“A friend?” I have a friend?
“Yeah,friends.I wish you’d open up a little. You’d find you have a lot more friends than you realized.”
5
WREN
I started not to eavesdrop on Talon and Wick’s conversation, but it’s hard when Talon’s more animated than I had anticipated him being about me being under the same roof as him. And I don’t know if this setup will be a good thing or not. I don’t mean to antagonize the man, but he’s too adorable when he gets flustered, and I love watching the blush creep across his nose. He turns to face me. There’s a scowl on his face, but I don’t think he means it. I think it’s just his face, and what a handsome face it is.
Wick gives me two thumbs up from behind Talon, and I fight off a grin.
Talon shakes his head and stomps to the break room.
“Give him time,” Wick says as he comes back around to join me behind the register.
“Until we open, you’ll be bored. Do you wanna join us in back to learn some of the baking ropes?”
“Not today. I don’t think Talon would like that very much. He needs to cool down. I’m happy filling up display cases and wiping things down.”
Wick shows me where the cleaner and rags are. “Talon’ll get over his little hissy fit. It just might take him a bit of time. He doesn’t let people in, but I think he’s been hurt before.”
“I’ll be gentle with him, promise.” I take a rag from him before setting it on the counter. “You have to go do some damage control, though. I’ll stay on this side of the door for now. Go create some tasty treats Beau will fall in love with.”
Wick hands me the glass bottle of cleaner. “I don’t think there’s a treat Beau won’t eat. That bat shifter will eat anything sweet you put in front of him.”
“Just so you know, I plan to treat the entire gang when they get here. Plus, they don’t know I started, so they’ll be surprised.”
“When are you gonna tell them what happened?”
My shoulders drop. “I don’t know. Today I guess. Everyone knows courtesans can’t have jobs outside the court. They’ll know something’s up.” I hate the omission of truth. I can’t lie outright, so I’ve resorted to contorting my answers into something almost true, depending on how you look at it. Talking in circles was never my forte. “They know a little bit, but I’ve been too scared to tell them the entire truth of it all. I’ve been hiding away at Lark’s for the most part. I think Sparkle suspects something’s off. The other day he pointed out that I always teleport. I told him I was working on my fitness.”
Wick snorts.
“I know! Look at me. A simple walk around the block doesn’t do this.” I lift my shirt and undulate my abs.
There’s a choked sound from the doorway of the kitchen. Talon watches wide-eyed before he turns away.
“Well, shit,” I say.
“Don’t worry about it. The guy is painfully shy. He’ll get used to having you around. But Wren.” Wick puts his hand on my shoulder and tips my chin up with his tail. “If anything ever happens, I’m choosing him. Got it?”
I lift my hands and can’t stop the smile. “Crystal clear.”
“I don’t know if he has anyone else, but he’s a damn good baker and I won’t abandon him.”
“I get it.” And I already have a bunch of Hex folks in my corner. The thing about Hex residents is they adopt you and make you feel like family. If you let them and I wonder if Talon has ever let anyone take care of him in his life.
Wick was right about me being bored until the shop opened. I clean every tabletop, the counters, the glass in the display, and contemplate cleaning the door, but the clock strikes 6am. Go time!
Of course, the first to arrive is the gang. The bell above the door jingles and I brace myself for questions.
Sparkle and Beau come in together with their arms looped together and heads pressed close, as if they’re conspiring to make some mischief. Lark comes in behind them. Then Gabe rushes in.
“Why are you behind the counter?” Sparkle asks. His fluffy white cat tail sways behind him. His white cat ears on the top of his head twitch with each new noise in the shop.
Beau and Gabe look up at me.
Beau slides his sunglasses down his nose and looks around. The bat shifter always wears them wherever he goes since his eyes are so sensitive. His hearing is as well, but his headphones are around his neck instead of over his ears. “Are you a secret agent?” he whispers.
