Page 10

My face was red the entire way home. Kroven had asked me if I wanted to stay the night, but I’d told him I had some things to do back at my apartment. I hoped he didn’t think all I wanted from him was sex, because the truth was, I truly liked Kroven. For more than just his body, which was so fucking hot. He was kind and interesting, and I wanted to know everything about him that he would offer up to me.

The truth was, I needed a minute to regain myself from what had just transpired between us, despite the brief break to chow down on pizza, and there was no way that that was going to happen if I had agreed and stayed the night with him. Plus, I felt like I really needed to come clean and break the news to Thayer about what was going on. I’d kept it from him long enough, and the time to get it off my chest had arrived.

So the next morning, when Thayer and I inevitably went to lunch together during my shift, I’d told myself that I was just going to tell him straight up. We ended up going to the diner down the street, and I was steeling myself the entire time we ordered our food. What if Thayer made a scene? What if he thought I was disgusting for engaging in sexual activity with an Orb? I didn’t think Thayer thought that way, even given his earlier transgressions about Orbs. He was actively making an effort now when the subject of the patients over at the Orb wing came up. I just didn’t want to lose my best friend over this.

The petite waitress brought our food over on two separate plates. She sat them down in front of us with a smile as we both adjusted in our seats opposite one another in a booth that was overlooking the parking lot of the diner.

“Enjoy,” the waitress told us, leaving us with our respective plates with another smile.

Thayer rubbed his hands together in a display of how excited he was to eat. He had ordered a footlong hot dog with extra chili and extra mustard with a side of fries. He took a modest bite as I grabbed the provided ketchup bottle on the table and made an empty spot to pour the condiment onto my plate. I was a dipper, not someone who put my sauces directly onto my food, so my plain cheeseburger and fries would have to take their dives into the ketchup eventually.

Taking a bite of my ketchup lathered cheeseburger, I eyed Thayer nervously. I knew I had to just dive into telling him. Because if I didn't, there was a chance that I would chicken out. I owed it to Kroven to tell Thayer about him. Whatever was going to come of our blossoming connection, Thayer deserved to be privy to it.

“I wanted to talk to you about something.” I began, hiding from his stare as I took another bite of my burger.

“Sounds serious,” Thayer chastised, giving me a grin as he tore off another helping of hot dog with his teeth. “Should I be scared?”

“No,” I told him, then, more apprehensive, I added, “I hope not. It's about the guy from the other night. The one I was, uh, with when we were at the club.”

The mention of the night we had visited Gossamer stole his attention, Thayer's eyes bulging with interest as he set his food down. “Now we're talking. Spill!”

I chuckled at his enthusiasm. “I wasn't making out with a random stranger that night. I was with someone I met from the center.”

Confusion spread over Thayer's rugged features. “You met someone at work? What the hell! You've been holding out on me with this gossip!” Thayer took a sip of the soda he had ordered with his food before going on. “Which one of the attendants on the Orb wing has caught your eye?”

I sighed. “That's the thing. It's not one of the attendants.” I made sure to look out for any sort of shift of emotion on his face. I so desperately didn't want to see anger flash against his handsome face, but I knew I had no control over the matter. “It's one of the patients.”

Silence had a hold on Thayer, which I guessed was better than outright anguish. He seemed stunned by my admission, his dark eyes doing shifty somersaults. While I waited for him to say something, anything, I picked up my burger and took a huge chunk out of it. I was washing down my food with lemonade when he finally spoke.

“You made out with an Orb?”

Swallowing both my food and my feelings, I nodded. “I know it might be kind of shocking, but—”

“Shocking? Maybe, but...I mean, it's just odd, Bas.” Thayer affirmed. “Humans and Orbs don't usually mix like that.”

“I know, but you saw how everyone was at the club,” I stammered, my nerves getting the best of me. “Everyone was pretty free at Gossamer.”

“Yeah but not kissing or anything.” Thayer scoffed, sipping his soda. “I’m sorry, I'm not trying to be dismissive. I'm just...taking it all in.”

“I understand,” At least, I wanted to. I really didn't see the difference in me macking on a hot human and me swapping spit with a hot Orb. “We kind of struck up a little friendship while he was getting his consumption because he liked the conversation.”

“Okay.” Thayer looked neutral, not super ecstatic but not super annoyed either.

“Long story short,” I cleared my throat. “We kissed at Gossamer, and then he showed up to talk about the kiss while I was working. Maybe you remember him from the club?”

“The tall blond Carlisle Cullen type?” I cringed at his reference, even more so that I knew it. “Kinda hard to miss that.” His laugh gave me a little more ease.

Deciding not to acknowledge his comparison, I stated, “Well I really like him, and we sort of...hooked up last night.”

“You hooked up with an Orb?”

Thayer's voice carried a little further from our booth than I would have preferred, a few stares coming over to us as I swatted his arm.

“Jesus, keep your voice down!”

“I’m not judging you, I'm just surprised.”

“I know it's not the norm, but I don't exactly want it announced to the entire district.”

“I get it. I'm sorry.”

We both finished up our food before we kept talking. No one was paying us any mind anymore, so I felt better about discussing this subject ad nauseam.

“So,” Thayer wagged his eyebrows at me. “What was it like?”

I smiled at the more playful tone. “Thayer, it was amazing . I don't think I've ever come so hard—”

“Whoa, whoa.” He chuckled, waving a hand between us. “Maybe some things shouldn't be shared among friends.”

“Sorry.” I blushed, smiling as I thought about my evening with Kroven. “It was awesome though. He's so interesting, and so sweet to me.”

“Well then that's great, Bas. I'm happy for you.” He clasped a hand on my arm, and I could feel my cheeks getting hot. “Are you, like, officially dating?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but the response died on my tongue. Kroven and I hadn’t clarified what was happening between us. Panic set in as I thought more on the fact that Kroven had asked me to stay and I'd declined. Would he take that as a sign that I wasn't into him for anything more than shoving our genitals together? Of course I wanted more of that to happen, but I realized I also wanted more. Being around Kroven, I'd never felt that way about anyone before. I would've chased that high through this realm and the next if it meant I'd get to keep feeling what I was feeling right now.

“Actually, I'm not sure.” I admitted, messing with a rogue fry on my plate. “We’ll talk about it I'm sure, but I didn't want to keep this from you anymore than I already have.”

“Aww,” Thayer mocked. “My opinion means that much to you?”

“Shut up.” I giggled, but nodded. “You're the closest friend I've ever had, Thayer. I wouldn't want to jeopardize our friendship in any way.”

“I don't think anything ever will,” Thayer admitted. “Even if you are letting an Orb sexually exploit you.” He laughed it off, making sure I knew he wasn't serious.

“No one's exploiting anyone.” My eyes squinted as I tested Thayer's boundaries in hearing about my sex life. “Although I've yet to tell you about the ribbed parts of Kroven's dick that—”

“Okay, okay,” Thayer laughed. “That's enough out of you for at least ten minutes.”

Our laughter surrounded us, and I was so elated that my more than friendly encounter with Kroven hadn't driven Thayer away from me. After being so close for ten years, his opinion meant more to me than I was willing to admit and I was enthralled that anger hadn’t been the emotional outcome.

Now I just needed to figure out what Kroven and I were doing. And more importantly, if what we were doing was going to happen again.

Going into work the next day was a fiasco, full of sudden crowds that insisted on yelling at the entire staff as we made our way into the building. There were people holding signs outside, being told they had to yell their obscenities from the sidewalk across from the center by the authorities.

People were protesting the blood center.

I didn't understand why people were against the idea of making sure that anyone who needed a transfusion could get one safely and swiftly. But reading most of their signs, it was clear that they weren't objecting to humans going into the center.

They were protesting the center serving blood to sangamar.

Making my way into the building, every step was making me more and more irate. How the hell could people be so prejudice? I didn’t understand why certain people were so keen on repeating areas of the past that were now unsightly and just down right wrong. Why did the world go through with accepting Orbs if they were just going to protest against them later on? It made absolutely no sense. I had a personal stake in this claim now, through my connection with Kroven, but in spite of that, the thought of people wanting to get the center closed down, when it also benefited humans just as much as Orbs, threatened to consume my inner thoughts.

As soon as there were enough of us early shift people in the building, word had gotten around that Babs was going to hold a staff meeting. No sangamar had dared to even enter through the waiting room on the Orb wing thanks to the protesters outside, so those of us on the Orb wing didn’t have any patients to tend to. Apparently though, this was big enough to warrant an impromptu meeting .

After a few minutes of gathering everyone in the main lobby of the Orb wing, all of us waited for Babs to appear from her office to address us. We all stood surrounding the station, and Babs just walked in so that she was both the center of attention and so she could see everyone all at once.

“I’m sure everyone’s seen our new fans across the street,” Babs wasted no time getting down to business. She rolled her eyes. “Unfortunately, none of our patients here in the Orb wing feel comfortable enough to seek consumption.”

“So what’s going to happen?” This came from Ronnie, my fellow attendant over here in this wing of the center. I really needed to try to make more friends. But after Kroven’s abrupt appearance here last time, I was pretty sure that being friends with Ronnie was off the table.

“A representative in affiliation with the center is going to speak with the protesters, to see what they want. To see what their goal is by stalking the center. In the meantime, we’re going to have to cut back on some hours.”

“That’s not fair!” Someone yelled from behind us.

“I know it’s not,” Babs said with an anchor of a sigh. “But there’s not enough patients in the human wing to warrant the staff we have now between both wings. The bastards outside are scaring away human patients too. Those of you that normally work in the Orb wing will alternate shifts in the human wing, so that everyone can get as many hours as possible. That’s the direction I’ve been giving until the representative arrives.”

Murmurs erupted from the staff, and someone from the human wing gave me a stabbing look. “What the hell?”

I just gave him a nod. These pricks were affecting our work now. I had this gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach that this wasn’t just going to affect the present. I had a really bad feeling about the future.

“Ronnie, Bradford, Lauren, Bas, Schuyler,” Babs said, eyeing each of us as she spoke our names. “You guys can go home for the day. You’ll swap with a different group of attendants that usually work in the Orb wing tomorrow. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

I scoffed, the others making grumbling amongst the crowd as well. “What the hell am I supposed to do with my day now?”

Ronnie, clearly feeling like she knew something that others didn’t, chuckled. “I can think of one thing.”

I felt my cheeks flush at the insinuation. So she had thought more about the encounter between Kroven and I when he had shown up here yesterday. I guess I could see if Kroven was busy. What exactly did he do, anyway? Guilt ran through me like an electrical current. Why hadn’t I bothered to ask him that last night? I didn’t want him to think that I was only after his body. Maybe I could take the bus to his place again and see if he wanted to go on a proper date. Assuming he was comfortable enough to be seen out with a human to do that sort of thing.

Was I? Could I handle the stares that were waiting for us if we went out somewhere together? Humans and Orbs rarely mixed, like Thayer had mentioned before. But dating? I don’t think that it had ever been done before. At least not to the point where people were aware of it.

I shook myself. Of course I could handle it. I just wanted to learn everything I could about Kroven, anything he would allow me to know about him. Plus, being off work now, it did give me the perfect opportunity to talk with Kroven about where we stood going forward. The idea of going by to see Kroven started to sound like a better and better idea.