“Don’t touch her!”
Asher disappeared from my grip and reappeared behind me. I turned to grab him again, but he shoved me hard enough to send me tumbling over the wall.
“Stop it, you emotionally stunted potato,” he grumbled.
This wasn’t the first time he’d called me emotionally stunted, but the potato comment was new and helped me shake off the rage.
“Sorry I grabbed you,” I said, stepping back over the wall and sitting back down. “She’s special. I, uh, feel strongly about her.”
Asher snorted. “No doubt. How long have you been lurking around her? Have you tried speaking to her? I’ve found that humans are generally much easier to get to know when you talk to them.”
I flashed an ancient insulting gesture at Asher, making him laugh.
“I talked to her,” I said. It had only been a few words during that first night, but I considered them important.
She also talked to me sometimes at night or when she was alone. At least I think she was talking to me. She spoke into the air, but it had to be to me.
Yes, she was definitely talking to me.
“I bet you said two words and consider that an entire conversation,” Asher teased. “You need to read more poetry.”
“What does poetry have to do with this?” I asked.
“The fact that you don’t know makes me sad enough to feed Sorrow,” Asher lamented dramatically.
“Sometimes you don’t make any sense,” I grumbled.
“Even though you turned me down for the art exhibit, I’m going to help you,” Asher declared. He turned and walked to theshop. I tried to grab him, but he disappeared and reappeared at the door.
Damn it! I was running across the parking lot, but he was already entering the store. He cast me a laughing grin before walking inside.
I wasn’t ready to interact with Willow yet. I still didn’t have enough information. I wasn’t prepared!
Instead of rushing through the door after Asher, I ducked around the back of the strip mall. There was a vent I could easily enter her shop through.
By the time I was floating in the shop, Asher was already charming Willow.
“Really, you met someone that looks like me?” Asher said, casting a quick glance up to where I was floating against the ceiling. “I’m sure he wasn’t as nicely dressed or handsome.”
Willow laughed, but I could tell it was a little forced. It made me feel better to know that Asher, even with all his charm, wasn’t pulling a genuine reaction from Willow.
“Are you looking for something?” Willow asked. “I don’t really carry stuff for men your size.”
“Sweetheart,” Asher said, opening his jacket to show off his matching vest, complete with pocket watch he’d bought brand new a hundred years ago. “No one carries clothing my size. Even my underwear has to be tailored.”
“Right,” Willow said with a nod, clearly not amused. “So it was nice to meet you, but I guess there’s nothing here for you.”
If I was in my human form, I would’ve laughed. Asher’s charm rarely failed. It was fun to watch Willow be completely unaffected.
“There are plenty of things here that I’m interested in,” Asher said.
Willow stiffened. “Oh?”
When he realized his flirting wasn’t working, Asher changed tactics. I watched his face morph into one of sincerity.
“There’s a woman in my life I like. I was thinking I could buy her a few things. What would you recommend?”
“What does she like?” Willow asked.
