“I can’t bail on work, Dom.”

“No one’s asking you. I’m sure you’re the best tour guide in the world, but no one is going to show up, and we both know that.”

Hesitantly, I pick up my phone and call Jenine. She owns both the witchcraft store and the night tour. She answers with a thick smoker’s cough.

“Crazy storm, huh? Haven’t seen one like that since the eighties. We’d better not see a power outage. I’m too old for this shit.” She has this habit of starting a conversation from the middle.

“That’s what I was calling you about.” Just as I answer her, a tree collapses over a power line outside. On the street is a heap of wires and wood. “Crap. I think I need to call 911 and report that,” I say.

“I’m on it.” Dom dials up the emergency number and wanders to the little kitchenette at the back of the shop, leaving wet shoe prints everywhere.

“So, I’m guessing you know the answer to your question.” I hear Jenine lighting up a cigarette.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“No one in their right mind is going to get out of the house in this weather. Not to mention, if you catch something, you’ll be missing much more than a couple days’ work. I’ll handle the cancellation.”

I’m hanging up the phone just as Dom reappears beside me. “Help’s on the way.”

“Thanks. I’m off for the rest of the day.” I grab the flowers and the chocolate box from the floor, then press them to my chest. “That was sweet.”

Dom grins. He is so wholesome. So vibrant. “I am sweet.”

“Right. And it will take me time to get used to it.”

Dom takes a step forward and tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear. “I have all the time in the world,” he says slowly, meaningfully. “Or at least, I hope I do.”

“Let’s draw you a bath. Race you to the car,” I suggest, snapping us out of the moment. Things got heavy for a second there.

“Which car?” He tugs me by the collar of my shirt, frowning. “Mine or yours?”

I think about it. “Yours. You can drive me back here later. Because, you know, we’re not going to have sex.” Just putting it out there, in case he gets any ideas. I like Dom a lot, but I also don’t feel ready yet. Not only do I still not believe I deserve good things, but I’m also not 100 percent over Joe.

“None whatsoever. No sex.” Dom raises his fingers in a scout’s honor.

We race it to his car, giggling and shoving at each other and ducking our heads like we can escape the rain. We both accept the unspoken truth of it.

That I’m not going to go back to get my car tonight.

I’m going to stay at his place. We’ll cuddle, and watch movies, and make food, and make out. Pretending for one perfect day that I’m a normal girl. Just like Nora.