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“Valdemar,” broke in the orc professor, offering Decker his hand.
Decker reached out with his handcuffed hand, which brought her hand. He stopped, tried to switch hands, but Valdemar was offering his right hand, and then—
Jeff appeared. “Hey, Hollis was looking for you guys.”
“We’re looking for Hollis,” said Essence. “Do you know where he went?”
“I do not,” said Jeff. “But he said he’d check back here. So sit tight and wait for him?”
“Check back here?” said Essence.
“Yeah, he said to tell you, if I saw you, that he’d probably check back here.”
“Probably,” said Decker.
Essence sighed.
“How’d you guys get handcuffed together?” said Niles, grinning.
“Not like that,” said Essence, glowering at him. Why did he still do that? Why did he flirt with her? On the other hand, maybe he wasn’t flirting. Maybe that was just how he talked to people. Did he realize his regular way of talking seemed like flirting? Maybe someone should tell him that.
“It was her fault,” said Decker. “Because any time anyone says anything to Essence that indicates she might be afraid, she has to prove she’s not.”
“No,” said Essence, giving him a look. “That is not me at all.”
Decker shrugged. “Actually, that makes everything make so much sense.”
She looked at him, horrified, realizing he was somehow connecting it to the sex they’d just had. “That is not at all why I did anything that I did with you,” she gasped.
He looked away, shaking his head.
They needed to talk.
Niles and Valdemar were looking at them with bemused but entertained expressions on their faces.
“I should buy you guys a shot,” said Niles. “Since you got handcuffed together in a very adventurous, non-fear-inducing, nonsexual incident you guys are keeping frustratingly vague. Shots will loosen your tongues. Shots!”
“I don’t want a shot,” said Valdemar.
“Yes, you do,” said Niles.
“I am going home very soon to my infant daughter and the mother of my child, and no, I do not want a shot,” said Valdemar.
Niles sighed. He locked eyes with Decker. “You guys’ll do a shot with me, yeah?”
“Look, assuming Hollis can get these off us, I’m going to have to drive,” said Decker.
“No, I said you could just stay with me,” said Essence.
“Yeah, but obviously not anymore,” said Decker.
“You could sleep on the couch,” she said.
“They sound like they need to talk,” said Valdemar. “Let’s leave them alone to sort that out.”
“Not on your life,” said Niles. “Tell me everything. Start at the beginning. I’m starving for something exciting, please.” He turned to Jeff. “Green tea shots, please? Three.”
“You shouldn’t be taking shots either,” said Valdemar. “Don’t you work tomorrow?”
