“…it.”
I realized that Orthallow had been talking the entire time I was monologuing in my head, and I reluctantly pulled myself back to the conversation. God forbid a centenarian think a little bit. Sometimes I swore people acted like they would die if there wasn’t a constant dialogue at all times.
“Pardon?”
“I said I wish you luck with it.”
“Ah, thank you. I appreciate it.”
“No problem. Oh, and I just wanted to say, you know you don’t have to clear out of here entirely. Just because Celestia and her crowd are jackasses, doesn’t meannobodywants you here.”
“That may be true,” I answered. “But it does mean thateverybodyhere knew about it, andnobodyfelt the need to tell me. Until you, of course. And for that you have my thanks. But to be clear, that’s really all you have from me, Orthallow.”
I could have continued the conversation, but I didn’t. I’d made my point and didn’t need to belabor it. Especially since I still had so much to do. And the feeling seemed to be mutual, because Orthallow let me pass him by to head to the barkeep at the far side of the hall, away from the dancing area.
As expected, he was less than amenable, and I got the feeling he was going to throw away the flyers I gave him away as soon as I was out the door, but it was what it was.
Once I was done, I left and headed to the speakeasy where I was meeting Iko. I would have loved if Naomi could be there, but she had to be up early the next day for a special accommodation since one of her favorite clients was on vacation, so she was safe at her place, all tucked into bed.
I missed her.
It was strange to think that only a month had passed since the incident with Carolina, and yet so much had happened. Not just with the depth of Naomi and my relationship, but also with her best friend. Although the harpy hadn’t been able to fully leave her apartment yet, she had electricity, she had food, and she was showing improvement. In fact, Naomi had told me that the last time she visited, she’d stood in the hall and talked to Carolina while the door was wide open. That was a big improvement in such a short time.
My mind was so occupied with everything that had happened since Naomi had told me about her idea, that I reached the speakeasy in no time at all. It was about as schlocky as sucha place could be, run by a pair of incubi older than me and Ibrahim combined. It was hidden in the back of a warehouse, through a bookcase portal created by a couple of sorceresses. Said sorceresses had moved to Bermuda, and apparently had a penchant for building a harem out of very willing but lost travelers right around 1950. I’d only met them on the tail-end of their time in America, but they’d seemed lovely, if a little eccentric.
“Is that my good friend I hear?”
I wasn’t surprised that Iko recognized me the moment I walked through the door. So many years without sight had taught the large cyclops to rely on his other senses. For a while, I thought he could tell the cadence of my footsteps apart from others, but it turned out that he could smell me. I hadn’t known what to think of that, as I hadn’t been aware at the time that cyclops had such abilities. It made sense, though. They had been apex hunters back when humans weren’t the dominant species on the planet, but it was a bit disconcerting to think about in a modern setting.
“It is,” I said brightly, clapping my hand on his broad back. My friend was a touchy-feely kind of guy and liked physical contact. I didn’t mind. Before Naomi, I hadn’t realized how touch-starved I was. Since I was one of the only people Iko hung out with in person, I didn’t mind providing him with hugs, encouraging pats, or whatever else he needed. “Want to find a table?”
“That I would. It is strange to be here on a night with no live band, but it should make finding a seat much easier.”
“I think so. I appreciate you coming out with me, though.”
“My friend! You can invite me out even when there is no music. It’s not as if I need an instrument playing in the background to tolerate your presence.”
He let out a hearty laugh, earning a few startled looks from people around us. But I made sure to stare down anyone who lookedtoooffended. I knew my friend could occasionally be loud, but his lungs were the size of some people’s arms. It wasn’t like he was shouting or being inappropriate. His voice just…carried.
“That is good to know. I fear that I became a bit of a homebody, but I’ve been trying to improve on that lately.” When I was with Iko, my old way of speaking started to trickle back. I didn’t mind, however. Sometimes, it was so exhausting to keep up with the ever-changing vernacular of English that reverting to how I used to talk was a nice break for my brain.
“Benefits of having a young lover.”
I grinned at that, even though he couldn’t see it. “Perhaps.”
“Succinct with your personal life as always! Come now, you can tell ol’ Iko about it. I love to hear good news whenever I can.”
I offered Iko my arm even though he could navigate just fine without it, and the large man took it, standing up to his full seven-foot-two frame. “I… I suppose I was worried it would come across as bragging.”
“There is a difference between boasting and sharing joy. And please, I think we can agree that there’s not nearly enough joy in this world. Especially lately.”
“I know what you mean,” I agreed as we reached a table that would accommodate both of us. The nice thing about visiting magical establishments was that they generally had the infrastructure to accommodate all sorts of body sizes. Although Iko was able to navigate through the human world with just a pair of very dark and large sunglasses, I’d lost count of how many times he was asked if he played basketball. “Some things seem so dire.”
Except when I was with Naomi. She made everything brighter. It was hard to miss the sun when it was personified in the woman I was falling in love with.
Too bad I hadn’t quite worked up the nerve to say that part out loud.
“They do indeed. Times are different now. It’s not the same as when we were young. In some ways, it really is a marvel. But in others…”
