“I’m sorry, let me help you with that,” he said suddenly, as his brain – and body – finally caught up with what his eyes had been seeing for the last thirty seconds while he’d stood there, mute and staring. Which was his mate trying desperately to mop up all the lemonade he’d spilled when the sudden electric twinge of the mate bond had gone ricocheting through his body.
Calvin grabbed one of the napkins from the pile on the table – artfully weighed down with a ripe, golden-yellow lemon – and began mopping at the lemonade that was soaking into the red-and-white checkered table cloth.
“Oh no, don’t worry about it,” the woman –You must learn her name at once,his wyvern hissed,we must know more about our mate!– said, as she dabbed up the spilled drink. “Accidents happen, and it was my fault anyway – I shouldn’t have let go until I knew you had it.”
“No, no, it’s on me,” Calvin assured her – though he realized this could go on for a while, with them both trying to take the blame for the spill.
Ask her to dinner,the wyvern demanded.Tell her you must make up for this hideous blunder!
That, for once, was not actually a bad idea, Calvin thought – at least until his hand brushed suddenly against the tiny tablefan that had been sitting behind the jug of lemonade, clearly there to help his mate stay cool on this hot day… and which promptly sputtered to its death the moment his skin came into contact with it. Complete with a littlepffftsound, a small wisp of smoke rising from its slowing blades before they came to a complete stop.
Calvin stared at it.
Did it just… like my phone… my car… my Fitbit….
“Aw, my fan,” his mate said, her gorgeous brow crinkling in distress. She picked it up and gave it a quick shake, but it was obviously dead. “Oh well – it was on its last legs anyway. I guess I’ve had it on all day, and it was something cheap from the dollar store.”
Calvin shook his head. “Actually, I think that might have been me…” he muttered before he could stop himself – even though he wasn’t even sure of that himself.
I can’t be cursed. Curses aren’t real! And I don’t have time to be cursed – I have to somehow find a way to overcome this disastrous first impression my mate is getting of me. Not to mention, I only have a week off work, so –
“Oh – you mean you think some lemonade might have spilled on it?” his mate said, blinking. “I guess that could have happened – but seriously, don’t worry about it. Like I said, it was from the dollar store. I doubt it would have lasted much longer anyway.”
“If it’s from the dollar store, it’ll be easy enough for me to pick you up another one,” Calvin replied – and, seeing that she was about to protest, hurriedly changed the subject. “Can I at least help you tidy up? There’s an awful lot of work here for one person, and that’s not even counting the fact that everything’s covered in lemonade now.”
His mate blinked her beautiful black eyes at him, looking – dare he believe it? – happy about the idea.
“I mean… are you sure?” she asked. “You look like you’re on your way somewhere else.”
“I don’t have any plans,” Calvin said truthfully. It was late in the afternoon at this point, and he didn’t think he’d be able to get his phone fixed and a tow truck located at this hour in a small country town – and even if he could, he was starting to worry that he’d just kill his car and devices again the moment they were repaired.
Notthat he thought he was cursed, but itwasstarting to get a bit concerning. He didn’t want to pay to get everything fixed, just to risk breaking it again five seconds later.
In any case, all of this paled into insignificance when compared to the fact that he’d just found his mate. He would’ve wanted to help out anyone whose stuff he’d just spilled lemonade all over anyway, but given that she was his mate, the thought of just wandering off was completely intolerable. Her lemonade stand could’ve been made of solid concrete, and he would’ve offered to carry it home for her in a heartbeat.
“Well… if you’re absolutely sure…” the woman said.
“Positive,” Calvin said firmly.
His mate nodded. “Okay. On one condition.”
“Sure. Anything.”
What could our mate be asking of us?the wyvern demanded.A feat of strength? A quest to fetch a magical item? We shall accomplish whatever she requests of us!
Calvin rolled his eyes internally.Calm down, buddy,he muttered, though secretly he agreed. He was happy to do whatever she wanted.
His mate poured out another cup of lemonade and held it out to him, meeting his eyes and holding his gaze with more confidence than before.
“Drink this,” she said. “I insist.”
He had to admit, hewasthirsty – in more ways than one, if he was being honest with himself – and the look his mate was giving him was making it clear that she wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
“I will,” he said, “if I can ask one thing in return.”
One of her eyebrows went up, but her curiosity was obviously piqued. “Deal.”
He smiled, hoping he wasn’t being too forward. “Would you be willing to tell me your name, just so we don’t get to the point where it’swaypast when it wouldn’t have been awkward to ask? I’m Calvin, by the way.”
