Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Thaeros’s schedule for the Thanksgiving party they weren’t invited to was solid.
I looked it over while the computer in Dwayne’s office booted and couldn’t find any fault with how he’d put it together.
I attached a copy to an email to Dwayne and Soyer, but I didn’t send it right off.
Instead, I stared at the screen and wondered what to do about the creeping guilt of leaving Thaeros with what was actually Rae’s and my shift. I typed,
PS.: Do you think we could do something nice for Thaeros and Levi since they’re covering for Rae and me? I didn’t think to clear it with either of them ahead of time, so this is on me.
I hit send and moved on to my next task: the order sheet. That meant I had to take a trip to the kitchen, where Kasey was cooking away, his snakes all wiggly. The reptiles spotted me, and Kasey turned.
“Hey, boss! Just for your information, I very nearly fell off the couch I was lounging on when Lord Hawthorne called.”
I fumbled with my apron. “Uh, sorry. I didn’t really think this through, I guess.”
Kasey gave me a toothy grin. “No backsies.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t going to. We’re going to have fun. And good food.”
Kasey’s snakes moved in a wave pattern. “I can’t wait! Honestly, this is my first time ever doing Thanksgiving human style. I’d usually work, especially when there were humans who wanted that day off instead. What dishes are you guys making?”
I scratched my head. “Despite my newly acquired onion dicing skills, I’m not making anything. Soyer said something about roasting an entire pumpkin in the oven and about making sure the pumpkin fit first. He also got a new citrus press.”
“Intriguing.”
“Is lemon pumpkin a thing?”
“Not that I know of. Sounds like a surprise menu. Can’t say I hate the idea.”
“I second that, although I don’t really think the citrus press has anything to do with the dinner, if I’m being honest.”
“Don’t underestimate citrus. You can do a lot with it. You here for the order sheet?”
I nodded and grabbed the list he pointed me to, then went back to do admin.
Doing all of that had been daunting at first, but it was actually quite easy now.
I still always sent everything to Dwayne and Soyer to double-check, but Dwayne hadn’t corrected anything in a few weeks now, and Soyer barely reacted to work emails.
I was on my final check before sending things off when there was a knock on the door.
“Yes?”
Rae poked their head in. “Hey, Amory. Had to come tell you in person how proud I am of you for being late. Uh, also, I made you a dirty chai latte.”
“Very funny. I’m almost done here. I’ll be out in a sec.”
“Could we talk first?”
“Sure.”
Rae came in, closed the door behind them, and put the drink on my desk. We didn’t have anything like it on the menu. As they grabbed one of the folding chairs to sit on the opposite side of the desk from me, I noticed that they weren’t as easygoing, as bouncy as normal.
“I’m not really sure where to start,” they began.
“Is this about Thanksgiving?”
They sighed. “Kind of. Not really. I’m bringing my sister, Ella.
I didn’t tell you I have a sister. I take care of her, she’s human, and I…
When all this started, when the Black Shuck hired me, I thought it might be better for her…
” They stopped, crossed their arms. “It might have been easier for me, come to think of it. I don’t know.
I just wanted to keep work and her separate. ”
Rae had a sister. I was reminded of Florence all over again, and that sucked, but Rae wasn’t anything like that.
I tried to ignore my own family baggage and listen to Rae instead. “How old is Ella?”
Rae snorted. “Fifteen. She’s trying to be rebellious, I think, but she’s a really good kid. Came out to me the other day. She’s bringing her girlfriend.”
“Wow. That’s what Elias meant. You told Elias?”
They scratched their head. “Nope. But Ella goes to school here. St. Auguste, that fancy school? The Black Shuck made sure she got enrolled.”
That was a surprise. More than a little surprise. “Soyer did? My Soyer?”
“No other Black Shucks around, Amory. I was surprised you didn’t know—I thought he’d tell you, but he didn’t.
Ella and I don’t have the same mom. Mine was a succubus.
Ella is all human.” They picked at their tights.
“It’s a mess of a situation. Or it would be, if not for all this, for you guys, for the Moonlight.
I don’t have custody, but Ella cannot go back to her father.
I’m sure you can imagine why. My skills at channeling desire are good, but not like if I were fully supernatural.
It’s frowned upon. We’re seen as exploitative. ”
I was about to ask why they were telling me this, then remembered. “That’s why you asked me if I minded incubuses. Incubi?”
They nodded. “Yeah. Cubi make people wonder if what they feel is real sometimes, and people like me are often seen as using what skill we have to get what we want.” They tugged a strand of their hair back behind their ear.
“That’s why I really appreciated that you didn’t know anything about me. Before getting to know me, you know?”
I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I picked up their latte concoction and took a sip. It was pretty good.
“The good thing about being me is that I really don’t know anything. The only reason I know about St. Auguste is because they have an ad up on the escalator that I’ve taken down to the underground twice now.”
Rae chuckled. “He’s really protective of you, isn’t he?”
“Calling my fiancé overprotective now?”
They gave me a raw, sappy sort of expression.
“One thing I can do really well is sense when someone gets turned on by another person. It’s like magnetism, not always under either party’s control.
But your Black Shuck? I’ve never felt that from him for anyone who wasn’t you.
Same for you, although Kasey said you two were very nearly flirting that once. ”
“Uh, I just thought his snakes were cool, that’s all. Rae?”
“Hmm?”
“You’re a badass of an older sibling.”
They sighed. “You don’t know everything. I just tried my best. It wasn’t enough, but it was all I knew to do.”
Gummi worms. I remembered sharing gummi worms with my sister. Could I have done anything to make her understand, see my side of the story? Or did I accidentally leave her an only child in a home that wasn’t good for anyone?
“I don’t need to know everything. I know you, okay? That’s enough. And I don’t mind—what’s the word—cubi? You’re family.”
“Ugh, fuck. I didn’t use the waterproof eyeliner.” They stood. “Look, I’m going to storm out now, okay?”
“Yup, that’s fine.”
They nodded and made for the door, then stopped. “Thank you for inviting us. Ella’s really excited.”
They left. I sat there for a good minute before putting the folding chair away. Then I had more of the latte and pulled out my phone.
You did something very nice for Rae and Ella, didn’t you?
Not that I can remember.
My Soyer was a bad liar sometimes, but I didn’t mind one tiny bit.
Thaeros hung around till nine. He was ready to head out into the madness of big fluffy snowflakes in a long royal blue coat and a beret in the same color by about quarter after. His long scarf was just a shade lighter than the rest of his outfit.
“Enjoy getting snowed in,” he said, one hand on the door.
I raised a hand in goodbye. “Enjoy getting snowed on.”
He frowned. “This is the kind of thing that’ll ruin a nice hairstyle. Anyhow, toodles.”
The bells above the door twinkled with his exit and a flurry of white and cold blew in.
Rae looked up from their phone. They were leaning on the counter next to me. “Ugh. That’s real wintry.”
The guy at the counter, who was engrossed in his novel and on his second slice of pecan pie, looked up as well, as if he hadn’t even realized it was snowing.
He looked at me. “Hey, do you have a cozy-like drink?”
“Probably tea with milk.” I showed him one of our menus. “The chai tea, if you ask me. Has lots of spices.”
He nodded. “That and…apple pie, please.”
It took care of him, but that little interaction was the most I’d spoken with any customer. We were down to two tables now, and even counting Ben, we only had five patrons.
“Should we play a game?” Rae asked.
“We’re at work.”
Ben chuckled behind me. Rae frowned at me.
“And here I thought you being late once meant you were, I don’t know, fun.”
I pointed at myself. “I’m fun.”
Rae put their hand on their hip. “Can you prove that, Amory? Are there any witnesses to support your statement?”
“Well…”
They held up their hand. “No, it’s fine. I will make up a game you can get behind. Let’s post some pretty and mouthwatering food porn to the Moonlight’s accounts, okay?”
“F-food porn?” I glanced at the glass case with the pies and pastries. We still had more than enough cherry pie to feed Soyer a slice, but Rae’s eagerness made me worried.
“Yes. Ben, say it’s a good idea.”
“It’s a good idea.”
The reader perked up again. “Fun crowd you have here. Just like my small-town romance.”
He pointed at his book cover, which was about as snowy and cozy as the weather outside.
“Uh, well, it’s just really slow today.”
He pointed again. “They have a snowplow in this. And a sexy plowman with a beard. Can recommend. Five stars.”
“We don’t have any beards here,” Rae said. “Nor anyone with a beard. Come on, Amory, let’s do some marketing. I bet Kasey’s bored out of his head.”
“I really am,” he hollered from the kitchen.
It dawned on me that after the conspiratorial chat, there was now open mutiny at the Moonlight, and there was little I could do, not when they were this reasonable about it.
Table seventeen and the reader left about an hour later. He’d been engrossed in his book, and I hoped it wasn’t the kind that would suck him into the pages if he fell asleep without finishing it. Or maybe that would be a good thing?