Page 12 of My Orc (Secret) Boss

“Can I…could I email it to you? Or text it?” That seemed like the easiest way to avoid having to go hook up my printer right now with him standing here. “Do you have access to a printer?”

“Up in my apartment.” He pulled out his phone. “Send it to me, I’ll print it and fill it out, and give it to you.”

“Monday?” I asked.

And right at that moment, my stomach growled again.

Oh damn, that’s right! Twenty minutes ago, I’d been looking forward to noodles, hadn’t I? And then this hot orc stomped into my world, and I wascompletelysidetracked.

Maybe Memnon hadn’t heard it.

Maybe he wouldn’t mention it.

No such luck.

Orc’s senses were way better than human’s, and hedefinitelyheard it. And when it happened again, he heard that one too. I grimaced and covered my stomach with my hand.

“Sorry,” I muttered.

He wasn’t looking at me. He was staring over my head, as if looking for inspiration, which is why it was so strange to hear his invitation.

“I’m doing roast chicken and rice for dinner. Want to come get the signed papers now instead of Monday?”

My eyes widened.

He would print and fill out the forms, and I could come get themnow? And there’d be a delicious dinner as well?

Whoa, don’t get ahead of yourself. The dude’s a bachelor who lives with his brother. He might be overselling this meal.

Still, it was better than ramen, wasn’t it?

And even if it wasn’t, it was a chance to hang out with the most interesting orc in town, one I’ve been dying to know more about.

So I smiled in excitement. “Yeah. Yeah, that would be great, thanks for the invite. Let me lock up.”

Chapter Five

Memnon

Still not surewhat I’d been thinking.

I mean,yeah, I had enough dinner for both of us—Maya didn’t look like she ate nearly as much as Simbel, after all. Andyeah, it would be simple enough to print out the papers and fill them out.

But I’d invited her into my space? On purpose?

She needed you.

Granted, it wasn’t the kind ofneedinglikeHelp I’m dangling from this bridge, someone save me,orI need closure in this murder caseor any of the other ways I’ve helped humans over the years.Come upstairs and eat chickendidn’t sound too heroic, did it?

But she’d been hungry, and I could fix that.

Huh. Maybe Iwasa protector, like Sakkara claimed.

What was interesting was that Maya made us go out the front door ofThe Garden Shop, then walk all the way around Roe Row and along the back alley to go in through the back door. It seemed excessive, especially since we could have just cut through the back room, but what do I know?

I was shot in that alley.

I pretended like it wasn’t a big deal. After all, when I’d gone looking for empty apartments in Eastshore, I told the realtor, Sami Shayson, I didn’t mind that this one was right by Roe Row. Buying the whole building was kind of an act of defiance, I guess.

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