“I like this,” said Laurette, using his tiny fork to point back and forth between them.“I like this a lot.You two are romantic, but in an angsty, aggressive way.It’s like when I went shopping for drapes the other day, and I found this gorgeous, heavy brocade fabric that I could just tell would look good, but then I remembered the room wasn’t bright enough to make it shine if I hung those heavy drapes the way I wanted to hang them.I could’ve gone with other drapes, or I could’ve changed my entire design plan.Can you imagine?Tough choices all around, I tell you, and no word of constructive criticism that showed understanding of my predicament, at least not from Gertrude, who does not do drapes, she tells me.”
The lord sighed, though Peter wasn’t so sure he needed to breathe all that much while talking.“Dunno what the Fae’s deal was.Boy, but that one’s sense for magic seems massively dimmed, much like that room would’ve been with the heavy drapes.Or nonexistent.You get the odd dud like that sometimes.Poor hunk.”
Next to the lord, Carl or Conrad or whatever his name was ducked his head and nodded in agreement.It was such a wolf gesture that Peter would have wondered at it, but he was otherwise occupied; Theodore had picked up his own dessert fork and looked as if he was considering attacking his tart with it.Peter despised the messiness of human eating, but he was willing and ready to wipe whipped cream from the corner of Theodore’s mouth as soon as he bothered to get some stuck there.
Celeste leaned back in her chair.“Meaning the Fae is not dangerous?”
She didn’t sound happy about the prospect of a Fae, magically competent or not.Sadly, Peter had to agree.
Laurette shrugged.“Clearly notnotdangerous.Or rather, if he is, it’s too early to tell.”He looked at the ceiling as if considering that.“You always think those of a kind are all the same, but that’s rarely true.”He focused his magicked eyes on Celeste.“Madame, were you in the middle of work?”
She nodded.“When Theo got here.”
Laurette beamed.“I’d never stare at a lady’s bosom, but I cannot help but notice that lace suits you.”
Celeste looked pleased.Peter couldn’t tell whether she was faking it.“This bosom is meant to be stared at.Go right ahead.”
Laurette exhaled, relieved.“Ah.I’ll count myself lucky.”He pointedly let his gaze drop.“Very lucky indeed.”
Carl-Conrad bobbed his head excitedly, and it just so happened that Theodore looked up right then and caught that.He frowned deeply.
“Theodore,” Peter said.
The frown as well as a gaze so heated it might pop a cob of corn turned on him.“I shouldn’t be talking to you.You hung up on me.”
Peter lowered his head.As one should when their beloved takes issue with their behavior.Oh, if only we were handfast, I could make an offer for compensation or appeal to his fondness for me while groveling.“I did, and you were safe even without me.”
Theodore turned the heat up some more, enough to get the corn popped and butter melted on top.He’d gripped his fork a lot tighter too.“I’m not talking to you.Starting right now.”
Lord Laurette turned his attention back on Theodore.“Consequences.It’s what all the billionaires are afraid of and build bunkers for.I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced.Laurette of the Silver Moons.You?”
Celeste jumped in while Theodore was still frowning at the Elf.“This is Theo.He used to work here.”
“I’m working here again.Starting tomorrow.”
Theodore sounded contrary, his voice a grumble.It very nearly made Peter frown—not Theodore’s mood so much, but the statement itself.He shouldn’t want to be working.Not at all, but certainly not so soon after being accosted by a strange stranger.
Laurette brightened.“Are you?My.I try not to show preference for establishments under my guardianship, but alas, most human establishments that could be likened to the Boudoir lack Madame Celeste’s elevated touch.”
Theodore buried his fork in the fruit tart.“I’m just behind the bar, okay?Not doing any client work.”
He glanced at Peter as if this were a test.Peter had no doubt it was, had no doubt he’d have to put in the work to earn his beloved’s forgiveness.He knew also that he should possibly feel guilty for having gotten to that point, but he couldn’t muster that.
“I’m sure you will be wonderful at that,” Laurette said, never missing a beat.“To get to the unpleasantness that brought us together, the Fae accosted you?”
Theodore nodded while swallowing his bite of tart.None of the cream got stuck to his lips.“Yeah.Said he was going to free me of compulsion and take my gratitude.At least that’s what I figured he was talking about—compulsion.He was weird, so I hightailed it out of there.”
Laurette cocked his head, a pink-tipped strand running over his shoulder and catching Carl’s interest.He sniffed the air subtly before glancing away as if he’d been caught at it.
“He didn’t try to lure you with him, didn’t actually grab you?”Laurette asked.
“No, nothing like that.I mean, I didn’t stick around for him to—”
Theo’s phone buzzed with an incoming call, and he pulled it out.
Peter leaned over, glancing at the screen.“Corvin?”
Theodore shook his head.“He doesn’t normally call.Sorry, I’ll just get this.”He stood, taking the call as he did so.“Hey, C—what, Mike?Yeah, I called, but—” He turned back to lock eyes with Lord Laurette.“Mike says there are Fae there?”
