[Text Message]
Jessie
Fine, asshole. Love you too. Night.
He got a winky emoji back which was more infuriating. When Jessie tucked his phone away, Katarina was on the verge of laughing. Her shoulders were trembling. Jessie grumbled, “He used my government name too.”
“It’s how you know he means business.” She grinned up at him, the silver doors whooshing open. They stepped out, the scene of the casino completely changed. No more the overbearing presence of the lawyers, it was once again a playful, twinkling area full of jingling sounds and people. Katarina looped her arm through his. “You think Nik’s okay?”
“Nik’s fine,” he lied…but not because he didn’t want to worry her. He lied because he wanted it to be true. So, if he kept saying it like it was a fact, it was bound to be true, right? He flashed her a smile. “He’s likely just not wanting to be slowed down by me and my knot. Looks like you’re on heat duty all night, baby girl.”
“Oh no,” she laughed, putting the back of her hand to her forehead in a faux faint. “Whatever will I do having my boyfriend knot and breed me all night? What’s a girl to do.”
Jessie snorted, shaking his head. “Mmm, keep it up, and you’ll regret mocking me. That pussy’s going to be sore, even for a succubus.”
“You promise?” she tossed back with a wink.
“Pinky promise.” He winked back, tugging her close to his side. “Let’s find Rex and get out of here. Zrazduel is accommodating but if you keep it up, I’m definitely getting a public indecency charge or something!”
Katarina howled the whole way to the bar where they found Rex chatting it up with the bartender. They were pouring over designs he’d drawn out on drink napkins, having made a map across the bar. If it weren’t for the fact there were five other bartenders, all putting out drinks like clockwork to waitresses, Jessie wouldn’t have believed that his brother was able to distract one enough to converse about stuff. Not until he came up alongside him with furrowed brows. “What is that?”
“Oh! Jessie! Look, this is Koby, he’s in the mechanical engineering program at Ark-U. I was poking his brain about the prototype. You know, see if he knows anyone capable of this kinda stuff. And Koby says the design is similar to this theoretical project one of their special lecturers talks about every year.” Rex pivoted on his barstool to show off his hand drawn design. While Jessie wasn’t sure what it was, as that wasn’t his area of expertise, it looked like Rex knew what he was talking about.
Jessie glanced up from the bar top covered in napkins to Koby. He smiled at the satyr warmly. “Who does the lecture?”
“Oh, every year Councilman Bjorn Lawmen, of the Commerce Council Department, comes to talk to us about the applications of Magical Engineering in the world. Like ways toapply our degrees. And he talks about this major project of his like it’s a defense mechanism, something that keeps us safe, kinda thing.” Koby shrugged his shoulders before grabbing a new glass. “Look, I gotta get back to the line. But man, if you ever think about putting your money where your mouth is, you’d do fucking numbers in the program. I’m telling you. Call administration and get yourself admitted for the fall. Hope to see ya there.”
Jessie’s eyebrows shot up on his face as Koby and Rex shared a special kind of handshake before the satyr went on his way. Staring down at his brother, he had a moment of pause.Does Rex want to go to college? Is he wasting his talents here with me?
“So, what’s next?” Rex asked before tossing back the last bit of liquid in his tumbler.Wait! Fuck!
“Wait,” Jessie barked, snatching the glass from Rex. “What was in this? You better not—”
“Grapejuice and soda, Jessie, jeez. Calm down,” Rex huffed. “I’m not an idiot. I know I can’t have alcohol.”
“Why can’t you drink?” Katarina blurted out, furrowing her brows. Immediately, she flushed and laughed, waving her hands in front of her. “Oh, that was none of my business. I’m so sorry. I’m nosey.”
“Nah, it’s alright,” Rex chuckled. He swiped up all his napkins into a wad and tucked them into his pockets. “I’m on medication, is all. Not like a sobriety thing, I just got a condition.”
Jessie clamped a hand on Rex’s shoulder and squeezed. “Sorry, Rex. I didn’t mean to bite your head off like that. I just—”
“You worry, I know.” Rex rolled his eyes, hopping off the barstool. “I’m not a toddler who can’t breathe or a teenager who can’t tell when someone’s spiked the punch anymore, Jessie. I’m kind of an adult now, if you haven’t noticed. I know how to take care of myself.”
“I know,” Jessie confessed, letting his brother shrug off his touch.Dragon’s breath, when did you grow up?Jessie felt guilt eathim alive as he stared at Rex with an apologetic look plastered to his face.When did you stop needing your big brother to take care of you? When did you stop asking Elliot for help with homework or me for advice with cars? Damn. Maybe I am holding you back.“Rex, did you want to go to college?”
Rex’s eyes exploded wide open in his face as he twisted to Jessie. “Why? Nik talk to you?”
“Uh, no?” Jessie squinted. “You told Nik before you told me?”
“Well, yeah, cause Nik’s not like my boss or my big brother. He listens.”
“I listen!” Jessie scoffed, throwing his hands out to the side.
“Uh-huh,” Rex snorted.
“I listen! Tell him Katarina.” Jessie twisted to find Katarina snickering into her palm. He scowled. After a moment, and minor self-reflection, it dawned on him, he was his own problem. Again. Inhaling deeply through his nose, he settled his own attitude before answering him. “Rex, if you want to go to school, then we’ll send you to school. Once I get rid of this Executive guy, I’m looking into putting you in school. But if you’re gonna do this, Rex, you’re going to do this for real. You’re gonna lock in and study your fucking brains out and you’re gonna make cool shit, you got it?”
Rex froze, arms out like a goose caught in the act of stealing someone’s shoes. “I mean, I’ll try.”
