“Kissing books. We might learn more about sex if we read a kissing book. Wait! Let’s ask Justine, The Smart Computer, right now. I’m certain human sex is similar to dragon sex.”
Sasha shrugged, admitting to curiosity. She picked up the thing—a tablet, Max had called it—and typed in the question. Her dragon tattoo moved into a position where she could see better. Sasha clicked the first link, and music blasted into the room.
“Whoa!”her dragon said.“Is that possible? Do our parents make those sounds when they have sex? Oh. Oh! That looks painful. Can a body bend like that?”
Sasha stared wide-eyed at the screen when a second man appeared and joined in with the action.“I’m fairly sure our parents don’t do that. The gossip would’ve flown the length of the Dragon Isles.”
“True,”her dragon said.“Holy Bridget. I’m glad we escaped Bruceous. I do not wish to do any of this with him. Let’s take a kissing book and read that. It might give us fresh information. The lady on the cover looks happy to be with the man.”
“All right. We’ll read this one.The Taming of The Bad Boy.We’ll start reading tonight.”
The phone thing Max had given them rang and Sasha started, her heart beating at double-time before she realized what was happening. She pulled the instrument from her pocket and stared at the flashing screen. “It’s Max.”
“Talk,”her dragon commanded.
“No, remember Max said we have to push the button first.”The ringing stopped, and the light left the screen.
“He’s gone,”her dragon said.“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it will sing again.”
Sasha continued dusting and tidying. She’d sweep the floors later if she could find a broom. If not, she’d ask Justine, The Smart Computer, how humans cleaned their floors. The computer thingie truly did know everything.
4 – Work Woes and Fantastical Beasts
Max frowned at his phone, worry stirring in his belly. Noel had liked Sasha, but she hadn’t known about phones or the tablet. He’d had to show her what to do, although she’d caught on fast and asked intelligent questions. The world was a small place these days, and even children in third-world countries understood technology. They had the internet in remote African villages. The more he pondered the wisdom of leaving his brother with Sasha, the more he worried over his decision.
Yet wasn’t Sasha better than a drunk Sheryl who’d allowed Noel to wander off alone and become lost?
Despite his self-reassurance, his gut wouldn’t settle. Although his grandparents meant well, his grandmother would coddle Noel instead of inspiring him. Noel might have challenges, but he was still a kid who wanted to join in and do the same things as his friends.
Max checked his watch and picked up his phone. He hit the number for Sasha and waited. The phone rang and rang, and his worry solidified to concern. Before he could ring again, one of the junior reporters knocked on his office door.
The perky blonde beamed at him. “The boss is calling a meeting. In five minutes. He wants everyone there.”
“Just a quick phone call and I’ll be there,” Max said.
The blonde hesitated, offered a grimace that held sympathy. “He’s on the warpath. Circulation is down, and we have to fix ityesterday.”
Which meant he was in the firing line. Max sighed and shoved his phone into his pocket.
“I’d put it on silent if I were you,” the junior reporter warned.
“Excellent call,” Max said, recalling the last meeting when someone’s phone had gone off during his boss’s tirade. He placed his phone on vibrate, grabbed a pen and notepad, and followed the junior to their meeting room.
When he arrived, everyone else was there. Their grizzled boss swept in seconds later, resembling a mad bull on the charge. Max bit back another sigh because he didn’t need to mind read to understand where this was going. More stories of the smut kind instead of factual reporting on current local affairs and items of public interest.
In different times, Max would’ve stayed in London or traveled farther afield to chase the kind of job he craved. His parents’ death had changed everything. Now, he had to consider Noel. Yes, he could’ve let his grandparents take over Noel’s care, but it wasn’t what his parents had wanted. Noel deserved the best, and once Max had decided to accede to his parents’ wishes, it wasn’t fair of him to chop and change his mind. No matter how difficult his life became.
Mike Roberts, their boss, planted his butt on the desk at the front of the room. He was a rotund man with a dapper style despite his forceful nature. His signature bow tie—yellow and blue today—sat off-center, a sign of his perturbed mood.“Circulation is down. Our readers are deserting us in droves, which means advertising is down too. This can’t continue. Tell me what stories are underway, and we’ll see if we can spice up the next edition. We’ll go around the room.”
Mike’s steely gaze settled on Max.
Max straightened, tension sliding through him. “I’m investigating local council corruption relating to the new housing project proposal.”
Mike tapped his right foot. “How far along are you? Is the story ready to run?”
“By next week,” Max said, mentally crossing his fingers. “My contact wants to go public, but he received threats that have scared him to silence. I need to work with him.”
