Page 15 of Loved By the Orc

I stepped down off the porch and went to the middle of Main Street. I felt self-conscious about doing magic right in the middle of the road, but nobody seemed to be paying attention. All the humans and Creatures just kept passing by on the sidewalks and since I didn’t see a single car, I supposed the middle of the road was as safe as anywhere to draw my magic door.

Leaning down, I used my index finger like a pencil and began to drag it upward from the road.

I gasped in surprise when a glowing red line appeared as I was drawing and Tark let out a bellow of laughter.

“Hey, what’s so funny?” I demanded, freezing with my finger in mid-air.

“You—you look so surprised!” He grinned at me good-naturedly. “Sorry, I shouldn’t laugh. I know it’s probably the first time you’ve ever done magic.”

“It is,” I said, smiling a little. It was hard to stay mad at him, even when he was laughing at me. Maybe because I could tell there was no cruelty in his laughter—no malicious intent. He was just tickled at the expression on my face.

“Well, keep going.” He made a motion with his hand. “Even I know that once you start a spell you need to finish it, and I don’t have any magic at all.”

“What? But you’re an Orc,” I protested. “How can younothave magic?”

“Because Iammagic,” he explained. “Humans are the ones who are magic wielders. The rest of us magical folk are just Creatures—we don’t have magic because wearemagic.”

This seemed confusing to me, but I didn’t have time to get into a long discussion about it. I finished drawing the door and saw that it had grown a doorknob I could turn. I reached for it but before I could grab it, Tark turned me towards him. He cupped my cheek in one big hand and stroked it gently with his thumb. “There’s something special about you, Babygirl—and it’s not just your magic,” he rumbled. “Will you promise to come back and see me again?”

“Sure.” I felt my cheeks heating and my heart pounding as I looked up into his golden eyes. “Uh, when were you thinking?”

“How about tomorrow?” he suggested. “Same time as today? Or even a little later—we could have dinner together. I’ll cook you a vegetarian feast.”

“That sounds wonderful,” I said, smiling. “I’ll be here.”

“I’ll be waiting,” he told me, dropping his hand at last. “Can’t wait to see you again.”

I couldn’t wait to see him again, either.

5

HARMONY

Igot back to the office in time to fix the documents for Mr. Price. Of course, he wasn’t happy with my work—he never was—but this time I was able to let his criticism roll off my back.

“Yes, Sir. I’m sorry, Sir,” I said, nodding automatically when he yelled at me.

He frowned and narrowed his watery, pale blue eyes at me.

“You seem awfully composed, Miss Ward, for someone receiving a dressing down from her superior!”

I opened my eyes wide, trying to look innocent.

“Do I? I’m sorry, Sir.”

“You look just like a cow when you say that!” he snapped. “A stupid, fat cow who will never understand anything about the work we’re trying to do here at Bentley Pharmaceuticals!”

I have to admit, that little piece of nastiness pierced the happy bubble I’d been walking around in ever since leaving Hidden Hollow. I could feel myself deflating.

It’s so unfair—it doesn’t matter how smart or accomplished you are—if you’re plus-sized, some mean, nasty person can always just call you “fat” or some derivative of it and make you feel like dog shit. Even ifyou just won a Nobel Prize or aced your Organic Chem final or whatever. It doesn’t matter the circumstances—“fat” always stings.

A mean little grin appeared on my boss’s face when he saw me wilting. For the first time I wondered if Tark could be right—could he be a “Sin Sucker” after all?

But no—it was a ridiculous idea, I told myself as I left his office. I wished I could fight back—that I could tell him off once and for all. I knew what would happen if I did, though. I’d get fired and suddenly owe Bentley Pharmaceuticals over a hundred thousand dollars. Plus, I wouldn’t be able to finish my degree—that would be a disaster.

So I just had to take it…which was what I did.

6

---