Chapter 53 - An Unexpected Guest

On Friday morning, I had been full of trepidations about this evening's meeting. I buried them in chores and more magic exercises. It wasn't that easy to stop my nervous jitters, though, not until reality gave me a more immediate problem to worry about.

Panda called me in the store to help with a rude but rich client, and I had to placate him with false smiles and false apologies hoping he will, in the end, spend some of the cash he had.

I was still telling the man all about how awesome my merch was and how everyone will be impressed with his taste if he were to buy the painting that caught his eyes, and that I had a certificate to prove that it wasn't a fake, when the shop's door opened and someone I didn't expect to see walked in. Rita.

Not to say I wasn't glad to see her. She didn't come by the shop ever since JJ settled in, and I could understand her apprehension. Hell, I was apprehensive too!

The day she picked wasn't the most convenient, but I still beamed at Rita when she waved at me. She didn't come to talk with me right then, though, and went to explore the shelves while I dealt with the rude client.

In the end, he bought the painting for a nice sum, and I let out a tired breath.

"Gah, I hate the ones who think they are total experts in art the most! Fake, he said. Ha! Good thing Kirill wrote that certificate."

Panda nodded with a tired look as she counted the money and put them into the cashbox. "You don't say, Diana."

"Did I come at a wrong time, girlfriends?" Rita asked, coming up to the counter. She was smiling at us, and it was contagious enough that I had to grin back.

"Nah, it's fine. Good to see you, Rita! Having a day off?"

Even Panda's face brightened a little. "Hi," she said, throwing Rita a glance before leaning down to pull a ledger from a counter's drawer.

I left her to register the sale and walked out from behind the corner to give Rita a pat on the shoulder in greeting. She turned it into a full-blown hug, one that I accepted happily.

"Yeah, though, that means I will have to come to work on Sunday. Nice curtains, by the way. Recent addition?" Rita pointed at the half-transparent green curtains hanging from the windows.

"Yep. Don't you think they add to the cosiness of the place? And fits with the wallpaper."

Rita hummed thoughtfully, taking in the surroundings. I followed her gaze as it ran over the pale green wallpaper, gleaming floorboards, antique furniture for sale, shelves full of old figurines, oil paintings on the walls and window-cases with decades- and centuries-old jewellery. The place breathed age. Each item was like a history textbook. I loved it.

Finally, Rita nodded. "Yes, it does, girlfriend. Well, I always said you have an excellent taste, though I think you'd be better wearing something less funerary than that!" She pinched at my black button-up shirt.

"Hey! Black is the new… black!" I said and laughed at my lameness. I tugged at Rita's arm. "Come on, let me feed you something. Panda, see you later!"

Panda silently waved a hand at us and assumed her favourite resting position at the countertop. I smiled at her and turned to lead Rita in, but as we left the store and entered the insides of the building, the good mood I felt from her appearance dimmed.

I knew JJ was in the house—I saw him in the office this morning. With how sunny was the weather outside, it wasn't surprising that he spent his free time on the Internet. I guessed that he still had a lot to learn about this century, even living almost an entire month in it.

God, how time flew by. It felt almost like it was only yesterday when I opened that weird coffin and instead of treasures or some withered mummy (which could also be a treasure) got a vampire on my hands.

"What makes you brood like that, Diana?" Rita pulled me out of my musings with a playful poke at my side. "Cheer up!"

I swatted her hand away and rolled my eyes, but did, in fact, cheer up a little.

When we reached the kitchen, I brought out my best leftovers. Feeding my guests was just something I picked up from my grandpa. While I never had been just as enthusiastic about cooking or hoarding food as he was, I still just had to feed anyone I invited into my apartment, less my soul wouldn't be still.

JJ was the only exception to the rule. But then there was feeding and then there was feeding.

"Next time I will be the one to treat you to a lunch. Though, no, wait, it's too early. Second breakfast," Rita said in-between spoonfuls. "I should come more often, girlfriend. Your cooking is just too good to resist!"

"Thanks, though it's nothing special." I looked away modestly, but my chest swelled with pride. "And you know I don't eat second breakfasts. Wouldn't it be a disaster if I had to change my entire wardrobe because of a size shift?"

"I think it would've been good on you. Would've been a reason to add more colours to your clothes!"

I pouted. "Don't start again with this."

Rita laughed, and my pouting intensified. When she sobered up enough to talk again, her eyes glinted with dangerous curiosity.

"So, Diana. Where's that short, blond and dangerous man of yours?"

'Oh, I don't know,' I thought wryly. 'Probably laughing his ass off at our antics in his office.' On the outside, I just shrugged with feigned nonchalance.

"It's his day off, so he is free to be anywhere he wants. What, had your latest boy-toy turned out to be a hidden douche again?"

Rita opened her mouth to respond, and for a moment it gave me hope the topic change had been successful—until she froze on the spot, her mouth still open. Her eye shone with unhidden admiration and fascination.

I didn't need to turn back to face the door to know who was standing in the doorway.. Even before I heard JJ's voice.