Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Zeke would not stop staring at Milo.
Every time Milo glanced at the guy, his blue eyes were narrowed in Milo’s direction, whether he was milling about the Village ‘supervising’ or seated next to Milo helping wrap gifts. And Zeke never sat with anyone else on the team.
No one had ever paid Milo this much attention in his life, and it was freaking him out.
On his first day, Milo figured Zeke was keeping an eye on him because he was new. But it was the end of the week, and Zeke seemed to be staring at him more than ever, not less.
Was he unimpressed with Milo’s bow-tying skills? Was Milo using too much tape?
Friday afternoon, Milo’s break couldn’t come soon enough. The second it hit, he fled outside, behind the mall, where a few benches were set up near the service entrance. He shivered. Dammit, he’d forgotten his coat in the employee locker room.
With a sigh and a sense that this just about summed up his life, Milo doubled back and keyed in the code to the locker room. As he grabbed his coat and scarf, he realized he was still wearing his stupid hat and whipped it off, crumpling it in his hand.
“I don’t know what to do, Alice,” a deep voice echoed through the room.
Milo froze. That sounded like Zeke.
A door shut. “Have you talked to him?” Alice replied.
“What would I say? I can’t work with him. Can’t you find him another job?”
They weren’t talking about him, were they? No, Milo was being paranoid.
“Jobs don’t exactly grow on trees, Zeke. I can’t employ everyone Maeve needs to help. I’m sure Milo will find something else in time. It’s a seasonal position for both of you. And you know, maybe this was meant to happen.”
Zeke grunted.
What. The. Fuck? Not so paranoid after all.
Milo slammed his locker and hurried away, his gut twisted in knots.
Zeke wanted him fired. Why? Was he cursed? What had he ever done, and why did this hurt more than losing his job at the damn insurance agency?
He banged open the outside door, the burst of cold air no longer as refreshing as it’d been before. Milo’s chest tightened. This wasn’t fair. He couldn’t be fired twice within two weeks. And all because of what? Zeke hating him? For no apparent reason? Was that why he was always staring?
Milo wished he could quit. He wished he had any other option, but he hadn’t even told his roommates that he’d lost his job. Maybe he should have, but it wasn’t as if they could spot him any cash.
“Milo?” a deep voice that he was sick to death of hearing called out.
Milo’s throat burned. Screw this. He slowly turned to face Zeke, who looked confused and frankly ridiculous in his red-and-white striped hat, Santa’s Little Helper T-shirt, and no coat.
“What is your problem?” Milo stalked forward, each menacing step bringing him a sense of satisfaction. “What did I ever do to you?”
Zeke took a step backward. “I don’t have a problem.”
“No? Because it sounded like you were trying to get me fired.”
Zeke raised his hands in surrender. “Not fired…employed elsewhere.”
Milo choked down what was bound to be a shrill cry of rage, his cheeks burning. He counted backward from ten in his head. Anything to stay calm and not make this worse. He wouldn’t give Zeke a reason to fire him.
“You’re upset,” Zeke said, as if the realization had just struck.
“Obviously.” Milo’s voice was so tight he was surprised his vocal chords worked.
Zeke scratched the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. I don’t have a problem with you. I’m… fuck. I’m not very good at this.” He made a helpless little gesture, every one of his hard edges dissolving.
It was so vulnerable that some of Milo’s scorching rage faded. “Good at what?”
Zeke glanced around. The only other person in the break area was vaping farther away from the building with headphones on.
Zeke took a step closer to Milo, his voice hushed.
“I’m not good with humans. I’m trying to learn, but all the new rules don’t seem to be helping.
Always do this. Never that. Especially the work rules. There’s too much to keep track of.”
He sounded desperate and more emotional than Milo had seen him. Which admittedly wasn’t a high bar, but still. “Um, humans?”
Zeke shrugged. “I know why Alice got you this job. The incident with Maeve. She’s my sister.”
Milo’s mouth dropped open. “You don’t look like her at all.” Because that was the most pressing thing to focus on right now. Good lord.
Zeke stroked his beard. “Our mothers were close friends. We aren’t related by blood, but we share a birthday, which is rare for our kind.”
All the tension and rage fled Milo’s body, even though discovering Zeke was a magical being like Maeve should freak him the hell out.
He inched closer to Zeke, pulled by the thread of curiosity winding through him. “What kind is that?”
“I’m a demon.” Zeke seemed to stand taller, as if he were proud.
Milo’s eyes went wide. Maeve’s questionable ideal gift spell suddenly made far more sense. “You’re a demon… working at the mall?”
“I’m trying to get better with people, and Alice thought this would help.”
“Uh-huh.” Milo crossed his arms. Alice’s plan was not working. “And you don’t want to work with me, why? Is it some demon thing? Because having to deal with people you don’t like is a pretty typical human experience, so you might want to get used to it.”
“What? No. I—I like you,” Zeke stammered, managing to come across offended, of all things.
Milo raised his brows. “Then stop trying to get me employed elsewhere. Okay? That’s not something you do to people you like.”
Zeke opened his mouth, then closed it. “Okay.”
Milo wasn’t sure the demon actually liked him. Unless that was why Zeke had been staring? Had he caught Zeke’s eye? Was Zeke interested?
A thrill shot through Milo.
No. Nope. None of that. Bad idea. No lusting after the demon.
How was this his life right now?
Milo had to ask. “Are there other demons working at the mall?” Were they everywhere? Was he even safe?
“I don’t think any other demons work here. No one I’ve seen anyway.”
Did they all know each other? That seemed like a rude question, and it was probably unimportant. “You aren’t going to steal my soul, are you?”
“Steal it? No.” Zeke was offended again—his eyes wide with horror—which was kind of hilarious. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I promise I won’t use magic at work.”
“What a relief. Though that probably would have gotten me to quit.”
But Milo needed cash more than he was afraid of what magic could do to him. Was that why he wasn’t as scared as he should be right now? Had he reached his limit with Maeve and given up, resigning himself to roll with whatever came his way?
“I don’t want to scare you.” Zeke glared at him, doing a decent job of scaring him, if Milo were honest. His eyes were really intense, almost glowing.
Or literally glowing.
Milo pointed at him. “What is that? Magic?”
“No!” Zeke’s eyes returned to normal. “I’m… not sure what to do with you.”
Fuck, that was ominous. “How about nothing? I think my break is over anyway, so I should go.”
Disappointment flashed across Zeke’s face, which made no sense. Milo must have imagined it.
He turned away and hurried inside before this could get any stranger.