Page 75 of Breathless Recruiter

“Put me down, you brute!”

I set him down, and he dusted off his arms. I might be feeling insecure about things with Dustin, but Orion reminded me I had friends to lean on. Granted, one of them was a bit crazy, and the other had a permanent smile on his face. These goofball co-workers were the best friends an alien from another planet could ask for. I’d have to thank Arthur for…

“Coven,” I whispered.

“What?” asked Drew.

“That’s our team name!”

“Coven?” Orion didn’t sound convinced. “Why in the hell?—”

“Arthur’s the one who brought us together. It makes perfect sense.”

In the distance, sirens had reached the abandoned amusement park. If we didn’t pick a name, then somebody on the HeroApp™ would. We didn’t need another Mr. Savey McSaverface incident. I put my foot down. It had been decided.

“It’s official, we’re the Coven.”

“Fine,” Orion said. “Coven of Damnation?”

“No!” Drew said. He crawled to his feet and put his hand out. “We might not be perfect, but we get the job done.”

I place my hand over his. We waited until Orion caved. “Fine.”

“Evildoers beware.” Drew was even more excited than usual.

Now… how long before telling them about Discord and inviting him to join our team?

20

I letmy eyes follow the streaks of red. The bubbles sloshed back and forth for a moment before the spinning continued. Sitting at the laundromat wasn’t how I wanted to spend my night, but I didn’t want clown makeup leaving a stain. This was probably the least fabulous part of being a superhero.

The fluorescent lights overhead flickered, the buzz loud enough to be heard over the wall of washing machines. A pouch on my utility belt held enough quarters for a wash and a round in the dryer. I could afford to buy the machines, but there was somethinghumanabout the experience.

At least I wasn’t the only one sitting in my underwear.

I gave a slight wave to the person in a jockstrap and high heels. I thought they might be a superhero. Their entire body shimmered when they shifted in their chair. They were beautiful but similar to a rose. I suspected beneath that beauty, thorns laid in wait.

I sat in one of the plastic chairs in my briefs, boots, and utility belt. Only a few minutes to go, and I could throw the suit into the dryer. Though I could think of a thousand things I’d rather bedoing, I couldn’t wait to put on a warm costume. It always made my legs tingle.

When the buzzer rang, I glanced back and forth. Only one patron in the laundromat. I took out my suit, careful to not let them see. In the middle of the room, a dozen dryers stood with their lids open. I tossed my suit in and closed it. Grabbing a dollar in change, I fed them into the machine. Not long before I got to put on a toasty costume.

The joy of having snug, toasty testicles didn’t override the worry clinging to the back of my mind. Almost midnight, and I still hadn’t received a text from Dustin. Worse, I might have called the security desk at Synergy and discovered he never showed up for work. My worry had shifted from having done something wrong. Now, I feared Dustin might be in danger.

I gripped my phone.

Social protocol said not to text again until I received a reply. When I first texted with Drew and Orion, they gave me a list of rules to follow. They claimed I abused emojis. The first time I called Orion, he reacted as if I had come storming through his door demanding a movie night. Years of living amongst humans, and I still didn’t understand their nuisances.

“What’s causing that frown?”

My jockstrap-wearing companion sauntered over, heels clacking against the tile with every step. They leaned against the dryers as their skin shimmered. The sides of their head had been shaved down to the skin, making the large hoop earrings stand out.

When I didn’t respond, they took the seat next to me. They folded one leg over the other, hands resting on their thigh. They were indeed pretty. The heel of their shoe was long and pointy and, if necessary, could serve as a deadly weapon.

“Girl, I know that face.” Their hand waved in front of my face. “This screams girl trouble. Let Lady Cleo help you.”

I turned to see their face. The long lashes fluttered as they waited for an answer. They not only had bold blood-red lipstick, but their eyelids were covered in tiny diamonds. Pretty had been an understatement.

“A boy,” I said.

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