Page 18 of Resurrecting the Witch
“Can you do the thing?” Gioia elbowed Dom in the side, and he glared at her.
“What thing?” Patrick asked.
I knew exactly what Gioia was talking about, and she wiggled her eyebrows at me.
Dom looked Patrick up and down and scoffed in the pretentious way only an all-powerful dragon could muster. “It’s not challenging enough.”
Patrick leaned down to whisper in my ear, even though everyone could hear him. “Was I just insulted?”
“You really were, bro.” Gioia laughed and then pouted her lips. “Come on, Dominic. Please, please, please?” She bounced on the tips of her toes as she begged him.
“I’m curious myself.” I nodded my head to the dragon and waited as he took Patrick in again and sighed.
“Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on?” Patrick finally asked.
“He has superpowers,” Gioia whispered without taking her eyes off Dom.
“He does not. But…” I paused to pick the right words. “He has what some may call a gift and what others may call a curse.”
“It’s a freaking gift.” Gioia continued bouncing with too much excitement. “He knows everyone’s favorite movie.”
“Feck me, that’s all?” Patrick scoffed dismissively and rolled his eyes. “Go ahead then, Dom. I bet you the next round of bowling, you won’t know my favorite film.”
I looked at my date and was surprised to find the playful glint in his eyes begging for more of this exchange.
“Oh please,oldman,” Dom teased back.
My cheeks were swollen with a big smile now. I usually didn’t see this playful side of Dom unless we found a particularly mind-boggling movie that made no sense that he could analyze over late-night coffee for hours.
“I don’t want to embarrass you in front of your date by revealing your favorite film.”
Patrick let out a big laugh and slapped his friend on the shoulder. “Have you ever known me to be embarrassed about anything?” Patrick shrugged. “But my female is grinning bigger than I have seen since I met her, so you will continue.”
His female. Ugh, why was it so toxic but so hot to be claimed like that and only on a third date? If I didn’t know all about a fae male’s instincts, I would probably walk out now in the name of feminism, but instead, and to the chagrin of every woman I held in high regard, both living and dead, I blushed even more at Patrick’s words and slapped his arm playfully. Was I flirting? Is that what this was? Patrick paid close attention to me, and some part of me wanted to rebel against that notice and let him know he had no control or power over me, while another part was tired of always finding a way to push people away. I wanted to let him pay attention to me.
I wanted to give him my smiles.
“You won’t figure it out,” I said, deciding to play into the game. Dominic totally could. He had a gift for knowing what movies people’s favorites were. I was convinced it was some sort of dragon magick but found out it was just because he was a nerd and would have been employee of the month at Blockbuster repeatedly if he’d ever worked at one. “Bet you next month’s choice to sweeten the deal.” I shot a wink at Gioia before returning Dom’s gaze. Even though he was a film nerd and a pretty respected leader in the city, he was also a bullheaded alpha, and I knew he couldn’t ignore a challenge.
“You’re probably right. I thought he was the best, but if he doesn’t even want to take a guess, maybe it was all for show.” Gioia shrugged, laying our bait marvelously.
“Best? You insult me, Gioia,” I replied with a smirk. “Someone who shall remain nameless but is currently standing at the concession counter had to teach Dominic about the beauty of cinema before he even knew what a film reel was.”
I remembered the time when Dominic first came to the island fondly. He was one of the first arrivals after Hunter fucking Jacobs. We were lonely and depressed together. I guess he was one of my only friends at that point since I had cut everyone else off, even the Hemlocks. Their parents had just been murdered; they didn’t need me bringing them down anymore as they processed their own grief.
I had thrown myself into work and rebuilding and being strictly professional to get our protection back in place and finding new ways to stay here and offer a sanctuary for folks.
“Teachme? Oh, please.” Dom laughed as if my words insulted him. “You didn’t even know the difference between digital and reels before I came to your little island and saved this place from being run into the ground.”
“Well, that’s true,” I admitted. “But I still taught you everything I know.”
“Yeah, and it happened to be everything I already knew.”
“Oh shut it, ice breath,” I said and liked how easily my banter with Dom came alive in front of others. Dom and I spent a lot of time in the presence of other people but mostly in a professional capacity as council chairs. The main time we spent together was for the Haven Pass Film Club, which was really just him and I watching random movies we picked and then going out for milkshakes afterward to discuss.
Guille said it gave me something to look forward to, and I agreed with him. Dominic and I were like our own accountability buddies without having to talk about our feelings, unless the feelings were about movies or shitty television, then we could talk for hours and hours and lose time until the sun came up talking about them. We had an excuse to leave the house regularly because of each other.
It helped.Hehelped.
