Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
My servants wouldn’t stop staring at each other and grinning.
It nauseated to the point I almost lost my appetite.
I rallied. After all, I couldn’t let the bagels smothered in a cream cheese and lox, the hashbrowns that emerged crispy from the oven, the toast, buttered and with the option of adding jam, eggs in three styles—boiled, scrambled and over an English muffin with hollandaise sauce, a new favorite—the fruit cut into pieces, or the bacon go to waste.
While I chewed and scowled at my servants who couldn’t compose themselves, Keanu, on the other hand, beamed in pleasure.
It seemed his ploy to forbid Iolana from being with Apollo worked.
Something about reverse psychology. Whatever the case, the pair had copulated, but rather than clearing up their lust for each other so they could better focus on me, it appeared to have made it worse.
Perhaps I’d have Keanu toss them in the pool to cool their hormones.
After the repast, which had my belly swelling, me and the old man chose to lay outside basking in the sun.
He and Iolana wouldn’t be working in the shop today, a decision Iolana made, given her concern the intruders would return, and Keanu didn’t argue.
She planned to purchase a camera that would spy on anyone who set foot on the property, and she was going to invest in a proper lock for the doors.
However, when her grandfather also suggested they get a gun, she shook her head.
“I’m not shooting anyone, and neither are you.”
Humans could be so squeamish. A dragon tended to be simpler. Hurt me, I kill you. Touch my things, I kill you. Annoy me too much… We didn’t get our fearsome reputation by being kind.
The morning passed without drama, unless the fact we ran out of iced tea counted.
Lunch at least proved satisfying. Burgers and something called hot dogs—which I’ll admit didn’t make sense since no canines were used in the making of them—along with fries, salty crunchy hot sticks that I couldn’t eat enough of.
The fruit for dessert disgruntled, though.
“Why can’t I have ice cream?” Such a delicious frozen treat.
“Because a growing dragon needs his vitamins,” Iolana stated.
An irritable dragon also needed sugar. Thankfully, Keanu located a bag of cookies, which we destroyed.
Mid-afternoon, after a leisurely swim and a snack consisting of buttery popcorn, Iolana rushed outside. “Tigger, you need to hide.”
“No.” I didn’t even open my eyes as I replied to her ridiculous suggestion.
“What do you mean no? You have to. Someone’s here.”
“Is it the chef?” Apollo had given her the day off, leading me to worry about the evening’s repast. My protector claimed he’d be ordering in a large amount of Asian food, which Keanu declared some of the tastiest take-out you could get. We’d see about that.
“It’s not Francine, but the doctor Apollo contacted the other day about the dragon videos.”
“The man who is aware we exist.” I sat up on the lounger. “I will meet with him.”
“No, you will not!” Iolana shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Not yet at least. Let me get a feel for this guy first.”
“Won’t Apollo be upset if you’re groping another male in front of him?”
Her mouth rounded, and she laughed. “I’m not actually going to touch him. I meant I’m going to have a chat with him and see what my gut says.”
Damned pesky English language with its strange nuances. “I wasn’t aware Apollo planned to meet with this doctor.”
“Because Apollo didn’t arrange this meeting. The doctor showed up without warning at the gate. Claims he decided to combine his two weeks of holiday with business. Now if you’re done arguing, you really need to move. Apollo can only stall him for so long.”
“Do I have to go inside to hide? It’s so nice and warm out here.” I basked in the sun, feeling the beginnings of the lethargy that indicated I’d soon enter my third molt.
“You cannot stay out here because you’re in plain sight of the living room.”
“I don’t want to be inside a stuffy room on such a glorious day.”
Keanu rose from his lounge chair—which creaked in relief. “Didn’t your boyfriend mention something about a hot tub up on the roof? Ain’t nothing but the birds would see us up there.”
Relief had her nodding. “Yes, there’s another deck. You can access it through the master bedroom. Keep Tigger there and don’t leave until I tell you it’s safe.”
“I don’t like it when you give me orders,” I complained. Did she not understand it was supposed to be the other way around?
“Would it help if I said the rooftop fridge is stocked with drinks, Fudgsicles, and Popsicles?”
“Let’s go.” I held up my arms, and Keanu grabbed me, carrying me as befitted my status. Although, they wouldn’t be toting me around for much longer so long as I kept eating properly. Soon, I’d be towering over them.
The roof terrace proved to be similar to the patio. It lacked a pool but did have a tub of swirling water, which, despite the hot name, actually felt cool to the touch. Just what my overheating body needed.
A pergola-type thing provided shade for the sweating Keanu. It also covered a small kitchen—with the promised edibles!
Before I dove into those icy treats, I beckoned Keanu. “Go and see if you can catch a glimpse of this mysterious doctor.”
“Bossy bugger,” he grumbled, but I ignored it, as the man complained about everything. He lumbered to the railing that overlooked the front of the home.
“Looks like he’s arriving in a rental. Some little foreign thing. Cheap looking. This doctor must not have much money.”
“And the man himself?”
“Just getting out of the car. Average height, not fat but I don’t get the impression he’s muscled either, graying hair. He’s carrying a briefcase.”
“Does he look dangerous?”
Keanu snorted. “He’s a doctor; they all are.”
“Why do you say that? I thought doctors healed.”
“Most are just in the business to make money. Soaking the desperate dry, promising cures if you give them money.” Bitterness hued his claims. Understandable. According to Iolana, he’d lost his wife to a grievous disease.
“He’s alone?”
“Yeah. At least ain’t no one else getting out of the car. He’s gone inside,” Keanu stated before heading for the fridge.
While I wouldn’t usually turn down a treat, instead of hunger, I found myself thinking about the doctor, who might be able to confirm the presence of others of my kind. A man currently downstairs where I’d been forbidden from going.
Me, told what I could or could not do. Time for Iolana to learn she wasn’t the boss of me.
“How quiet can you be?”
“Why?” Keanu’s gaze narrowed as he paused the consumption of his frozen chocolate on a stick.
“I’d like to listen in on the conversation downstairs, out of sight, of course.”
“The main floor is pretty open. Wouldn’t be easy to hide.”
“For you, maybe, but I am small enough I could tuck in one of those leafy plant pots.”
“If I carry you down, they’ll hear me,” Keanu pointed out. A reminder of my small stature that galled. I struggled with stairs, given my legs remained too short to easily climb them.
“It’s not you that’s been forbidden from joining them. You will bring me to the base of the stairs, and while you distract them with your presence, I shall conceal myself that I might listen.”
Keanu’s mouth pinched before he nodded. “I am kind of curious what this charlatan has to say.”
Several minutes later, after we finished our treat, Keanu tucked me under his voluminous shirt and brought me to the main level. He set me down out of sight before he walked into the living room and said, “Who’s this?”
With them distracted, I scurried for the clay vase holding some kind of plant with drooping fronds. A quick scramble and I dropped into the dirt, out of sight.
“Grandfather,” Iolana didn’t sound pleased. “I thought you were sunbathing on the roof.”
“It’s too hot. Ooh, are those crab cakes?”
Wait, what? I almost popped out of my hiding spot, but I’d come to do reconnaissance. I’d eat the crab cakes after the doctor left.
Iolana sighed. “Sorry, Dr. Malone. Please continue.”
Malone… Why did the name send a shiver down my spine?
Probably just a symptom of my impending molt, but just in case I’d had a premonition, I remained hidden. Listening. And drooling because I really did like the smell of those crab cakes.