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“What?” I burst out laughing. “You don’t consider the amount we usually order big?”
“Not like big big. We’re gonna need a lot. But you won’t need to smoke much to feel it.” He grinned over at me slyly. “Tiny human.”
I punched him lightly on the arm, and he snickered as he unwrapped his quesadilla before tearing off a giant bite.
Chapter Nineteen
Greid
“Food’s here!” I yelled up the stairs, a lit joint already hanging out of my mouth.
After opening the door and accepting the two huge bags from the delivery guy, I kicked it shut and yanked the joint out of my mouth.
“Beryl!” I yelled, smoking curling out of my nostrils. “Food’s here! Food!”
“Coming!” I heard her faintly call back as I went into the living room.
Smoking the joint hands-free—a skill I’d mastered years ago when I was feeling too lazy to even lift my arms—I sat down on the couch and started pulling out the food. Beryl had chosen Thai, but I’d also ordered us a pizza and two giant subs for later.
If she actually did end up smoking tonight, she’d want the sub. I knew this for a fact.
I would also want the sub.
I only ate a single spring roll as I waited for her to come down, which was incredible self-restraint on my part. Getting comfortable back under my blankets, I got the next episode of Our Neighbours the Humans cued up on the TV. We were almost caught up with it now, ready for the next season to come out soon. I wondered what Beryl would want to watch after.
She appeared a few minutes later with damp hair, wearing her onesie and giant slippers. I’d sneakily ordered her a pair in her size, but they hadn’t turned up yet. I was pretty sure I’d ordered something else recently, but I couldn’t remember what.
Beryl froze at the sight of all the food laid out on the coffee table. “Greid. What the fuck.”
“You’ll get hungry!” I said defiantly, sneaking another spring roll now that she was here. “Trust me.”
She snorted, rounding the coffee table to sink down onto the couch beside me. I immediately handed over her pad Thai then grabbed mine. Beryl had decided to try shade after eating so she had a full stomach. It was probably a sensible idea, but it wasn’t like it was going to stop her wanting more food.
Sucking down the last of my joint, I stubbed it out and pressed play on the remote, then waved away the smoke in the air with a sheepish apology. We settled back to eat in comfortable silence, occasionally chuckling at whatever unfunny thing the Aktonars and Smiths were doing on screen.
The moment Beryl set down her empty container with a sigh, I shovelled in the rest of my noodles and reached for the thin joint I’d rolled earlier. Glancing at Beryl, I saw her staring at it before she lifted her eyes and gave me a tiny, nervous smile.
“Hey, you know what we could have instead?” I said lightly, because I didn’t want to make her feel silly if she’d changed her mind. Leaning over the side of the couch, I grabbed the bottle of champagne I’d hidden there and lifted it.
“I ran out and grabbed this while you were in the shower,” I told her sheepishly. “For, um. You know. To celebrate.”
Her green eyes softened, and she briefly touched my arm as her gaze darted between the joint and the bottle. They were both equally new to her, so I wasn’t sure which would seem more daunting.
“No,” she eventually said, tone stubborn. “I said I wanted to try shade tonight, and I do. You’ll make sure I don’t smoke too much, right?”
“Of course.” I put the bottle back on the floor. “We can have that another night, if you want.”
“Maybe if I actually get the job?” she asked with a grin, then squeezed my arm. “Thank you, Greid.”
“You’ll get the job.” I picked up the matches. “Okay, so it might burn a little at first. Hold it in your mouth while you take a drag and then inhale slowly. Then hold it in your lungs for a few seconds before you breathe out. It might make you cough, which, yeah, will definitely burn. Hold on.”
I got up and went into the kitchen to grab us some sodas from the fridge, passing one to her as I sat back down. “Shade works faster than weed, so only have a single toke at first to see how hard it hits you.” I grinned at her. “You might go a little loopy.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ve watched you get high for weeks. I’ve seen how you get.”
“I’m an old hand at this,” I told her imperiously. “But honestly, Beryl, you’ll be fine. Humans smoke shade a lot. They’ve done tests on it and stuff. It’s totally harmless, and it isn’t addictive, but if you don’t like the sensation, we’ll stop. It isn’t for everyone.”
“Okay.” She grinned at me. “I’m nervous but excited. I’m already feeling a little high from today.”
