Chapter 8 #2
Needing to change the topic before I combust from pure envy at the amount of action everyone but me is getting, I continue recalling what I did with my week.
“I tried to look in on the other shops on the hill to see if anyone needs help, but they all seemed pretty taken care of.” I hold up my fingers as I go through each shop I checked in on.
“Marisol has enough help with her pack. Nori has Shinsu assisting her whenever he has a spare second. Calixta and Beryl are like a well-oiled machine, and if I go to them I’ll just end up spending money on hair and nails.
I’m no help at the apothecary because I’ve got no medical expertise, so I’m just as useless at the clinic too. ”
Maisie’s wince gets bigger and bigger with each addition. “Tilly mentioned you’d need a project or you’d go stir crazy. Have you tried napping more? Naps always help me relax. And you’re on vacation. You shouldn’t have to work.”
I shake my head as my shoulders slump with a sigh. “Sleep is overrated, in my opinion. I just need the minimum so I can restore my settings, then I’m good to go again. But thank you for the suggestion. I’m sure I’ll find something eventually. At least I have Anita and she keeps me fairly busy.”
Maisie bolts upright, a chunk of frosting squirting onto the table between us. “Wait, where’s your little wiener?”
I put down my piping bag and stretch my sore fingers out a little. “She’s with Bash. He found us at Kraken Cove the other day and shifted into his fox form to play with her. They had so much fun digging holes all over the beach and chasing each other around. I swear I don’t know who liked it more.”
Maisie’s shoulders relax again as she lays a hand on her heart. “Ah, that’s so cute. I’m sure Marisol will give Bash a proper reward later for taking such good care of his new friend.”
“It was super cute,” I laugh, recalling how ridiculously adorable it looked to have a fox and sausage dog gamboling on the sand until they were both panting.
“Bash asked if he could doggysit her again and since I didn’t want to get any hair in your cakes, I thought today might be the perfect time to take him up on his offer.
” Even if it feels kind of lonely without my little chaos demon.
I’ve just gotten so used to having her around me.
Maisie carries our completed cakes to the counter behind her and places them in a careful row.
“That’s very considerate of you. Thank you,” she says as she sprinkles some edible gold glitter on the chocolate one.
“I was going to make Anita a little bed in Ren’s office, but now I don’t have to worry about her chewing through his computer cables.
It’s definitely helping with my stress levels.
Not that your wiener isn’t welcome here.
I would just have had to keep a close eye on her because Ren is in the middle of a new game he’s designing and he’s really loving this project.
I’d hate for him to lose any of the progress he’s made. ”
“Don’t worry. Ren and his computer are safe from puppy chaos. Unlike my toy supply,” I add with all the sadness I feel for my dwindling stash.
“Anita’s toys or your own?”
“My own,” I lament, adding in a woeful faux cry for good measure. “My very carefully curated top ten toys that I brought with me. They’ve slowly been disappearing and I’ve had to resort to my own hand, which is not something I enjoy as much.”
“Oh yeah, going acoustic after being electric is such a buzzkill.” Maisie gives me an elaborate wink. “Ha, buzzkill. Get it?”
A fit of giggles overtake us as the corny pun sinks in. There’s something so healing about laughter, of being around good people like Maisie, Tilly, and Nori—all of Starry Hill actually—that makes me forget the troubles and stress of Cape Easton.
It’s been hard to slow down, a much bigger adjustment than I anticipated, but I think maybe it was necessary. I’ve been so caught up in my work life, my little routine and solitary existence, that I’ve overlooked how good it can be to simply be present in the moment.
Part of my job is looking for things that are wrong, of combing through numbers and finding mistakes, of reporting the bad guys and taking no shit from anyone.
However, life in Starry Hill is proving to be the opposite.
Here, it’s easy to see the good, to give others more grace, because essentially everyone is trying their best for their little island. Maybe it’s okay to stop and smell the roses, the daisies, the ocean breeze, and to embrace this way of life. While I’m here anyway.
The rat race in the city can wrap me back up in its oily claws when it’s safe to return. But until then, I’m going to make the most of my time in Starry Hill. I’m going to stop fighting the boredom and enjoy this cozy cottagecore lifestyle.
Maisie slowly puts the glitter down and turns to me with a frown pulling her brows low. “Wait, why do you need toys when you’re living with a hot vampire? Or is he the one who could be stealing them? Stashing them for some sexy double or triple penetration later?”
I flatten my lips and tilt my head to the side as I wait for Maisie to come to the disappointing conclusion.
Her gasp can surely be heard on the other side of the island. “Shut the fuck up. You’re telling me you’ve been living with Arran for a week and you still haven’t fucked him?”
“Kind of hard when he’s not around.”
Arran is avoiding me. Of this, I’m sure. The vibes between us were practically electric the night I moved in, and then he was gone, not to be seen again for the entire week that’s gone by.
Maisie flops back into the chair across from me. “Think your sexiness is too much to handle for the old vamp?”
“Perhaps,” I answer, but I don’t think that’s the case at all. I felt our chemistry.
Arran gives off this shy, awkward vibe around others, but when we were alone he gave me a totally different impression of who he actually is. And as the recipient of his flirting, I think he’s hiding some interesting surprises. Surprises I’d very much like to uncover.
Drumming my fingers on the table, I add, “And I also don’t think he’s the one stealing my toys.”
Maisie leans forward, her eyes wide. “What if Anita is hiding them in Arran’s room? Can you pop in and ask him?”
“Girl, if I popped into Arran’s bedroom I might pop myself directly onto his dick.”
Seemingly encouraged by my declaration, Maisie nods excitedly. “Why don’t you make a move?”
“Because I don’t chase.” I lean back in my chair and cross my arms over my chest. “They come to me.”
“In usual circumstances, I totally approve of this. But,” Maisie says slyly, her eyes twinkling with a little bit of deviousness I didn’t know she had.
“What if you were a little more obvious with your interest? I think Arran is the type of guy who needs a flashing neon sign of consent before he’d touch you. ”
I ponder that for a second, seeing her point. “Maybe.”
Maisie’s grin expands into something brilliant. “I triple dare you to put it to the test. Tonight. Sometimes these males can be real gentlemen and sometimes we want them not to be.”
“Ain’t that the truth.” I’m already wondering how many ways Arran can disrespect me if I give him a glaringly green light.
“And then you can report back on vampire cum,” Maisie says brightly, almost as if she’s talking about cake flavorings. Which, I guess she could be, considering what I know about Ren now.
Mission accepted.