Page 20 of Curse of the Wolf
“I think he prefers it when I don’t,” I said.
“Correct,” Bolin said.
“Any news on the apartment sale?” I asked to change the subject, though we fortunately did not have a long drive back.
“My mom sent over a list of things that she and Dad would like done in the next week or so, ideally before the inspection that will precede the sale.”
“The sale that’s a ruse and won’t happen? Send me the list.” I didn’t believe for a second that an actual sale would come out of Abrams and Radomir’s offer, whether on paper or not, but someone would buy the place eventually. Again, I hoped my wounds healed quickly, especially the throbbing arm and ribs. I refused to ask for any time off work.
Bolin opened his mouth, presumably to continue the conversation, but we’d pulled into the lot and he blurted, “Is that Jasmine’s car?”
“The little hatchback?” I leaned forward, spotting it. “Yes. Maybe her father was able to look up that license plate.”
That probably wasn’t what had brought her. She could have texted me the address if that was all that was up.
“I didn’t think she’d come here so soon.” Bolin sounded excited but also nervous, and he rushed to scrape his fingers through his hair and look at himself in the rearview mirror.
“Didyouinvite her over?” I asked.
“Yeah. I want to ask her on a date, and I thought it might go better if I do it in person.”
“Because she’ll be less likely to reject you to your face?”
“That’s what I’m hoping. But I said… Uhm, I might have gotten her to come by using… implying… Well, it’s not really a false pretense. It’strue.” On that vague note, Bolin parked and turned off the car.
Jasmine stood by the staff spots and waved at us. Bolin slid out.
I looked into the back seat, wondering how much the car doors blocked Duncan’s nudity from outside viewers. And mine for that matter. I wore his jacket but remained naked from the waist down. And Duncan might as well have been Michelangelo’sDavidback there.
Jasmine wouldn’t be surprised or perturbed by our states, but numerous tenants were coming and going from the parking lot. We would need an opportune moment to head to my apartment or Duncan’s van.
“Hi, Bolin,” Jasmine said. “How come you couldn’t tell me about the networking opportunity over the phone?”
Ah, that was the false pretense.
“Because of Luna.” Bolin pointed at me.
I rolled down the window, curious how I would play into him asking for a date. Chilly air swept in, curling around my bare legs.
“She may also be interested in going to a networking event,” Bolin said. “In case… Well, the buyers who put in the offer didn’t appear eager to work with her, so she may also be looking for new employment soon.”
“Alas, true,” I murmured.
“You don’t want to work for Radomir anyway,” Duncan said from the back seat. “He’s a tyrant and makes you drink unpalatable potions.”
“I drank an unpalatable potion foryou.”
“Not because you work for me and I ordered it. It was voluntary, presumably because you pined for me in my absence and were thus moved to great sacrifice. You had to ensure I would return to your life.”
“I was pining for you,” I said.
“I assumed.”
“I did suggest that Luna and I could go networking together.” Jasmine nodded at me. “Then we could talk each other up.”
“An excellent idea,” Bolin said.
I wanted to gag, more at the idea ofnetworkingthan going somewhere with Jasmine and talking her up. The thought of job hunting after so many years of not needing to… It filled me with greater anxiety than battling werewolves or facing rifles loaded with silver bullets.
