“Twice in one day? I’m honored and worried,” Megan said when she answered.
“I broke up with Fenris.”
“No!”
I jerked the phone away from her pained howl of denial.
“That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?” I asked.
“But why?”
“Because I’m pretty sure people in Italy just heard you.”
“No, why did you break up with him?”
I sighed and looked at Megan’s perfect house, the place where she and Oanen would settle down and raise oodles of kids together. A cute, cozy future filled with love and laughter. I knew I was destined to have love and laughter in my future too, but not the same kind.
“So many reasons. It wasn’t being fair to the girls he actually has a chance of spending his life with. I was getting too comfortable around him. Too attached. And it’s obvious his dad is strongly opposed to me.”
“Those are all bullshit reasons. You were only his girlfriend for what? Six hours? That’s not enough time to get too comfortable or attached. March your butt back to Fenris, and tell him you’re sorry,” Megan said, her tone completely serious.
Oanen’s voice rose in the background.
“Stay out of it, Megan. She can make up her own mind about the furball.”
“She called me because she needed advice, and I’m giving it to her. She didn’t call you. You stay out of it.”
The phone disconnected, and I sighed. I’d lived with Oanen for four years. I knew his ways enough to guess that he’d just taken the phone from Megan. While I’d only known Megan for a few months, I could guess what her heated reaction would be. It’d take her a while to call me back.
Leaving the car, I noticed Elbner once again watching me from the door.
“Who were you talking to?” he asked.
“Megan.” I opened the door and let myself in. He trailed behind me.
“Does she know when she’s returning?”
“She didn’t say, but I think it’ll be soon.”
He made a non-committal sound, which didn’t surprise me. His next comment did, though.
“For the quality of the work I’ve done here, I require increased payment.”
“I can stop by and feed you again tonight.”
“No. Eating once a day is plenty. Gold will suffice.”
I stopped mixing the ingredients to look at the goblin.
“I’ve never heard of a goblin asking for gold.”
His color darkened, and he crossed his arms angrily. I hurried to reassure him before he plucked off one of his holey shoes.
“I’ll speak with Megan and see if she agrees to your request. I can certainly vouch that you have worked miracles with this place.”
He harrumphed and went to the table. Taking his retreat as a sign that my answer had mollified him, I hurried to finish mixing his meal and left the house.
While Megan wouldn’t know anything about goblins, never mind the payments they required, I could think of one person who would. I dug out my phone to send Mom a text. Instead of messaging her, I started to read one of the texts from Fenris that I’d been trying to avoid. They were spaced out from the time I left to about five minutes ago.
