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If we lived here full time, I’d definitely redecorate and maybe buy him a few new shirts, but my fuchsia and faux fur preferences wouldn’t exactly thrill him either.
They say opposites attract. That was Thierry and me in a nutshell. Or two esthetically different nutshells who were still crazy about each other.
“Did you know Amy and Barry got divorced?” I asked.
There was a slight pause before he answered. “I did.”
I shot him a surprised look. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Barry told me in confidence. I respected his wishes. I assumed Amy would reach out to you.”
“She didn’t.” The old me would have been annoyed that Thierry kept this secret from me, and part of the new me still was. But if Thierry made someone a solemn promise, he kept it.
I respected that as much as it bugged the hell out of me.
“I thought they were in love,” I said.
“They were.”
“And, what? Love has a Best Before date, like a carton of milk?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think a simple analogy can explain such an intricate experience.”
Don’t say it, Sarah, I thought. I imagined a zipper on my lips, sealing them shut, leaving only a calm and angelically serene smile there for the world to see.
Thierry studied me. “I know what you’re thinking.”
“I highly doubt that,” I replied tightly.
“You’re thinking: do we have an expiry date as well?”
I glared at him. “Okay, fine. When did you develop psychic abilities? That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
He nodded. “I figured.”
“But it was only a fleetingly thought that I’m not going to dwell on. I love you. You love me. We’re married. Newlyweds still, who—FYI—need a real honeymoon if we ever manage to get more than a day off from your current indentured servitude to the ancient and fanged powers-that-be.”
Thierry’s expression remained infuriatingly patient. “I am not an indentured servant. I simply have an agreement with the Ring. For now.”
Sure. An agreement in the form of a typical employment contract. If typical employment contracts were signed in actual blood and lasted for fifty years, and one was forced to sign such a contract under extreme duress, including death threats towards one’s significant other. Namely me.
“Speaking of the council,” Thierry said smoothly as my unexpected flare of anxiety eased as quickly as it had appeared. “I have our next assignment.”
I nodded. “And…what is it?”
“The wife of a Ring elder is currently visiting a small town in West Virginia. We’re to escort her back to her husband in New York City.”
I waited for more. When it seemed like he was finished speaking, I frowned. “Can’t she just hop on a plane all by herself?”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Okay, well, can’t her husband go fetch her himself? You’re a consultant, not a courier.”
“He is certainly willing to do that. However, this particular location is…” Thierry hesitated as if seeking the right word. “Problematic for this elder. He has a history with a current resident that could escalate into a more explosive situation if not handled delicately.”
I sighed. Sometimes my inner translator didn’t work perfectly to help me understand Thierry’s enigmatic way of speaking. “Meaning?”
Thierry spread his hands. “Witches versus vampires.”
