Chapter 20 Bea
He most certainly is not a boy
My first day is going better than I expected. After Zaxon’s warm welcome this morning and the beautiful flowers and vase sitting on my new desk, I get to work implementing and perfecting my plan for the resort.
Step one, introduce myself to my coworkers.
I want everyone here to know who I am and what I’m doing.
My intention here is to keep the resort up to code and fulfilling all the necessary requirements continuously.
To do that I’ll need the cooperation of the staff.
Therefor introducing myself and presenting my work as non-intrusive and helpful will make everyone’s job easier.
Step two, learn the needs of each department and find out why the policies and practices in place are or aren’t working.
I’ve learned over the years that although there are codes in place to keep people safe, sometimes they don’t always work as intended.
Which is why people don’t abide by them.
It’s my job now to find out why and fix that.
Step three is something I never anticipated for a job and that’s to enjoy it.
Not just be content or comfortable enough that I don’t hate the work, but actually happy while doing it.
I think having Zaxon around is going to help in that department.
I already catch myself smiling more than I ever did while being a code enforcement agent for the state.
By lunch time I’ve managed to work my way through most of the admin department. I figured it was the best place to start since it’s right outside my office door. My plan is to fan out as I go, working my way through each building.
I step back through my office door to drop off my notes and nearly jump out of my skin when Zaxon appears out of nowhere.
“Oh my god. What are you doing here? You nearly made my pee myself.”
Zaxon smiles as he always does, and my heart rate slows from my initial shock. He’s leaning against the arm of one of my visitor chairs, chest bare and ankles crossed all nonchalant.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just waiting for you so we could go to lunch.”
“You’re not going to pick me up and fly me there, are you? Because it took longer than you think to get my hair to cooperate with me this morning.”
Which is why I usually go for the tried-and-true ballerina bun. No matter what my hair looks like when I wake up, the bun always looks the same.
“I was going to but since you asked so nicely…” He’s mocking me but I let him.
Thankfully Zaxon doesn’t try to fly us anywhere and leads me to a grassy area between the beach and the main pool area. There’s not much grass since it is a beach resort, but it’s bright green and mostly free of sand.
A large colorful blanket it spread out with a large basket to one side and an umbrella overhead for shade. At first, I don’t realize he’s leading me to the picturesque scene until we stop at the edge of the blanket and he holds his arm out in triumph.
“Welcome to your first lunch at Coconut Cove.”
“This isn’t my first lunch here,” I automatically correct. I can’t help being a smart ass, it just happens.
“But it is your first lunch here as an employee. So, I thought I would make it special.”
If Zaxon were able to blush, I think he just did, his cheeks growing a shade darker than the rest of him.
It’s sweet and exactly what I would expect from Zaxon.
He’s full of sweetness and I think that’s what I needed.
Everyone always tried to get me to “relax” and “chill out” by commanding me to do so or telling me I was too uptight.
Both of which are things that do the exact opposite of making me relax.
What I needed was someone who would just be relaxed with me, and comfortable with who I am without forcing me to change but allowing me to decide on my own. Being in a calm and warm environment with someone who was so naturally at ease and happy made me at ease.
My brothers are going to flip the next time we get together and I introduce them to my jovial gargoyle boyfriend and tell them I quit my old job to work at a beach resort.
“This is beautiful Zaxon, thank you.”
I sit on the blanket curling my legs underneath me.
The sun is high and warm and the coolness of the shade under the striped umbrella is a welcome reprieve.
Zaxon sits his large body next to me, kneeling as he begins to pull items from his picnic basket.
Wrapped sandwiches, a bag of cookies, something in a container that might be pasta salad, and a bag of sliced fruit.
Two bottles of pink bubbly drinks are added to the spread completing the presentation.
“You know you didn’t have to do all this. I would have been fine eating in the employee break room, or even at a table by the pool,” I tell him.
“I know, but I wanted to. I want to make sure you don’t feel like you made a mistake taking this job…or being with me.”
A rare flash of self-doubt spreads across his face for the first time, showing me a crack in his otherwise impervious happy exterior.
“I would never regret being with you. The job is just a bonus.”
I scoot closer to him leaning up to press a kiss to his jaw, his violet eyes sparkling with delight as I do.
“Good. I just want you to be happy.”
“I know. And, weirdly enough, I am very happy. Probably more than I have been in a long time.”
“More than you were the other night?” Zaxon purrs into my ear as he settles on to his butt and presses a kiss to my neck.
“Maybe not at this very moment,” I giggle.
I can’t believe he manages to make me giggle and not just this once but on numerous occasions throughout the day. I gently push him away and he goes willingly if not reluctantly.
“Save that for later. Right now, I’m hungry and only have an hour for lunch.”
“Fine, fine. I’ll save the seduction for after work hours.”
“Damn right you will. I can’t have my new coworkers thinking less of me on day one because I was caught humping my boyfriend on my lunch break in the middle of the resort.”
I scoff at him in mock indignation and start unwrapping food. Zaxon grunts and wrinkles his nose at me as if he smelled something rancid.
“I don’t like that term…boyfriend. Makes me sound like a prepubescent child.”
“What should I call you then?” I laugh because if he asks me to call him something like Lord Large Dick or Master Tail Fucker, I will do no such thing.
“Significant other. Partner. Mate. It’s a term many species use to describe their romantic partner.”
“Even if we’re not mated in the legal marriage sense?”
“Yup. It can be used as a title just like boyfriend but has a lot more meaning and sounds less stupid.”
Mate. It doesn’t sound so bad, better than calling a six-and-a-half-foot gargoyle my boyfriend. Because he most certainly is not a boy.
“I guess I can call you my mate. Kinda makes me feel like I’m British. They call people mate all the time.”
“Good, because you are far more important to me than just a girlfriend. I don’t plan on ever letting you go. Maybe someday I can make you my permanent mate.”
Zaxon’s wing slips around my back, quickly followed by his tail wrapping around my waist, the tip stroking at my hip through my dress.
“Remember what I said about working hours?” I raise an eyebrow at him under my glasses.
His tail doesn’t uncoil from my waist, but he does minimize his fondling.
Still the touch of his tail and the heat of his words has me blushing.
He basically just admitted he wants to marry me at some point.
A declaration like that should frighten me.
It’s unplanned and out of my control, two things I normally hate.
With Zaxon in control, I find I’m looking forward to whatever he doesn’t have planned.
My future is going to be filled with unknown destinations, tail play, being forced to get over my fear of heights, lots and lots of laughter, sand in my ass crack, and best of all love. I can feel it brewing deep inside, coalescing and growing, filling my chest and heating my veins.
It doesn’t give me anxiety or send me into panic planning. I’m okay with it. I’m okay with not having a plan and seeing where things go with my smiling, ridiculously hot, and wonderful gargoyle.