The most curious expression crossed her face—hurt. While he would never admit it out loud, it made him feel a little bit bad. Just a tiny bit.
“Fine,” she said, her usual confident prickly mask slipping back on. “I just want to go back to my hotel room, lay in bed, watch stupid movies on TV and order room service.”
“Fine,” he repeated, then moved aside to let her out first.
Gods, he couldn’t wait for the year to finish and he could be free of this stupid marriage and he could go back to his normal life. He would never have to think about demigods and fathers and stupidly pretty humans ever again.
Chapter 7
Maldenis
“Why do I always have to clean the bathrooms?”
“Because that’s your job. Your kind of work.”
“Says who?”
“Says me! Now get to it, the inspector could be here any minute”
Maldenis rolled his eyes, but did not look from behind the POS system. Makron and Charlie had been arguing over the last half hour ever since their contact at the health department warned them that they were sending someone today for a surprise visit.
“Someone clean it, I don’t care who,” Maldenis shouted at them. “We can’t afford to fail an inspection.”
“Fine,” Charlie said, defeated. “I’ll do it.”
Maldenis rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers. A failed health inspection would be just the topping he needed on this shitshow cake. Though truth be told, if things didn’t improve soon, then they would have to shut down anyway.
According to Makron and Charlie, business had only gotten worse in the last few of days. Sure, a couple of the regulars came by, but they were drunk degenerates who didn’t care who served them. But barflies and boozers alone wouldn’t be able to keep them afloat. They needed the happy hour crowd, the drinks after work crowd, the juveniles turning twenty-one crowd, and on and on and on.
Just hang in there. It’ll all be over soon.
He would restore his family’s honor and they’d be back in business. All he had to do was be the council of elders’ dancing monkey for the next couple of days, then spend the next year traipsing around Vale Crossing with his bride.
The vibration of his phone interrupted his thoughts right before he conjured up visions of himself in a furry monkey suit. Glancing at the name on the screen, he groaned. He considered letting it go to voicemail, but that would make things worse.
“Mother,” he greeted. “I hope your urgent business was concluded favorably.”
“Where are you, Maldenis?”
“How am I doing? Oh, I’m fine. Just dandy, thanks for asking.” He switched the phone to his left side, tucking it between his ear and shoulder so he could scroll through their inventory list with his right hand.
Melora tsked. “You’re at that bar aren’t you?
“Where else would I be on a weeknight? I’m a respectable business owner now.” Well, the latter yes, but the former, maybe not quite, considering their clientele.
His mother let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “I don’t care what you do during business hours, but tonight, you must sleep with your wife.”
“Excuse me?”
“I mean,sleep,” she emphasized. “Be with Liora. Cohabitate. If the elders find out that you are not living under the same roof, then you can forget about restoring our family’s honor.”
He cursed under his breath. “Do I really have to?”
“Yes. You must stay by her side as long as you are married. I’ve worked so hard to even convince the elders to see you tomorrow and give you a chance. Don’t ruin it all now because you refuse to leave whatever efficiency flat in the upper terraces you’re renting this month.”
“Excuse me,” he said. “It happens to be a one bedroom. And I have my own bathroom this time.”
“That’ll make it easier then. Pack a bag and move into her suite tonight.”
