Page 78 of Cat’s Guide To Romance

Maybe Lars is right.

Maybe Lucien loves things people make simply because they wanted them to exist.

“I think I know what I’m doing.”

Lars laughs. “Have fun.”

I hang up and immediately start searching. There are so many options. A museum dedicated to ventriloquist dummies. Absolutely not. I’m trying to romance the demon, not give myself nightmares. A giant ball of twine. Interesting, but honestly too close to a cat going someplace there’s a toy just for him. A museum filled with tiny versions of famous buildings. Better. A massive pink elephant outside a liquor store.

Then I find it.

There’s a rock shop. A real mosasaurus skull. Fossils. Weird souvenirs. Something called a Mystery House that apparently messes with gravity.

Oh, Lucien is going to lose his fucking mind.

I sit cross-legged on the couch for nearly an hour researching. Distance barely matters because Lucien can teleport us anywhere, as long as I give him somewhere to aim for. That feels slightly like cheating, but I decide it doesn’t count because I’m the one planning everything. He deserves this.

Lucien has spent so much time trying to get my dates right, even when they’ve gone spectacularly, wonderfully wrong. I didn’t understand why at first. I thought he was being dramatic because Lucien is dramatic about almost everything.

Now I get it. You want the person you like to light up because of something you did. I want that. I want to see Lucien’s face when he realizes the date is for him. Not for the Guide. Not because it’s what I think romance is supposed to look like. For Lucien.

My phone buzzes.

Lucien: Have you figured out how you’re wooing me yet?

I stare suspiciously at the message.

Sparkle: Who told you I was planning?

Lucien: Nobody. I assumed you’ve been thinking about me constantly.

I snort.

Sparkle: Your ego is showing.

Lucien: Is that a yes?

Sparkle: Be at my apartment tomorrow at ten am.

The typing bubble appears immediately.

Lucien: Where are we going?

Sparkle: Surprise.

Lucien: Cruel.

I put my phone down before he can drag more information out of me.

27

LUCIEN

“Give me one hint.” I stand in the middle of Sparkle’s living room while he taps something on his phone. He ignores me, his ears twitching while his tail sways behind him. I lean closer and try to peek over his shoulder. “One tiny little hint, darling. You can’t expect me to teleport us somewhere without knowing anything.”

Sparkle turns the phone against his chest before I can see the screen. “You’re supposed to let me woo you. Not interrogate me until I ruin the surprise.”

“You are wooing me.” I straighten and hold out my hand, deciding I can be patient for at least another minute. “Interrogation is a completely different skill set.”