be as good as Kincaid in no time."
"Yeah," I said dryly. "We're practically interchangeable anyway." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Seth shift uncomfortably.
"The whole thing seems kind of sketchy, though," remarked Doug, tilting his head so that his black hair fell away from his face. "You're going to be gone, but you're not sure when or how long? I thought you were the reliable one around here."
"It's...family stuff," I told them. "Just gotta be dealt with. Besides, now you can have a chance to be responsible. You should be thanking me, Doug." He stuck his tongue out at me.
"Is Warren going to be okay with it?" asked Maddie, still fretting on my behalf.
"Let me deal with Warren," I assured her.
Doug scoffed at that, but Maddie didn't catch on. Warren, the store's marginally moral owner, had been a longtime sex buddy of mine. He gave me about as much energy as Dante, but he was convenient and suited my mood lately. I'd 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, aside from the occasional bit of eye rolling. I suspected Seth knew what was going on too, but I didn't care. Warren wasn't going to give me any grief about taking time off. I was too good at what I did, both at work and in the bedroom.
We shuffled one shift where I was supposed to have closed, and then I tossed the clipboard back on its pile, suddenly needing to get out of there as soon as possible. "Alright. Thanks, team. I'll leave you to your work."
"Off to hit the town?" asked Doug, still amused. "I can join you in about a half-hour. I know a killer party."
I shook my head. "Already hit the town. I'm heading home."
"Loser," he called after me.
Maddie wished 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. I'd nearly made it to the door when I heard someone call my name. I turned and saw Casey hurrying toward me. She was twenty or so and went to the University of Washington. She'd worked here almost the entire time she'd been in college and was one of our best employees. So, I stopped and forced a smile, my eyes straying longingly toward the door.