Noah looks up at me, and a small smile tugs at his lips. “I was going to have to tell you eventually if we started dating, Kenna, but I’m kind of a big deal in the gaming world. But nobody at school knows, and I’d like to keep it that way, if possible. It’s nobody’s business what I do in my free time, behind closed doors. There’s nothing illegal or immoral about it, you know. It’s justDungeons and Dragons.”
I can feel the flush starting. It’s followed by that sweaty, dizzy-feeling palpitation and the urge to gulp air. I’ve seen it a million times before, at comic con and other fan events when I show up in costume. I’ve just never felt it firsthand. My palms feel slippery. He couldn’t be … could he?
“Holy shit, who are you?” I breathe out the question in a gasp.
“Still just Noah Greenberg,” he says, but then his voice shifts to the velvety, mesmerizing tones of the Dungeon Master. “When I’m not sharing my notes on the number oneDNDshow on Spotify and Apple podcasts.”
“Oh, my God. I can’t believe it’s you. It’s really you.” My mouth makes the words, but it feels like a fish mouth making silent o’s underwater. “I’ve never done this before, and you’re like … famous.”
“Don’t worry.” Noah’s voice vibrates straight through me on the porch. “Max Mercury is going to take care of you.”
kenna
Xander is sittingin the sunroom holding court with the Barzilay family. Princess is perched on his lap, clearly aware she is the center of attention and loving it. She’s got on a pink, rhinestone-jeweled harness with a matching leash attached. I’ve been summoned to come over here from the pool to help out with the training session. I eye Xander warily. He’s definitely up to something.
“It’s very important we involve the whole family,” Xander is saying. “And Rafe, if we want Princess to respond well to future relationships, it’s essential that she gets comfortable seeing you with other women.” Xander is speaking authoritatively, as if he’s been a trainer for years, not just a groomer. “You don’t mind, do you,Lorelei?” Xander winks at me boldly.
Okay, yep. Georgia and the real Lorelei have definitely filled him in on the farce.
But Naomi and Orly still seem none the wiser.
“I’m not sure I follow,” Naomi says from behind the kitchen counter, where she is chopping parsley and squeezing lemon juice into a bowl of chickpeas. “What is it you want from Lorelei? She’s not exactly a member of thefamily. She and Rafe are just friends.”
Orly is sprawled on the floor, coloring on a roll of paper with chunky crayons. She doesn’t even look up at the grown-ups, she is so engrossed in her work. I sit down next to her, idly doodling some flowers.
Xander nods sagely and strokes the dog. “Exactly, Mrs. Barzilay, but Princess here doesn’t know that. She’s a bit of a diva, and she wants your son all to herself.” He gazes down at the dog, who looks up with adoration and licks his face excitedly.
“Really?” Naomi looks doubtful.
“Really.” Xander nods confidently. “So it’s important that we establish that while Princess holds rank in this house, she is not thequeen.”
“No problem, I can be the queen,” Naomi says as she rinses and dries her hands. “I mean, I am Rafe’s mother. And call me Naomi. Mrs. Barzilay was my mother-in-law.”
“Of course, Naomi. You are the OG queen!” Xander replies. “But I was thinking about situations that Princess might interpret as more intimate. Dogs are very sensitive that way. I’d hate for her to get spooked and bolt in a fit of jealousy if, for example, she happened to see Rafe kissing someone else.” He shoots me an obnoxiously smug glance. “I’m sure that Lorelei doesn’t mind helping out, do you?”
“Do you maybe want her to change first?” Naomi asks, eyeing my sheer cover-up and bikini. She hasn’t said anything about the fact that Rafe is wearing a pair of board shorts and a tee.
“Oh, Princess doesn’t mind.” Xander shakes his head. “If anything, it’s better this way.”
Wink. Wink.He has got to stop. I am going to kill him.
“What is it you’d like me to do, exactly?” I ask.
“Well, for starters, I’d like to see how Princess reacts to you and Rafe sitting together on the couch.”
“What’s that going to do?” Naomi asks. She walks over to the couch, glancing at my doodle as she passes. “Nice flowers, Lorelei, and with your left hand, no less. Are you drawing the peonies?”
“Ima,” Rafe addresses his mother as he stands to pour himself a lemonade from the pitcher on the counter. “I think we need to pay attention to Xander. He is the expert here.” He meets my eye and gestures to a second glass, questioning if I want some, too. I nod.
“Fine, fine. So what do you need me for?” Naomi asks impatiently.
“I need you to go outside,” Xander says to Rafe’s mom. “Go outside, and come back in five minutes. Ring the doorbell. Do you think you can do that? I just need five minutes.”
“What about Orly?” Naomi asks, gesturing to her granddaughter.
“Hmm …” Xander strokes his chin. “Good point. I think you should take her with you.”
“So you gathered us all here just to tell us to go away?” Naomi looks offended.
