Page 10 of Bride of Choice

With a sheepish look on his guilty mug, he dragged me back to him, kissing me like it would be our last, and then urged me off to answer my door.

Ugh, that male. UGH.

Once back up top, dousing my hut in the dust of shame, I dumped my purse on the bed and answered my door. “Yeah, yeah, what’s the big ide- Oh, Goph, hey, what brings you here?” As if nothing was amiss, my gaze darted about questioningly.

“Jo!” About to rush me, he paused, glancing around, frowning “Jo… ‘kay? Rek say-”

“Rek gets the cart before the horse more than any being should,” I deadpanned, shaking my head sadly.

“Bum-bum say Rek no know,” Gopher rumbled as he nodded, agreeing with me. Grunting, he inched closer, until he was standing just inside my hut. One sniff of the dust stinking up the place and he sneezed and backed up.

“It’s like nature’s deodorizer,” I lamely offered.

“We… We go?” Gopher asked cautiously. “Jo- Jo ‘kayed?”

I stared at him uncomprehendingly. “For…?”

“Read night. Movies night.” Gopher reminded as his skin flushed a very lovely shade of embarrassed Yetiman, the tint spreading across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, where I knew from personal experience watching him blush it would linger for some time to come.

“Oh my gosh, I totally forgot,” I blurted, nodding as I darted for my bed to nab my purse up. Dang. I was super late for his reading session before movie night. “I’m so sorry. The time,” my hand went to my head and I made a wacky hand motion, “it just slipped away from me! I can’t believe- I don’t know how I forgot!”

The muffled growling from down below under my bed, low but growing, was not lost on me.

Yeah, so about that… probably should have told Rek about my secret meet ups with Gopher, our tit for tat exchanges, a free reading sesh in exchange for a lesson on whatever thing Goph thought it would be important for me to learn as I wrangled Lo denaii village living for the terminally single. Then there was movie night, ahem.

Thinking of what that fool had just tried to pull on me, I mentally shrugged. Eh. Let Rektal-anikus stew. It was the least I could do to him, right? Let his ass sit in it for a bit and enjoy the stink. Heh.

“Why Jo has smirkies?” Goph asked as I took his arm and he led me to my lil hut sweet hut.

If anyone had a problem with us being friends, no one has uttered a peep. Not even Rek, though he does give Goph the stink eye at every given turn.

Gopher was a good male. My heart pinched to think of my tall drink of furry water some day making some unsuspecting kidnapped woman the happiest being on this planet. He was all sweetness and encouragement, squishy inside and out. Just the idea of that happening alone had me feeling so melancholy my face pulled down into a frown. Maybe that was Rek’s schtick with him? He sensed my affection for him on some level?

Was it wrong to secretly crush on Goph the way I did? Was that fair to him, to wish we would never be parted, no matter what?

Yep. Definitely. So fucked up.

He’d been super into me once upon a time and I’d basically told him to take a hike. There was a certain possessive fur-for-brains male I knew wasn’t keen to share his lady with anyone. I wouldn’t want that done to me and like hell was I about to do that to Rek. A two-timer, I was not. Which basically left me pining for Goph while he moved on with his life, accepting me as his gal pal to chum around with in the meantime.

My stomach threatened to curdle, trying to imagine a future where he wasn’t a huge part of my everyday life. Goph was the sprinkles on my ice cream, the frosting on my cupcake. My day wasn’t complete without a dose of Gopher-sugary sweetness.

My frown fell further, trying to rationalize not wanting to torment him by putting him through being with my trying ass, but I’d just as easily torment myself by denying what could possibly turn out to be, if I’d just give the fella a chance, the best thing that’s ever happened to me… a potential sane, healthy relationship.

Then I’d think about Rek and how I couldn’t possibly hurt him, not truly, and a long sigh left me.

“Jo?” Gopher asked hesitantly, a far cry from the demanding concern of my pain in the ass fuming other butt cheek hidden away down below in our love cave.

“Basket weaving,” I fibbed. “Just thinking about basket weaving, Go’.” My teasing smirk had him rolling his eyes at me. Ugh. Why did it always strike me as downright adorable when he rolled his eyes in an imitation of my signature sign of sarcasm? Gah.

“Oh, the baskets we’ve woven,” I went on, to a funny look from the willowy male.

Leaning in, he gave me a sniff. “You drink shine?” he rumbled out softly, worry filling his tone.

“What?” A splutter left me.

The twitch of his lips and the playful look in his blue eyes gave the game away.

“No, I most certainly did not, sir,” I saucily replied, mushing my hand to his face to gently shove him back.

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