Page 7 of Under the Dragon's Spell
"I'm sure it'll be fine, honey. He'll take a look at you and forget about all the others. And if he doesn't, he doesn'tdeserve you anyway." She said the last line in her protective big-sister tone of voice.
"Thanks," I said. "I just… I don't know. I've been so down after Rory that I don't know if I'm making the right choices here."
"You'll be fine, honey," she said again. "You're going to that interview tomorrow and then you'll know. You can still quit after. Don't worry too much. You'll only get wrinkly."
"You're right. Sorry for bothering you with all this."
But even after I hung up the phone, I couldn't stop worrying.
I didn't sleep at all that night.
4
ADRIAN
The next day, I got to the café about twenty minutes early. I'd woken up way before my alarm, fixed breakfast for me and my brother in a hurry and tried to pretend that I wasn't the anxiety ridden mess I was when my brother tried to ask me about the upcoming interview.
No, I don't know if he's going to hire me.
Yes, I am hopeful. Kind of. Maybe.
I stopped talking and cleaned the table before I could get my tongue in an actual knot.
And then I'd paced up and down in my room, unable to settle on an outfit until it was almost time to leave. Finally, I'd thrown on a casual shirt and jeans. The shirt because Rory had hated it. The jeans because Luca had once told me I looked 'damn fine' in them.
Now I was at the café and waiting.
I'd picked a table near the door and sat watching it, trying not to play with the salt shakers just to give my hands something to do.
Would I even recognize Tyrel when he came in?
I'd stared at his photograph for a long time, but it hadn't been the best quality.
I needn't have worried.
The moment Tyrel stepped into the café, something in the air shifted. I couldn't put my finger on it, but the atmosphere around me felt different. Loaded, in a way.Crackling with… I was almost tempted to call it magic, but that was ridiculous. I tried to shake the feeling and eyed Tyrel as he approached my table. He was stunning.
Oh my God, an actual dragon.I looked at the man in awe. I'd never seen anyone as handsome. He'd been good-looking in the picture, but the grainy photograph hadn't been able to capture reality. His hair was black, framing his face like the work of art that it was. And when he stepped in front of me and his dark gaze met mine, I thought I'd lose myself in the deep pools of his eyes.
He extended a hand. "Tyrel," he said, his voice a dark murmur that seemed to travel over my skin and raise goosebumps in its wake.
I stared at him.
What was wrong with me?
Not even Rory had ever had this kind of effect on me.
He raised an eyebrow at me, and I realized he was waiting for me to say something. My name.
Introduce yourself, idiot.
"My name's Adrian. P-pleasure to meet you."Like you have no idea.I shook his hand and felt something like electricity run through me.
You're being ridiculous.
But I couldn't help what I was feeling. The air around him, between us, crackled with something that I couldn't name and when he squeezed my hand, just for a second, I shivered.
"Pleasure to meet you, too, Adrian."
