Page 8 of I Dated a Holiday Hero (Blind Date Corporation #19)

H ever sat and got her nails done with a silver base that had red garlands on it. She always loved the holidays.

Veradil got gold and garlands. “Where did you want to go after this?”

“Hot chocolate, a walk in the square, and if we can find that flavoured marshmallow vendor, I want to hit that.” She paid for both of them and tipped the ladies.

Veradil laughed. “Done. Great. While we walk, I can ask about those two young men.”

“I haven’t researched Worro yet.”

Veradil chuckled. “I have. He’s known for being difficult, but you take no shit, so not a bad match.”

“What about Krix?”

“Ah, he is sweet. Shy. Tremendously strong, can manipulate matter, and he can fly at incredible speeds. His mother is Serathoan, and his father is Sethir, and they live at the Stronghold and have a home in town.”

Her mother had that look in her eyes. “They are here in town, aren’t they?”

“His grandfather is unwell.”

“Ah. Oh. I didn’t know. We don’t actually... talk.”

“I see.”

“It is an escort classification, not therapy, and not girlfriend status. He knots and goes.”

“Do you think it’s a lack of experience?”

“Well, most alphas get instruction. Worro is working from the textbook.”

“Maybe Krix wasn’t given that textbook. He’s a bit small for an alpha.”

“He’s the right height, he’s just a little more streamlined. Less broad.”

They walked to one of the hot chocolate kiosks and got hot chocolate, walking arm in arm.

“You sure?”

“I’ve seen him naked, so yeah. Oops. I think I have just busted about all of my super secret protocols.”

Veradil laughed. “Honesty is my skill.”

“I know.” She wrinkled her nose as she sipped her hot chocolate. “It was the bane of my teen years.”

Zera called, and Hever sighed. “I have to get this.”

Her mother chuckled. “Yup. Go ahead, but I am going with you.”

“Oh, that will be fun. Zera, Veradil is coming with me.”

“ I have never had a mother attend an assessment before. ”

Veradil snorted and leaned toward Hever. “It isn’t anything I haven’t heard during her teen years. Erradian walls are thin.”

Zera blinked. “ Oh. Wow. I heard that. Okay, you are half a block away, and security is waiting. Bring the ambassador and come on in. ”

Veradil laughed, and they headed to Z-Corp, the home of multiple branches and several smaller businesses, as well as the BDC.

They checked in at security, got passes, and Zera came up to greet them. Zera looked at her and said, “Not black?”

“Only when I want to wear it. Not in the lobby. I have some dignity. Besides, this is the face on my company identification.”

“Oh, right. Come on.”

They headed downstairs, and Zera was grinning. “Seriously. This is the first time someone has ever brought their mother down.”

Veradil chuckled. “I am special.”

They giggled, and then Zera said, “You know the drill. First, strip and get a full scan done. Do you dismiss the wings as well?”

“Nope. They stay, but they are nice and soft and stay flat against me.”

“Okay, then we need flat, and up and out.”

“Noted. Mom, can you hold my hot chocolate?”

“It is going to die, Hever.”

Hever laughed. “I know.”

She headed to the platform and stripped. She had altered her dress that morning and used the strip method to get around her wings.

She folded the wings in and got the dress over her head. Then the boots, underwear, and stockings went next. The bra was impossible right now.

She got onto the platform and heard Zera directing her, saying, “Suzara is going to have fun with this.” She laughed. “You prefer a lower latch to your dress?”

“Yeah. I have to dress myself. The wings are getting more flexible, but I can’t hold the strips with them yet.”

“Fair enough. Show your range of wing motion.”

Hever flexed and reached forward and then backward. She went out and up then circled around. She stood with arms up, arms down, and then a few hero shots in different stretches.

When that was done, she folded her wings along her back, stretched, and twisted.

“Okay, now reaction testing. Get in the tube.”

Hever laughed. “Right. The wings are sensitive, so keep that in mind.”

Hever stood in the tube with her hands on the grips and her feet in the marked slots. She was held in place as light tubes extended and started touching her. She squirmed and twisted, breathing heavily. Then, she heard, “Scales on.”

The scales went on, and the touching continued.

The irony was that she was more sensitive with the scales than without them, and they were not consistent over her skin.

The scales swirled and twisted, covering her sexual characteristics with tiny plates that made every touch reverberate through her.

She squirmed and moaned as the tendrils touched her, her wings tried to foul them, but they went around and were insistent until Hever gasped and shivered from the light contact.

Zera laughed. “Wow. Your patron is going to have to up his game, but from what I hear, he has already begun working on it before you transformed.”

She was a little dopey. “What?”

“A little octopus told me that your patron missed alpha classes because he was a slow grower.”

Zera snorted. “Sgoth. He is chatty and wants everyone to be coupled up. He wants all of my escorts locked to specific patrons. Greedy bastard. That isn’t the business model.”

Veradil asked, “How many patrons has my daughter had?”

“Fifty-Five has had four. You know her repeater.”

“What are your criteria for adding one?”

“He has to go through the application, interview, and medical check.”

“Am I good? There’s a draft,” Hever asked.

Zera laughed. “You are good.”

Veradil spoke, “Could I try that?”

Zera paused. “Um, you would have to do that calibration first.”

“Sure. If it doesn’t bother my daughter, it shouldn’t bother me.”

Hever got dressed and scrambled to the control room. “Seriously, Mom? This is the coolest thing you have ever done.”

“Remember this when I have grandkids.” Her mother chuckled and removed all her clothing.

She stood on the scanner, and Zera looked at her and shrugged, starting a simple scan of the body that only the rarest forty-year-old could claim.

Zera ran her through the poses and the necessary scans and then directed her to the test chamber.

Hever told her how to set her feet and the grip she needed to use on the handles. “And now I am turning my head because this is not an image I want to keep for the grandkids.”

Zera grinned and chuckled. “Okay, contact testing is starting now.”

Hever listened to the giggles, the gasps, and then she turned to peek between her fingers. Zera had a surprising expression on her face.

Hever put her foot down. “Oh, no, Zera. You are not turning Aksalla’s precious retired ambassador into an escort.”

Zera muted the mic as Veradil started to moan. “That isn’t it. I have a patron looking for this exact profile. Age is not a barrier. This is a surprise, is all.”

“Wait. There is an active out there looking for my mom?”

“Yes. He is trustworthy. He’s been through all the normal vetting, but his range of inquiry was very narrow. He’s also not local.”

“Oh. Damn. Where is he from?”

“He’s an island active.”

Hever’s eyes widened. “Oh, good grief. I know who that is.”

Zera blinked. “You do?”

“Sure. Nautilus. He’s a water breather whose skin hardens up, and he has tentacles.”

Zera started laughing. “So, you have met.”

“Sure. We had to stop at his island for emergency repairs. I chatted with the kids and learned to swim, and she and Nautilus were seen chatting and smiling at each other for hours.”

“He has retired as well, now. He never forgot her.”

“Well, could she chat with him, as not an escort, without wrecking privacy regulations?”

Zera smiled. “You ask her first.”

“Good plan. Springing an active on people doesn’t really go over well.”

Veradil yelped as the tentacles were going for a second round.

Zera laughed and stopped the test. “Sorry. Hever distracted me. You have lovely reflexes.”

Veradil chuckled. “Thank you. I am going to get dressed, but I have a far more informed idea of why my daughter sought this out.”

Hever leaned toward the mic as her mother walked back to her clothing. “This is not what I had in mind for mother-daughter day.”

Her mother was laughing as they met outside the control booth, and Zera was shaking her head in amusement. “Well, Hever, now I know where you get it from.”

Veradil grinned and hugged Hever again. They headed up to the main floor and handed their visitor’s badges to the security guard.

Zera smiled. “Madame Ambassador, come back if you ever want an evening job.”

Veradil nodded. “How much to rent the sensor test?”

Hever hauled her laughing mother out of the building and then sighed. “Where are those marshmallows?”

They linked arms and laughed as they went in search of the treat. It was a very good day.

Two hours later, carrying a stack of boxes of marshmallows in a variety of flavours, they stood with the others, watching the lights blaze to life on the main street.

“You used to love watching this when you were little.” Veradil smiled.

Keera walked by with a young boy, blonde hair and a brilliant smile. “Hey, Hever. Wasn’t the light-up fantastic?”

“Absolutely. This is your brother?”

The boy stuck his hand out. “I am Wellin. You are Hever?”

“I am.”

“You work with my sister.”

“I do.”

“Does she do a good job?”

“She does. She’s an excellent analyst.”

“Yeah, she helps with my homework all the time.” Wellin smiled. “I am going to be an active one day.”

“I am sure you will. You have a certain look about you.” Hever winked as she shook his hand. There was a roaring in her ears, and she heard a woman crying and others telling her they would take care of him. She came out of it and looked at Wellin.

He looked at her. “They took care of me.”

She whispered, “Yes. They did.”

“You are like me.”

She swallowed. “Yes, I am.”

Keera was looking between them. “What am I missing?”

“Just taking a walk down memory lane with Wellin.”

Keera nodded. “He must like you.”