“That’s just breakfast. Oh, honey, you haven’tliveduntil you’ve tried it once,” she insisted. “If the South does anything right, it’s biscuits and gravy. Even if the gravy is chocolate. YUM.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the amount of passion she was throwing into her words. “So, I take it your diet’s going on hold again for the holidays?”
“That’s what we have New Year’s resolutions for. Promising ourselves to work off all the holiday weight we put on. And my job is perfect for keeping that promise.” She leaned against the door and watched me as I navigated the parking garage. “Will Mr. Biceps be joining the family for Thanksgiving?”
Shrugging, I turned out onto the road. “He says he’ll be there, but I haven’t seen much of him lately.”
“All the epic-battle-for-the-world stuff keeping him occupied?” she asked, wincing.
“Yeah.” I sighed and brushed my hair back. “And I can’t really say anything because I support what he’s doing, and when I committed to a relationship with him, I committed to his cause. I’m afraid to come off sounding like a whiny girlfriend who isn’t getting enough attention. That’s just pathetic, and I don’t think I’m ready to reach that low yet.”
A hand landed on my arm and I glanced at Sophie, who gave me a sympathetic smile. “Girl, he’s got it bad. I’m sure whatever he’s doing is extremely important, otherwise nothing would be able to keep him away from you.” She cocked her head to the side. “When was the last time you saw him?”
“When he took me to dinner after work, two nights ago.”
She hissed between her teeth. “Ouch. I thought the bakery was closed on Sundays.”
“It is,” I said, grinning. “For ‘religious reasons,’ which is funnier now that I have the whole story. But yeah, he was gone the whole day. I got a couple responses to my texts, but that was about it. To be honest, though, between my classes and the bakery, I haven’t had much time to make for him, either. I’m thinking of dropping school and just managing the bakery full-time.”
Sophie gasped and smacked my arm lightly. “Don’t you dare! You would seriously leave me all alone in that place?” She grasped her chest and slumped in her seat. “Call an ambulance, I’ve been wounded!”
“I’m serious, Sophie.” I shoved her shoulder, trying not to laugh. “I love the bakery, and I think I’m really gonna like my new hires.”
“So they’re doing okay? No extra love in the baked goods?”
I screwed my face up in disgust. “Ew, why’d you have to say it like that?”
She threw her head back and cackled. “I meant magic, you pervert, not baby gravy!”
By the time we pulled up to her gym, we were both breathless with laughter. Sophie had a way of doing that for me. She’d been my rock for two years, and my kick in the ass when I thought my life was falling apart around me. I was going to hate the day I finally worked up the courage to talk to her about moving out.
After Lucifer signed away all his possessions to me, and after I’d talked him down from his potential suicide mission to go after Abaddon alone, I’d kicked up a big fuss and made some adjustments. The bakery, I didn’t mind making him a co-owner of, and I let him have his fancy cars back, but I wouldn’t give up the museum Lucifer called a house. It was payment for all the bullshit. Plus, you know, all the history behind those walls. No way was I letting go of that.
Now it was technically mine, and I was waffling on when, or if, I wanted to move into it.
With him.
“Will you be home tonight?” Sophie asked as she grabbed her bag out of the back.
“Not sure yet,” I answered honestly. “I’ll text you later when I find out.”
She hopped out, but leaned against the seat. “You better. I know where you work, and I ain’t afraid to walk down there.”
“Love you, Soph.”
Making a kissy face at me, she replied, “Love you, too, Red.”
I watched her skip inside, dark halo of curls bouncing, before shifting into reverse and heading down the street. Since Lucifer hadn’t originally intended to have employees, we’d gotten a quote several days ago to tack on an employee parking area in the back. There were barely enough spaces for the tons of customers that came through every day. Until then, I’d resolved to park at mine and Sophie’s apartment building and walk from there.
Even though the air was brisk and the cold had never really bothered me, I still wore a light jacket for the sake of blending in. I had fire running through my veins—a funny coincidence since my father was half Jotunn. Ice would’ve suited me better, genetically speaking, but I couldn’t imagine my fire not being a part of me. And Lucifer didn’t seem to mind, either.
Sam! Get it right!
No matter how many times I reminded myself to use the name he’d given me in the beginning, even in the privacy of my own thoughts, I kept coming back to Lucifer. It should’ve been easier to keep thinking of him as Sam, that way I didn’t accidentally slip up out loud, but it was difficult now that Iknew. Our front end operator, Chloe, and Izumi knew as well, only because they worked closely in dealing with the situation as it affected the Boston and Salem areas. The adorable Kameron had no clue, though, due to his lack of any coven association and general innocence.
He was just so cute, I wanted to pet his head like a puppy. Even if he was a few inches taller than me.
As per usual, the place was packed when I arrived. I snuck in the back door and found my two trainees already there. And to my surprise, so was Lucifer. They were watching intently as he went through the motions slower than usual, showing them his technique while pretending not to train them.
