Page 78 of Hexed & Hazy

Some people—likely wiser than I am—would give up at the first sign of something going wrong. But one thing, even two things, only create a more interesting story for the future.

“Where to next?”

“Okay. Vibe reset.” Seth bounces back as swiftly as he always does, backing out of our parking spot. “No matter what happens, I’m going to be in a good mood once we’re there. You’ll like this. Probably more than the restaurant, I think.”

“I believe you.”

When we arrive, it’s clear he’s right—this is more my idea of a first date. A science museum, one I’ve admittedly been to before, but I know they have new exhibits. But it’s more than a museum. At night, it’s flashy and adult-oriented. Nothing sensual, of course, but lights, drinks, and a higher caliber of information.

It’s a good way to trick adults into continuing their learning, though I’ve never needed to resort to such schemes.

I can’t believe Seth put together something so thoughtful.

“They have a lot of star displays tonight,” he says. “I’ve heard some people are getting high and coming, but, uh… I’m not. Obviously. I still thought you would like it.”

“You thought right.” I reach for my seatbelt. “Let’s go.”

Seth, someone who often lives in the moment—and has occasionally encouraged me to do the same—planned an entire date for me. He planned multiple things. For me. Perhaps it shows more about my expectations of him than anything else, but I can’t help but feel special as we enter my favorite museum together.

Stars project around the room, and clouds magically float about in the air. I run my fingers through them, and they disappear. This place is the intersection of science and magic, something that is so dear to me—as a devotee of Athena and as a practitioner of astrological magic.

Lightning strikes and thunder rumbles; the magic is almost strong enough to feel real, and I turn to Seth with a giant smile. “Come on.”

I tug him along the museum, and the words of tour guides float through the space, along with polite laughter from others in attendance.

“Did you know every star we can see is bigger than the sun?” I ask, coming to a giant display of our sun, a yellow dwarf.

Heat radiates from the display, and while it’s safe to look at, it lights up the entire room. A stark contrast to the starlit rooms we came from.

“I don’t know anything.” He chuckles and rubs the back of my hand with his thumb. “Tell me more.”

“It’s estimated to be four point six billion years old, and it’s the largest object in our solar system.”

“Really?” He lifts his eyebrows. “Bigger than Jupiter?”

“Mhm.”

“Which is your favorite? I mean, of all the objects.”

“Hard decision.” I drag him from the room, back into the pitch black of the rest of the museum. “They all play an important role. I can pick a least favorite, though.”

“Which one?”

I wrinkle my nose. “Pluto. Everyone pretended to care when he was no longer a planet, but he was hardly a planet to begin with. It was all so… fake.”

“Rowan!” He laughs, a sound that always creates heat in the pit of my belly.

“What?” I lift a shoulder. “You asked.”

“That is not what I asked.”

“But it’s more fun to talk about.” I glance around until I spot a small stand with drinks and food. “Come on. Let’s grab a cocktail.”

Their cocktails aren’t anywhere near as nice as the ones at Juniper’s tavern, nor do they possess the same magic, but they have a small glowing ball in them. Cute. We sip them as we wander around the museum, and for the first time in days, weeks—maybe months—I feel like I can relax.

“I have to say,” I whisper. “I think this is a better idea than the restaurant was.”

“Yeah?” He perks up.