How to Date a Dragon

quickly, she must have had an errand to run.

Sadie caught Bliss’s eye and waved her over.

“Hi, Sadie. Let me guess, you want a White Russian?”

“Later, dear. Right now I want to warn you about something I just saw in a vision.”

Bliss wanted to plant her hand on her hip and say, “Really?” in a blase tone, but she knew making fun of the psychic’s “gift” would be frowned upon. Instead, she asked, “What did you uh… see?”

“Someone with malicious intent is coming.”

Bliss glanced behind her. “Who? Where?”

“I wish I knew more. All I can say is the energy is disturbed. Someone with a great deal of rage is nearby.”

Bliss sighed. “Nifty.”

Sadie lowered her voice. “I don’t think there’s anything you can do to intervene. I just wanted you girls to be aware of it, so you can take cover if things start to fly.”

The hair on the back of Bliss’s neck stood up. “Fly? What’s going to fly?”

“Again, I’m sorry. I wish I could be more specific.”

“You said ‘girls.’ Did you talk to Angie?” Bliss glanced over her shoulder and caught Angie staring at them, then she quickly returned to wiping down the bar. Malcolm, the other bartender, entered through the back door and Angie looked relieved.

“Yes. Both you and Angie were in my vision. Not Robin or Wendy. Just you two.”

“Again… nifty. So something is going to happen. We can’t stop it. All we can do is duck for cover. Is that it?”

“That’s about it.”

Bliss glanced over at the bar again and noticed Angie heading to Anthony’s office. Malcolm was behind the bar, so it looked as if she’d been waiting for him to relieve her.

“Did you ask Angie to tell Anthony about this danger?”

“No. She might have decided to do it on her own, though. Angie’s been here a long time. She might feel a little more protective of the bar than you do.”

Bliss didn’t like the implication that she didn’t care about the bar. It provided her with a much-needed part- time job and a place to live. She was about to say so when Sadie glanced at the front door as it was opening, and a horrified expression flitted across her face. It was only there for the briefest of seconds, then she schooled her features and began shuffling her cards.

Bliss cast a glance over her shoulder to see what had upset her. A pretty blond in a red dress waltzed in, smiled, and waved to a few of the regulars. She looked harmless enough.

“Who’s that?” Bliss asked.

Sadie didn’t look up. She mumbled, “Ruxandra. Anthony’s old girlfriend.”

“Sheesh. You looked like you’d seen the devil himself walk in.”

“I’m not sure you’re wrong. She’s trouble.”

Bliss snorted. If that was the “vision” Sadie had talked about, there was nothing to worry about. Bliss hadn’t met a blond she couldn’t best in a battle of wits.

A customer in the next booth held up one finger.

“Well, I’d better get to work, Sadie. Thanks for the heads-up.”

She nodded but didn’t take her eyes off the cards.

Bliss happily waited on the other customers and headed to the bar to give Malcolm her order. She noticed the blond was missing. Perhaps she had come to see Anthony and was in his office. She was fairly sure Angie was still in there too.

Suddenly she heard shouting coming from inside the office. Even though the words were muffled, she could make out a shrill female voice. Angie raced out of there like her heels were on fire. She ducked down the back hall as if headed to the ladies’ room, but instead Bliss heard the back door burst open.

Tory and Kurt were on their feet and moving toward Anthony’s office. One of them clicked the door closed and leaned against it.

What the hell is happening?

At that moment, a fist smashed through the office door. Bliss saw a series of rings on the delicate fingers and deduced it must belong to the infamous Ruxandra. But how did she shatter a solid oak door? She must have hit it with adrenaline force.

The fist withdrew, but now with a hole in the door, everyone could hear what was being said. Well, everyone except Phil, who was hard of hearing. Regardless, he was riveted to the scene like everyone else.

“Calm down, Ruxandra,” Anthony demanded.

“Why? Because I frightened your little chit?”

“It’s not what you thought.”

“Are you kidding? I’d have to be blind to miss the two of you gazing into each other’s eyes. I should have known it was Angie all along.”

“There’s nothing going on between me and Angie.”

“Liar!”

At the sound of items smashing, Tory opened the door and rushed in with Kurt right behind him. Phil moseyed over and stood just outside the office.

Bliss looked to Sadie for direction. If this was what she foresaw, maybe she knew where things were headed. The woman was spreading her cards out in front of her and flipping a few of them over.

Now? She’s doing a reading now? Bliss was on her own. She stood on a chair and announced, “Patrons, I think it might be a good idea to leave and come back later.”

A few tourists got up and moved toward the front door, but one guy she’d seen a few times swiveled his stool toward her and said, “No way. We haven’t seen a good bar fight in months.”

“Months?” She walked up to Sadie and planted her hand on the table right over her cards. “Did he say this happens every few months?”

Sadie sighed. “Any time Ruxandra perceives a threat to her relationship with Anthony.”

“What relationship? I thought you said she was an old girlfriend… as in ex?”

Sadie rolled her eyes. “I’m afraid she and Anthony have different opinions on where they stand.”

Bliss covered her eyes with her order pad. “Oh, for the love of…”

The door burst open with Tory and Kurt holding the kicking, screaming blond by each of her arms and carrying her toward the back door. Bliss wanted to shout, Not that way! That’s where Angie went, but thought better of it.

If the woman thought she could catch up with Angie, she’d probably hunt her down and… Oh crap. The blond was making threats that involved Angie’s exsanguination. Bliss shuddered for her roommate.

Phil led the procession to the back door, and Bliss moved carefully so she could see what was happening but still duck behind the bar if she needed to. As soon as Phil opened the door, he stepped into the alley and looked both ways. “She’s safe,” he said, and walked back into the bar.

The two men holding Ruxandra swung her back and forth, chanting, “And a one, and a two, and a threee…” On three they launched her into the air and slammed the door behind her.

“Oh. My. God.” Bliss jogged to the bar. “Malcolm, aren’t you going to call the cops?”

Anthony rushed out of his office. “Do not call the police.”

Malcolm held up one hand. “I know the drill. You’ll handle it.”

The sound of pounding on the back door ensued, accompanied by more of Ruxandra’s high-pitched shouting. The guys held the emergency exit bar shut against a number of heavy pulls. At one point, Bliss heard a loud crack and was afraid the door had come off its hinges.

Anthony groaned and stared at the door. The two guys gave him sympathetic smiles, nodded to each other, then opened the door and rushed out. More of Ruxandra’s threats could be heard, but they were aimed at the guys. Thankfully, a few moments later the volume began to fade. It sounded as if the three of them were moving farther away.

Anthony returned to his office and slammed the door shut. Bliss could see him through the hole,