Page 30 of By the Fae

“He’s fae?”

“Yeah, they all are at work.”

“Which one?” She pointed to the Faecyclopaedia on my pillow, still open to Seth’s kind. “Summer fae?”

I shook my head. A pang of longing shot through my stomach as I pulled the book onto my lap. I flicked backwards a few dozen pages until I landed on Oread. “This is what he is,” I said, smoothing down the paper.

“Shit, he’s fine.”

Each page showed a typical male and female from each type. Where Seth was textbook Summer Fae, Goldie wasallOread. Spun-gold hair, tall, lean body. Impossibly, the illustrator had even managed to accurately capture his scowl.

“Yes, he is sickeningly attractive,” I agreed.He’s just not Seth.

“What’s he like? As a person.”

“Uh,” I faltered, “He’s . . . He can be . . . He’s a bit of a, uh . . .”

“Twat?”

“Abby!” I grabbed her arm and fell forward, giggling. “But yeah, actually he is.”

She pointed to a word under the headingStrengths: Sexuality. “Bet he’s got a big dick.”

Though the illustrations weren’t clothed, they’d been depicted with ‘fashion-doll’ anatomies. Meaning smooth, hairless mounds where their, erm, dangly bits should be.

“Oh my Gods, you’re too young for this.”

She laughed. “No, no. Don’t say that.” She took my hand in hers. “Do you think it will turn into more than friends with benefits? Like boyfriend, girlfriend?”

I thought of my ultimate goal in this arrangement, the whole reason for the arrangement; Seth. “No, definitely not. Neither of us wants that. It’s simply a . . . skill-swap.”

“I’ll say.”

Chapter 11.

Holly

Flat 15A, Halcyon Sunrise building. This was the place. And wow! Seriously. All futuristic steel structure and dark mirrored exterior, and in one of the nicest parts of the predominantly mythic-inhabited Eastside district. The taxi pulled up right outside Goldie’s apartment block. I’d left my car at home because I’d had a mild panic attack about the parking situation. Going by the cars heading in and out of the underground lot, it was the right move. My banger would have looked so out of place down there, nestled amongst vehicles that could only belong to famous actors, or professional sports stars, or men with beet-red faces and expensive suits that shouted down their phones all day.

I took the elevator to the top floor, noting how it smelled like eucalyptus and mint, not urine. “Ah, how the other half live,” I said, smoothing down my pinafore, knocking on the sleek mahogany penthouse door, and letting out my shaky breath. I didn’t know why I was so nervous. This was all my idea. And it was all win-win.

Video games, sex, learning, sex, working towards getting a super-hot fae boyfriend, orgasms. From an orgasm-expert, no less. An expert that couldn’t utter a single word about it to anyone or he’d lose a job he’d had for at least thirty years.

So why were my palms so sweaty? Why was my heart trying to escape through my windpipe?

The door opened inwards, and there, framed in the jamb, stood Goldie. Shiny yellow hair pushed back over his pointed ears, a black Remy Rockets wingball jersey, retro wide-legged blue jeans, and socked feet.

“Human,” he said, giving me a once over.

“I have a name.”

He turned and walked into the house, leaving me to close the door behind us.

“Where shall I put my bag?” I said, following him through into what seemed to be the main living space, trying, and failing, to contain my awe.

Wow. The sheer size of this room. The high ceilings, the silver-screen-sized TV, the sound system, the amazing paintings, the view. Oh my Gods, the view. I dropped my overnight bag on the floor and ran over to the windows.

From there I could see way, way out east over the waters. Yachts, fishing boats, ferries, old-fashioned pirate-style ships that had been refurbished into restaurants, even cruise liners bobbed or were anchored, or whatever boats did when they were idle. Farther along the horizon, the twin piers jutted out into the ocean. On one, the ferris-wheel lazily spun, the reflective carriages sending out bursts of sunlight like a swirling glitterball. In that moment, I understood why the building had been named Halcyon Sunrise. This would be the perfect place to watch the day begin.

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