Took you long enough, his expression drawls villainously. Were you too busy finishing the last season of Bridgerton without me?
“Know what, pal? I’m not a huge fan of you right now either.”
I detest him for this attitude. And, in fact, yes, I should have stayed home and finished watching a series instead of coming here to fetch him. I lower the pet carrier I brought with me to the floor and jerk my chin toward it.
“Party’s over, pal. Get inside.”
Loki continues staring at me, not moving one inch. I step toward him.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Dominic cautions from behind me. “If he found a way into my apartment through the balcony, he may try to find his way out and injure himself.”
He has a point. Dominic lives on the ninth floor.
“Do you always think of everything?” I turn to him.
“Only ninety percent of the time.” He turns around and starts walking in the opposite direction. “Wait here.”
Dominic disappears inside his kitchen and reappears holding a can of tuna. He makes a show of cracking it open. I watch as Loki’s eyes sharpen comically. Dominic tucks the tuna can into the pet carrier by his couch. “Make yourself comfortable, EverlynneL. I’ll get you some coffee and we can annihilate that box of doughnuts. Once Loki breaks and gets inside, you can close it.”
Genius move. I nod, thanking him quietly. He wastes no time flipping the switch on his coffee machine.
“How do you like yours?” His voice carries from the kitchen.
“Two sugars, infinite amount of cream, cinnamon if you have it. I basically like my cream with a little coffee in it.”
“I knew I was getting heathen vibes from you.” He laughs.
I take a seat on the edge of his couch and watch Loki, who is staring at his pet carrier, licking his lips. He is definitely tempted. Dominic comes back with two cups of coffee. He puts mine on a coaster. Wow. That’s a grown-up move. How old is this guy, anyway?
He flips the doughnut box open, takes a glazed one, and stuffs the whole thing into his mouth.
“So!” he says brightly.
“So. How old are you?” I take a sip of my coffee. I don’t mind prying about his age. Pippa and Nora have told me that I couldn’t flirt my way out of a paper bag. Apparently, I’m hopeless when it comes to seduction.
“Just turned twenty-nine. How ’bout you?”
“Twenty-four.” I lift my mug up in the air. “Happy belated birthday.”
“Thanks for not saying what you’re thinking.”
I fight a smile. “And what exactly is it that I’m thinking?”
“That I’m an old fart.”
“Don’t know about the fart part.”
That makes him laugh. He is easily entertained.
“What do you do in life, EverlynneL?” He sprawls back on the recliner I saw in the picture he sent me. He is far enough away from me to indicate that he is, indeed, not a creeper.
“Call me Ever. And I’m a guide for the Salem Night Tour and a part-time cashier at a witchcraft store. What do you do in life, DominicG?”
“Then you may refer to me as Dom. And I’m a nurse practitioner. I work for the local hospital. The pediatric oncology clinic, specifically.”
“Wow, Dom,” I say, actually smiling now.
“Thanks, Lynne.” He winks. “I want to feel special.”
I don’t like the name Lynne for myself, but what does it matter? It’s not like we’ll ever meet again. He can call me Prudence for all I care.
All this time, I was worried he was a murderer, when he saves kids’ lives for a living, while I tell bored tourists spooky tall tales. The one meaningful thing that used to define me—designing gravestones—I no longer do. Not since . . . well, never mind. I just don’t. My contribution to this world is raising an ungrateful cat who apparently doesn’t even want to be mine. I feel inadequate next to this dude.
“Now I feel guilty for giving you crap,” I say. “Sorry for being an ass in our chat.”
“Well, then you’re in luck.” He takes a sip of his coffee.
“Why?” I frown.
“Because I’m an ass man.”
I burst out laughing, which never, ever happens anymore.
We talk a little more. I tell him I’m originally from San Francisco. He’s never been. He tells me he was born and raised in Massachusetts and has lived here his whole life. That he wanted to find a job in Cambridge, but ultimately, Salem’s general hospital had an opening, and he couldn’t be picky after graduating.