Chloe
“I’monmyway to see Jesse for coffee,” Chloe said as she held the phone to her ear. “How are you?”
“Horrible,” Julia said. “I’ve got back-to-back tour groups all weekend, and I’ve got to finish Jude’s costume for the school play. He’s an octopus. Do you know how many legs that is?”
Chloe laughed. “I’ll come round and pick it up,” she said. “I can finish it off for you.”
“I can’t let you do that!” Julia said. “I know how busy you are.”
“You can and will,” Chloe insisted. “I’m nearly finished with my dress for the awards. I need a new project. Come on, let me!”
“Speaking of projects,” Julia said slyly. “How did our favourite vampire like his pocket square?”
Chloe bit her lip. “He loved it,” she said, but when Julia let out an excited squeal, she rushed on. “But don’t get too excited. He pretty much told me he doesn’t do serious relationships.”
“What?” Julia sounded shocked. “What happened?”
Chloe explained how Maxwell – post-coital, no less – had told her about the witch who had cursed him. How he didn’t understand why she had expected anything more from him than casual sex. How hearing that had made her feel. Not that she had shared those feelings with Maxwell, of course.
“Okay, so he hasn’t really done long term in the past,” Julia said thoughtfully. “But that doesn’t mean he’s not serious about you! I mean, he’s gaga about you. Totally smitten. Come on, doesn’t he keep telling you that you’re amazing? Like nobody else he’s ever met?”
“Yes,” Chloe said slowly. “But you know how charming he is. I think he’s just telling me what I want to hear. Or what he thinks he should say.”
“You don’t know that,” Julia pointed out. “He could just as well be totally sincere.”
Chloe made a non-comital noise. “Look, it is what it is,” she said. “I’m enjoying being with him. I’m not going to mess it up by insisting we have some big talk about defining our relationship or the future.”
“You should if it’s making you anxious.”
“It’s not making me anxious.” And that was a giant whopper of a lie. Chloe was finding it hard to think about anything else. Did she mean more to Maxwell than the thousands of women he had been with before?
Julia snorted. “Sure it’s not,” she said. “I think you should talk to him. He’ll tell you he’s crazy about you, and you’ll ride off into the sunset. Well, maybe not sunset. Moonlight.”
Chloe laughed in spite of herself. “Maybe,” she said. “Look, I’ve got to go; I’m at Well Bean.”
“Say hi to Jesse for me,” Julia said. “And don’t feel obliged with that costume, really.”
“Those legs are mine,” Chloe said sternly. “No arguments.”
She ended the call and pushed open the door of the coffee shop. Jesse was already seated, and he waved to her, grinning. He pointed at a cup already set across the table from him.
“Hey, Chlo,” he said, his grin widening as she sat down. “How are you?”
“Pretty good,” she said. “A whole lot better for not being cursed, you know. How are you?”
“Well, I was having a good morning,” Jesse said, screwing up his face. “Until Kai here—” he tilted his head at the counter where Kai could be seen bent over the espresso machine. “Asked me how I felt about my sister’s new boyfriend.”
Chloe’s cheeks went very pink. Kai hadn’t been at the poker night where she and Maxwell had put on quite a show, but the coffee shop owner knew everyone in town. Clearly, word had gotten around.
“Uh…” she began. “Well, it’s not like I’d use the word boyfriend.”
“Good,” Jesse said darkly. “I mean, I’m not against you having fun. So long as I don’t have to hear about it—” Chloe rolled her eyes at that. “But I don’t think he’s a good fit, not for anything serious.”
And that made Chloe unexpectedly angry. “Why not?” she demanded, wiping cappuccino foam from her upper lip.
Jesse raised his eyebrows. “Thought you said he wasn’t your boyfriend.”
“Well, not yet,” Chloe said evenly. “But we’re…something.”
“Just be careful; that’s all I’m saying,” Jesse held up his hands. “I just don’t think he’s the right guy for you, that’s all.”
“And who would be the right guy?” Chloe asked, rolling her eyes again.
“Not him,” Jesse said firmly. “I mean, I know his type. Handsome, charming, has loads of women—”
“You’re one to talk,” Chloe interrupted. “Made any more friends from Norway?”
“Not the point,” Jesse said. “Actually, maybe it is. I mean, in my position, I’m not looking to settle down any time soon either. And he’s immortal! So, you know, it’s even more complicated. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
Chloe softened. “Thanks,” she said, taking another sip of her cappuccino. “I don’t want to get hurt either, trust me. I’m just enjoying this for what it is.” Again, that was a lie. She was already hurt because she already knew it couldn’t last. And when it did end, well… She didn’t want to think about that.
“So, what’s new with you?” she asked instead. “Any interesting clients?”
Chloe sipped her coffee and listened to Jesse tell her about a man from Sydney with a wart in a very awkward spot that just wouldn’t go away with conventional treatment. But inside, she kept thinking about Maxwell. Did Jesse have a point?