Page 49 of The Bleak Beginning

If only it were that simple. A ghost would be easier to deal with than him.

I was still finding specks of glitter on my skin days later.

Alfie’s gait is as confident as ever, each step purposeful as he navigates between tables. I silently pray he’s just here to grab a quick meal and will veer off toward the food counter. But no such luck. He’s heading straight for us, that familiar crooked smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

“Ladies,” Alfie greets us, bending forward dramatically and pulling off his oversized hat before righting himself.

I swear he hesitates as he takes in who’s sitting across from me before he recovers smoothly. Or at least smoothly for him.

“Alfie,” I manage the one word, my voice sounding strained. Sutton’s gaze darts between us, her brow furrowing in suspicion.

“Fancy seeing you here,” he says, his gaze fixed on me.

I force a smile, feeling anything but pleasant. “Yeah, what are the odds?”

Sutton clears her throat, clearly annoyed at being left out of the conversation. “Do you two know each other?”

Before I can fumble through an explanation, Alfie’s face lights up with that mischievous grin I now know all too well. “We go way back, don’t we?” He winks at me, and I can already feel the headache forming. I can only imagine what Sutton must be thinking.

“Mind if I join you lovely ladies?”

Before I can protest, he’s already pulling up a chair, wedging himself between Sutton and me.

“Actually, we were just leaving,” I blurt out, half-rising from my seat to hopefully escape before he tries to pull a rabbit out of his hat.

“Nonsense,” Alfie says, waving a hand dismissively. “The night is still young.”

Sutton shoots me a bewildered look, clearly not on board with my sudden desire to leave. “We were? I’d prefer to wait out the rain.”

When had the rain started coming down so hard? The soft drops of before now pelted the windows.

I sink back into my seat, realizing there’s no easy escape from this situation. Sutton’s curiosity is piqued, and Alfie seems determined to stir up trouble.

Alfie leans back in his chair, a self-satisfied smirk playing on his lips. “Well then, seems we have time for a proper catch-up, eh?”

I shoot him a warning glare, but he either doesn’t notice or chooses to ignore it.

“So, Alfie,” Sutton leans in, her voice dripping with curiosity. “How exactly do you and Alex here know each other?”

She was completely convinced that those letters were meant for him. Yeah right.

His grin widens, and I brace myself for whatever outlandish tale he’s about to spin. “It’s quite the story,” he begins. “You see,we met while I was trying to help her in the mailroom, she was having difficulty with sending a letter, so I used my magic…”

“Magic?” Sutton asks.

I groan, and Sutton’s eyes flick my way.

“Yeah!” he says excitedly. “Want to see some? I’ve been working on a new trick.”

“No!” I say, a bit too forcefully. Sutton’s eyebrows shoot up at my outburst. “I mean, maybe another time,” I add, trying to sound casual. “Why don’t we just…chat for now?”

Before I can stop him, Alfie reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a deck of cards. My stomach drops immediately.

“Alfie, I really don’t think—” I start, but he’s already fanning out the cards with a flourish.

“Pick a card, any card,” he announces to Sutton, who looks equal parts amused and bewildered.

Hesitantly, she reaches out and selects one from the middle of the deck. As she goes to look at it, Alfie dramatically clears his throat.

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