“It’ll be good for Ben. For you. For all of us.” Milo shot me a boyish grin, hiding his eager anticipation for a night out.
Our hosts’ surface thoughts went through a frenzy of to-dos while we waited for them to answer. I did my best to contain my frustration.
“Gonna get stuck that way,” Ben said and made a face, mocking my frown.
I pressed my forehead against his. “Good. I like it this way.”
He snorted, giddy and always enjoying my attitude for some reason. Then he clammed up, burying his face into my neck the instant the door opened.
Diaz grinned, wearing a particularly flashy gold and silver corset vest which popped all the brighter against his white jeans.Christ, he was expecting a wild night on the town. I didn’t even need to delve into his thoughts for the eager ache of excitement to cling to me. He and Milo shared the same exhausting wavelengths.
“You must be Sheamus.” Diaz greeted our dog first, tipping his cowboy hat to the hound. “Priscilla loves making friends.”
Sheamus kept close to me, pressed against my leg. Not a sign of affection for me, but merely his need to express loyalty purely for Ben, whom the hound would likely keep close to all night. Ben, in turn, would hide with Sheamus, and they’d prove even more reluctant than I was on an outing, leaving poor Milo devastated by the household introverts he’d tethered himself to.
“I heard you worked the search and rescue patrols,” Diaz said, continuing his one-sided conversation with Sheamus. “Priscilla and I did that back in Texas for a few years. I wanted her to get the right kind of training before we stepped into guild work together.”
A fleeting, faint image of his two former familiars who’d been slain in combat flashed in Diaz’s thoughts. His eyes watered ever so slightly before he chuckled and washed away the sadness.
“Bet you two will have some fantastic stories to exchange.”
A distant snarl caught Sheamus’ attention. His good ear perked up, and he cocked his head curiously. Surely, the bear must’ve said something of interest.
“Go have fun,” Ben whispered, his face still half buried in my neck.
Sheamus sniffed the doorway, then cautiously shuffled inside, leaving one less attendant to worry myself with. Now, I’d just have to convince Ben to relax and give the evening a shot.
“Hey, hey, hey,” a woman in a gold and white dress said, drifting over as she levitated herself and a small child who wriggled in her grip. “So glad to see you join us.”
Oh my god, she wore a matching outfit to her husband. They werethatcouple. And I meant that in possibly the nicest way. It was revolting, mostly. Their minds were synchronized, blissful, and commutative. Even without words or magic, they knew exactly how their other half felt. Gross.
“What’s going on here?” Diaz asked, grabbing hold of the child dressed in pink.
“Diego was trying to sneak the dessert tray,” Diaz’s wife said.
She was quite the opposite of him. Where he was tall and muscular, she was short and stout, barely reaching his chest. Her round, flabby stomach and thick thighs were nothing like the image Milo carried in his memories of the much younger burlesque dancer he’d met more than a decade ago. It seemed time had caught up with her, but she carried it well and quite confidently. So confidently, in fact, Milo’s eyes drifted to her very noticeable cleavage before he averted his gaze.
“I wasn’t trying to sneak anything,” the kid said with a frosting-faced grin. “Just my favorite flavors.”
“Oh, just your favorite flavors, huh?” Diaz asked.
“Had to check.” Diego smiled, cheeks covered in specks of chocolate.
Based on his sugar high surface thoughts, he didn’t discriminate when it came to sweets. They were all his favorites.
“None of that,” Diaz said. “Best behavior, buddy.”
“Yes, sir.” Diego huffed and prepared for the gentle landing as his dad planted him on the floor. He straightened his composureas he stood between his parents. Then, he adjusted his hot pink tie and greeted us.
“I’m Vanessa,” his mother said, extending a hand to shake.
I used my free hand to greet her and kept a secure grip on Ben, who clung to me.
“And this is—”
“Diego, pleasure of course,” the small boy said with flair, bowing dramatically before smiling. His missing front teeth made his expression all the more ridiculous, but he clearly wanted to imitate his father’s behavior. “Wow. How’d you get your hair that shade of blue?”
Ben turned just enough to look down at the mesmerized Diego.
