But Nina held up a hand and eyeballed poor Sigrid.“I’m tellin’ you broads now, nobody touches my fucking hair.No ribbons, no braids, none of it.Got it?”
Sigrid nodded, trying and failing to hide her laughter.“Of course, Mistress Nina.No one touches your fucking hair.”
As they made their way out behind Sigrid, she heard Marty wonder out loud, “Did you see some of those guys on the way in?Phew.Are muscles a pre-req here in Asgard?Because there was a guy out there twinning Jason Momoa.Oooh, wait!Do you think the masseuse looks like Jason Momoa?”
“That’s amasseur, you fucking ding-dong.A masseuse is a chick,” Nina corrected as their voice faded.
Dom couldn’t help but giggle as she prepared to disrobe and take a dip in the inviting waters of the bathtub.She turned MC in the other direction before unbuttoning her shirt.
She still wasn’t clear about what he could see, but because he was always by her side, and figuring his eyeballs were located on the front end of the hammer, she took precautions.Though, despite the fact he could zap himself in and out of various locations, he’d never been in any way inappropriate.
“Hey, MC, you okay over there?”she asked, as she slipped into the pool with a sigh.Sigrid had been right—the water was silkily delightful.Inhaling deeply, she waited for MC’s answer as she grabbed a sea sponge and began trickling the scented water over her shoulders.
“I’m quite well, Dominique.It’s so good to be home.”
His words made her heart constrict.She’d been wondering about their living arrangements since this began.If he always had to be with her, how would he feel about staying in Long Island?
“You do know I can’t live here, right?I mean, there’s my papa to consider… But I don’t want you to be sad, MC.I don’t want you to be somewhere you don’t want to be.”
MC cleared his throat.“Of course I understand your entire world is in Long Island.Though, I do hope you’ll visit here often.Regardless, my duties are to you, Dominique.Whether in Long Island or the Maldives, I am always with you.”
As she poured a generous helping of soapy gel on the sea sponge, rubbing it over her arms, she asked, “But don’t you get a personal life, too?Like, is there a hot screwdriver you’re interested in?Maybe a sexy wrench?”
MC’s laughter rang around the enormous space.“No.A spiritual tool doesn’t have romantic interests, Dominque.Consider me akin to a eunuch.I’m strictly here to protect you and aid you in battle.”
“But you’re like family to Harvey and his father.He said as much.They love you like family.”
“And I them, Dominique.Naturally, I have attachments, loyalties, etcetera.But I wasn’t created for anything other than to aid in protecting Asgard and the rest of the world.A duty I take quite seriously.”
Dom sighed as she walked deeper into the water, closing her eyes and trying to grasp the entirety of not only where she was, but of this task she’d been given.
“Tell me about these gods, MC.What are they like?”
He barked another laugh that echoed.“Egotistical asses.But!Egotistical asses who are the wisest among men.”
“So you don’t think they made a mistake choosing me to wield you?”
His pause made her uneasy.“To be quite frank, at first, certainly I wondered why they’d chosen someone so seemingly random.But after learning about you, about your character, I had no doubts.I trust the gods and their wisdom without question.”
“I wish I had your faith in people I can’t even see.”
“Have faith inme, Dominique.Inusas a team.Have faith I will always be your side, in the thick of battle and the quiet of peace.”
She swallowed hard, fighting tears.“Then I’ll do my best to do the same, MC.Promise.”
“Now, enjoy your bath.There is much for you to absorb before your meeting with Heimdall.A quiet mind is essential when hearing the messages from a god such as himself.”
“Got it.Lemme get right on a quiet mind.”
Sinking lower into the water, she held her breath and let it envelop her until she was completely under the surface and tried to quiet her mind.
Still, she couldn’t help but fret over what Heimdall wanted to tell them…
But if he looked like Idris Elba, maybe it would ease that fretting.
* * *
“Oh, Dom, you look stunning!”Marty crowed, when she entered yet another big room with a table the length of a football field, dressed with wooden bowls filled with flowers and fruit.
