Page 114 of Phobia
“Of course.”
I hit mute and put my hands on my knees, trying to steady my breaths. I’m an in-shape guy, but the adrenaline from her calling me back left me trying to catch my breath.
Once steadied, I said, “Cressida. Are you there?”
“I’m still here. Are you ok? I’m sorry I missed your call. I must’ve just missed it when I stepped outside for a minute.” Her voice was absolutely enchanting. I could listen to her talk all night.
“No, it’s ok. I was…uh…I was wondering if you might want to join me for dinner? It’s just that I wanted to talk to you about some things.” I paused.
“Oh! Um…” It sounded like she didn’t want to.
I rubbed my hand down my face. “Hey, it’s ok. Bad timing. No worries. I know it’s really last minute.”
She laughed lightly. “Silas, that’s not…I wasn’t going to say no.”
“Oh…so you’ll come then?” I’m sure I sounded like some hopeful teenager. Not sure what happened to my voice, but it was an octave higher than usual.
“Of course. I would be happy to join you for dinner. I’ll see you in about an hour. Does that work?”
“That’s perfect. I’ll see you then.”
She was actually coming, which meant I needed to get some dinner ready.
***
Cressida
He called and I thought,Holy shit!It worked!I passed out after the spell, which happens sometimes when things are too intense. I still didn’t quite understand what had happened, but it worked.
I knew I needed to confess to him what I had done, and I knew it might not go over well. He didn’t need to know what happened to me sexually, but I needed to let him know I was guiding him to call me and that it was ok. I knew there was a chance he would be angry, but I didn’t want to keep a secret. Plus, I was his therapist. I couldn’t keep something from him and expect him to open up to me.
I showered and changed into a mid-calf length black flowy dress. I let my hair down to air dry to let my curls hang loose. Makeup has never my thing, so I didn’t bother with that. I asked myself what I was doing. I was his therapist. On the other hand, I was a bruja or witch, and I thought I could help him. There’s rules against anything inappropriate happening, so it needed to be strictly professional. Although, I was started to wonder if I could even help him as a therapist. I thought,if he really is a werewolf, there aren’t any recommended therapy options.
I laughed to myself and stuffed my Grimoire in my bag, along with a few candles and crystals. Even if nothing happened, at least I was prepared.
***
Silas
I grabbed a bottle of Pinot to go with our meal. I didn’t know if she was a big eater, and I didn’t want to make her too much, so I chose Pork Carnitas. She could have one or as many as she’d like. I let out a breath and put everything on the table. It looked elegant enough.
After the table was set, I ran up to my room to change my clothes. I threw on a pair of jeans and a loose, black button up shirt, rolling my sleeves up to just below my elbows. A knock at the door told me it was showtime. I made my way downstairs, unchained the door and pulled it open. Cressida’s beauty took my breath away. Zoom was one thing, but she was even more stunning in person. My breath hitched in my throat.
She had a raised eyebrow and a small smirk on her face. “Silas. Can I come in?”
I felt like such an idiot just standing there staring at her. “Shit. Yeah, I’m sorry. You look great. Come in.” I stepped aside and extended my arm to grant her passage inside toward the dining room.
She looked around and said, “You have a lovely home. It’s warm.”
“Thank you. It’s home and it’s comfortable.” It’s dark. It is a cabin after all. The wood and furnishings are black and brown, and I even have black out curtains to help me sleep. My couch is a deep brown antique leather sofa. Bookshelves line the far wall of my living room. Looking at it just then, I thought,If it weren’t for the spirits, this place would actually be as comfortable as it looks.
I walked over to the record player set between the shelves and put onPatrick Watson, Je te laisserai des mots. It was light and calm. Perfect for conversation while we had dinner.
I walked towards the table and said, “Hice carnitas de puerco.”I made pork carnitas.She nodded and followed me. It was wrong of me to assume she understood Spanish, but I wanted her to know I spoke it without directly saying so. I realized I was trying to impress her and hoped I did. Either way, she understood me perfectly.
I pulled her chair out for her to sit while she said, “Silas, this all looks incredible.Gracias.”
“Thankyou. Would you like some dandelion wine?” I gestured to the bottle.
