Page 234 of Bride of Choice

“Pretty isn’t it? That guy at market, Kehlro, I think his name is, makes the loveliest designs.”

I knew Kehlro. He refused to sell to me because I didn’t have a male with me. His nose had been torn up and reattached so many times it looked like he had three nostrils. His face was a Friday the Thirteenth, Krueger looking nightmare mishmash, he looked like he ate other Lo denaii for breakfast, and he eyed me warily like he was worried I might try to jump his bones if I did any dealings with him and mate him to me, like I was a threat.

“He’s really sweet.” Mal let that sit before she dared a peek at me through the corner of her eye.

“He gapes at me like he thinks I’m gonna chop off his sausage, fry it up, and make him watch me eat it.” A short, snort of a laugh left me. “Thanks but no thanks. Next!”

“Joanie, the man meat eater.” Mal’s hands lifted like she could just picture it, that horror flick title flashing, proudly posted on one of those movie theater sign dealios.

Nudging her softly, I rolled my eyes.

Picking up the paper in her hand, she folded it in half and started fanning herself with it. “Ugh. Is it hot in here or is it just me?”

“It’s just you and your smuggled basketball in the making leading the way,” I snarked but stood and propped open the door. On my way back, I got her a mug of water and refilled the pitcher to set it on the table.

“You’re a lifesaver,” she mumbled as she quickly brought the cup to her lips and drank greedily.

We talked for a little bit longer but I did so with my coat on. Preggers was frying but I wasn’t.

Shadows passed over the door as we spoke, laughing and teasing, having a nice little bit of chill time.

After the seventh or so shadow passing by, Mal glanced up.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, following her gaze.

“What is he doing?” Mal whispered, frowning as she stared after Odix, angling his ass so if I looked over I’d get a good gander of it, and the fool started dropping it like it was hot. I mean it was, in an a-dork-able, that dude is a goofy freak kinda way.

“No idea. I heard he’s deranged,” I muttered, popping up to shut the door and open the windows instead.

“Isn’t he the guy that tried to manhandle you at one of the feasts once? He thought you had some kind of thing with poop, I thought I heard from… god, I dunno where, now that I think about it, I hear so much crazy stuff anymore.” Mal glanced to me for confirmation.

“See? Cuckoo in his fluffy puffies.” Standing off to the side of the window, I peered out the side of it surreptitiously.

“Is he still out there?” she asked.

“He’s waiting for me to come out,” I huffed out under my breath.

“Huh?” Mal made to stand and join me but I waved her off.

“I said he looks like he’s waiting for someone,” I said quickly.

Mal grimaced. “Not me, I hope, because I am sooo not interested.”

After a moment, she added, “Is he from the prehunt barbecue? I heard you were squished in with a couple hunters. Daisy was dying for some kind of juicy tidbit and thought I’d have the deets.”

“Daisy is nosy as shit, despite her claims otherwise, and I was just sitting and eating with Dorothy’s peeps. It was tight quarters.”

Mal nodded. “See, I knew it was something like that. She is just dying to see you married off and she jumps at the slightest thing.”

“Cottontail needs therapy,” I muttered, which made Mal nearly snort the sip of water she took.

“I heard there was some kind of fight too, but I stopped her there.” Mal sighed heavily, uninterested in any drama. Gotta love that about her.

“There’s always fights. All that muy macho, male posturing bullshit,” I muttered, leaving the window and Odix’s bootyliciousness to rejoin Mal at the table.

A dreamy smile crossed my orange haired bestie’s face. “Khri and Boog get along really well.”

“Not gonna read into that too much,” I tossed back, my comment loaded with innuendo.

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