I can’t shake the little voice in my head.
What if it was you? Maybe you’re just unloveable.
Great, Pinky. NowI’mgoing to eat a wheel of cheese for dinner.
If he were a betting snake, Ranar would have gone all in on the gamble of his location the next time he saw the beautiful stranger from that day in his shop. The odds that it would be at the Black Sheep Beanery couldn’t have been any higher. Sure enough, as he quickly crossed the road on a brilliantly sunny morning, maybe two weeks after that first fateful meeting, thereshe was, standing just before the coffee shop’s doors, tapping on her phone.
That morning she wore a cornflower blue dress with a deep-V neckline, the bottom point of it reaching the middle of her back. From his vantage behind her, he could just make out the shimmering, arrow-like marks on her skin, the dark waterfall of her hair concealing the rest.Sylvan.
Ranar wondered if she had already moved into the neighborhood, and where she had settled. Wondered if she’d already met some preening orc from the Ketterling Club.Had she really been flirting with you? It doesn’t seem likely.
“Oh!” Her full lower lip caught between her teeth as his approach made her turn, eyes widening slightly at the sight of him there behind her. “Um, hi there! Nice to see you again.”
This is your chance. Be charming, if you’re capable.Don’tbe an asshole, if you’re capable. He grinned down, hoping there wasn’t an alarming amount of fang in his smile.
“Nice to see you as well. Have you made the move then? I hope it went smoothly for you.”
She laughed lightly, her eyes darting behind him to watch his tail as he coiled off the direct path on the sidewalk. “Oh, um, I’m getting there. Moving truck comes at the end of this week. Are-are you going in?”
She nodded toward the Beanery’s doors. He thought she seemed hopeful, quickly biting her lip again, her eyes once more to his tail.
“I am, but I’ll be using the side counter. It’s a bit more accessible for those of us with . . . well.” He gestured to his thick length of scales. “This usually doesn’t work out too well with the standard queue.”
“Oh! I-I wondered how you . . .” Another high-pitched, slightly nervous laugh. “Although, from what I’ve seen, it seems like they do a pretty good job of accommodating . . .” She trailed off,sucking in a breath and closing her eyes. “Sorry, I-I’ve lived in human cities my entire life, so this has all been alotto take in. They’re good at accommodating more than the majority here. From what I’ve seen, almost every business does a great job with it. It’s nice.Reallynice. If my former place of work had been half as accommodating as even the little shops in town seem to be . . .“ She trailed off again, hands closing into fists, furious with herself, he thought.There’s no need to be.
“There are codes all the businesses have to follow,” Ranar cut in, saving her from her stammering. “Home builds as well, unless you’re grandfathered in, and all of those houses are in Oldetowne. Doorways have to be a certain width, a certain height. Can a minotaur walk into your business without ducking his horns? Can an ogre fit in your seats? Can an elf reach the sink? Counter clearance, depth . . . it’s all considered. You won’t find too much done with only humans in mind. And itisoverwhelming, so don’t beat yourself up.”
Her little laugh was self-deprecating, but at least it brought her smile back, her dark eyes sparkling as she turned her face back up to him.She really is beautiful.
“Well, that’s kind of you to say.”
“No, really,” Ranar insisted. “I avoid going to the city at all costs. Just the thought of spending a week surrounded by humans gives me a panic attack, so I get it. This isn’t what you’re used to and it’s a lot to take in.” She laughed again, like a tinkling little windchime.Oh, do not try your hand at being poetic. You know that won’t end well.Ranar cleared his throat, forcing the little voice in his head to go away. “And it doesn’t help that one of the first new neighbors you met was some tactless naga with no filter and a problem with projection.”
At that, she burst out laughing, a genuine, full body laugh, dropping her hand to his forearm as she covered her mouth, shoulders shaking. “I mean, you were stillverynice about it.”
He waved her words away with a grin, feeling the heat of her hand sinking into him like a brand.You’re going to ask her out. Just do it, one little sentence. Would you like to go out sometime?“Don’t make excuses for me. I could have been much less of a jerk about it.”Would you like to get married sometime?
“I’m sure you’ll think of a way to make it up to me.”
Thatsounded like flirting. Didn’t it? “Can I buy you coffee? We need to get in line—“
“I use the mobile app,” she blurted, a flush moving up her face. “At least, that’s what I’ve done the two times I’ve been here. It’s-it’s a whole lot in there.”
“It’s always like this. The only other time you’ll see this many people in one spot is at the Saturday market.” He cocked his head to the side, eyebrows coming together as he considered. “Gildersnood during happy hour might come close. After you.” He motioned to the door, which the end of his tail had already pulled open in readiness.
She made a small sound of surprise, followed quickly by another small, self-conscious laugh. She was adorable.Grace is right. Fuck those Ketterling orcs. Get to her first.
“So what brings you into town this morning if you’re not moved in yet?”
“Oh, I have an appointment today. At City Hall, trouble with a permit. I’mreallyhoping it gets resolved, so wish me luck.”
He placed his order, then sucked in a breath through his teeth as he felt her eyes moving down the long length of his tail as if she were caressing him with her hand.This is not the place to get hard. You are forty-two years old and you should have more self-control than a fourteen-year-old.
“I have a mobile order for Sumi!” Xavier, the dreadlocked owner of the coffee shop, called out, and Ranar watched as she waved the sheep-faced man down.Sumi. When he spotted Ranar beside her, Xavier’s eyes narrowed. “Brother, now is notthe time, but I need to have a word with you this week. A very concerning whisper I heard that you’re going to want to get in front of.”
He didn’t like the sound of that, but Ranar was too distracted by the beautiful woman at his side and the weight of her eyes on him, the subtle jasmine and green tea notes of her perfume.
“Uh, yeah, sure. I’ll pop back in the evening.”
