Page 15 of Witches and Wine
Chelsea shrugged and snatched her tan purse resting on the desk. “Sure. I can schmooze just about anywhere.” A confident smile graced her lips, and the sight of it made me want to wrap my hand around the back of her neck, pull her to me, and finish what we’d started at her doorway earlier.
“I bet you can. Think this is the first time I’ll get to witness themagic, so to speak, huh?” Walking to the door, I held it open for her.
“It isn’t magic, Dion, just experience,” she responded, her eyes sparking to life as she got into publicist mode.
Or itwasmagic. Time will tell.
We’d ordered coffee and slunk into a corner booth at the back of the diner. I opted to sit on the same side as her because I sure as shit didn’t want Apollothatclose to her. Chelsea had her hands wrapped around her mug, her fingernails rhythmically tapping against it. Her gaze was fixed on the door, and if she had an ounce of nervousness about her, she didn’t show it.
My phone buzzed, and I lifted the screen, peeking at the preview of a text message.
Dick Head
I’m here.
Sighing and resting my phone back down, I nudged Chelsea’s arm. “He’s here.”
“Wait, are you two on texting terms? Is this someone you know personally?” Chelsea’s eyes lit up, undoubtedly piecing it together bit by bit. She knew I was a Greek god with a huge family.
I’d have answered her, but the sound of the door chiming garnered her attention, and her hands flattened on the table. “Dion, is that Ace? As inApolloof Apollo’s Suns?”
Fuck me.
“You know that band?” I flippantly asked.
Chelsea zipped her spine straight and quickly combed her fingers through her hair. “I’m a woman. Of course, I do.”
Of course, she did.
“Dion,” Apollo shouted from the entrance, waving at us with an emphatic raised hand. His ridiculously white teeth glintedwhen he smiled, grabbing the attention of the three other customers in the restaurant.
Rolling my eyes, I slouched in the seat, pretending for the moment that I didn’t know him.
Chelsea stood and tugged on the bottom of her jacket, immediately extending a hand once Apollo approached us. “Ace, it’s an honor to meet you and even more of an honor that you’re considering me as your publicist.”
The smile had yet to fade from Apollo’s tanned face. He tossed some of that light blonde mop on his head that he called hair from his eyes before shaking her hand. “Pleasure is all mine, Miss Stewart. Dion here had nothing but good things to say about you. And you can call me Apollo. We’re all family here, right?” Apollo winked at me before taking a seat across from us.
I fought every compulsion not to kick his shin underneath the table.
“I—alright. I guess youareaware of my ties with your brothers and knowing theirtrueselves, huh?” Chelsea sat and removed an e-tablet from her purse, quickly inputting the PIN code to unlock the screen.
Apollo drummed his fingers on the table before rubbing the sun pendant hanging to his chest between two fingers. He looked like he’d just come from a damn concert wearing only a metallic gold vest and fucking leather pants. “And your sister, right?”
Chelsea perked up. “That’s right.” She laughed and opened a screen with typed-up notes. “I’m sure you’re a very busy man, Apollo, so I don’t wish to keep you long, but I did have one question.”
“Only one?” Apollo stretched his arms over the booth’s back, and he kept glancing between me and Chelsea, still grinning.
“I figured a musician of your caliber would already have a publicist?”
Apollo nodded. “I did and unfortunately had to let him go last week.”
Chelsea’s fingers flew as she typed on the touch screen. “I’m sorry to hear that. May I ask why?”
“I guess I came to realize that someone like me—what I am—needed more of a—” Apollo waved his hands around, his bottom lip sticking out like he was thinking of the proper word. “—special touch.”
Heat prickled my neck, and I sat forward, pressing my elbows into the table so harshly I dented it.
“Special? Oh, you mean you prefer having a female publicist?”
