“I know, it’s torture for me, too. I feel so alone when you’re not here.”
“Really? But you have other people in your life, your mother, your friends.”
I take his hand. “Yeah, I do. But they’re not you.”
He smiles.
“You’re going to have friends, too, you know,” I tell him.
“I’ve never had friends before.”
“Not the other servants?”
He shakes his head. “We weren’t really allowed to talk with one another. It was hard for me to speak to Renaya. We didn’t cross paths often. Maybe if we had, I could have stopped the prince…” His voice trails off and he fists his hands. “I hope that scoundrel is suffering in the next world for what he did to her.”
I clutch him close and bury my face in his chest. I don’t want to think about all the horrors that go on at the palace, all the pain that Sebastian and his sister have been through. I wish I could have gotten the chance to save her, too. I would have helped provide her with a good life on Earth.
Sebastian’s arms come around me and he holds me tight, pressing his face in my hair and breathing softly.
“Is there any way to get to Ortarus?” I ask him.
He looks at me, confused. “Why would you go there?”
“To free everyone suffering there.”
His arms tighten around me. “You’re very kind, Lily, but we wouldn’t stand a chance. The king and his army have powerful magic. It would be suicide.”
“We could try.”
“It’s not possible for us to be sent there. I’m sorry.”
I know Ortarus has problems, just like Earth does. They have a system there, a system that has been around for years. I can’t just drop by and tell them how to live their lives, as horrendous it is. It’d be like aliens coming to Earth and pointing out our flaws, telling us how to live.
But I still feel like I need to do something. “Are you absolutely sure there’s nothing we can do?” I ask Sebastian.
He rests his forehead on mine. “I wish there was. You have no idea what a dreadful place it is. I don’t want you anywhere near there. Please. I couldn’t bear it if something were to happen to you.”
“I just feel terrible for all those people still living there.”
His lips graze my cheek. “I do, too, but we can’t change Ortarus, Lily. As much as I want to help, there’s nothing I could do. If we do manage to somehow find a way to my world, they’d kill us.”
He’s right. I know he is. It just sucks.
***
“What are you doing?” Sebastian asks as he places a can of Coke and plate of cookies near me. I told him he doesn’t have to wait on me, but he said I do so much for him that he doesn’t mind treating me like a queen. He even cleaned the kitchen after dinner. I tried to help, but he wouldn’t hear it. I love him like crazy, but I don’t want him to spoil me.
“Searching for my dad,” I say. Before we left my mom’s house, she gave me a paper with his name scribbled on it, and wished me good luck in searching for him. I guess she must have realized just how curious I am to learn about him.
He pulls over a chair and sits down near me. After biting into a cookie, he asks, “I never thought…I mean of course you have a father, but you’ve never mentioned him.”
“That’s because I never met him. He left when I was a baby.”
“Why would he do that?”
I shrug. “I was always curious who he was, but I didn’t drive my mom crazy about it because I knew it made her uneasy. But then this George guy entered her life and I know he’s not my dad, but I’m very curious now. I mean, shouldn’t he know one of his daughters is dead? Maybe he’d like to have a relationship with the only one he has left. Assuming he doesn’t have any more kids.”
Sebastian rubs my arm. “How can I help?”
I stare at the screen. No matter how many times I type it in, there are no results for Harry Martin Warden. “I don’t think you can. Google shows nothing. It’s like my mom said—he doesn’t exist.” I wonder if that’s his real name. Or if everything about him was fake. Maybe he was a spy.
Sebastian bends forward to study the screen. He rubs his chin. “What if I use my magic to try to locate him?”
“That’s a good idea. Thanks.”
He leans back, shutting his eyes. I watch him for what feels like minutes but are only seconds. I don’t know why my heart is hammering against my ribcage. Maybe because I’m nervous to learn what he’ll discover.
His eyes open. They flash yellow for a second before returning to their natural blue color.
“What did you find?” I ask, unable to contain the curiosity bursting inside me.
His eyes look apologetic. “Nothing.”
My heart sinks. “Nothing?”
“All I have is a name, nothing more. Maybe if I had an image…”
I shake my head. “Mom threw everything out. She was really hurt and upset when he left.”
“I don’t blame her.”
I shut the laptop. “Okay, enough of this. Let’s do something else.” I grab the remote and flick on the TV. Flipping through the channels, I can’t find anything interesting.
Sebastian scoots closer and wraps his arm around me. “Are you disappointed that we weren’t able to find your father? Maybe we can try harder.”
I push some hair off his forehead. “That’s okay. I’ve lived eighteen years without him.” I shrug. “Clearly he doesn’t want to be found, and that’s okay.” I slide my hand into his. “I have enough good things in my life.”
He smiles and lifts my hand to his lips, kissing it gently. “As the humans say, you bet your ass you do.”
I giggle and press my mouth to his.
Chapter Ten
Something smells wonderful. I can’t explain it exactly, but it’s nothing like I’ve ever smelled before. Opening my eyes, I find myself in a meadow, with flowers all around. I don’t know what this place is. I’ve never been here before.
I look to my right and left, but don’t seen anyone around. Not even Sebastian. Where in the world am I?
“Hello?” I call. There’s no response. I call a few more times, but again, the place is completely quiet except for a breeze whistling through the trees.
“Sebastian?” I ask as I walk deeper into the meadow. “Sebastian?”
Something that feels like a hand shakes my shoulder. Glancing down, I don’t see anyone or anything. It’s as if the thing touching me is invisible. I shout and try to escape, but my feet are frozen like I’m stuck in cement.
“Don’t touch me!” I yell.
“Lily!”
My eyes shoot open and I jump up in bed. I’m back in my room, on my bed. Sebastian is beside me, his face alarmed.
I rub my temples as a sigh leaves my mouth. It was only a dream. I’ve had weird dreams before, but nothing like this. Sebastian’s hand is on my shoulder. He must have been the one touching my shoulder, trying to wake me up.
He pulls me to his chest. “Are you okay? You were tossing in bed and calling my name.”
“It was a dream.”
He lifts his eyebrows. “I’ve heard of the concept, but I don’t quite understand what it is. It seemed…painful.”
I rest my head on his chest. “Sometimes it can be. After Daisy died, I used to dream about her a lot. That was very painful.” I lift my head and give him a small smile. “You’ll probably experience a dream soon. I guess you’ve never had any as a genie?”
He shakes his head. “What was your dream?”
“I don’t really know. I was alone in a meadow. Then I woke up.”
He twists his mouth. “Do dreams mean anything?”
“There are many different opinions on dreams and no one really knows. Some say it’s your deepest thoughts and desires, or your greatest fears. Others claim it’s just nothing. I don’t know. I’ve had weird dreams before. They’re really not a big deal.”
He nods.
I look at the
time and feel my eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. “I’m going to be late!” My boss was very nice to let me change my shifts around so I could go to California. I can’t be late.
I dash to the bathroom to get ready. When I come out, Sebastian is sitting at the kitchen table with a box of cereal and some milk. “You can stay in bed,” I tell him as I pour myself some cereal.
“I know, but I thought I might do some research on getting an education. What should I look for?”
“You’ll need to get a GED.”
He looks lost. I grab a pad and a pen and write it down for him. “People who don’t finish high school can get a GED. It’s equivalent to a high school diploma.”
“And I can go to college and get a job?”
“Yes. It’s going to be a lot of work, since you’ve hardly had any schooling, but I know you can do it. You’re really smart.”
“Thanks.” He picks the pad of paper off the table and studies the words. When I’m done eating, I bend toward him and place my lips on his neck. “I’m going to miss you while I’m at work.”
He turns his head and our lips meet. I plow my fingers in his hair as he holds me tightly against him. I don’t want to let go, and I know he doesn’t want to, either. But we have no choice.
“Come to Inferno,” I say. “And we’ll hang out during my lunch break. You know how to find the place, right?”
“I think so.”
I write down specific directions just to be safe. Sebastian yawns as he looks it over.
“Okay, I need to go,” I say. “And you, my incredibly sexy genie, need to get your butt back into bed. You’re falling asleep at the table.” I’m an hour earlier than usual, since I need to make up the hours I missed when I went to California. Sebastian’s so sweet for waking up with me and seeing me off.
He frowns. “The bed is so empty without you.”
I kiss him. “I know, but as much as I want to, I can’t take off another day. I’ll see you at lunch. One o’clock, okay?”
He takes my hand, clutching it tightly before reluctantly letting go. I press my fingers to my lips, then to his before I leave the apartment.
Macy rushes over when I enter the restaurant. “Tell me everything!”
I shrug as I head to my locker to put my things away. “The therapy session went well. I feel like my mom and I are closer than we’ve ever been.”
“That’s great. And…?” She wiggles her eyebrows. “Does she approve of your boy?”
I smile. “I think she really likes him. Ugh, it was so awkward when she found out we’re living together and sleeping in the same bed.”
“She thought you guys were…”
I nod. “I love him so much and want to take that next step, but I don’t know. I don’t want to pressure him or anything. He has so much to deal with. He’s looking into getting his GED.”
“That’s great.” She rubs my arm. “Don’t worry about the sex thing so much. It’ll happen.”
“I know.”
“Talk to him. I know guys don’t like talking about serious things like that, but you need to.”
I nod. Sebastian might not have been human for long, but he hides his thoughts and emotions like all guys do.
“Are we still on for Friday?” Macy asks.
“Yep.”
“He sounds like a great guy, Lily.”
“He is.” I take my phone out of my bag. “Remember how I told you he doesn’t photograph? Well…” I hand her my phone and her eyes widen.
“He looks hot! Not as hot as—”
“Andy.” I roll my eyes. “Are we seriously going to compare boyfriends?”
She laughs. “Definitely not.” She glances at the time. “We’d better get to work.”
The day carries on like usual, except for the fact that I can’t stop thinking about my genie. Whenever a new customer sits at a table, my heart fills with hope that it’s Sebastian. Which is stupid because he’s not supposed to be here for another hour or so. I guess a part of me is hoping that he’ll surprise me. Because I can’t get my man out of my head, I’m not focusing as well as I should. I know that’s very irresponsible of me, but I can’t help it.
It’s after twelve when I head to a table to serve my next customer, and I stop in my tracks. It’s not Sebastian sitting at the table, it’s one of Inferno’s VIPs, Charles Daley, and his wife. He has invested a lot of money over the years and is a regular customer here. Apparently a few years ago, a waitress got fired because she got his order all wrong. Maybe someone else should take them. My mind isn’t exactly working so well today.
Biting my lip, I look around for someone else to serve them, but everyone is busy. I take in a few gulps of air and clear my head before approaching them, pushing a smile on my face. “Good afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Daley,” I greet. “Welcome to Inferno. My name is Lily. What would you like to order?”
The man doesn’t look up. He seems to be in his mid-fifties, with a full head of white hair. His wife is dressed in a nice summer dress. She doesn’t look at me, either.
“I’ll have the spicy tuna with the steamed vegetables,” he says. His wife orders the same.
I rub the back of my pen on my lip. “I’m sorry, but we don’t have the tuna right now.”
“Excuse me?”
I shift from one foot to the other. “The tuna is currently unavailable.” I suggest other things on the menu, including today’s special. But the man won’t hear it. He demands to have his tuna.
“For ten years I have been coming here. Never has a waitress had the audacity to refuse me.”
Glancing around, I realize that everyone is staring. Great, this is just perfect.
“I’d like to talk to Chef Charleston,” Mr. Daley demands.
I nod and head to the back of the restaurant for my boss’s office. As I pass the kitchen to get there, I notice two plates filled with spicy tuna sitting on the counter. Their ticket says table number seven. That’s Mr. and Mrs. Daley’s table. I don’t understand. I thought we didn’t have tuna.
Deciding not to question this, since I might be this close to losing my job, I rush back to their table and place their plates down, apologizing for the misunderstanding. The guy shoos me away, taking a bite of his fish and sighing contently. I sigh, too, relieved that he didn’t make a big scene.
Back in the kitchen, I ask the chefs if there is more tuna. They tell me they haven’t cooked tuna dishes since eleven. I don’t understand. What’s going on?
No time to ponder about it. I have many more tables to serve. I go to my next one and poise my pen over the pad, not bothering to look at my customer. “Good afternoon, welcome to Inferno. What would you like to order?”
“I have a lunch date with a beautiful waitress named Lily Richards,” a familiar voice says.
My eyes spring up. Sebastian is sitting there with a goofy grin on his face. I want to throw myself at him and kiss the juice out of him, but that wouldn’t be appropriate. “You’re early.”
“I was bored. I’m trying to understand the stuff I’m researching about the GED, but even magic can’t make me smarter. I know I’ll get there soon, though.”
“I know you will, and I’m going to help you.” I stare at him as a thought hits me. Magic. “How long have you been here?”
“I don’t know. Maybe ten minutes.”
Ten minutes? That must mean… “You created those tuna dishes for table seven, didn’t you?”
He holds out his hands like he has no idea. “I’m not sure. I saw what was happening and I wanted to help you.” He takes my hand. “Lily, I can’t create anything. It couldn’t have been me.”
“Then who?” I search around. “There’s no one else with magic.”
“Maybe the chefs had some tuna that you don’t know about?”
I shake my head. “I asked, but they hadn’t seen tuna for an hour. It must have been you. Maybe your magic is getting stronger.”
He lifts his hands and studies them. “I don’t feel diffe
rent.”
“Thanks for helping me,” I say. “There was a good chance I would have gotten fired.”
His eyebrows furrow. “For not serving a dish you didn’t have?”
I shrug. “Maybe. Mr. Daley would have gotten mad at my boss, who would need someone to pin the blame on. That person would probably have been me.”
His eyes widen. “If you lose your job, you won’t be able to save up for culinary school.”
I love how hopeful he is that I’ll get in. I love how much he supports me. I wish I could wrap my arms around him and give him a big kiss, to show him just how much he means to me. “That’s okay. I’m still here. I’m going to take my lunch break now.”
Hand in hand, we make our way out of Inferno to spend half an hour together. It’s going to be a long day before I can see him again, and I squeeze in as much Lily/Sebastian time as possible.
Chapter Eleven
On Friday evening, Sebastian frowns as he gazes at himself in the mirror. “Are you sure this is appropriate for a date? It seems very casual.” He’s wearing a white T-shirt and jeans.
I step up behind him and wrap my arms around his waist. “We’re going to a movie, then out to eat. It’s pretty casual, Sebastian.” He’s watched movies before, but he’s never been to a theater. We’re going to the best one in Brooklyn. It’s a little pricey, but I want Sebastian to have the full experience. Macy and Andy agreed and are very excited to go to that theater, too.
“Are Macy and Andy going to dress this way?”
“Yes.”
He frowns and takes off his shirt. He’s about to reach for another one, but stares at himself. Then his eyes move to me. “Lily?”
“Hmm?”
His hands move over his chest. “This feels odd—not having golden skin or any designs. I feel kind of naked.”
When he was a genie, his chest was covered in swirly designs that matched his lamp. My finger tingles as I remember the way I traced them, and how Sebastian trembled at my touch.
“Lily?”
“Yeah?”
He’s still examining himself. “Why don’t I have hair?”
Loving the Genie (Genie's Love, Book 2) Page 6
