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I shook my head, chewing the goldenberry doucefeuille Sophie had brought me. Yup. There was no denying it. The two men swiped their rollers up and down their respective walls with quick grace. Every few strokes, Archie glanced over at X’s progress. X had had a head start, as Archie and I had chatted for a bit over our paint trays before beginning work. X also had less wall to paint, as there was the open doorway in the back wall leading into the kitchen area. But even so, Archie seemed in turns dismayed, annoyed, and then determined, whenever he looked over and saw that X was beating him. And every time, his painting arm moved a little quicker.
X seemed entirely oblivious to it. Or, rather, he probably just didn’t give a damn. I doubted that anyone, let alone an observant chimera soldier, could fail to notice Archie’s obvious desire to outpaint his perceived opponent.
“OK, I’ve been here about five minutes and I already know that guy right there has a major thing for you,” Sophie said, raising a slim black brow.
“No, no! He owns the pub next door. He’s just being helpful,” I said quickly. Too quickly.
Sophie noticed.
“And you totally have a thing for him, too! Oh my God, yes! This is great! We can both be married to tall green alien weirdos on Elora Station!”
“Married?!” I stammered, choking on my pastry. I chugged the coffee Sophie had brought.
Archie turned around, his attention no doubt snagged by the noise I’d made. Concern wracked his features when he saw me coughing, but I shook my head.
“I’m good,” I wheezed.
He nodded and turned back to his wall, only to let out a tsking sound of shocked outrage when he saw how much time he’d lost to X. He redoubled his efforts, his paint-soaked blue roller flying up and down the wall.
“OK, sorry, didn’t mean to literally kill you with that statement,” Sophie said, laughing.
“I’m fine, I’m fine. But, girl, we just met last night! Calm down!” I could have been speaking directly to myself instead of Sophie.
“I know. But it happened fast for X and me, too. I don’t know if it’s the station or the time of year or what... Love can really sneak up on you.”
Love. Whoa.
Attraction? Yes, certainly. I was attracted to Archie, no doubt about it. I probably already had the beginnings of a raging crush on the orc, to be honest. But love?
“I don’t even know if he’s single,” I said.
Sophie rolled her eyes.
“Of course he is. Or, he’d better be, being all shirtless and showing off in a hot human girl’s place of work.”
It was stupid, but I couldn’t deny the little thrill of pleasure I felt at her assertions. It made me feel like a bit of a giggly schoolgirl, but then again I supposed it didn’t matter how old you were. Learning the person you liked maybe liked you back was always a little giddy gumdrop of goodness.
“Well, whether he likes me or I like him or whatever is all well and good. But my priority is this business. You know that,” I said, popping the last bite of pastry into my mouth and chewing it vigorously.
“I know,” she replied, her tone softer now. “But I also knew your Gran. And she wanted you to be absolutely knee-weakeningly, gob-smackingly, shout-at-the-sky happy in all aspects of your life. Not just your professional life.”
I was saved from responding by Archie letting out a triumphant whoop. The wall he’d been working on was now completely coated in a beautiful shade of spring-sky blue. X was still rolling away at his wall, seemingly unperturbed by Archie’s outburst.
Archie spun around to face me, the heat of victory simmering in his eyes as if he’d just won some great battle.
“Finished, Maggie,” he said, his voice rich and warm and vibrating down my spine in the most alluring way.
I stepped right up to him, my breasts one breath away from brushing against his bare abdomen. His gaze widened slightly at my sudden nearness, his nostrils flaring.
“Hmm,” I said slowly, my eyes sliding from the wall back to him. “Looks pretty good.”
He sucked in a breath, his chest puffing with pride, his front making contact with my breasts. My nipples hardened inside my bra. I stepped back, wagging a finger at him, my grin now matching his own. “But don’t get cocky,” I said. “That was just the first coat.”
“I’d paint a thousand coats for you, Maggie. In a thousand different shades of sky and sun.” His smile softened, his gaze roaming my face with a sudden intensity. “You just say the word.”
My stomach swooped, and I nodded mutely, my bold wit vanishing under the weight of his words. I got the sense Archie was generally a very enthusiastic, extroverted, flirtatious sort of orc. And I didn’t know enough about Orc-Orokish culture, or him, to know how serious his words could really be.
We just met. We just met!
