Page 42 of The Pumpkin Spice Romance
Sometimes, I wondered if my gift was just a prank from whatever gods were out there.
I’d spent the previous night tossing and turning and trying to pretend like I had more emotional maturity than a twelve-year-old. But I’d woken up this morning and realized that while I could pretend all I wanted, the reality was that I definitely didn’t.
I clipped another plant and put it in my basket, then headed back to my office as if I were doing normal stuff and not waiting desperately for a message from aboy.
Then I sat at my desk with my phone in front of me. When it went off, I still jumped like I hadn’t known it was coming.
Hey. I feel like I handled that badly. I shouldn’t have started questioning you. Can I come by the shop? I want to talk.
I stared at the message. That was polite and kind. Just like Felix always was in person. I felt some of the tension in my shoulders release. Then, a second message came through.
Also, I haven’t been to any coffee shops today, and I may be going into withdrawals. I need a Maddie fix.
I blinked in delight at that message.
I meant coffee. I need a coffee fix.
I giggled happily. That was precisely the kind of clarity and Freudian slips I wanted in my life. I hesitated and then typed in a response.
Deja Brew serves the best coffee and Maddie’s. And yes, I would like to talk.
My heart rate was up as I nervously hit send. Was I really going to tell Felix about my visions? It felt like I ought to. If I really wanted anything to happen with him, then I had to tell him the truth. I couldn’t live my life like some sort of Hannah Montana episode – running around and pretending I was someone I wasn’t. He had the right to know that if he was dating me, he was signing up for random messages from the future and total insanity. That wasifhe wanted to date me.
I stared at my phone, willing it to make further words.
I’ll be over soon.
Oh. Soon. Uh. . .
I began rifling through my drawers and then sprinted to the employee bathroom with my armful of toiletries. I hadn’t bothered to do makeup, and my hair was pretending it was in a bun. If Felix did want to date, then I wanted to look hot, and if he didn’t, then I wanted the armor of makeup to help me maintain my dignity. There probably wasn’t anything I could do about the hair, though.
Fifteen minutes later, I was primped, prepped, and ready to take on my future.
FELIX
I took a deep breath as I approached Deja Brew. I had tossed and turned half the night, trying to decide what to do. If Maddie really did have a magical gift, that put her right in my available mate dating pool. And that was exciting. And terrifying. It would mean telling her about me. What if she didn’t like me enough to deal with shedding season?
I walked in just as Maddie emerged from her office. She looked amazing. I really did love messy bun days. She pointed toward the side door, and I met her over there. It felt like we were meeting for a secret rendezvous as she pulled me through the side door to the empty outdoor seating area. The chairs were neatly stacked against the wall and secured with ropes. I couldn’t tell if it was in case of theft or wind. She shut the door and came to join me on the patio.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey.”
We stared at each other.
“We should probably talk about the thing,” she said, clearing her throat nervously.
“We don’t have to if you don’t want to,” I said. “It’s your thing. If you don’t feel comfortable talking about it, that’s OK.”
“My friends know, but I don’t usually tell new people.”
“People can get weird about that kind of thing,” I said, thinking of the last time I’d had to tell someone I was a Shifter.
“Yes! And then they call me crazy!”
“I don’t think you’re crazy,” I said.
“I’m not, but I know sometimes things can be chaotic around me because, well, because the things I see are important. I know they’re small things, but small things can have a big impact. But some people are embarrassed to hang out with me because I’m not always normal.”
