Luke shook Geralt's hand like an awestruck fan. "Pleasure to meet you. Really."
After chatting for a while, Geralt left his phone number and drove away.
Once his taillights vanished, a van pulled up beside Luke.
The driver was a young Black woman with dreadlocks, a nose ring, and tattooed arms. She was Zoe, the office manager at Roman Realty.
Luke climbed into the passenger seat.
"How did it go, Luke?"
"Not bad."
Luke added, "His last name is... Winchester."
"That Winchester?" Zoe asked, just as Luke had.
"That Winchester," Luke replied, just as Geralt had.
Zoe marveled. "Then we really struck gold."
A bearded man in a floral shirt spoke up from the back seat. "But he's way too young. Barely any hair on his face. Can we really count on him?"
His name was Phil, an investigator for Roman Realty.
Zoe shot him a sidelong look. "You've got plenty of hair on your face. Can you handle Wraiths? He went in there and didn't even break a sweat. What have you done with all your extra years?"
"You..." Phil choked on his words and fell silent.
Luke said, "I know you're both in a bad mood, but don't bring it to work."
Zoe had broken up with her girlfriend, and Phil had fought with his boyfriend.
Love made people irritable. Marriage made them explode.
By the time Geralt got home to Black Pine Town, it was nearly midnight.
"Young Master, I made apple pie."
"Mm. I'll take a shower first."
Cerberus lifted his head from the sofa. Seeing that Geralt wasn't hurt, he lay back down.
Before showering, Geralt took off his gear piece by piece and checked it all over. He wiped down what needed wiping, oiled what needed oiling, then placed each item on