5. Wren
WREN
I started not to eavesdrop on Talon and Wick’s conversation, but it’s hard when Talon’s more animated than I had anticipated him being about me being under the same roof as him.
And I don’t know if this setup will be a good thing or not.
I don’t mean to antagonize the man, but he’s too adorable when he gets flustered, and I love watching the blush creep across his nose.
He turns to face me. There’s a scowl on his face, but I don’t think he means it.
I think it’s just his face, and what a handsome face it is.
Wick gives me two thumbs up from behind Talon, and I fight off a grin.
Talon shakes his head and stomps to the break room.
“Give him time,” Wick says as he comes back around to join me behind the register.
“Until we open, you’ll be bored. Do you wanna join us in back to learn some of the baking ropes?”
“Not today. I don’t think Talon would like that very much. He needs to cool down. I’m happy filling up display cases and wiping things down.”
Wick shows me where the cleaner and rags are. “Talon’ll get over his little hissy fit. It just might take him a bit of time. He doesn’t let people in, but I think he’s been hurt before.”
“I’ll be gentle with him, promise.” I take a rag from him before setting it on the counter. “You have to go do some damage control, though. I’ll stay on this side of the door for now. Go create some tasty treats Beau will fall in love with.”
Wick hands me the glass bottle of cleaner. “I don’t think there’s a treat Beau won’t eat. That bat shifter will eat anything sweet you put in front of him.”
“Just so you know, I plan to treat the entire gang when they get here. Plus, they don’t know I started, so they’ll be surprised.”
“When are you gonna tell them what happened?”
My shoulders drop. “I don’t know. Today I guess.
Everyone knows courtesans can’t have jobs outside the court.
They’ll know something’s up.” I hate the omission of truth.
I can’t lie outright, so I’ve resorted to contorting my answers into something almost true, depending on how you look at it.
Talking in circles was never my forte. “They know a little bit, but I’ve been too scared to tell them the entire truth of it all.
I’ve been hiding away at Lark’s for the most part.
I think Sparkle suspects something’s off.
The other day he pointed out that I always teleport.
I told him I was working on my fitness.”
Wick snorts.
“I know! Look at me. A simple walk around the block doesn’t do this.” I lift my shirt and undulate my abs.
There’s a choked sound from the doorway of the kitchen. Talon watches wide-eyed before he turns away.
“Well, shit,” I say.
“Don’t worry about it. The guy is painfully shy. He’ll get used to having you around. But Wren.” Wick puts his hand on my shoulder and tips my chin up with his tail. “If anything ever happens, I’m choosing him. Got it?”
I lift my hands and can’t stop the smile. “Crystal clear.”
“I don’t know if he has anyone else, but he’s a damn good baker and I won’t abandon him.”
“I get it.” And I already have a bunch of Hex folks in my corner. The thing about Hex residents is they adopt you and make you feel like family. If you let them and I wonder if Talon has ever let anyone take care of him in his life.
Wick was right about me being bored until the shop opened. I clean every tabletop, the counters, the glass in the display, and contemplate cleaning the door, but the clock strikes 6am. Go time!
Of course, the first to arrive is the gang. The bell above the door jingles and I brace myself for questions.
Sparkle and Beau come in together with their arms looped together and heads pressed close, as if they’re conspiring to make some mischief. Lark comes in behind them. Then Gabe rushes in.
“Why are you behind the counter?” Sparkle asks. His fluffy white cat tail sways behind him. His white cat ears on the top of his head twitch with each new noise in the shop.
Beau and Gabe look up at me.
Beau slides his sunglasses down his nose and looks around. The bat shifter always wears them wherever he goes since his eyes are so sensitive. His hearing is as well, but his headphones are around his neck instead of over his ears. “Are you a secret agent?” he whispers.
“Nope! I work here.”
Everyone looks to Lark as if he’ll spill my secret. My brother holds up his hands.
Gabe tips his head and his glossy black hair shines in the fluorescent lighting. “I didn’t think courtesans were allowed to hold other jobs.”
“They can’t,” I say, trying to keep a smile on my face, but it starts to twitch. “I got banished from the Fae lands for wanting out of my contract.”
“Banished?” Sparkle gasps. “That’s so rude of them!”
I let out my breath and laugh. “Right? Here I was getting fucked every day and night and they decide to just really fuck me.”
Lark snorts as he shakes his head.
Sparkle squints at me, and I know what he’s going to say. His shoulders slump and he casts his eyes down. “You didn’t trust us with this bit of information?”
I slide a hand through my hair and try to figure out how to answer the question. “I do, but it’s embarrassing. I got thrown out of my world. It wasn’t a possibility I even considered, so I’ve been nursing my feelings at Lark’s the last three weeks.”
“Three weeks?” Sparkle looks around. “Three weeks? We all could have helped you.”
“I didn’t wanna burden any of you. Sparkle, you help your mom raise six kids. I don’t want to take any of your time away. Gabe and Beau have their guys and lives and—”
Gabe seems to have a halo glow around his head. It’s been happening more since he started working with his nephilim magic. “We’re friends. If you had said something, we would have helped. But we’re not mind readers.”
Sparkle nods. All of them look a little hurt.
Beau pushes his sunglasses back up his nose, probably to hide the emotions in his eyes. “All this time, we could have helped you feel at home in Hex.”
“Exactly,” Sparkle says. “I feel so bad.” He turns to Lark. “You’ve been hoarding him all to yourself.”
“We could take rotations!” Beau says.
Lark shakes his head. “We’re happy to host him for as long as he needs.”
“Does someone need someplace to stay?” Wick comes in from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dishtowel.
“Wren,” Sparkle says.
“Oh, I thought—”
I raise my hands. “I’ve been staying at Lark’s.”
Wick shrugs. “We have the apartment above the shop available, if you’re interested.
” He points above us. We all look up as if we can see the apartment through the ceiling.
“It’s a cute little one bedroom bachelor pad.
We always intended to rent it out. It’s all updated and everything. Yours if you want it.”
I look to Lark.
“Your decision. We’re still okay with you staying with us.”
Wick wipes his dishtowel along the counter and shrugs. “Just letting you know.” He shoots a look to Sparkle.
Sparkle sighs. “The kittens are still so young. I should stay with mom.”
I lick my lips. “You know what? I’ll take it.”
“Sweet! I’ll show you around after we close.”
“Perfect.” I didn’t know I’d want a place to call my own for a while, but now that it’s within reach I want it more than anything.
“Now, my dearest friends, what can I get you? On the house.” I grin and Wick rolls his eyes.
It’s not really on the house, I plan on paying with my first paycheck. I just want to treat my friends.
The shop gets busy, but not anything I can’t handle. I keep the coffee flowing and the treats stocked as Wick brings them up to me. This is so much better than I anticipated today going.
“We’ll be throwing you an apartment warming party this weekend,” Sparkle says as the gang heads out to start their days.
“I look forward to it.”
The day’s over in a flash. My feet and back ache, but that probably has more to do with me being a couch potato for three weeks than standing all day, but who knows?
On and off there was an eerie feeling of being watched, but every time I looked up no one was looking at me. I brush it off as first day jitters.
“Alrighty, time to close up, then I’ll show you to your new apartment.”
Wick shows me the closing procedures, and it’s not too bad.
He helps Talon with the kitchen cleanup and I finish sweeping up.
My first day in a job that I didn’t have to worry about court politics or end the day on my back.
Not that every night as a courtesan resulted in sex, but eight times out of ten.
“What’s that look about?” Wick asks when he joins me again.
“Just thinking how nice it is that I don’t have to lube up or suck a dick right now.”
Talon glares at me as he passes through. I keep my trap shut for all of two seconds, not wanting him to think I’m trying to make a pass at him. I raise my hands. “That comment was purely innocent and relevant to what Wick asked me.”
Talon snorts and continues on through the shop and out the door.
“It’s not entirely you. He usually does just leave when the day’s done.”
“It’s fine. I’m not worried about it. Let’s go see that apartment.”
Wick nods and waves for me to head towards the door. “There’s an outside entrance around the building.”
I wait for him to lock up, then follow him to our destination. Solid wooden steps lead up to the apartment door.
“Cute. I like the stars you painted.” I trace one of the purple stars.
“Ethan’s idea. They’re supposed to be bursts of magic since he’s a witch.”
“Love it.” The scent of baked treats fills my senses when Wick opens the door. “Haven’t even seen the place and I’m already sold by scent alone.”
“Ah, yes. The delicious smells do float up here.” Wick steps aside and sweeps his arm out. “Welcome to Cookie Place. At least that’s what Ethan and I’ve been calling it.”
I take in the living room. The vertical blinds are open and spill bright light into the hardwood floors. I turn to my left to the open concept kitchen.
“Back there is the bathroom and the bedroom. There’s a nice, spacious walk-in closet. If there’s anything you want, let us know. Ethan spelled the entire place to be the perfect temperature for whoever lives here. There’s also regular AC and heating.”
I wander through the place. “I’m glad it’s furnished. I don’t have much, just clothes. Lark and Pike went to the Autumn Court to get them for me.”
“We thought as much. I hope everything is comfortable, if not, let us know.”
“You planned this? For me?”
He nods. “Pike might have spilled the beans about your banishment to Van, who spilled the beans to me. And I spilled to Ethan. We have the apartment and we’re happy to have you stay here. We were going to offer it to Sparkle, but he kept shooting us down.”
“I think Sparkle is afraid to leave his mom’s house. Most of the kittens are old enough they don’t need constant watching.”
“He’ll get there when he gets there.”
“True. When can I move in?”
“Now?” Wick looks around. “There’s nothing stopping you from taking it tonight.” He hands me the key.
“What’s the rent?” Probably should have asked first, but here we are.
“Like a hundred bucks a month?”
I choke on a laugh. “You can’t charge that little.”
“It’s Hex. We can do what we want.” Wick squeezes my shoulder. “I’ll leave you to it.” Then he’s gone and I’m left in my new apartment.