Page 10 of One Night with Her Grumpy Orc

“Of course. I think everyone would be happy for you to be a part of the crew. Gorden and Flint are going to box out where the window will go. It’s on order. Tomorrow the drywall will be ready to paint. Wear your paint clothes.” I wink at her, enjoying the rush of blush traveling up her neck.

There’s a tsk behind me. She tries to peek around me at her parents, but I move, just slightly, to block her sight. “You are beautiful today,” I say loud enough for only her to hear. “Would you like to get dinner tomorrow together?”

Her face lights up like a beacon in the night, then fades away just as fast. She clears her throat and pushes her glasses up her nose. She’s transformed into a professional librarian in an instant. “That sounds lovely, thank you.”

Turning to go back to work, I nod at her parents, who turn away from me without acknowledgment, and wonder how someone so kind and open to everyone could have such small-minded parents. Her dad, Ted, echoes throughout the library as he asks her if she feels safe working here amongst all these monsters.

Most of us are used to this type of thought and behavior, though Moonfang Haven is exactly that—a haven. It’s hard to have such toxic people here in our town. Thankfully, everyone else is busy helping our library and ignores her parents.

Heading outside to throw debris in the dumpster, I overhear Debby declare that she’s inviting Jake over for dinner tonight. Dropping the pile of wood scraps from my arms, I march over to the trio. Fairly certain smoke is physically coming out of my ears. That punk Jake will not have dinner withmymate in her house. Fuck no.

Bjorn moves in front of me, an ugly green wall I’m prepared to bulldoze. He puts a hand on my shoulder, and it takes all my self-control not to rip his fingers from me.

“You’re going to regret going all Hulk on her parents. Take your own advice and do better.”

I hate his words and his ugly beat up face. But they give me pause.

Chapter 7

Betty

What a disaster thisweek has been. First, my favorite place on Earth is destroyed in a snowstorm. Then I sleep with my secret crush. Not entirely a bad thing, but Awkward, with a capital A. Thanks to Jake, my meddlesome bigoted parents are here to ‘help’ me.

And now? Now they’ve completely embarrassed me in front of the very nice townsfolk who are volunteering to fix my favorite place. They insulted my secret crush. And they’re preparing dinner in my kitchen for Jake and me, making the loudest racket and biggest mess while they do it.

I need a nap.

“Betty! Where’s the aluminum foil?” Mom shouts down the hallway to my room where I’m hiding, trying to finish my book. I try to read the endings of my books when I won’t be interrupted. There’s nothing worse than being interrupted in the middle of the couple declaring their forever love for each other, and kissing madly, deeply. Talk about a total dopamine killer.

Sighing, I get up and pad down the cold hallway to the kitchen. I can’t stand the way my parents have always yelled at each other and me. Nothing is ever said in a normal tone of voice. Jake sits at the table, surprising me. “Hi, I didn’t hear you arrive.” I wipe my eyes, then clean my lenses on the edge of my shirt. It’s later than I thought.

“I was trying to be quiet. I thought you were napping.” He smiles that goofy grin. Sighing, I find the foil in the cabinet, hand Mom the foil, grab a cup of water and sit across from Jake. Dad is trying to mash potatoes, and Mom is telling him he’s doing it wrong. Distracted, good.

“I cannot believe you called them!” I lean in, whisper-shouting at Jake. He just rolls his eyes at me.

“What was I supposed to do? Debby still hasn’t forgiven me for not calling when you locked yourself out of your own home at ten at night and you slept in the library.”

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