A huff left my soon to be mate. “I wish.”
“Would you ever try the acorn diet?” I asked with a serious face.
“The acorn diet?” he echoed. His mind seemed somewhere else.
“It’s nuts,” I finished, bringing a spoon full of alphabet soup to my mouth.
“I- Oh… funny. Acorns. Nuts.”
“Sorry,” I apologized. “I tell them to the customers at the nursery. I suppose our first date isn’t exactly the time or place.”
Greniv choked as I spoke.
Hopping up from my chair, I began to smack his back when his coughing fit only grew worse. “Are you okay?”
He choked harder. Coming up around behind him, I easily hefted him up and began the Heimlich maneuver.
A letter F flew out of his mouth, soup splattering my hands, him, and the table in the process.
“Sorry,” I whispered, setting him down to grab a package of wipes from my purse. Pulling them out, I began to wipe him down, mumbling apologies all the while. “Maybe let’s get you some water?” I burst out, shoving the wipes at him to rush towards his back sliding glass door.
“That won’t be nece-” he tried to speak but he was still coughing.
“I’ll just be a moment!” I called after him, racing into the house. The smell hit me first, then the kitchen towel and used tissues. My head swam. Marsh Men gave off mating spores. It was a strong smell to attract their female. The air was thick with it.
“You know, I think we should call it a day!” he shouted towards the house, catching me by surprise.
Oh my. I’ve gone and done it. My hand went to my mouth to stifle my gasp. I’ve mortified him. What he must think I’m thinking?!
“It’s quite alright. I’m simply looking for a glass,” I lied.
“I need a run,” he admitted.
“I could- I could go with-”
“NO!” he practically shouted.
My shoulders slumped. I felt myself deflating. “Uhm… Okay.”
“I’ll… I’ll call you,” he barked, then there was nothing but the sound of his retreating footsteps.
Peeking through the back window, I watched him burst out of his clothes, his shift seamless. He was beautiful, mossy with thick vines curling up his wide back. Breathtaking. That was the word I was looking for. My hands clenched on the curtains. How could I have ever been so lucky? There were so few of us anymore I’d lost any hope of finding a real true mate match. Yet here he was!
Biting my lip, I glanced around the room. I’d clean all of this mess up. I’d just clean it up and take my leave. Hopefully, he’d understand I was just trying to be a good future mate.
No, I’d add a note. He’d see.
With a plan at the ready, I got to work.
As I finished, an even better idea presented itself. He’d know for sure then we were meant to be. We could quit wasting time with this nervous bumbling around each other. It was bold of me, old fashioned, but it was just the sweeping romantic gesture to get him to see, and I was nothing if not traditional. Then he’d knowexactlywhere I stood, and it honored our Marsh sides.
Stepping outside and going to the trunk of my car, my heart swelled.
Chapter 3
Greniv
Icouldn’t find her. I could smell the faint trace in the front yard, a light floral fragrance that made me tingly from head to toe. I wanted to ask… Amaranth? Astrid? My sham of a blind date Ben and the gang had forced me into that I couldn’t remember her name to save my life, if perhaps she had a roommate. She had a hit of my mate’s scent on her. Her nervous smell was so overpowering though, and then I’d caught hints, lingering near her vehicle.
