four wishes - duncney (REWRITTEN) | ✔️

Chapter 4

Duncan and Courtney left the dorm room together. She led the way down the hall to the exit. The coffee shop was right next door. It was so convenient living on campus because everything was so close when Courtney would ever need something. Courtney wasn't a huge coffee person, but once in a while an iced coffee was a good treat.

It only took five minutes to make it there. Courtney expected Duncan to open the door for her since he was the gentleman. But he stood in front of the door, not going in just yet. "Who works here?" he asked. "I'm just wondering if there's anyone I should look out for."

So Duncan wasn't exaggerating about being in a lot of trouble before. Were there people after him or something? Courtney didn't ask but responded to his question instead. "Uh, I don't remember their names exactly. But two girls with blonde hair."

"Sounds hot." Duncan commented before opening the door and walking inside. He did not hold it open for Courtney. She rolled her eyes and followed behind him, swinging open the door for herself. The bell jangled.

When they were seated, Courtney took a sip of her coffee and almost gagged from how bitter it was. She wiped at her mouth with a napkin deliberately. "It's not often I get away from my books to just relax."

"So what do you even go to college for anyways? I don't really understand humans. Why would you want to do so much work?" Duncan wondered. He still hadn't taken a sip from his drink.

"I am going to be a lawyer," Courtney declared. "It's a lot of work. Speaking of work, I still have so much to do..." she trailed off and then looked at Duncan's untouched coffee. "Try your coffee yet?"

Duncan just stared at it as if she was asking a dumb question. "I'm a genie. I can't eat or drink."

Courtney gave him a flat glare. "Well then why did I order it?"

Smirking, the genie picked it up with his human hand and took a whiff. He wanted straight black coffee. The smell of that was worse than her own. Duncan didn't seem to mind it.

"How are you able to pick that up?" Courtney wondered empty-mindedly.

Duncan thought the question was silly. He touched things before in front of her. "Well, when I transform myself into a human, I can touch things. But I still have some of my abilities that I'm capable of when I am in genie form... for example, floating through walls and doors."

"That sounds cool." Courtney commented.

"I actually convinced some dude to do it before," Duncan recalled. "His name was Geoff or something... he wasn't very bright."

Courtney nodded and then gestured towards the coffee. "So why can't you eat or drink? What happens if you try?"

Duncan smiled mischievously and reached the cup up to his mouth. He took a long swig, not taking his eyes off of Courtney. And then there was a splashing sound on the floor.

A random woman from across the room stared in horror, and her baby started laughing.

"I'm good at pranks." Duncan explained when he noticed her wide eyes. Then he shrugged and set the cup back down. "Scares them every time."

Courtney decided to change the subject. She was still mad about buying the coffee if he couldn't even drink it. He could have said something to her. Coffee wasn't cheap. "So how long exactly have you been giving wishes to people?"

For a moment Duncan's face twisted, and his lips turned into a frown. "Oh, I'd say maybe, a thousand years? I don't know, I stopped counting."

Courtney's jaw dropped. "You hardly look older than my age."