Page 11 of Steve's Barmaid
“You’d let me help?” Steve asked.
“Well, if it were completely up to me, I’d put you to work now. But we need to check in with Agnarr. This is above my pay grade. You’d have to go to the boss for that kind of permission.”
“Will you just say normal words?” he huffed.
“Mmm… no.” I smiled brightly. “But I will take you up on your offer to help if Piper and Agnarr are okay with you staying.” Still twirling the glass in my hand, I realized Steve’s showing up might have solved many of my concerns in one fell swoop. I had an eager and willing orc to help me with my bar.
“Do you think they would be?”
“Well, they just took in twelve human refugees. I don’t think they’d turn down an orc willing to do manual labor.” I laughed. “We can talk to them about it at dinner tonight. I’ll even stand next to you so you don’t get nervous. Speaking of which,” I said, looking out the window, “the sun is starting to set. We should get dry clothes before heading to dinner.”
We both stood, and he looked at me thoughtfully, “You’re the first human I have had a real conversation with outside of my mom.”
“And? Do we live up to the expectation you built in your head?”
He pursed his lips as if thinking it over.
“Hey! I just gave you some solid life advice!” I cried.
He laughed. A hearty booming laugh that made me feel warm down to my toes.
“Yes, you live up to expectations. I think maybe I have made my first human friend?” He asked hesitantly.
“Yes.” I nodded, finding the concern in his voice adorable. “You have made your first human friend. Now go get some fresh clothes for dinner.”
Steve headed out of the bar, brow furrowed. How would working with him on this project go? I’d flirted with some of the orkin from the tribe but hadn’t built a solid foundation with any of them outside of Agnarr and Osif. Agnarr wasvery muchtaken, and Osif was at least thirty years older than me. I loved working with him. He reminded me of my grandpa.
Steve’s vulnerability struck a chord within me. He was one of the most open orkin I’d met here. Like me, he was adrift. Where I was struggling to fit into a new world, he straddled two cultures, trying to find where he belonged. But something about those hazel eyes, warm with laughter, fascinated me. After everything he must have gone through, always being different, the only half-orc in so many tribes, he still smiled and still wanted connection and understanding.
Was making friends with a male orc a good idea? I was a flirt by nature, and this often led to men thinking I was up for anything, and in the past—I was. Casual hookups were fun and easy until someone (usually me) expected more, and things got complicated. I shook my head. Steve was too innocent to be a casual thing. Or anything for that matter. Based on his dad’s protective nature, I doubted he had much experience with females. But I could be a friend, a confidant. I’d been around the block too many times to think of him otherwise. What was I getting myself into? This might be a bad idea.
CHAPTER SEVEN
STEVE
Ahuman friend. I made a human friend on my first day Fýrifírar.
The Fýrifírar orkin could not be more different than the Vátrfírar. Agnarr and Piper welcomed us with open arms and already offered to let us stay the season. And now with Billie’s Bar, I would have a chance to contribute during my stay.
I didn’t have any questions. My mind was made up. I was staying. I found Billie fascinating—no mesmerizing. And the idea of seeing if I might fit into a different tribe was too difficult to say no to. I chewed on my lip, thinking about what my tribemates would say. Reykr would stay whether or not he wanted to because he wouldn’t leave me. Tyr and Berit could make it back together if they wanted to leave. Considering I was still suspicious of their reasons for coming, it might be better if they didn’t stay. I had a feeling they only joined to get a look at the human females. If they left, at least they could report back to the tribe that the other tribes or wild animals didn’t kill us.
I headed to my room and let my mind wander back to Billie. She was unlike anyone I ever met. She was so candid and open it made it easy for me to talk to her. I’d told her more about my fears and hopes than I’d ever told anyone, and I just met her. There was zero judgment in her questions, just curiosity. I wanted to know more about her. For the longest time, I thought it would be getting out and seeing what was beyond my village. But what about after that? I didn’t have any answers. Billie made me think beyond just gaining my freedom.
And then there was Billie herself. I had now met exactly three human women: my mom, Piper, and Billie. Billie didn’t look like any of the other women. For one, she was even shorter than all of them. Her curly brown hair was a wild mane that gave off the impression of someone who wasn’t to be tamed. Though she was tiny, she had a curvy figure. In the brief moment I inadvertently glanced at her chest, I wondered what it would be like to cup each of her breasts in my hands. Her tapered waist flared out to generous thighs, and I found myself thinking about what her backside would look like, pondering if her skin was as soft as it looked.
I shook my head, trying to get a hold of my thoughts. I had never considered anyone romantically—male or female. I felt almost guilty for thinking about her like that. I had been stuffed into the role of baby brother for so long, that sex, of any variety was off the table. Many orkin had stepped in to help raise me after my mom’s death. Obviously I’d never been interested in any of them; that would have been weird. Instead, I had a bunch of loving uncles, aunts, and older mentor figures, not unlike siblings. There wasn’t room for romance in any of those relationships. And there weren’t many females in my tribe that came of age at the same time as me. Billie was the first female I’d met who hadn’t patted me on the head like a child.
I opened the door to mine and Reykr’s shared room to find him already dressed. He looked at me quizzically.
“Why are you all wet?” he asked.
“It’s a long story involving a bucket,” I said surly. “I don’t want to get into it. Do we have anything I can change into?” My encounter with Billie was wild, strange, and wonderful, and I wanted to keep to myself a little longer.
“Odin brought us some fresh clothes—they are closer to our sizes this time. He’s a sweet orkling, but once you get him talking, he doesn’t stop. His mom, Torah, oversees laundry,” he explained, indicating a pile of fresh clothes on my bed.
I quickly changed. “Alright, let’s get going,” I said, grabbing my cloak.
There was a crowd at the doors to the longhouse. It wasn’t until I looked to the head of the crowd that I noticed Brandr holding the doors open for everyone to stream inside. He gave us a friendly nod and then tilted his head toward a table at the front of the longhouse, where Piper and Agnarr were already seated. Tyr and Berit were already seated with them. And directly to the left of Piper, I was surprised to see Billie—deep in conversation with Piper. I blanched instantly.Was she already asking Piper if we could all stay? Was she telling Piper I accidentally got her stuck in a bucket? That I thought humans could mindread?
