“You know Yiri?” I asked, slipping out of Qhev’s embrace, because Yiri’s dark eyes creased like he was thinking about his cekets again.
Qhev chuckled, looking my husband up and down. “Everyone knows who Yiri Ahlon is.”
“I’m no celebrity,” Yiri grumbled, his big hand gripping my hip and pulling me close to his side. “You should have told me your friend Qhev wastheQhev’in Kon.”
“Why?” Qhev asked, still smiling broadly. “So you could put a hit out on me?”
“Qhev,” I gasped. “Yiri wouldn’t do that.”I hoped.
“I’m sorry,” Qhev quipped. “You’re right. For hisAneah, I bet he’ll do it himself.”
“I guess rock stars aren’t as stupid as they seem,” Yiri said.Huh?
“Yeah, I’ve got a few brain cells to rub together,” Qhev said. “Like, now I’m thinking you’ve got to figure out how to kill me without pissing off your pretty wife.”
“He’snotgoing to kill you,” I said, glaring at Yiri for emphasis when he snorted. “He’s right. It would piss me off. I hear females make out pretty well in divorce here.”
Yiri stiffened for a second but then relaxed and looked down at me. “No one’s ever tried divorcingmebefore. I don’t recommend it,Aneah.”
“Before things get ugly, I’m gonna head in,” Qhev said, pulling a small frame from his pocket and tapping it against my clutch. Inside it, my frame gave an answering bloop. “There’s my contact data, babe. I’ll send you and the husband some tickets to my show next week. Let me know if you need more seats.”
After he disappeared into the gala, I turned to glare up at my husband. “You are not allowed to kill him!”
“Then you’d better not kiss him again,” he said. “I’d have to do something about it, and I don’t think you want me to put you over my knee and spank you in the middle of this crowd.”
“Killing someone seems less extreme to you?” I asked.
He gave me a long, significant look. “Yes,Aneah. It does.”
Yiri found me giggling through Qhev’s first game of Would You Rather, high off my ass and unable to stand without leaning on my friend or the wall. Luckily, there was a couch on the upper floor balcony for us to rest on.Unfortunately, Yiri didn’t seem to enjoy the sight of hisAneahcuddled up with an intergalactic rock star. Go figure.
“Would you rather never wear undergarments again, or never do your makeup again?”
“That’s a no-brainer,” I said.
“Right?” Qhev agreed. “Who needs underpants? If I couldn’t do a look, I’d let myself go anyway. Nothing but lounging clothes and unkempt hair.”
“Never wearing a bra again sounds like heaven, actually,” I said, bobbing my dizzy head.
“What’s that?” Qhev asked. “I’m getting a translation but no visual.”
I looked down at my chest before remembering what I was wearing. “Oh. I’d show you, but I don’t have one on tonight. Oh, good. My Husband’s here. Yiri tell Qhev about bras.”
“Zoddi, make sure Mr. Kon makes it to his hotel,” Yiri said, standing over us with a scowl on his face.
Zoddi leaned down to haul Qhev off the couch, but I lightly slapped at his hands until he let go. “Leave him alone,” I said.
Yiri’s scowl deepened. “Aneah.”
“Yiri.” I sent him a grouchy look right back. “You think I’m stupid?”
His lips parted in surprise. “Of course not.”
“So you don’t expect me to believe Zoddi’s going to take him to his hotel and not… wherever you keep people between pissing you off and going for a swim with the cekets?”
Zoddi looked at the floor, his lips pressed tightly together.Uh-huh.
Yiri’s eyes searched my face like he was looking for something awful, but after a few heartbeats, the lines between his brows relaxed.
