But January’s shake of her head was firm. “No. I wouldn’t say that. Never doubt your intuition entirely. Don’t dismiss, but it could be a magnification because this Avis sounds like a misogynistic swine.”
She laughed, but it was tinged with this inexplicable bitterness she couldn’t shake off. “Oh, he’s all sorts of cheerio and tut-tut,” she replied in her best British accent. “But since I met him, I haven’t been able to shake the feeling he’s a creeper.”
“Then revisit them often. Don’t let them go, but keep your eyes and ears peeled. Call me if you need me. Always. Okay?”
Relief to have confessed her feelings flooded her. She’d needed to confide in someone. But there was still more. “Also, one more thing.”
“Shoot,” January said.
“I like Rick.”
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it? Shouldn’t you like your warlock?”
She’d been battling this feeling all night. How was she going to spend the rest of her life with a man she found wildly attractive and not somehow inject that into everything she did?
“I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t like him quite in the way I like him. I like him in the biblical sense. In biblical proportion.”
January blanched, but it had a sympathetic vibe. “Is this making it difficult to do your job as his familiar?”
“Well, I’m pretty sure when I should be helping him, I shouldn’t be ogling his body parts while I do. If I’m to do right by him, I don’t know that I can if my advice is clouded with my dirty-dirty thoughts.”
“Damn, you’re a good person, Poppy. You know that, right? I can think of some who’d continue on and guide with a manipulative slant in their favor. But not you. You should be really proud of who you are—of your integrity.”
Poppy’s cheeks went red. “Don’t give me too much credit here. I am the person who purposely sent a check to the electric company made out to my water company to stall my electricity being shut off.”
January giggled. “That’s called survival, not manipulation. Your integrity remains intact.”
“So what happens to me if I confess to Familiar Central? Do I still go to the Bad Place? Calamity said I shouldn’t complain ever.”
“You’re not complaining, honey, you’re owning your feelings and doing what’s in the best interest of your assignment.”
“But does it still mean the Bad Place?”
“I’m going to be honest here, I don’t know, but I promise you this, I’ll go with you when you talk to them. I’ll be your advocate, and I’ll do everything in my power to keep you out of the Bad Place if this is what you really want to do.”
“It’s kind of the right thing.” She hated it, but it was unfair to Rick to do anything else.
“Promise me something though? Let’s wait until after Halloween, okay? Let me get past this blood moon thing, and I’ll take you on my broom personally.”
“Shut up. You have a broom?”
“She does not have a GD broom!” Nina called from the other side of the room, pushing her hoodie from her face to glare at them.
Now Poppy laughed, despite her misery and fear of the unknown. “I’ll wait then.”
“You’re an angel.”
“And you’re really nice, January. Everyone is really nice. Thank you. I appreciate your advice.”
January hitched a thumb over her shoulder to where Marty, Nina, and Wanda were cleaning up the debris of her attack. “These three and Carl are something, aren’t they?”
Her heart warmed, growing tight in her chest. “Yeah. They really are.”
No matter what happened with Rick, she knew she’d remain in touch with these people for as long as she walked this earth.
And even if that meant giving up the position as Rick’s familiar, she was still walking away with something good in her life, and that was so nice.
Poppy sat in the diner across the street from Littleton for her meeting with Avis while Nina and Marty sat a couple of booths away. Wanda sat in the park with Calamity, watching Littleton, her eyes far away.
In the interest of honesty, she’d told Rick she was going to continue to do her part as his familiar and get to know the people in his life. That included his employees and Avis.
She’d even managed to inform him without a sneer when she’d said Avis’s name. So while Rick went to check on her neighbors and tidy up last-minute details for the demo, she’d taken the opportunity to invite Avis for coffee.
And he was fifteen minutes late. Five more and she was going to hunt him down and choke him with a happy “cheerio.”
Marty tapped her wrist and an imaginary watch, mouthing, “Where the hell is he?”
She shrugged, giving the waitress her order for coffee, even though her stomach was still in complete turmoil, and it wasn’t just because she’d hacked up a demon last night.
When the doors to the diner swung open, bringing with them a chilly breeze, Poppy intuitively knew it would be Avis striding through the cluster of white vinyl booths. She knew because he gave her a chill like no other.
Don’t let your feelings cloud your judgment, Poppy. Stay aware, but stay cool.