Page 75 of Gratification in Gluttony

“See you next week?”

Jude nodded. “Yeah. Hopefully we’ll have time to… take care of each other.”

With a dark chuckle, Toni ducked out of the loft, voice full of sin as he said, “Oh, baby, we’ll make time for that. I guarantee it.”

Chapter eighteen

Hundred Percent Douchebag

Toni made it towork with five minutes to spare. He entered through the back so he could store his guitar case by the jackets and not garner attention from either Oliver or Gem. Zipping up her wetsuit, Tad watched Toni tuck the instrument out of sight, her bulbous eyes narrowing.

“You smell weird,” she said as she waddled toward the dishwashing station.

Thoroughly offended, he sniffed under his arms, smelling Jude’s soap and, sure, a hint of clean sweat. “I do not! I just showered.”

“I said weird, not bad,” she said.

Questioning his choice to use Jude’s shampoo, Toni fought to keep his tone chill and not get defensive. “Maybe you shouldn’t go around smelling people. It’s rude.”

“Smell normal, and I won’t have to investigate,” she retorted.

“Stop investigating my smells!” Toni cried as he fled to the kitchen, Tad’s suspicious gaze on his back making him itchy.

“Morning, Toni,” Glyma greeted as she rolled out the dough for her famous kriltcake.

Beside her, Willow was topping the mummet blood fruit tarts with kiriberries. She glanced up at Toni and smiled softly. “Hi, Toni. Your aura is so bright today. Did you have a good weekend?”

As he donned an apron, he adopted a casual attitude as he shrugged. “Yeah, it wasn’t bad. How about you?”

“I did, thank you for asking! Krul and I celebrated our eight-year anniversary,” Willow said, and Glyma gasped.

“Oh my gods, I can’t believe I forgot. Congratulations.”

“Eight years is quite the accomplishment,” Zef said as they chopped herbs for the salad dressing. “Acongratulationsis indeed in order.”

“Thank you. We had a lovely picnic at sunset. Then he chased me through the forest.” Willow’s rough cheeks darkened further. “I won’t tell you what happened after he caught me.”

With a giggle, Glyma hip-checked the Dryad. “I was chased once by an old boyfriend. It was very exciting.”

Willow nodded exuberantly as Zef cocked their head. “Why would you run from your partner? Were you in danger?”

Securing his apron around his waist, Toni leaned close to whisper near Zef’s ear. “It’s a sex thing, baby.”

Zef’s face scrunched. “Oh. I would not enjoy being chased. I do not like to run.”

“I don’t think I’d wanna get chased either,” Toni said, wiggling his eyebrows at the blushing women as he added, “Though doing the chasing? Yeah, I could work with that.”

“I do not understand the nuances of coitus,” Zef said dryly. “It seems like a lot of work for not much reward.”

“That’s ’cause you’re asexual.” Toni pulled out a cutting board and retrieved a chef’s knife from the block. “For us allos, the work is usually worth it.”

“Then I will leave the copulating to you,” Zef said primly, flipping their curtain of long, white hair over their shoulder with their upper left hand. “I much prefer herbal tea and a documentary, or a good book.”

“Sometimes, a good book helps with the copulating,” Glyma teased, making the Mantodea roll their eyes with a huff.

“Oh, Krul loves erotic novels. It’s led to some very interesting encounters,” Willow said.

Pointing his chef’s knife at her, Toni said, “You’re deceptively unassuming, but I know you’re hiding a very kinky girl under that innocent persona.”

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