“I wanna see the place. The view must be spectacular.” I stopped in my tracks and smacked Marin in the chest. “I spot pizza!”
“It doesn’t look like much, but it’s the greasy New York City style.” He kissed my hand. “Let’s go.”
We crossed the street, leaving the park behind us and entered the tiny pizza place in the corner of the building. I got the cheesiest slice on a piece of cardboard and Marin took the same.
We stood outside when I lifted the slice up ceremoniously and took my first bite. “Damn it is good. No wonder Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles loved it so much.”
Chapter Eleven
Marin
Kert jumped to his feet from the spot on my lap and ran to the door.
“What is it?” I stood up from the pillows and blankets that had been our couch for over a week.
“Your kids are coming!” Kert yelled.
I groaned and followed him. “For the last time, they’re not mine!”
“But you’re their fun neighbor gunkle so that counts.”
Thankfully, Kert and I were dressed, even if the room had smelled like sex.
Kert opened the door and I hovered in the background, waiting for the scene to unveil. The spot gave me the perfectview of Kert’s pert ass in tight black jeans.Hopefully, I’ll get to bury my face between those cheeks tonight.The purple crop top revealed a sliver of his midriff as if he wanted to taunt me all day prancing around in it. It was the same one he wore to the gallery opening, with Michelangelo’s quote “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
As expected, Bohdan and Danilo stood on the other side, their mouths opened in similar shocked expressions. Bohdan, being seven, was smaller than his ten-year-old brother. Both had short blond hair and white human complexion.
“Hi. Is Marin here?” Danilo asked.
“Come on in.” I moved closer behind Kert so they could see me over his head.
“I’m Kert. And you must be Bohdan and Danilo,” Kert said in a serious tone. “I’ve heard you’re the new up-and-coming artists in the neighborhood.”
Bohdan giggled.
Danilo straightened his back. “Not yet. We came to decorate.” He lifted a box he was holding, identical to the one his brother had.
“Let’s go, then.” Kert stepped aside to let them in.
“It’s a real tree!” Bohdan jumped up with a yelp and ran to the living room.
“That’s pretty cool.” Danilo held his composure, but his eyes sparkled with excitement just like his brother’s.
“I got it from a friend upstate who has his own forest and farm and he delivered yesterday. He’s also good at carving figurines from wood.”
“One of your artsy-fartsy friends?” Bohdan knelt in front of the tree and turned over the cardboard box he’d brought with him, unloading a myriad of hand-made ornaments.
“You’re not supposed to say that.” Danilo punched his brother in the arm.
“Ouch! Marin wouldn’t mind. It’s not offensive. It’s funny. His friends are not the nouveau riche types you see in the media.”
“Kert here is a clay sculptor.” I threw the grinning krampus under the bus full of opinionated kids.
“Really? What do you sculpt? People?” Danilo perked up.
“Pottery?” Bohdan grimaced.
Kert chuckled. “Whatever I want. What inspires me.”
