guffaw to the point that they both almost fell off their chairs. She found herself smiling at their mirth.
Louisa came over, a tight smile on her face. “You guys doing okay?”
Jezebel and Anna managed to get themselves under control and nodded.
“Yup, they’re just being dorks because Brent and I are flirting.” The last bit was blurted out and she waited to see Louisa’s response.
Louisa gave her a genuine smile and her shoulders came down, stress fading away. “Good. He’s a great guy. Hard working, a total sweetheart.” Someone called Louisa’s name and she groaned. “Gotta go.”
“Good grief, it’s almost ten and it’s still packed in here. Maybe we should have kept the shop open a bit longer?” Anna looked at both Carissa and Jezebel, and she nibbled on her bottom lip.
Jezebel shrugged. “No worries. We’ll keep the shop open later than usual tomorrow. Tonight, we relax.”
Their second course arrived, and Brent rushed off with an apology. “Sorry, can’t stay. Some clubbers have come in and they’re a bit rowdy. This night needs to end now .”
A pang of regret hit Carissa. The restaurant was becoming chaotic. Louisa and Brent rushed around going from table-to-table while people kept coming into the main dining room. It didn’t look like they would be able to spend any more time together, except for those in-between moments while he delivered food, cleared plates and took orders.
“On second thought, I’m glad we didn’t keep the store open. Can you imagine dealing with all that?” Anna shook her head. “Don’t need that headache, not in the least. I would spell the whole place to calm down but I don’t want the backlash from the Witch’s Council.”
A cry went up as a man got into a headstand and seemed to be drinking out of a large cup. Carissa could only shake her head. A sense of claustrophobia began to creep up on her. There were just too many people and too little space. She shifted in her chair and tried to relax. Drinking more wine seemed to help, but she wouldn’t be able to drive home at this rate. With a sigh of reluctance, she pushed away her glass and picked up her water.
Jez frowned. “What’s wrong?”
For the first time since she met Jez, Carissa envied her friend. Vampires weren’t that affected by alcohol. Werewolves metabolized it at half the rate that humans did, but it would still take time to sober up, and she had no desire to stay here with all the revelers. The decibel level increased as the music volume was turned up and people got on the dance floor. Carissa watched some young people doing the latest moves, while others just did whatever they wanted. It would all be amusing if she didn’t think that it could lead to a fight. She winced as one dancer began to punch the air all around him, barely missing his fellow dancers.
Carissa dove into her salad and sighed in pleasure as the tartness of the fruit and crispness of the baby spinach rolled over her taste buds. “Mmm, delicious,” she said around a mouth of food.
Once, she looked up to find Brent glancing in her direction. She gave him a nod of approval. Tension filled her just looking at him. All around him, people were barely behaving. More keg stands were going on and more dancers were hitting the floor. Louisa looked like she was going to shift at any minute. Agitation swirled on the air, and tugged at Carissa’s wolf. It wanted to shift too, and stop whatever it was that was causing the irritation.
Elemental forces danced on the atmosphere. She could taste the smoke and the tang of metal, but under it all was the soothing calm of water, clean, cool, and safe. She latched onto that feeling and looked over at Brent once more, gratefully. The wolf backed off, but only by a bit. She focused on her food again, taking great pleasure in every bite, alternating between her wine and water.
By the time Brent was able to get back to them, it was almost eleven, and Carissa was feeling the call of a
Louisa came over, a tight smile on her face. “You guys doing okay?”
Jezebel and Anna managed to get themselves under control and nodded.
“Yup, they’re just being dorks because Brent and I are flirting.” The last bit was blurted out and she waited to see Louisa’s response.
Louisa gave her a genuine smile and her shoulders came down, stress fading away. “Good. He’s a great guy. Hard working, a total sweetheart.” Someone called Louisa’s name and she groaned. “Gotta go.”
“Good grief, it’s almost ten and it’s still packed in here. Maybe we should have kept the shop open a bit longer?” Anna looked at both Carissa and Jezebel, and she nibbled on her bottom lip.
Jezebel shrugged. “No worries. We’ll keep the shop open later than usual tomorrow. Tonight, we relax.”
Their second course arrived, and Brent rushed off with an apology. “Sorry, can’t stay. Some clubbers have come in and they’re a bit rowdy. This night needs to end now .”
A pang of regret hit Carissa. The restaurant was becoming chaotic. Louisa and Brent rushed around going from table-to-table while people kept coming into the main dining room. It didn’t look like they would be able to spend any more time together, except for those in-between moments while he delivered food, cleared plates and took orders.
“On second thought, I’m glad we didn’t keep the store open. Can you imagine dealing with all that?” Anna shook her head. “Don’t need that headache, not in the least. I would spell the whole place to calm down but I don’t want the backlash from the Witch’s Council.”
A cry went up as a man got into a headstand and seemed to be drinking out of a large cup. Carissa could only shake her head. A sense of claustrophobia began to creep up on her. There were just too many people and too little space. She shifted in her chair and tried to relax. Drinking more wine seemed to help, but she wouldn’t be able to drive home at this rate. With a sigh of reluctance, she pushed away her glass and picked up her water.
Jez frowned. “What’s wrong?”
For the first time since she met Jez, Carissa envied her friend. Vampires weren’t that affected by alcohol. Werewolves metabolized it at half the rate that humans did, but it would still take time to sober up, and she had no desire to stay here with all the revelers. The decibel level increased as the music volume was turned up and people got on the dance floor. Carissa watched some young people doing the latest moves, while others just did whatever they wanted. It would all be amusing if she didn’t think that it could lead to a fight. She winced as one dancer began to punch the air all around him, barely missing his fellow dancers.
Carissa dove into her salad and sighed in pleasure as the tartness of the fruit and crispness of the baby spinach rolled over her taste buds. “Mmm, delicious,” she said around a mouth of food.
Once, she looked up to find Brent glancing in her direction. She gave him a nod of approval. Tension filled her just looking at him. All around him, people were barely behaving. More keg stands were going on and more dancers were hitting the floor. Louisa looked like she was going to shift at any minute. Agitation swirled on the air, and tugged at Carissa’s wolf. It wanted to shift too, and stop whatever it was that was causing the irritation.
Elemental forces danced on the atmosphere. She could taste the smoke and the tang of metal, but under it all was the soothing calm of water, clean, cool, and safe. She latched onto that feeling and looked over at Brent once more, gratefully. The wolf backed off, but only by a bit. She focused on her food again, taking great pleasure in every bite, alternating between her wine and water.
By the time Brent was able to get back to them, it was almost eleven, and Carissa was feeling the call of a
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