Chapter 3
Not much later, they were on their way back down, Corvin with half the cookies and the recipe and Theo with the remaining cookies and a sliver of hope.
He’s going to amend our contract again. I wonder if he’ll try to ram sexual exclusivity in there if I work here.
Theo considered that. I wouldn’t mind. No, actually, I don’t want anyone else.
I want… Maybe I should make sure we put sexual exclusivity in there, because…
what if he sees some hot vampire at the office?
Theo set his jaw. The realization was odd.
He’d never thought much about monogamy or who Peter might come across at his law office.
His personal theory—one that had earned him a C in an essay once because the professor liked the execution but not the conclusion—was that monogamy was something concocted by the patriarchy and enforced through media.
He’d blamed the Greeks and Hallmark movies alike for promoting it.
And yet, when it came to Peter, Theo didn’t want to imagine him holding another man like he held Theo. Didn’t want to imagine Peter being as kind to anyone else or bundling anyone else up as they settled down in the basement for a movie night.
“Should we do early lunch? Brunch? Celeste, do you want to come? We could help Theo learn how to use his credit card.”
Corvin tapped Theo on the shoulder at the bottom of the stairs. Celeste unlocked the door to the Boudoir for them.
“Wish I could, but I have an early client today. You two go enjoy yourselves though.”
“I like the sound of that,” Corvin said, sneaking an arm around Theo’s shoulders. “And for dessert, there’s this bookstore where you can have wine while browsing.”
“Isn’t it too early for wine?”
Corvin snorted as they walked back into the Boudoir. “Did you learn nothing during your studies of old-timey literature? The Victorians gave us breakfast wine. Who are we to snub our heritage?”
“Yeah, they also gave us lead poisoning.”
Corvin groaned. “Oh-em-gee, are you doing this on purpose?”
Celeste looked back at them, her eyes twinkling. Theo was pretty sure she was chuckling away and using her beard to hide it.
“Doing what on purpose?”
“You sound like Peter.”
“I—what?”
Celeste clapped. “Took the words right out of my mouth, Corvin.” She leaned on the bar. “You two are heading out?” she asked Theo and Corvin.
Before Theo could answer, Celeste turned. When he followed her line of sight, surprise and the feeling of being caught made his stomach pull tight.
Theo saw the witch Peter had called to the house a while back, his flip-flops noisy even on Celeste’s fluffy carpets. It had been right after Peter had gotten hurt…because he’d protected Theo. Shit, what was this guy’s name again? Basil?
The werewolf witch was following Basil too, and when he saw Theo, his eyes went wide. Then he saw Corvin, and he flushed and hid behind Basil.
“You two got here,” Celeste said to the newcomers.
Theo looked at her. “You know them?”
“John?” Corvin pointed. “John! Wow, are you okay? You were just gone after that night. Pineapple Mike said Peter had taken care of you, but he wasn’t sure what that meant.”
“Um.” The werewolf hunched his shoulders as if he wanted to make himself small. He was clinging to the back of Basil’s shirt.
Celeste raised a perfectly shaped brow in surprise. “John? You mean Will.”
The flip-flop witch crossed his arms. “What’s going on here?” He narrowed his eyes at Corvin. “What do you want with Will?”
Corvin cocked his head. “Will?”
“Uh, John’s just what Peter said my name was. He had me stay with Corvin and some siren lawyer.” He gave Corvin a tentative smile. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to lie. It’s Will, actually.”
Corvin shrugged. “Peter the Terrible strikes again. No worries. But didn’t you promise to make yourself available for another movie night?”
Will looked at the floor. “I’m sorry.”
“Will, sweetcakes, you never told me that. Anyway—” The witch’s attention turned to Theo. “—didn’t expect to see you here, Theodore.”
Corvin gaped. “You know each other? Everyone knows everyone?”
Celeste put a hand on his shoulder. “New Elvenswood’s supernatural circles are not as big as you’d imagine.”
“Didn’t think I’d run into you here either.” Theo fumbled with the cookie bag in his hands. “Thanks again for dropping by that day.”
“Mm-hmm. Sure. So, listen up.” Basil unfolded his arms and reached for Will’s hand without looking.
Then he took a deep breath. “Peter’s…he’s a good man.
Fuck, that sounds wrong. But he is, okay?
Listen, if you think you can get him to buy groceries for you and then cheat on him with the next best—” He glanced at Corvin.
“—whatever. Anyway. I’m not letting you do that to him. ”
Theo’s mouth fell open. “You think…” He pointed at Corvin.
Celeste tutted. “Sage, this really isn’t what it looks like. Theo was just here for cookies. And for my advice.”
Will blinked his big brown eyes at her. “Do you really do therapy?” He glanced at Corvin. “You didn’t break up with the siren, did you?”
Celeste shrugged. “I’m just good at listening.”
Corvin gasped. “Oh! John—sorry, Will. You missed us getting engaged. We’re getting married. No parting me from my Pineapple Mike. Oh, did you know he’s a siren back then?”
Will nodded, taking a small step forward and unhunching his shoulders slightly. “I did know, but he forbade me from telling you. I’d have totally told you. You’re really happy, huh?”
Not-Basil-but-Sage turned to Will. “And you’re not?”
He said that with what Theo recognized as affectionate playfulness. I wish Peter were here. He’d put that witch’s playfulness to shame.
“You know I am.” Will cuddled up to Sage, hugging him closely, and buried his nose in the witch’s neck to nuzzle there. And lick him, unless Theo was mistaken.
“Hey, what did we say about the public licking? Godsdamn, sweetcakes, don’t be cute when we’re at work.”
Will blushed and moved back. He still ended up with his side touching Sage; plenty of PDA in Theo’s book.
Celeste clicked her tongue. “Sage, give your poor apprentice a break. Did someone direct you to the shot glasses I’d like enchanted?” She turned to Corvin and Theo. “You’re welcome to stay for a drink. I can whip up mimosas while these two work.”
Corvin shook his head. “We should really have brunch first. Hey, sorry if I’m interrupting your workday, but, Will, if you want to come along…” He looked at Theo. “That’s okay, right?”
Theo relaxed his hold on the cookies. “Sure is.”
Will’s eyes went big. Theo had been too preoccupied with other things when they’d first met, so he hadn’t noticed it, but Will had really big eyes, like a model, almost.
“Uhmmm.” He glanced at Sage. “We have work?”
He was using those big eyes now to convey an unspoken plea, and Sage was clearly weak against it.
With the utmost gentleness, he brushed Will’s hair back. “If you want to catch up, you can take the rest of the day off. But you have to promise you’ll call when you want me to pick you up, okay? You have your phone on you? And your wallet?”
Will nodded. “Yeah. I promise.”
Corvin clapped with excitement. “This is exciting! Also kismet. Come on, guys, let’s get going.”
Theo was glad Corvin’s enthusiasm about brunch took any trace of awkwardness out of the situation. The excitement seemed contagious. The way Will followed Corvin, he’d been infected with it too.
Theo turned to Celeste. “How’re we going to handle…you know. Work.”
She shrugged. “I think it would be a very good idea for you to tell him, don’t you?”
He nodded. “Yeah, right. Makes sense.”
Sage frowned as he looked after Will, then stepped closer. “Hey, uh, sorry. About earlier. Look, Will…” He clenched his jaw. “Watch out for him, please? And remember, he’s probably expecting you to eat first.”
“It’s fine. I mean, I get it. No hard feelings.”
Corvin looked out from the elevator. “Theo! Come on, we need to get going before it gets too late for brunch. Celeste, thanks for the cookies and the recipe. Mind if I come back for more recipes if I can train my man to bake?”
“Well, aren’t you a little devil. You sure can, but I take no responsibility for the outcome.”
“What outcome is that?” Corvin asked as Theo headed toward the elevator.
“Me sneaking cookies from you instead of Celeste,” Theo said, then tried winking at her.
He failed and probably just looked as if he had something in his eye. Celeste still gave him an odd little look. Almost as if she were proud, but that couldn’t be it. He’d done nothing. Her beard was probably just making him misread her again.
Working here is going to be good. I’ll earn my own money, same as I always have. I’ll be independent again, and everything will be simpler.
In the elevator, Will looked at Theo. “Thank you for taking me. But I don’t need watching out for.”
“Heard that, huh? A werewolf thing?”
Will shrugged. Corvin gasped. “Excuse me, what was that? You’re a werewolf? And you didn’t say anything when I made you watch that movie with all the werewolves who enjoy taking their shirts off?”
“That was fun,” Will said. Then he frowned. “Plus, your siren said I wasn’t allowed to tell you anything, and he can be intimidating.”
Corvin’s brows drew tight. “Hmm. No, that makes sense actually. I didn’t know he was a siren then.” He looked at Theo. “Did you always know Peter was, well, Peter?”
Shit. “Yeah. It’s like… Actually, he had to tell me. It’s a requirement. When clients come to the Boudoir and want something specific, they have to tell Celeste in advance.” He took a deep breath. “We met here, not at the library like I told you. That was a lie. I lied to you.”
Corvin appeared to be confused. Will, not so much. “Oh! You worked at the Boudoir. That’s how Peter met you. Makes a lot of sense. Also explains why you’re so pretty. You probably did really well. Everyone up there is really nice and easy to talk to.”
“Thanks. I guess?”
The elevator opened. “You were a sex worker,” Corvin said, sounding halfway between excited and curious. Either was a lot better than what Theo had feared.
Carl came over, holding the elevator door open. “Hey, fellas. Everything all right here?” He nodded at Will in silent acknowledgment.
Corvin pointed at him. “You didn’t give him away at all. Shit, I’m being insensitive, aren’t I? Theo, I’m not judging. I actually think sex work is really interesting, and I’d love to know more about it.”
Carl eyed them all in that way he had when he was waiting for a signal from an employee. Ready to escalate or deescalate, depending on what the employee needed.
Will stepped forward. “Corvin’s my friend, you know. He’s actually really fun.”
Carl nodded. “I could tell.”
Corvin sighed. “Did I fuck up bad here? Carl, you’re sort of glaring at me.”
“His face just looks like that,” Theo said, then turned to Carl. “It’s a good face, don’t get me wrong.” Carl frowned, and Theo groaned. “Okay, sorry. I stepped right into that. Shit. Carl, if you want to come to brunch with us, I’m buying.”
Will looked at Theo, then back at Carl. “I like that idea. You should come with us.” Then he lowered his gaze and frowned. Theo wasn’t sure what to do with that.
Carl snorted. “Is that because your man is still upstairs and you don’t want him to walk past me without you glued to his side? Pup, you know that’s you acknowledging—”
Will straightened and all but glared at Carl. “No! It’s not. Sage is mine.”
He struck a pose, right there in the elevator. Theo and Corvin exchanged a look. Carl cackled.
“Pup, you’re making the humans think you’re weird.” He looked at Theo. “I’ll call upstairs and clear it with the boss. Friendly gathering, right?”
Theo shrugged. “Sure.”
Carl nodded and called Celeste. It didn’t take very long. He put his phone back into the inside pocket of his suit. “She says it’s fine. You fellas have anything specific in mind?”
“I have a list.” Corvin pulled out his phone. “Here, see? El Sol. Spanish food. Is everyone okay with that?”
“I’ve never had Spanish food.” Will sounded like a kid confessing that he’d never had chocolate.
Carl huffed. “You’ll like it, pup. I’m good with Spanish. Theo?”
“Yup, fine with me too. Do we take the tram?”
Carl pulled his car keys out of his suit pocket. “Nope. Follow me.”