Page 7 of Djinn in Love

Jasper stood next to the table, unmoving. She realized with a jolt that he was waiting for her to sit down before he did. Someone in his life had taught him old-fashioned manners.

Veronica moved to the table, hooking her bag over the back of the other chair. “Hi.”

“Hi, Veronica,” he replied.

She swallowed when he said her name. His voice was warm. So were his eyes. And his emotions were calm. Much calmer than they had been when he came into the office earlier.

He moved around the table to pull out her chair. “I thought this would be best. It will give us a chance to talk and get to know each other.”

“Okay,” she agreed.

He scooted her chair beneath the table when she sat down and picked up the wine from the bucket.

“Do you like white wine?” he asked.

Veronica nodded, watching as he poured them each a glass. Once he tucked the bottle back into the ice bucket, Veronica took a sip. It was delicious. Light, crisp, slightly sweet.

“Do you like it?” he asked as he settled back into his chair.

“Yes. It’s very good.”

He smiled at her, which made him even more handsome. And approachable.

Veronica took another sip of wine, this one much bigger. More of a gulp, really.

Then, he shocked her further by saying, “I had to answer so many questions about myself when I joined Mystical Matchmakers that I feel like you probably know me pretty well now. Especially since we’ve been talking every week. Tell me a little more about yourself.”

“What do you want to know?” she asked, caught off guard.

She thought they would be getting together to discuss the logistics of going to his brother’s wedding. Not talking to each other like this was a real…date.

But it wasn’t a real date. He wanted them to appear as though they’d been dating for a little while, this was just setting up the foundation. Right?

“What do you do for fun?” he asked.

Veronica cleared her throat. Normally, she wouldn’t talk as much about her hobbies on a first date since they were nothing exciting, but, since this wasn’t technically a date, she decided to be one hundred percent honest.

“I like to read. And I like to cook.”

“What’s your favorite thing to cook?” he asked.

“Thai yellow curry.”

Another smile tugged at his mouth. “Spicy. I like that.”

A blush rushed into her cheeks.

“What’s your favorite book?”

Veronica shrugged, feeling a little more comfortable with this subject. “I don’t really have one. It’s usually whatever I’m reading at the time.”

“Okay, what are you reading right now?”

Her blush intensified until her face felt like it was about to melt from the heat.

“Now, I’m really intrigued,” he said, picking up his wineglass.

Hoping to fortify herself, Veronica copied his movement, drinking her own wine.

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