Page 37 of Jinxes and Drumsticks

Fuck, I hope that’s the case.

When Fletcher declares he’s too tired to continue, I’m buzzing with anticipation to leave, rifling through my still-packed suitcase for some body spray.

“Where are you going in a hurry?” Roxie asks me.

“Back to see Lillith,” I say as I grab the van keys and rush past them.

They can handle things on their own. I have a beautiful woman to seduce. A beautiful woman who maybe potentially invited her bestie over just to consult her about me.

I hit every red light on the way to Lillith’s place and get stuck behind every geriatric in a PT cruiser. The thirty or so minutes it takes me to get to Odd Bird Apothecary are tortuously long. But when I finally park the van, it’s only a little past midnight. I’m an entire hour early.

Something, something if you’re not early you’re late. Or whatever.

I take my phone out to text Lillith but when I do, I find a text that was sent to me while I was playing.

It’s from an unknown number.

Door’s unlocked. Just let yourself in when you get here.

Wren, I figure. I approach the door and push it open. I hesitate a moment, looking for the mechanism to lock it. But it just... locks itself... once it’s closed.

Okay. Weird. Maybe I tripped some automatic lock when I came in or something. I try to remember if it did that when I carried Lillith in the previous day but I can’t remember. Maybe I was too distracted.

I take the stairs to Lillith’s apartment and let myself in. When I see the scene on the other side of the door, I let out a little, “Whoa.”

Lilith is laying on the floor, holding a book up over her as she reads. Wren sits on the couch next to a pile of books, flipping through what looks to be an ancient, leather-bound journal.

There are about three dozen books stacked and strewn across her small living room.

Lillith gasps and slams her book shut, throwing it across the room as she leaps to her feet. “Damien! You’re early!”

She starts gathering more books. Some of them look absolutely insane, like they’re bound in pig skin or something. She scoops books off the couch where Wren stays focused on her own reading.

“Wren—help me clean up,” she says sharply.

“I can help,” I say.

“NO!” Lillith shouts as her growing stack wobbles. “I—I mean. No. It’s alright. Don’t... don’t touch anything.”

“Uhhh—Oh...kay? Is this another barbecue sauce thing?”

“Barbecue sauce thing?” Wren asks.

“Inside joke,” I say.

“Oh my god, you already have inside jokes?” Wren squeals.

“And we’ve talked about some kinks too—blood, if I remember correctly,” I tease.

“I don’t have a blood kink!” Lillith cries, her face flushed.

“Lilipad, just let him help, what’s the worst that can happen?” Wren says, her full lips curving in a devious smile that has me thinking there are a lot of things on that list.

“I’m going to murder you for not warning me,” Lilith seethes.

“Warning you? About me coming? She didn’t know. I didn’t tell her I was on my way. I figured you knew since you left the door unlocked. I could come back later if I’m intruding.”

Wren smiles at me and then up at Lillith. “Not at all,” she says. “We were just doing some light reading. Oh, hey, why don’t you grab those books off the floor?”