I plugged the phone in next to the bed and shuffled to the bathroom. All the bottles had labels in French, but after sniffing the contents, I distinguished the delicately minty shampoo from the perfumed shower gel.
I lathered my hair, ears, and tail thoroughly, then used soap for the rest of my body. Exhausted, I wrapped myself in two towels and padded to the bed.
Collapsing on top of it, I pulled the sheet over myself and entered dreamland. This time, the tentacles in my imaginationwere wrapping around me like a hug of comfort, but soon found their way to my upper thighs and my cock, bringing me pleasure the likes of which I could only dream of.
The smell of food was too mouthwatering not to be real. I stretched on the bed and rolled to the side, but got stuck in the sheet, and fell to the ground with a dull thump. My poor hip. Meh, I’d be fine as always.
My morning wood and naked ass were not the most appropriate attire for leaving the room, but thankfully, my suitcase was by the door. Spiros must have brought it when I was asleep. I put on fresh clothes, which includedThe Banshees of Munsterhoodie I’d bought at their gig in LA, black jeans, and a random pair of colorful socks.
I did the basics in the bathroom but didn’t bother brushing my hair. I regretted that decision when I saw the look of surprise on Spiros’s face as he saw me entering the kitchen. He took me in, from banana-patterned socks, to crazy scientist hair, and his lips quirked.
“Scrambled eggs?” he asked, poking the contents of the frying pan with a spatula.
“Did you make me breakfast?” I grabbed an imaginary pearl necklace. “Did we fuck?”
He snorted out a laugh and lowered the volume of the music playing from his phone. “No, we didn’t. And since I was making food for myself, I added a bit more for you. It’s no problem. Since you invaded my space anyway, I might as well treat you properly.”
“Thanks.” So he was feeling sorry for me, on top of admitting that I wasn’t welcome. Way to take the tiny gust of wind out of my morning sails. “I’ll see about getting a place to stay today.” I sat at the kitchen island facing Spiro, then powered my phone on. It blew up with notifications and a warning. “Uhh, is there a snowstorm here?”
“What?” Spiro glanced toward the window, beyond which was white and nothing else. “Was it snowing all night?” He switched on the TV behind me to the NBC5 Chicago channel.
The lady on the morning news looked at us with a serious expression through the screen. “Chicago authorities warn against going outside, so if you have enough supplies, consider staying at home for the next few days until the heavy snowfall stops and the roads are safe again. The strong wind poses a danger for drivers and pedestrians, but if you can, walk to the local store rather than drive. The city is dealing with black ice, and the pavements are being covered with salt, but we urge you to remain vigilant. We were advised that the best course of action is to remain indoors and enjoy some quality time with family, friends, or your pets. If you’re alone, make sure you have a way to reach your neighbors in case you need help, lose power or water, or your house suffers damage.”
“This sounds serious.” I scrolled frantically through the emails. No vacancies… Apologies, Mr. Kötturson… Due to the weather… We regret to inform you… “No one wants to take me.” My fingers shook as I kept clicking on the replies, and I turned away so Spiro wouldn’t see how upset I was. Crying was not an option. I had to act. “The places I contacted are booked and full. But there must be something.”
“Well, Michelle the news lady makes it sound like you’d better stay with me for a while longer.” Spiro’s voice was serious, making it a statement rather than an offer.
“For one more night,” I said, as if I had any other choice. “Then I’ll be out of your hair.”
He sighed. “Well, I guess I can’t exactly throw you out into the snow. I was looking forward to being alone, but maybe spending a few days with you won’t be too bad.” He flipped something in the pan, the smirk on his face unmistakable.
I narrowed my eyes. Was he only teasing? Or being mean? “Thanks.” Sarcasm was strong with me. “I appreciate it.”
“Bacon and toast with your egg?”
“No bread, thanks.”
I watched him serve up the same food for me as he did for himself, so it definitely wasn’t poisoned. The many times my cousins and siblings snuck in stuff I was allergic to just to see me suffer had left me scarred.
Spiro handed me the plate with a pile of scrambled egg and bacon, then sat next to me with his own.
I took the first forkful and moaned at the explosion of flavor and spices. “It’s so fluffy!” I was halfway through the sizable portion in record time when my stomach cramped. Uh oh. “What did you use to fry it in?” I aimed at sounding casual.
Spiro swallowed his bite of toast. “Butter. Why?”
Shit shit shit. “Did you add any milk?”
“Well yes, the egg is much more flavorful and moist with milk.” He frowned, scanning my face. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’ll be right back.” I shot to my feet and ran to the bathroom. No way was I gonna fart—or worse—next to Mr. Sexy Tentacles.
Chapter Four
Kaos
After I left my dignity in the bathroom, I rejoined Spiro on the couch where the news was still on. The presenters discussed further updates about which parts of Chicago were affected the most by the snow.
Unwilling to break the awkward silence between us, I sent a quick text to my mom to let her know I was fine, then texted my bestie, who’d been blowing up my phone since last night.
