Witches for Hire (Odd Jobs #1)(81)

“I’m not driving.”

The server left a small black folder standing on their table. “I hope you enjoyed your meal,” she said. She grinned at them and went to another table hailing her for refills.

Clive frowned when he looked at the bill. “Three pitchers of sangria? We only ordered two.”

Jeremy giggled. “I finished one when you went to the bathroom.”

Clive looked at the giant pitcher that held little ice. He sighed. “Come on,” he said as he stood and laid several bills on the table.

Jeremy saluted him. “Whatever you say, boss!” It took three tries, but he got on his feet and slapped away Clive’s attempts to hold him up straight. “If I wanna walk sideways, I’ll walk sideways.”

“I take it back. You’re not cute at all,” Clive muttered.

“What’d ya say, Sir Knight? Do you have any Grey Poupon, Sir Knight?”

“Just walk to the car,” he grumbled. When they reached the parking lot, Raj’s soft voice carried over to them from a nearby car. Clive turned and waved at his hand in greeting but froze when he saw the topic he had just been discussing shaking hands with the knight. Fuck.

Raj looked at Desmond, and they exchanged some type of silent agreement with simultaneous nods. They walked over to them and stopped by Clive’s car.

“I didn’t expect to see you,” Raj said.

Clive tried not to glance at his drunk companion. “Likewise. Is the Great Mother asking for his cooperation again?”

Desmond loftily shrugged one arm. “Something like that.”

“How does she feel about you not being trustworthy?” If Raj wasn’t there, it would have been a golden opportunity to question Desmond about how well he really knew Levi. Gods, his luck had soured lately.

Desmond laughed. “Understandably cautious and rather practical.”

“Do you mind elaborating?”

“We should be going,” Raj interrupted. “I don’t want to hold you up.”

Or let anything slip about what you’re up to. Clive cleared his throat and faced Desmond. “I understand the threat to your life Perry was, but it would help me gravitate more to your side if I heard how the confrontation began.”

“I have the Great Mother’s knights to rely on, so it’s not your business to know.” Raj’s back stiffened slightly at being called the Great Mother’s, but Desmond continued as if he hadn’t meant to give insult. “The circumstances were personal, but I assure you, Perry pressed the issue.”

“But you knew we were dealing with other murders that Perry hadn’t committed. The deaths could continue.”

“Take out your penises,” Jeremy suddenly said very loudly.

Raj blinked. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Jeremy pointed at Desmond and Clive. “Take out your penises and measure them.” He grinned like his words were in any way appropriate.

Clive scratched his forehead, not wanting to meet Raj’s eyes. “He drank a lot of wine.”

“After you got me nicked by a knife.” Jeremy wagged his finger. “I taunted a poltergeist.”

Desmond stepped closer to Jeremy with a predatory gleam in his eyes. “If you take yours out first, I’ll definitely show you mine.”

Jeremy licked his lips. “You’re hot when you’re not a dick.”

Desmond’s smile grew wider. “Funny, I was about to say the same thing about you.”

“That’s enough. We need to return to the office.” Clive grabbed Jeremy’s arm and guided him to his seat.

“I’ll call you later,” Raj said as he and Desmond walked away to end the very strange encounter.

Clive shook his head as he got in the driver’s seat. He looked at Jeremy, who was already knocked out. After he snapped the seat belt around Jeremy’s middle and then put his own on, he asked, “What is it with you being hit on by powerful men?”

Jeremy didn’t answer, lost in his drunken slumber and no doubt having the luxury of forgetting the embarrassing conversation.




JEREMY OPENED his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Simone giving him the stink eye. “What’d I do?” he asked as a yawn broke out of his mouth.

“You got propositioned by Desmond,” she said, as if the world was ending.

“When the fuck did that happen?”

Simone’s eyes widened. “You don’t remember?”

“Clive said he was pretty drunk,” Edarra said as she passed by Simone’s desk with a coffee mug in her hand.

Simone rolled her eyes in disgust. “You’ve been sleeping it off for two hours. Get your ass back to work.”

I saw Desmond? Jeremy racked his brain, but all he could remember were brief flashes of fried potatoes. Of course he pops up when he’s the reason I drank that much wine to begin with. He didn’t know not seeing him for almost two weeks would stress him out so badly. Physically, Jeremy was nowhere near the breaking point because of how much sex he’d gotten regularly, but his body and heart didn’t want to slip back in the habit of long separations. God, I’m fucked up.

“Lucky bastard,” Simone muttered while Jeremy stumbled to his office.

No. Lucky would be if I was seeing him tonight and…. What did he say to me?