I take a breath. “Everything. I want to know everything.”
We talk about food.The hunting, fishing and the communal gardens. How all orcs cook, both males and females.
“My husband makes better stew than I ever could,” Miranda admits.
“Keric made me venison stew yesterday,” I offer. “It was incredible.”
“The Irontrees are all good cooks,” Sarah says. “Known for it, actually.”
“Our freezers are always full,” Megan adds. “So much venison and elk. The fresh fish in summer is amazing too.”
“Do they eat a lot of human food?” I ask.
“They’ll try anything,” Drew grins. “Whelan discovered he loved pizza soon after I arrived. We order pizza from town and now it’s a weekly thing.”
“Chinese takeout is popular,” Miranda adds. “And Mexican. They love spicy food.”
The conversation flows easily. They ask about my work, my teaching. I tell them about how I was teaching with Ellie, Garlen’s new bride, at Black Oak Academy, in Truckee, California. I even tell them how I used to be a professor of Victorian literature and my love of books and academia.
“Oh, you know, if you decide to make a life with Keric and the two of you decide to settle here, you could always teach online,” Drew suggests immediately. “I work from home. It’s totally doable.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We have great internet. Several of us work remotely.”
That possibility hadn’t even occurred to me. I could keep teaching. Keep my career. Not give up everything.
“The orc festivals are fun too,” Sarah says. “Fire jumping competitions, strength contests. Very community-oriented.”
“Fire jumping?” I blink.
“You’ll see.” Miranda laughs. “It’s impressive and slightly terrifying.”
“Their craftsmanship is incredible,” Megan adds. “Most of our furniture is all hand-made. The quality is amazing.”
I think of Keric’s cabin. The beautiful wood furniture, the attention to detail.
There’s a pause. The women exchange glances.
Miranda grins. “Should we talk now about what you really want to know?”
My face heats up and I try to pretend I have no idea what they are talking about. “Um, what do you mean?”
“Oh honey,” Drew laughs. “You want to know about sex with orcs.”
My blush intensifies. “Is it that obvious?”
“We all wanted to know,” Sarah says kindly. “It’s normal to be curious. And nervous.”
“So let’s be honest,” Drew announces. “What do you want to know?”
I take a breath. Might as well ask. “They’re so big. Is it... I mean...”
Everyone bursts out laughing.
“Oh sweetie, yes,” Drew answers. “They are proportional to their size.”
“Meaning, they are intimidating at first,” Miranda adds.
