Nina tucked her feet under herself and watched me light another candle. The face mask had finally given up and was hanging off one cheek.
“So what happened with Greg?”
I groaned. “Do we have to ruin the vibe?”
“You threw a stapler at management.”
“I threw it near management.”
“That might be worse.”
I dropped onto the floor beside the coffee table with the wine bottle in one hand.
“He told me I wasn’t a ‘team player’.”
“You threatened him with office supplies.”
“He told me my attitude was affecting the office.”
She considered that for a second.
“Good.”
“That’s what I said.”
“…Okay that one’s fair.”
“THANK you.”
The lights flickered.
Both of us glanced up before the lights steadied again. Neither of us spoke for a second.
Finally Nina frowned. “Did you pay the electric bill?”
“…Probably.”
“Eva.”
“What? The bill and I are taking some time apart.”
The lights flickered again, lingering long enough to make the apartment dim for several seconds before brightening once more. Somewhere near the kitchen, something buzzed softly.
I sat up straighter.
“That one felt dramatic.”
Nina tightened her grip on the phone. “Okay, wait.”
The candle flames shifted. Every one of them leaned inward at the same time, drawn toward the center of the circle as though responding to something neither of us could see. Even the faint hum from the refrigerator disappeared.
I laughed first. “Okay. That’s a little concerning.”
Nina pointed at the candles. “I told you this was demonic.”
“It’s probably wind.”
“All the windows are closed.”
