Page 19 of Angels Don’t Date

The fairy was kind of hilarious, because every movement was a dramatic gesture as he flung sugar and nuts, his facial expression blissed out and sultry, like he was in an opera about cake baking, not actually doing it. His bowl had lumps of sugar studded with nuts and fruit, but nothing that looked like the beginnings of anything edible.

The werewolf was wrapping strips of bacon around a slab of meat, flexing his arms and moving just so for the camera. Meat cake? Really? The question was if he’d actually cook it. I didn’t like raw meat. Blood wasn’t my favorite, either, but raw meat? Ugh.

The angel sifted flour and the light shone, picking up the specks of white surrounding him like mystical clouds. He glanced up and caught me staring. I jumped and quickly looked at Banus. Yes. He was so hot. Why was he using a fork to break up his chocolate? He looked good, but what was he doing? Did he have any idea what a molten lava cake was supposed to actually be?

My gaze inevitably found its way back to the angel who mixed and beat and poured like he’d been a professional baker in another life. Once again he caught me staring, and once again I tried to look at someone else. Seriously though, why wasn’t he chopping things with his sword and looking like an arrogant idiot? He looked like an arrogant professional which I apparently found incredibly attractive.

For the rest of the hour I tried to watch the other contestants, but it was glaringly obvious that there was only one competent baker in the bunch. And I liked watching competent bakers. So would the audience if the way the camera focused on Richard was any indication.

When the bell rang, time up, I hopped off the stool, nerves raw just from trying to not stare at the angel.

“Well, Princess,” Pearly White said, holding out his arm. “Shall we adjourn to the parlor? I’d like to get your thoughts on the various contestants while they set up their treats for you.”

I put my hand on his arm only for a second before he shook it off and nodded at the camerawoman.

“Set her up on the chair next to the fireplace. She looks good with flames. Particularly heavenly ones, but of course those would devour her as well as anyone else. And Princess,” Pearly White said, fixing a stern look at me. “Try not to make your preference for the angel so completely obvious, hm?”

Humiliation. Was anyone else listening? Everyone was listening, including the angel. I walked out of the room stiffly, because if I moved a muscle, I’d explode! How dare that Siren say something so obviously wrong? Just because I liked to watch a good baker didn’t mean I liked to watch the angel. I just needed better contestants. Everyone had obviously lied about their love of baking on their form. Except for Richard, but he didn’t even fill out the form! So annoying.

I followed the camerawoman to the parlor and the chair, but it faced a red velvet couch exactly like the one I’d bled out on. I pressed my hand to my heart. It was still tender, even after all the healing spells and my own regeneration. I’d come so close to dying, and Mini was gone. All those hours I spent teaching her how to use eye shadow so it accented instead of overwhelmed. A traitor. Why did she do it? Who hired her? What was the price of my life, of our friendship?

“Four, three…” Pearly White flashed a smile as he sat on the fireplace ledge, so the shot was of us with the flames between. “So, Princess, what do you think of the contestants in the kitchen? I know you put cooking as only second to musical ability on your love list.”

Love list? There hadn’t ever been a love list. I smiled hard. “Cooking is important, but who needs to know how to bake when you can order in?”

He laughed a wicked laugh and leaned closer. “Several of these men would love to order in with you. Tell me your thoughts on these gentlemen. Out of the two wicked lads, the wolf and the incubus, who do you find more irresistible?”

The werewolf waxed his legs. I kept my smile, but it was difficult. “It’s hard to say. They’re both so charming. The werewolf is so raw and untamed, but the incubus seems so sweet. You know, just because people are incubus or succubus doesn’t mean that they don’t have personalities beyond the obvious sex appeal. I’d love to get to know Banus better.”

He nodded, sympathy written on his face. “Indeed. And who wouldn’t? Now let’s talk about the heavenly brothers. Speaking of hard to get to know, the elf doesn’t stand out very much. You met Monterose Fellicci before the show, so he has the advantage, and his personality is very outgoing, but how can we draw out Zander so you and the audience can really get to know him?”

I held onto my smile. “I would love to have a gardening class by Zander, where he can teach us about all the plants in the garden. I feel like that might make him feel more confident and like he belongs here. Because he does. He’s a really great guy. I can’t wait to do the duet next week with him. Maybe we can spend time in the garden between now and then.”

“Excellent idea, Princess. Now, what everyone wants to hear from you, is how you feel about the angel. I know you were expecting a cupid, someone more interested in love, but you got the Lion, the HOST’s Commander’s own son. You haven’t been posting about it, and everyone needs to know the details. Why did you reject him after he saved you? Did something happen offscreen to earn your dislike, or are your harboring secret feelings that you fear he can never return?”

Kill me now. Just kill me. I smoothed my dress down while I tried to hang onto my smile. “Such a great question, Pearly White. I guess it comes down to the fact that…” My mind went blank. Mini died. I almost bled out on a couch exactly like the one behind the camerawoman. Someone wanted me dead because I was related to my father, and I was here on a dating show just because I wanted to live a happy life with pretty dresses in a cottage and never translate a dead language again. What was the point of any of it?

“There, there,” Pearly said, patting my hand. “I see that your emotions are too close to the surface to try and speak. Finding love can be a terrifying thing, particularly when you don’t know how he feels.” His sympathy face morphed into happy exuberance. “And now here come the contestants with their creations!”

The camera panned over to the doorway where the line of men stood holding plates with their ‘creations.’ Did the angel hear that last part? Mortified didn’t encapsulate the depths of humiliation I felt. I wasn’t in love with him! I hated him! Obviously. He killed my friend. So Mitt didn’t get to torture her.

My stomach twisted into knots, but I held onto my smile as Pearly White gestured Rafe to come over. The werewolf came with a cocky smirk, holding out a white plate with a black lump in the center. So he did cook it. Very, very well.

“Wow! That looks amazing!” I said brightly. Amazingly inedible.

Rafe smirked and then sniffed and rubbed his jaw. “Yeah. I made that,” he said all cocky.

My mind raced trying to think of something nice to say. I had it! “It’s one of those Euro charred dishes that you peel out of the blackened crust to unveil the tender morsel inside. Right?” I beamed brightly as I took the plate and used my claws to slash though the black and crumbling ash to the tiny bit of raw flesh in the middle. So I’d be eating raw meat after all. Yay. I reached towards the lump of red goo when a knife came down, slicing it neatly in the center.

“Allow me,” Richard said as he stabbed one half with his knife and popped it in his mouth.

I stared at him, shocked and appalled. “What are you doing?”

He swallowed and flashed me a smile. “Checking for poison, princess. Go ahead. Enjoy your…” He wrinkled his nose and gestured at the remaining lump of raw meat.

I stared at him, looked at Pearly White and his ebullient smile, like everything was going according to plan, and then Rafe who was glowering at the angel. I wasn’t going to cause a fuss and make this whole thing last longer than it had to.

“Right. Thank you.” I picked up the piece of raw meat and put it in my mouth. Ew. It was raw, but still tasted like ashes. “Mm,” I said as I chewed. I struggled to not show how much I wanted to gag, choked it down, and then flashed Rafe a smile. “So unique. So raw and wild. Thank you for putting so much effort into this.”