Page 4 of Green-Eyed Monster
Alistair sputtered. “Likes youback?What are we, fifteen?”
“Shut up, I’m nervous! I really like him.”
My friend frowned at me. “Of course he’ll like you, Sol. Since when are you so skittish about a guy? What am I supposed to eat here?” He turned his frown to the menu. “I’m starving. I should have eaten at the juice bar before I came.”
I looked at my own menu. I guess it’s true that a college town pub wasn’t going to have a ton of options for him.
“Look,” I said brightly, “they have salads! A mixed fruit bowl...” Almost everything was fried. I flipped it over. “They have smoothies!”
The door behind the bar swung open as Hyrak pushed through. He had his hair pulled up more loosely today, and his usual pristine business clothes were covered in a black apron. His eyes found mine immediately, and the flutter of nerves in my stomach as he smiled threatened to overwhelm me. But then his eyes slid to my companion, and there was a hitch in his gait.
“I guess I could have a—” started Alistair.
“Shh, he’s coming! Act normal,” I hissed, like a dork.
Alistair glanced toward the bar and then whipped around to face me, his dark, multifaceted eyes wide and accusing. “You didn’t tell me he was an orc!” Alistair whispered. “You’re going to get me killed! Do you know how possessive orcs are?”
I said something along the lines of ‘shut up, shut up, shut up’, but it mostly came out as frantic hissing and spitting as Hyrak approached the table. We both sat as stiff as boards, staring at each other awkwardly when he arrived, with Alistair looking petulant and me threatening to murder him with my eyes if he was rude.
I plastered a fake grin on my face for Hyrak, but he was focused on Alistair with narrowed eyes.
“Hey, Solandis. I wasn’t expecting to see you today,” Hyrak said with a false lightness, considering he was still side-eyeing Alistair as he said it.
“Hi!” My nerves pitched my voice up into a high squeak. “We were just in the neighborhood, my friend Alistair and me, and thought we’d drop in and say hello while we grabbed a bite.” I was gesturing too much with my hands as I spoke, so I clamped them together on the tabletop.
Alistair gave a dissenting click and said, “No, we—” before I kicked him under the table. He was aterriblewingman. Never again would I subject either of us to this.
“—would love to order some drinks!” I finished for him.
Hyrak finally released Alistair from his stare, sliding eyes that were far brighter than his normal electric green over to me. He finally smiled again, and I heard my friend buzz lightly with indignation. “What can I get you, Sol?” Hyrak asked.
“Um...” I cast a quick glance at the back of the menu. “An apple sour? And a salad, whatever you think is best.”
He took my menu and deliberately brushed my fingers, making my breath catch. My heart was pounding, and I felt my ears heat because I knew Alistair could hear it.
“And for you sir?” Hyrak’s tone was perfectly polite and polished, yet I had the distinct impression he was sizing up my moth friend. Alistair ordered the mixed berry smoothie, and when Hyrak took his menu there was no finger brushing.
“What are you doing!?” Alistair enunciated every word when Hyrak left. “He’s huge! And scary! He looks like he could smoosh you with his little finger.”
I sighed dreamily, propping my chin on my hands and watching Hyrak’s bottom as he entered the kitchen. “But Ilikehuge and scary.”I wouldn’t mind being smooshed by Hyrak either, heh.“And oh, my goodness, he’s such a sweetheart.”
He scowled at my doe-eyed expression. “I’m sure you think so. You think everyone is a ‘sweetheart’. You’re friends with me, for cripes’ sake. If this is your type—” He gestured vaguely with one of his many hands to where Hyrak had gone. “—I’m sure we can find you someone nice with enormous muscles. What happened to that elvish guy you were dating? He seemed… fine.”
I shrugged. “He was nice for a roll in the hay occasionally, but I just couldn’t see anything permanent for us.” Alistair shot me a look that was positively scandalized, and I giggled at his horror. He was such a prude sometimes.
He started pulling bills from his wallet, piling the cash on the table next to the flickering votive. “Look, I’ll leave some cash for our orders. We can sneak out of here and I’ll fly us down to the juice bar, where they have real food.”
The idea of Alistair, a nearly seven foot tall, six limbed mothman-hybridsneaking anywheremade me burst into a fit of giggles. He couldn’t even sneak when he was half this size. My friend’s lack of self-awareness was astounding sometimes.
When he made to get up, I grabbed his hand to stay his movement. “Alistair,” I chided him, “I understand your concern, but you can’t predict someone’s behavior or personality based on their size. That’s incredibly silly. Wouldn’t that makeyouscary? You’re much bigger than me too, you know.”
He gave a discontented click and touched the soft fluff of his mantle that continued down to his chest. “Me? I’m not scary! I’m strong, sure, but I’m basically a kitten compared to an orc!”
A few seconds later, the door swung open and Hyrak returned, glasses in hand, and his gaze locked on to where my hand rested atop Alistair’s. His eyes were glowing when he lifted a brow at me, and I patted Alistair’s hand and withdrew my own, my mental wheels turning. Could Alistair be right? Could Hyrak feel possessive? Why did the thought of that make me feel so squishy in the middle?
“An apple sour for the lady,” Hyrak said, setting mine down in front of me. “And a mixed berry smoothie for the kitten.”
Oh, no. How much of our discussion had he heard?
