grin. When I smiled back, her half-smile lost all restraint with the corners of her mouth threatening to touch her ears.
“I hope you’re hungry,” she said, turning back to the pan on the stove.
As if on cue my stomach rumbled, answering for me.
She smirked over her shoulder. “I guess you are. Sit down; I’ll bring it to you.”
I did as she ordered and sat there for a few minutes while she dished up the food and brought it over. She explained that it was some sort of new “meat-substitute” and I was the tester. Yay for me.
I was pleasantly surprised at the texture of the product. It had a little bit of an odd taste that took a few bites to get used to. Then it was all-in. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I had devoured my plate and part of hers.
We ate in silence until we finished the meal. Then I started. “Guess what happened this evening.”
“He what? Are you sure?” Kelsie asked, incredulously.
“Yeah, I’m sure, Kelsie. He took a hidden tunnel right under their Gate. When he came up on the inside, they acted like he was supposed to be there.” I let out an exasperated sound and hopped up on the kitchen counter.
“Why would he be going there? The whole time I was growing up, I heard of the Sven Magistrate visiting once for diplomatic reasons. It didn’t go well, so they never did it again.”
“I don’t have a clue. I don’t think it’s for political reasons, though. If it were, I’m pretty sure he would have told his wife and had a guard or two. Also, why would he be going twice a week and have to use an underground tunnel if it was for something legitimate. It’s not like he’s discussing a takeover by the Briln.” I laughed, which drew a questioning look from Kelsie. “I bet it would have been hysterical seeing that fat-ass crawling down that tunnel.” I laughed again at the thought.
I got up to do the dishes, and now it was her turn to sit on the counter and watch. That was our standing arrangement. The one that cooked didn’t clean. It worked out well.
I looked over my shoulder as I scrubbed a pan. “I’m going back day after tomorrow. That’s when the Magistrate’s wife said he’s going next. You wanna go?”
Her face clouded over. “Maybe. I need to tell you something that happened earlier. It involves a Council member.”
She told me that he’d made threatening gestures at her and started coming after her with a knife and that she was pretty sure his name was Jonathan. I didn’t really know what to say to that. Why would he be going after her? As much as it pained me to not be able to help, all I could really do was tell her to stay away from him. At least until we figured out why the Magistrate was also acting so weird: yelling at me in public, calling me crazy, and leaving town through a hidden tunnel, going to Briln land. All I could say is that it was weird. In the end, I had to settle for giving her a hug and trying to reassure her that we would figure this out.
“Are you sure it was Jonathan? Kinda hard for me to believe. I mean, Jonathan is seriously nice.”
Kelsie punched my shoulder a lot harder than I realized she could. I was spun halfway around from the force. When I came back around to bear, rubbing my shoulder, Kelsie was glaring holes through me.
“Seriously, Drake? Did you honestly just doubt me about whether or not it was Jonathan when you’re asking me to believe you about a bunch of invisible bodies that only you can see?”
I grinned sheepishly and cleared my throat awkwardly. “Didn’t really think that through. Sorry.”
She gave me one last glare before shaking her head in exasperation and wandering off.
That night Kelsie joined me in bed, again. Platonically, still. Just like all the other times. It was getting harder and harder for me to keep it that way. I didn’t get how she could be so oblivious to it, to the feeling of us. The sensation of her head on my chest and my arms around her, the combined warmth and
“I hope you’re hungry,” she said, turning back to the pan on the stove.
As if on cue my stomach rumbled, answering for me.
She smirked over her shoulder. “I guess you are. Sit down; I’ll bring it to you.”
I did as she ordered and sat there for a few minutes while she dished up the food and brought it over. She explained that it was some sort of new “meat-substitute” and I was the tester. Yay for me.
I was pleasantly surprised at the texture of the product. It had a little bit of an odd taste that took a few bites to get used to. Then it was all-in. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I had devoured my plate and part of hers.
We ate in silence until we finished the meal. Then I started. “Guess what happened this evening.”
“He what? Are you sure?” Kelsie asked, incredulously.
“Yeah, I’m sure, Kelsie. He took a hidden tunnel right under their Gate. When he came up on the inside, they acted like he was supposed to be there.” I let out an exasperated sound and hopped up on the kitchen counter.
“Why would he be going there? The whole time I was growing up, I heard of the Sven Magistrate visiting once for diplomatic reasons. It didn’t go well, so they never did it again.”
“I don’t have a clue. I don’t think it’s for political reasons, though. If it were, I’m pretty sure he would have told his wife and had a guard or two. Also, why would he be going twice a week and have to use an underground tunnel if it was for something legitimate. It’s not like he’s discussing a takeover by the Briln.” I laughed, which drew a questioning look from Kelsie. “I bet it would have been hysterical seeing that fat-ass crawling down that tunnel.” I laughed again at the thought.
I got up to do the dishes, and now it was her turn to sit on the counter and watch. That was our standing arrangement. The one that cooked didn’t clean. It worked out well.
I looked over my shoulder as I scrubbed a pan. “I’m going back day after tomorrow. That’s when the Magistrate’s wife said he’s going next. You wanna go?”
Her face clouded over. “Maybe. I need to tell you something that happened earlier. It involves a Council member.”
She told me that he’d made threatening gestures at her and started coming after her with a knife and that she was pretty sure his name was Jonathan. I didn’t really know what to say to that. Why would he be going after her? As much as it pained me to not be able to help, all I could really do was tell her to stay away from him. At least until we figured out why the Magistrate was also acting so weird: yelling at me in public, calling me crazy, and leaving town through a hidden tunnel, going to Briln land. All I could say is that it was weird. In the end, I had to settle for giving her a hug and trying to reassure her that we would figure this out.
“Are you sure it was Jonathan? Kinda hard for me to believe. I mean, Jonathan is seriously nice.”
Kelsie punched my shoulder a lot harder than I realized she could. I was spun halfway around from the force. When I came back around to bear, rubbing my shoulder, Kelsie was glaring holes through me.
“Seriously, Drake? Did you honestly just doubt me about whether or not it was Jonathan when you’re asking me to believe you about a bunch of invisible bodies that only you can see?”
I grinned sheepishly and cleared my throat awkwardly. “Didn’t really think that through. Sorry.”
She gave me one last glare before shaking her head in exasperation and wandering off.
That night Kelsie joined me in bed, again. Platonically, still. Just like all the other times. It was getting harder and harder for me to keep it that way. I didn’t get how she could be so oblivious to it, to the feeling of us. The sensation of her head on my chest and my arms around her, the combined warmth and
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