Interim
Friday morning, I was juggling a tray of lattes, and being followed by two RS agents, as I pushed through the doors of Tempera, the gallery I managed.
Not long ago, Aleksei had destroyed it by shifting into his dragon inside the space.
When he did this, (unsurprisingly, his beast was massive) he also damaged many pieces in it by Terrinton, a renowned, hermit-esque artist who was known for his subversiveness, and hence, he was in fits of glee that his work had been demolished, stating it made it all the better.
Since then, we’d done the repairs, and at Terrinton’s request, refunded any works that had been sold at his show when they were intact, then allowed showings by appointment only, after hiking up the prices of them as they now were, with some enhancements by the artist after they’d been wrecked by Aleksei’s dragon.
Just Wednesday, the last piece had sold.
The length of time it took to sell it wasn’t because no one wanted it.
It was because it was the most expensive (by far) of the lot.
Of course, I’d filled the gallery with other work, and we were no longer by appointment only (there were always marks to be made and it was my job to make them).
But now, I could see the elderly male human artist snapping pics of the final sculpture there.
He was doing this from every angle because part of the sale included Terrinton personally collecting the remnants, transporting them, and installing them as sold in the new owner’s home.
All of this meant, with one show, I’d blasted through the upper echelon of the income I’d projected to make that year, and we weren’t even at Dead Winter.
My boss was ecstatic.
And the bonus he’d already told me I’d get was huge.
Terrinton ignored me when I came in, as was his way (though, I’d brought him a latte).
The RS agents stayed outside.
But Lua rushed to me, because Lua was Lua, but also because I was holding a tray of lattes.
“Hey,” she greeted. “You have a visitor in your office.”
My attention flew to the windows of my office up the stairs, my heart leaping, only to see Mon standing there, giving me a finger wave.
Not Tanyn.
An immediate sense of being crushed emotionally assailed me.
There I was again, being an idiot, hoping Tanyn would show.
However, I’d heard nothing from him.
Though, I’d been paying attention to news from Sky’s Edge (self-torture? yes—self-flagellation? also yes).
First, there had been nothing about Tatra, her disappearance, or what she (allegedly, sort of) had done to Riland, Darynda and their son.
Second, the vote in the Assembly about the new taxes had surpassed the ninety-five percent it took to scuttle it.
That didn’t mean Tanyn and his strategy didn’t work. It had. Because of it, Edgians had been keeping a close eye on that vote, and they lost it when it was voted down.
A massive protest was being organized for tomorrow to let their representatives know how they felt about it. And realm-wide boycotts of some of the businesses of wealthy beings who contributed to the representatives’ campaigns—stores, restaurants, hotels and products—had been put into place.
The political pundits were sharing that it wouldn’t take long for some representative to introduce another bill (so they could lay claim to it in the history books) that would do the same thing Tanyn’s bill would have done. Especially if the Edgians could keep up this pressure in the long haul.
I hoped that for them, but it was none of my business.
I was of The Fall.
So it had nothing to do with me.
Last, although we were getting regular comms from Gayle, things like I’m still here, and he’s given me a lapcomp so at least I can work, but that was mostly it, we didn’t have the full story.
But we knew she was all right, or at least, hanging in there.
Tressa, my other SA, was heading into the main gallery from the back.
I took my latte, handed the others to Lua, greeted Tressa on my way to the stairs, went up them and into my office.
“If I’d known you were coming”—more like ambushing, oh yes, I was no longer incommunicado, but I’d been keeping myself to myself and licking my wounds since I arrived home on Tuesday—“I would have bought you a latte.”
I dropped to give Monique a cheek touch where she sat in a chair in front of my desk, before I went around said desk, threw my bag on it, set my latte on it and shrugged off my coat.
All while she was saying, “I’m caffeined-out already. It’s my late day. I have clients until nine tonight. So I had to fortify early.”
Monique had one of the most popular, exclusive spas in Nocturn and was simply the most sought-after aesthetician in the city.
She further was saving to do some extensive renovations on her flat, and Mon was not one to let grass grow. If she wanted it, she busted her buns for it, which she’d now been doing for what felt like ever.
I hoped she was close to having what she needed. I could see she looked tired, and that had been getting worse of late.
“I know why you’re here,” I told her.
Having hung my coat on the hook on the wall, I was moving to my desk.
“Oh, so you know I booked you the full package. Facial. Brow shape. Hair mask. Body scrub and wrap. And massage. Starting at ten o’clock tomorrow.
You’ll be ooze when it’s done, so Laura and I have arranged a repast from Benniden’s to be delivered to your place at two o’clock.
You can pass out after you’ve eaten it and sleep away whatever fucked you up in Sky’s Edge. ”
By all the levels of hells, I loved my besties.
“Thank you, that’s mega,” I said softly.
“I know you,” she replied. “You’ll share when you’re ready to share. Even so, I have to say, we’re all worried about you.”
I knew they were.
And I had to get my head out of my behind and get back into my life. Fully.
“How much do you know?” I asked.
“Well, since I got your very brief a-comm, I’ve talked to your mom and Laura, so my guess…everything you told them. But also, Aleksei told Laura, and Mr. Truelock told Mrs. Truelock that Tanyn begged off, so another guess, I know pretty much everything.”
Begged off.
Ouch.
I hid my reaction to that behind a sip from my latte and said, “That would be pretty much everything.”
“You were into him,” she said gently, watching me closely.
Into him?
I thought so.
Considering, since I left, I felt both oddly and terrifyingly empty, along with a forceful yearning the likes of which I’d never experienced, I had a feeling it had grown to more.
Much, much more.
“Can we not talk about Tanyn?” I requested.
“Well, you get a day of relaxation. But just to say, Laura and I have also arranged a conference comm with Gayle on Sunday afternoon. We’re doing it at your place. And both you bitches are getting it all out when we do.”
Sunday would work, especially after being pampered on Saturday.
“I’ll be sure to have plenty of snacks and beverages supplied,” I agreed.
“So I won’t worry in the meantime, are you hanging in there?” she asked.
I lifted my latte to her and said faux lightly, “I’m me. Of course I am.”
Before Mon could reply, a knock came on the door.
She twisted to look, and I just looked to see Mom standing there.
“Two of my favorite females,” Mom gushed, coming in.
I sighed, but it was half-hearted.
They’d given me time, and I adored them for it.
But that time was now done.
And it far from hurt to have so many beings love you.
Monique got up to give her a hug.
I set my latte aside to do the same.
When we all were heading to our chairs, or at least Mom and I were, Mom said, “Am I interrupting?”
“No. I gotta get back to the shop,” Monique stated on her way to the door. “See you tomorrow,” she turned to say to me, ending this saying to Mom, “And see you later, Mrs. Truelock.”
“See you, doll,” Mom replied.
“Thank you, babe,” I called.
Monique waved and walked out.
I looked to Mom and cut to the chase. “I’m fine.”
“Catty—”
“Seriously, I am,” I asserted. “Okay, I’m not,” I immediately went back on it. “But I will be. I just need time.”
“There’s things to talk about.”
“Not really.”
“There are.”
“Okay, yes,” I guessed as to what the answer was to what she was on about.
“I’m still angry at Dad. And yes, that will likely take some time for me to get over.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t love him anymore.
I do. I’m just pissed at him. I get it. Demon tradition.
He’s protective of me. He wants to see me settled.
It eases a male demon’s mind to know his adult daughter is under the protection of another male demon, and all that outdated hogwash that probably doesn’t feel outdated to Dad because it’s ingrained.
Blah, blah, blah. But it has to be said, he really fucked up this time. ”
“After you cried yourself to sleep, I went and had a few words with your dad. And since then, I have not spoken a single one to him.”
Holy Hecate, that had been three full days and then some.
This news was such, there was nothing I could do but freeze and stare.
“I know I don’t have to remind you I’m human,” Mom continued.
“I don’t get this whole marriage arrangement business.
I married inter-culturally, though, and your father and I made promises to each other that we would be sympathetic, communicate and do our best to understand matters that were not of our own instincts or cultures.
” Her expression gentled. “I’ve seen you, all in one being, struggle with the human and demon sides you have in you.
So I think you’ll understand in a way many wouldn’t the struggles your father and I have faced in our marriage. ”
“Mom,” I whispered, but I didn’t know what else to say.
Because she was right.
I had an eloquent understanding of it and always had.