I didn’t smile back. His perceptiveness – as well as his bluntness – was disconcerting, but when I shot him a guarded look, it only had his lips pressing in a straight line, like he was having a hard timenotlaughing.
Paul nodded towards the counter, where a red-faced Mr. P was bellowing orders to his kitchen. “You’ve known Pan for a long time, haven’t you?”
I nodded warily.
“And do you trust him?”
“I do.” Every neophyte had an undercover CIA agent assigned to him or her in case of emergency requests, and that was Mr. P for me.
“Then if Pan vouches for me, you will trust me, too, yes?” Paul didn’t wait for an answer, and his long-legged stride had him reaching the counter in a few moments. I watched him speak to the diner’s owner, his commanding height allowing him to stand toe to toe with the satyr even with his chef’s hat on.
So what did that make him, I wondered absently.Six-three? Six-four?
When Paul returned to my side, Nix was with him, and the younger girl was wearing her usual mischievous smile. “Hey, Blair. Pan asked that I take the two of you to the private room.” Her smile widened at my visible bemusement. “So if you’d follow me, please?” But I didn’t really have a choice, with Nix already curling an arm around mine as she dragged me with her.
“Since when did Panda’s have a private room?” I asked under my breath. I had been eating here almost every day since moving into town, and the diner wasn’t that large a place I could’ve missed noticing an extra room.
“From the very start,” was Nix’s cheerful reply. “Now, your turn. Are you and our regular mystery guy dating now?”
“Nix!” I almost tripped on my feet. “We are not dating.”
“Then he must be into you at least.” Nix’s tone was gleeful. “Why else would he ask to have dinner with you at the private room?”
I shook my head stubbornly even as my stupid bewitched heart skipped another beat at Nix’s words. Could it be true? Was it possible that—-
“Wait a minute.”
I stopped dead in my tracks and forced Nix to a halt beside me when I realized where she was taking us.
“Why are we here?”
She had taken us to the far end of the diner, straight to the narrow hallway that led to the diner’s restrooms.
“Relax, Blair. This is where the private room is.” She glanced at Paul over her shoulder. “Shall you do the honors, sir?”
“Certainly, milady.” Paul’s gallant drawl perfectly matched Nix’s tone, but I wasn’t impressed. I had a feeling both of them were having fun at my expense.
Paul walked past us to rap his fist on the wall thrice, and a gasp escaped me as a second later, an arched doorway appeared in front of us, revealing a cozy but elegant French country dining space with red stucco walls and limestone flooring. A crystal chandelier hung over a two-seater table, and across it was a fireplace, with its crackling fire adding an almost musical element to the air.
Walking back, Paul offered me his arm, and Nix relinquished her hold with flourish, saying with mock seriousness, “Please take care of milady, sir.”
“Oh, for Cronos’ sake.” But I was laughing and breathless as Paul winked at me before giving Nix his assurance in a deep, solemn voice.
Paul placed my hand on his arm, and my heart skipped a beat at the heat of his touch. I cast another look at our surroundings as he walked us to the table. Every inch of this place was wonderfully romantic, and I could see why it would lead Nix into thinking Paul was interested in me.
As Paul and I took our seats, Nix gestured to the wall-mounted chalkboard facing our table and told us about its spell-activated properties. “This is an interactive display so speak to it as you would with a regular server. You could ask for the menu, for instance, and you’ll see our regular items and private-room specials on the board.” As she spoke, the diner’s menu flashed on the board in beautiful, cursive handwriting.
“You can also have the board double up as a window.” The text vanished, and a steel-framed arch window appeared in replacement to reveal the outside world, with its overcast skies and endless rain.
“Lastly, just click on the board, and it should work as a buzzer. One of the staff will come in to assist you with whatever you need. I think that covers it so—-” Nix stepped back with a smile. “Enjoy your dinner.” As she started to turn away, the younger girl caught my eye—-
Oh no.
—-and winked.
Really, Nix? Really?
I stole a look at Paul’s gorgeous face as the walls closed behind Nix’s retreating form, and the grin on his lips made me want to die in embarrassment. If not for Nix suggesting that Paul could be interested in me, I’d probably have left a long time ago. Panand Nix were being so shamelessly obvious about everything, they might as well have the words She Has a Crush on You stamped on my forehead.
