7. The Nickname

{Naya}

When I didn't respond to Uriel the first time, Uri simply repeated himself.

I looked up from my hands and glared at him. Then I made a growling noise as I reached for one of the pillows and whipped it at his face.

"That's because a four year old could have seen through that lie! That was a complete disaster and you were absolutely no help at all!"

Before I could land another blow, Uri snatched the pillow from me and tossed it to the side.

He said, "I've learned that when involved in an elaborate lie, it is better if only one person does the explaining. Or would you rather I confirm Portia's suspicions that you and I are dating, cousin?"

I pushed one of the cats off the bed in order to get to my clothes.

"Don't even try to entertain that idea! As far as I'm concerned, you were the worst one night stand I've ever had." I paused and added, "And it doesn't count because we didn't even have sex!"

Uriel crouched in order to observe one of the cats. He cocked his head to the side and snorted, "If you detest me so much, why did you use a diminutive of my name when you introduced me to Portia?"

Is he talking about the nickname?

I gathered my clothes and tried to locate my book bag among the organized chaos.

"Because I didn't know whether to give Portia an alias for you or use your real name. So now you're just 'Uri'. Deal with it."

Uri shook his head. "That's not fair. You get to call me that, but I can't call you Naomi." He reached out his hand to pet Usher, who hissed at him. That struck me as a little odd. Normally, Usher was overly friendly with people while Raymond was the one with the attitude. Or as Portia's corny self liked to call it, "cattitude".

Keeping my eyes on Usher's body language, I said, "Let's just stick to the nicknames, alright?"

After packing some clothes to make my bag look full, I located my laptop, which would actually be useful during my absence. I wondered if I should bring some toiletries and hair products, but I realized that magic took care of all my hygienic needs. Just to be consistent with my lie, I made sure to pack my toothbrush.

On our way out of the room, Portia noticed my hair.

"Naya, did you get highlights? I love that color on you."

I self consciously reached for a curl. It wasn't out of the ordinary for me to come home with unnaturally dyed hair or try out different piercings. Currently, I sported a septum piercing, which I got the day I dropped out of Emory University.

I glanced sideways at Uri and said, "Thanks. I thought I'd try something different."

"Has Reverend Burton seen it yet?" Portia asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Girl, don't even go there. He'd have a heart attack if he found out."

Portia giggled. "He nearly had one when you decided to go natural . . . and when you got your nose pierced."

Humorlessly, I said, "Maybe while I'm away, I'll write a book and call it One Thousand and One Ways to Put Your Father in the Grave."

Portia laughed and gave me one last bone-crushing hug. I didn't want her to let go. I even tried to use my magical willpower to draw a meteor out of orbit so it could come crashing through her apartment and lay waste to the djinni standing next to me. Then I could go back to how life used to be.

Not surprisingly, nothing made the roof cave in. Uri continued to wait for me with that stupid grin on his face.

***

When we returned to Uri's loft, I politely asked him to give me back my cell phone so that I wouldn't die of boredom.

He gave me a curious look and said, "I don't recall you carrying a phone when we met."

His reaction made me question whether he knew what a mobile phone was. So I described the device and it became clear that Uri had seen modern phones, but didn't know that people used them for communication.

So I'm dealing with someone who has a very limited knowledge of technology. Awesome.

Uri pulled out my cell, which he had kept tucked in the same place as my ID. I figured that it was important for him to know how to use it so I sat him down and showed him the basic controls. During the lesson, he leaned in and watched closely, silently absorbing my instructions.

The concentration in his dark brown eyes and patience with which he tried to master the controls made me realize that he took this seriously. Whenever he had a question about how something on the phone worked, he always apologized for interrupting before asking. He also seemed determined to commit everything I said to memory.

The last apps I showed him how to access were the games. I only had a few on my phone, but I thought that Angry Birds was the easiest to explain.

Uri was hooked in seconds.

While he entertained himself, I relaxed on the couch and contemplated how the next few weeks would go. If I was going to ensure my freedom, I needed to be proactive about Uri's adaptation to the modern world.

I got up briefly to locate a notepad and a pen. Then I returned to the couch and tried to get Uri's attention. "Put that down for a minute. We need to make a list of goals – things that you want to accomplish before the end of this month."

Uri didn't look up from the smartphone. "Presently, I'd like to accomplish beating all the levels in Angry Birds."

I tapped him on the shoulder with the notepad and chastised, "Uri, we only have a month. I need you to focus."

Finally, he got serious and paused the game. He turned the phone face down in his lap and fixed his attention on me. "You said something about making a list?"

"Yeah," I said, "of everything you want to accomplish in a month. Try to be realistic."

"Okay. Let's see." Uri went into thoughtful mode again and assumed a more comfortable position. I had to make an effort to not stare so much at his lean, inviting body. Thankfully, he began to list off his priorities, which gave me the opportunity to look away and write them down.

"I need to have an understanding of modern technology."

So more lessons like we just had with the phone. Easy enough.

"I would like to learn how to supply my own transportation."

Okay, so I need to teach him how to drive. Holy hell.

"And most importantly, I need to learn a trade."

I think he means that he eventually wants a job. I wouldn't even know where to start with that!

Uri must have noticed the mild panic in my face. He hesitated. "Will all of this be possible? Please tell me if I'm being unreasonable."

I gave a nervous laugh and said, "Don't worry. This just means I have my work cut out for me. But I need to ask, what in the hell do you see in me that gives you enough confidence to trust me with all of this?"

Uri tilted his head to the side. "What makes you think that you are not capable of helping me? Look at how much you've done for me already."

I pointed out, "Did you forget that I tried to ditch you earlier today?"

Uri shrugged. "That was expected. I won't hold that little episode against you." He sat up straight long enough to reach out and flick my septum ring in admonishment. "But you don't want to make a habit out of that. Rogue djinn are rare commodities. As long as you stay near me, you'll be safe. If you run off again, you could be caught by a collector. They're likely to cancel your contract, trapping you in djinni form forever."

I didn't know what the hell a collector was, but I didn't bother to ask. This whole conversation was rubbing me the wrong way.

My voice grew dark. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

I nearly shouted, "Acting like we're friends! Like you're looking out for me."

Uri eyes came very close to a glare. "Oh, Naomi, please. This is getting very old. How long are you going to keep up the denial?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" As soon as I said it, I wished I could take it back.

"You know what I speak of. Your attraction to me."

I could feel my lip twitch. Of course I had known what Uri was hinting at, but I didn't think he'd have the nerve to come out and say it. I decided that it was time to drop the subject. So I snatched my phone from his lap and said, "And just for that, no more Angry Birds."

I stood up to return to my hookah pipe and take care of my monkey.

Uri got up too. "Naya, wait."

I stopped and looked back at him. The djinni fought to maintain eye contact. "Please excuse my tone from before. I suppose I should admit that I am also . . . attracted –"

I waved the phone. "Oh, don't think that you can get Angry Birds back that easily. We'll see how you do during your lesson tomorrow."

Uri's apologetic expression morphed into a contented smirk. I held his gaze while I spelled the word for smoke in the air. Then I slapped my hand against the incantation like I was giving it a high-five. Uri's deep giggles followed me during my journey down the pipe.

I materialized back in my room with a smile on my face. So the djinni jerk was attracted to me too?

My daydreaming was brutally interrupted by something attacking my chest.

"The hell?"

I looked down to see something dark and furry clinging to my left breast. I watched in horror as it plunged its face deep in my cleavage and said, "Goddess of mine – you have returned! However you wish to be pleased, I will gladly obey!"

"Gross!" I shrieked and seized the monkey demon by the neck. It made a suffocating sound as I hurled it across the room as hard as I could. Then I looked up and screamed in desperation, "Uriel! Get your ass down here – Now!"