Chapter 11- Loxley
MY EYEbrOWS MIGHT never go down. I’m sure my expression of shock mirrors his, except I can now see he’s green and scaly.
Gordy Lee, the one man who can’t stand me. The big shifter who won’t leave my head…is sitting with me instead of my online buddy, Coldblooded. But wait, this means…
“What are you doing here?!” Gordy hisses.
If my words are trapped on a good day, they’re certainly not coming out now. I sputter then swiftly type out, “I’m here to meet CB.”
“Yeah, okay, well, I’m here to meet Speakeasy!” he replies.
I point to myself, and he rolls his eyes. “No way. I…I…I refuse to believe it. You’re Loxley!”
Now I’m the one rolling my eyes and shoving my phone in his face and scrolling through the messages. He huffs in defeat and looks up. The evidence doesn’t lie, but there’s still a frown on his turtle face. “How could you be SE?”
“I am!” I hiss in frustration.
He fidgets, and I’m afraid he’s gonna bolt. “But, but…how is this possible? Speakeasy is…and…and you’re…”
I growl and type out, “I’m sorry my body is a disappointment.”
With a grunt, he replies, “You know it’s not that! I thought…Speakeasy would be a blank slate. I didn’t want him to know I look like this!”
“Gordy,” I say. Before I can put my hand on his arm, our attention is drawn to the front. The older couple is shushing us and giving some serious stink eye all the way from the second row. If they were witches, we’d be hexed into oblivion right now.
The appropriate amount of shame washes over me, and Gordy and I share a cringe.
We glance at each other, and he sits back in the chair, putting his hood over his head.
I’m so embarrassed, but with the older couple no longer glaring at us, we manage to relax as well.
After a quiet minute of watching movie previews, the realization dawns on me: I’m on a date with Gordy Lee.
I’m also on a date with Coldblooded. The super cool guy I’ve been crushing on online, and the turtle shifter I’ve been lusting after, are the same person! Auntie says fate always finds a way, and clearly she’s not wrong. The universe has connected us time and time again.
And now we’re on a date, sort of. I can’t believe it! My heart pounds in my chest as I grow more aware of his body. CB is so much sexier than I ever could have imagined. His tail pokes out from behind him, and I yearn to see more of his shell.
Mustering up courage, I type on my phone and show the message to him. “For what it’s worth, I’m not at all disappointed in the way you look, Mr. Coldblooded. I’m very happy to meet with you.”
The tenuous smile that grows on his reptilian mouth is worth more than all the stars in the sky.
***
“So, what did you think of the movie?” Gordy asks as we leave the restroom.
He’s in his Chinese human form now, likely because of all the lobby lights.
Now, we’re walking out into the early-summer air.
Downtown Cosmo is alive with activity, couples holding hands.
In a sense, CB—I mean, Gordy—and I are a couple as well.
We’re a pair of lonely hearts getting to know each other. I don’t want this night to end.
“I liked it,” I reply with a shrug. Truthfully, I could barely pay attention with Gordy’s thigh inches from mine.
Sure, it was a cool, older romantasy flick, and a queer one at that.
There was like a barista guy falling in love with a dude who can talk to sea creatures, I think?
Honestly, I have no idea what happened in Coral Prince Conundrum.
I was too distracted by the hunk to my left.
“Yeah? I’m not usually a romance guy, but the ability to move water and the ocean castle all looked dope.”
I nod with a smile and resist the urge to hold his hand. Gordy’s calmly chatting with me for the first time without a scowl on his face. Every word is like a tiny treasure, a gift just for me.
“So, uh, what plans did you have with Coldblooded after the movie?” He gives me a shy smile, and it makes my pulse pick up. He wants to keep hanging out with me!
“Mm…d-dinner.” I point to an outdoor hot dog and burger place.
“I could eat.” He puts his mask on and pulls his hood up. In moments, he’s back to his turtle form and walking closer to the darkened trees. “But I probably shouldn’t, like…be near the tables. Don’t want the mortals to…”
His words trail off, and I frown. Gazing around, I notice a solution. “The park.” I point to a far gate. “We could…eat and chat underneath…a tree.”
“Oh, yeah, okay.” He nods, and my heart wants to throw a parade. “I could go for a corndog. Let me pay you.”
“No.” I shoot him the biggest grin. “My treat, Gordy.” All I can do is hope he watches me as I walk away and get food for the second half of our date.
Minutes later, we’re sitting at a picnic table in the park across from the theater. The sun has set, and hardly anyone is walking here, so it’s truly as if we’re in our own little world. Gordy must agree, because his hood is off, exposing his green skin.
And he’s beautiful. I can’t help but steal glances at him as he eats. It’s mostly a companionable silence, but I can almost feel the nervousness and desire emanating from Gordy across the table. Does he want me as much as I want him?
“It was a sweet movie,” he says as he finishes his meal.
“Mhm,” I reply.
“I haven’t been to the theater in so long,” he says, staring at his hands.
“Same.”
He quirks an eyebrow at me and asks, “Why? I’m trying not to get kidnapped and turned into a circus sideshow.”
He laughs, but I frown. When he glances at me, his smile drops. “Me and going out in public have never gone well,” Gordy remarks.
“Why?” He points at his face, and I shrug. “You look…good to me.”
“Maybe on Halloween.” He chuckles, but I don’t smile. Sure, he’s technically not human all the time, but I can’t imagine anyone alienating someone so good-looking and fascinating. “So why is going out not easy for you? You’re like…handsome and normal.”
My cheeks burn, and we both gaze at our sodas. “People…want to be friends with me, but I can’t…” I shake my head in embarrassment.
“They don’t accept your speech impediment?” he asks.
I sigh and shake my head again.
“Then they’re no friends of yours.”
He’s being sweet to me, and I laugh and remark, “Hence…no friends.”
“Other than online.” Gordy points at me. “Coldblooded is definitely your friend.”
My laughter dies, and I stare into his pretty red eyes. “You’re…my friend, too, Gordy.”
“So, why are you named Speakeasy? You into liquor or something?”
I titter. “No. It’s like…how I…wish I was.”
“You wish you could speak more easily.” He nods. “Ah, now I got you.”
“And I just got…your name.” I point at him, and he nods.
“Yeah, despite my turtle form, I’m not actually cold-blooded.
At least I think not. How does one check these kinds of things?
Like a blood thermometer or something?” We both laugh, and it’s a joyous sound I would love to replay for years to come.
Gordy and I seem to fit together, both online and in real life.
After we calm down, I open my palm towards his.
Focusing on the moon, I try to muster up any magic I can.
Without saying a word, Gordy lifts up his hand to mirror mine.
At that moment, the spark within me flares to life again.
That indescribable sensation, that warmth that reminds me I’m a witch, simmers even more than usual within my soul.
Small flecks of green energy glow and float from my hand to his.
Ruby red bits of magic float from his palm to mine, and when they make contact, a chill runs down my spine.
Our magic connects. Like every instinct I’ve had since we met, Gordy and I just make sense together. I’m the witch I want to be when I’m with him. It’s a beautiful, unexplainable phenomenon. Laughter bubbles from my chest, and Gordy chuckles along with me.
The joy on his face means he knows exactly what I’m thinking; we have magic when we’re together. We might be right for each other.
After a few more moments of sharing bits of energy, I close my palm, and he does the same. The glittering lights are gone, and that’s probably for the best. We’re still in public after all.
“That was…wow,” he says, breathlessly.
“Agreed.”
“What is it about…you?” He flickers one last spark of red energy, then puts his hand down. “It’s like…your presence. I don’t get it.”
“Me neither,” I whisper. “Let’s just…go with it.”
He nods and pensively stares at his drink. “Can I ask you something?” I nod, so he continues, “The day we met, why did you call me…?”
“Familiar,” I murmur, and he nods. Nervousness pangs through my heart, and I stare at my hands in the darkness. “A…familiar…is like…”
“An animal that can augment a witch’s powers.”
I nod and sigh. “I…s-saw…in a vision…”
“You saw me?”
I shrug again. Anxiousness swirls in my chest; is Gordy going to be offended again? “I’m sorry,” I rasp.
After a long pause, he replies, “You don’t have to be sorry. I should be.”
“Why?”
“You can’t control your visions.”
With a nod, I reply, “Taina…divination witch.”
“Seb told me. She’s his best friend. She had the vision?”
“No…but like…t-t-tea leaves…” The words are even more uncomfortable than usual, but Gordy hasn’t left yet. That has to bode well, right?
“She allowed you to see a vision in tea leaves.”
I nod quickly and smile at him. “Ah. So, just to reiterate: you were looking for a familiar, and Taina gave you the tea leaves to do it. And the vision showed you someone who looked like me? A turtle man?”
Tapping my cup, I softly reply, “Just about.”
“Ah. Well, vision aren’t…aren’t always one-hundred percent accurate.”
“True,” I reply. Disappointment blooms in my chest, but so what if he’s not my familiar? It feels like we’re becoming genuine friends. Coldblooded was my friend, and it turns out he’s part of my wider coven. That’s gotta count for something, right?
“Still, I’m sorry for the way I lashed out at you.” I shoot him a quizzical expression, and Gordy continues, “I didn’t let you talk the day we met. I should have been more open, more friendly, more understanding.”
“N-no,” I stammer.
“Yes, I should have. Maybe if I had acted more mature, we could have been friends sooner. You’re a local witch, and you’re also Speakeasy. Clearly, we have a lot in common. And I kind of started us off on the wrong foot.”
His words light a fire in my heart. Chasing an instinct, I reach over and put my hand over his on the table. His scaly skin is soft, and that simple contact makes me feel warm all over. “You’re…here now. We’re…”
Try as I might, the sentence won’t finish. That is, until Gordy grins and says, “We’re friends now. And that’s what’s most important.”
Thirty minutes later, I’m pulling up to Gordy’s driveway. Their house is situated on the other side of Cosmo, but I don’t mind driving him. I’ll take any excuse to spend time with Gordy. My attraction to him only continues to grow and grow.
I turn off the engine and cut the lights.
Darkness shrouds us on the small road, and the driveway is cloaked in trees.
My heart beats faster knowing what might happen if this were a real date.
But it’s not, we’re simply two friends who have finally come to an understanding.
Still, tell that to my trembling hands, ready to reach over and do… something with Gordy.
“Thanks for the ride,” he says quietly.
“Welcome.”
He undoes his seatbelt and holds up one finger. Before he says anything, he sighs and puts his hand down. “I’ll see you online, buddy.”
Why does it feel like he was going to say something else? “Okay.”
“Goodnight, Speakeasy.”
“Night, Coldblooded,” I reply with a half-grin. The tension is thick between us, but in moments, he’s opening the door and exiting my car.
My heart wants to fall out of my chest. I shouldn’t be disappointed; we’re just now becoming friendly, and that’s more than enough. So he doesn’t want to kiss me or anything like that, that’s fine. I have to accept that Gordy and I are only platonic.
But then he stops. He turns to me, red eyes pooling with tenderness and conflict. After clenching his fists twice, he quickly walks back to me. Did he forget something?
Gordy strides in front of the car to my side. And he’s pulling the door open.
I don’t have a chance to say a word before he’s yanking me up by my collar. In a blur, his mouth is on mine.
Underneath the stars, as the crickets sing, Gordy Lee, the legendary Ruby Turtle himself, is kissing me.
When he moves his mouth, I gladly open mine and allow his tongue to touch mine.
A small moan leaves my lips in this perfect moment.
When I bring my hand up to his cheek, I caress his scaly skin on instinct.
What I’ve been dreaming of for weeks is finally happening. Gordy wants me, and my soul has never felt this light.