Shit. Lolly’s winking disease must be catching. Is this the first sign of neurological decay? Is this how serial killers start?
Elena shakes her head, giving me a disappointed pout. “Oh, Joshua.”
I wince, suddenly feeling thirteen again. No one, and I mean no one, but my mother calls me Joshua.
“Children require discipline, structure, and boundaries. Without those core principles, they turn into unruly hooligans.”
Hooligans?
Elena leans forward, playing with her pearls. “You want us to have well-behaved children, don’t you?”
“I…”
What the fuck is happening right now? When did I agree to have kids with this woman?
I clear my throat. “I mean, sure? If by ‘us’ you mean society in general, then yeah.”
She reaches across the table, laying a hand on my arm, her fingers tracing slow circles over my skin.
“But, Joshua, can’t you see how beautifulourchildren would be?”
The airhorn blows.
“Tiha’na Ahlemna,” I mutter, pulling my arm free and practically launching myself out of the chair. “Bye, Elena.”
“Talk soon, Joshua,” she calls after me.
I hotfoot it over to Molly, waiting impatiently as the man at her table takes his sweet time leaving. ]
“Just remember, put me first, doll.” The guy winks at Molly, and the smug look on his face makes me want to slap him into next week.
She gives him her generic polite smile—the one reserved for donors she can’t stand. It warms my heart.
“Have a great night, Ricky.”
I pull the chair out and drop into it with a huff. “This shit is wild,Pahe.”
“Tell me about it.” She nods at the clipboard. “Have you read my sheet?”
I tilt my head, narrowing my eyes at her. “Should I?”
“Please do.” The corners of her mouth lift slightly.
I pull off Kid-Crazy Librarian’s sheet and glance through Molly’s.
“You know, I’m not into dino erotica, but Transformer porn is pretty addictive.”
Molly snickers.
“I wouldn’t have pegged you as a dominatrix, but I like what I see, Mistress Archer. I bet Ricky loved that one.”
Her snicker turns into giggles.
“Wait, you too wrote llamas?” I hold up a hand for a high five. “Llama-mia, I think we’re soulmates.”
She slaps my palm, now full-on laughing.
I tap the sheet. “You wrote this as a dummy submit, right?”
