“Wanna grab a bite?”
His smile widened.
Eighteen
FINN DE MORISCO
Tikitorches flickered as the warm breeze caressed my skin, soothing away the final remnants of the Spor. The moon was bright and full, making it feel much earlier than a couple of hours past midnight.
A frazzled, neon-green-haired waitress slid the double cheeseburger in front of me. The thick patties were charred perfectly on the edges, the melted combo of Swiss and American cheeses cascading down its curves. I wriggled one of the sautéed onions free from its cheesy abode and popped it in my mouth. A groan escaped me.
The waitress’s wide hips brushed my shoulder as she leaned over to snatch up my cup. “’Nother root beer, hun?”
I nodded, then swallowed the fries I’d stuffed into my mouth, causing them to burn my throat on the way down. “Actually, no, I’d better not. I’ll just switch to water, if that’s okay.”
Schwint made a face at me from across the table. “Oh, absolutely! Better lay off that root beer! Don’t wanna pollute your system or anything. If you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself ass up on a lazy Susan in the middle of the restaurant.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Just water would be great, thanks!”
The waitress turned and walked away. I held up my arm and raised my voice. “Actually…”
She turned around, a forced-pleasant smile plastered to her face. “Yes, hun?”
“Could you bring a side of mayo when you come back?”
She nodded, then continued on to the next of her tables.
“More mayonnaise?” Schwint grimaced. “The globs gushing from your burger aren’t enough?”
I shook a french fry in his direction. “For the fries.”
He let out a shudder. “Gross.”
Leaning closer, I inspected his dinner. “Salad? Really?”
“I’m not as young as you. I gotta watch my figure!”
I let out a laugh, a french fry particle shooting from my mouth, landing beside his plate. “A dieting fairy. What a shock!”
“I don’t think you’re in any position to judge, young warlock.”
“Still, you bring me to Rascals in the middle of the night and get a salad? I haven’t been here in ages! I’d forgotten how great their burgers are.” As if to emphasize my point, I lifted the burger and took a huge bite. This time, I managed to stop myself before I groaned. I didn’t even think it was a side effect of the Spor. I was pretty sure the burger was just that good.
“You’ll have to watch what you eat one day too, pretty boy.” He forked a mound of leafy greens and dipped them into his side of vinaigrette.
“I’m a pastry chef, remember? Dieting is not in the cards.”
“Good for me. I like my men thick.” He took another bite of salad, then spoke again, mouth full. “Besides all of that, I’m a fairy, remember? We don’t eat meat.”
“You’re vegetarians?”
He sighed. “Again, your lack of knowledge about other supernatural races is rather appalling, no matter how cute you are. Yes, Finn, fairies are vegetarian. As are the nymphs, if you recall. We’re both tied to nature. More the herbivore type of tied to nature—not so much the ravenous lion taking down antelope in the Serengeti.”
“The nymphs eat?” I’d never thought about them having to eat, or do anything other than just be at one with the universe.
“Seriously?”
We lost ourselves to the food for a few minutes, and to Schwint giving me a hard time about my racial self-absorption. Rightly so, it seemed.
