Page 154 of Jinxes and Drumsticks

I unlock the shop and sit in my high-chair behind the counter. Damien picks up a singing bowl and starts messing with it. “So, what brings you today, Wren?” he asks.

“Ah, well. Satoshi said he wanted to ask me something before he goes. And then Aemon and I found some things while we were digging in my archives last night. Some ideas for handling this whole thing.” She gestures vaguely at the room.

“Shit, really? What ideas?”

“You got five hours?” Wren asks dryly.

“No...” Damien answers sullenly.

“I’ll call you tonight and give you an update, babe,” I say. “Promise.”

He presses his mouth into a line, the skin around his piercings blanching. Then he glares at Aemon. “No weird sex shit.”

“Coming from a man who managed to incorporate Chinese food into his copulation, that means almost nothing,” Aemon retorts.

“It’s like none of you assholes have heard of aftercare. Do you know how much energy orgasms require? It’s called carbo-loading.”

“Too much information,” Wren says.

“You saw him naked,” I say.

Aemon’s gaze whips to her, a frown on his face. Wren sees me clock it, but looks away when I meet her eyes. “I saw him half naked, and covered in a blanket,” she says.

I’m about to ask about it when the bell at my door rings and the guys file in. Oren smiles at me as soon as I see him. He approaches and pulls me into a hug. Sitting on my bar stool puts me at about chest level with him. “Thanks for talking some sense into him for me,” he says.

“Ah—mm—sure,” I mumble, trying not to sound too flustered. I peek over at Damien as Oren leaves his arm draped over my shoulders. Damien is giving me the smuggest little smirk I’ve ever seen.

“Should we delay a day, baby? We could—” Damien starts.

“NO. DELAYS!” Roxie says as they bursts into the place.

Oren sighs and when I look up at him, he’s looking down at me. “Sorry, love. You’ll have to wait ‘til we return,” Oren says.

I’m going to die. Just perish. These men are going to be the death of me.

Satoshi, for once, is subdued when he comes in. Wren sidles to Aemon’s side, crossing her arms. I squint between everyone, wondering what the fuck happened that has created this weird energy in the room. Satoshi looks between Wren and Aemon.

“Hey, Tosh,” she says.

“I thought we were going to talk,” Satoshi says, slipping his hands into his pockets.

“Sure. Talk,” she says.

“I meant in private.”

“We could have talked in private. If you called me. Or texted me. You know. Like how I called and texted you?”

Satoshi’s face darkens with an embarrassed flush. He meets my gaze for a second, then looks away. “Forget it,” he says. He turns on his heel and leaves the store immediately.

Oren sighs. “Little walking shit-stirrer,” he says. He pats my shoulder and pecks the top of my head. “See you when we come back, doll.”

Then he leaves as casually as he came. I give Damien a pleading look and he laughs. “Your birthday’s coming up, right babe?” he asks.

“Damien.”

He starts the singing bowl going as Fletcher looks around the shop. Looking everywhere but me.

Evil, evil man.