Page 28 of The Devil's Waltz

Adrianna, from what I’ve been able to gather, is another of Camille’s non-hunter friends.

“Xander, you should come, too,” Phoebe chimes in cheerfully, making Camille’s pulse jump.

I can’t decipher if she’s excited or scared by the invitation, though I don’t feel dark ripples of fear coming from her. Perhaps it’s something to discuss when her friends aren’t around. Maybe she didn’t want to invite me, in which case, I have more work to do than I thought.

I offer a polite smile. “Sounds fun.”

“Oh, it will be,” Phoebe assures me, resting her elbows on the table and her chin atop her hands. “So, tell us about yourself, Xander.”

I was prepared for this, so I smile easier, relaxing into the booth. “What would you like to know?”

Her eyes flick to Camille, then back to me. “Let’s do a little rapid fire.”

I chuckle. “Sure.”

“Is that really necessary?” Camille asks, her cheeks pink.

Phoebe nods. “Absolutely. He has to pass the friend test if he wants to spend more time with you.”

My date groans, and I pat her knee. “It’s okay. I’m happy to let your friends learn about me. Just like I want to learn about them.”

“Good answer,” Phoebe says with a grin.

Grayson offers me a sympathetic look and slides his fingers into the back of his girlfriend’s hair. As she gears up to start her interrogation, he turns his attention to her, his expression affectionate.

The first question is simple. “Age?”

“Twenty-five.”

“Are you in school?”

“I am.”

“What are you studying?”

“Philosophy.”

“What year?”

“Third.”

She purses her lips as she considers what to ask next. “How’d you meet Cami?”

I feel Camille stiffen next to me, and brush my thumb back and forth over her knee in an attempt to calm her. “We met at Hallowed Grounds.” It’s not a lie, and considering these friends don’t know about demons, omitting that part of how we met feels natural.

“A little coffee shop meet-cute?” Grayson says in a teasing voice as he glances over at Camille.

She laughs softly. “Yeah, kinda.”

Phoebe sits back, seemingly satisfied with my answers. “Okay…I guess you can stay.” She finally cracks a smile at me.

Camille noticeably relaxes.

She genuinely cares what her friends think of me, and her response makes me think she hasn’t introduced many guys to them, if any.

Perhaps I’ve made good progress with her after all.

I attempt to show the same interest by asking the same questions of the couple, learning that they’re both sophomores, like Camille. Phoebe is also in political science, while Grayson is studying business.

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