Page 14 of My Date is a Polymorph (Blind Date Corporation #20)

“You may not. I would be less offended if you asked me to give you a lap dance.” She looked at him. “Seriously, boss. If you put me on flex with the BDC in mind, it should be fine. Yeah, the income hit is fine.”

Klauz asked, “How long have you been registered with the BDC?”

Zera smiled. “Eighteen months, and she has two steady clients who request her when they are in town.”

“And then I just have to stand around and catch bullets.”

“You get shot at?”

“Shot, drowned, electrocuted. Just like a day in the kitchen.”

Klauz snorted. “You are invulnerable?”

“I am a lot of things. But mostly, I am here for Hever’s party. We met when we were little and the ambassador was travelling a lot. I taught her how to play, and she helped me learn to giggle.” She looked up at him. “Now, boss, go and cuddle Drin then head back to the masculine zone.”

He looked at her and sighed. “A different time.”

“Eww.”

He laughed, shook his head, and left.

Drin got a cuddle and some attention, and then she pushed Klauz and Ekron over to the steps. Banished again.

Lalli smiled. She liked her boss, but having him as a lover would upset Drin, and no one wanted to do that.

She looked to Zera. “Why did you do that?”

“Because he would keep probing and might eventually get more information than you were willing to give. Now he knows the bare bones of things, and it satisfies his curiosity. He can let psychic pressure bear when he wants to.”

“We know how well I react to that.”

“We do, so since I want to keep this city’s most beloved restaurateur alive, I am going to give him that information.”

“I wouldn’t hurt him... much.”

“Your reflexes kept you out of the escort ranks. Be happy that we just started to have bodyguards and surrogates. You qualify as either.”

Lalli shrugged. “I like being a chef and cracking the occasional head.”

Zera nodded. “I know. You are good at both.”

“Oh, that reminds me, my work visa is coming up for renewal.”

“If Klauz won’t authorize it, I will.”

“Okay. I might need both of you as my hours are about to be cut below full-time.”

“Oh, shit. Right.”

Lalli chuckled. “Don’t worry. I either sort it out or continue travelling. It isn’t that deep.”

Zera sighed. “You are a useful addition to the company. I don’t want to lose that. You.”

Lalli laughed. “Then, when I give you the documentation, fill it out.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Lalli laughed. “You had to mention the eye thing.”

“You have orange and green lizard eyes. They are cool.”

“And not seen away from my home.”

“But you travelled, and here you are.”

“Yup. It’s been fun so far.”

“Oh, there may be a conflict with your patron and the wedding.”

Lalli groaned. “What?”

“He is a friend of the ambassador, and Hever is her daughter. So, he is going to be there, and he was interested in getting a bodyguard for the day.”

“Nope. I am attending as a guest. I have the day blocked out. He’s a big boy, and nearly all of the team members and defenders and guards are going to be there. He will be fine.”

Zera nodded. “Yes, and he did come and go before you were available.”

“Right. I am going to get my roots touched up before the wedding, just in case he gets nosey.”

“What?”

“Oh, he is trying to determine my country of origin. My accent intrigues him, and I am pretty sure he’s trying to snag DNA samples.”

Zera blinked. “Huh. Those are courtship behaviours for his people.”

“That does explain why he tried to cop a feel the first time.” Lalli snorted. “That didn’t end well.”

“He only mildly complained.”

“I threatened to press charges.”

Zera grinned. “I remember.”

“Well, work is work, and screwing around is screwing around. I don’t screw around at work.”

Zera snorted. “Definitely not suited to be an escort then.”

“Nope. I give it away.” Lalli winked.

“What are you wearing to the wedding?”

“Clothes?”

“Traditional clothes?”

“What? Oh. Probably not. Standard wedding guest attire. No white, all covered.”

Zera sighed. “I was wondering about the tattoos.”

“They are still there. I am due for another few when I go home.”

“When are you going?”

“It’s on the schedule.”

“Right.”

Lalli looked at the dance floor, where the ladies were dancing again. “Hever deserves this celebration. Just like Keera deserved her happily ever after.”

“Still reading fairy tales?”

“Every chance I get.”

Zera snorted. “Go get drunk.”

“Nope. Don’t do that either.”

Zera sighed. “Eat?”

“Oh, that is something I definitely do. Toodles.” Lalli wiggled her fingers at her boss and headed toward the buffet tables.

The food was good, the venue was fun, and Lalli had offered her voice to Hever for the celebration. Her duties as a guest were complete.

She saw a woman who looked nervous and walked over. “Hello. You look like you need someone at your back.”

“Yeah, I don’t get out much, but I work frequently with Hever. Remotely.”

“Ah. Got it. I am Lalli.” She extended her hand.

“Cabree.” They shook hands.

“What do you think of all this?”

“It makes me realize that I have been missing out on a few essential moments in life.”

Lalli grabbed a petit four and smiled. “What would you like to be doing?”

“I don’t know?”

“Do you have money?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you like anchor points? Like using your money to maintain privacy?”

“Sure.”

“Do you want to see multiple countries?”

Cabree grinned. “I would like to, yes. But I need internet.”

“Right. Not a problem. Take a cruise. It moves on a predictable path. You can hop on and off islands, eat at elegant restaurants on the ship, lie in the sun the whole way if you want.”

Cabree grinned. “A cruise. Excellent. I think I am going to look into it.”

“Do it. It’s contained, and it gives you a jumping-off point without rapidly dumping you into a new community like air travel does.”

Cabree smiled. “I like not being jolted and being able to work the whole time if I choose it.”

“Do it. But don’t tell Zera I told you. She’s already pissed with me.”

Cabree laughed. “She is often in that state with me as well. I am glad you stopped to talk.”

“Oh, you are standing in front of some tiny sandwiches that I wanted. I am seriously food-motivated.”

They laughed and wandered through the food display together, talking about what they were wearing to the wedding and if they were going to dance. The important things.

Lalli stood with Ekron, and they sang a duet that had been written for Worro and Keera. It was a song about rewriting time.

Watching Krix and Hever holding each other and moving slowly to one side, while Worro and Keera were dancing in full ballroom swing with a lot of lifts and smiles.

When the song was over, both couples hugged, and there was wild applause from the grouping. The dance floor was open for general dancing.

Ekron looked at her. “You need to sing in public.”

“Nope. This was a one-off. Hever is a friend, and Keera and I were in training together way back when. Now, go duet with Drin.”

“She’s dancing with Vikor. It frees me up to nag you.”

Lalli glared at him. “Go blow Klauz or something.”

“Naw. Interesting idea, though.”

He walked with her and bumped her into Techor. The judge paused. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

Lalli laughed. “Oh, that is what you were after. No. I have mental training. Lots of it. We learn to deflect psychics in grade school.”

Techor stared at her eyes. “Are you Havanik?”

“Wow. You get a cookie.”

“Your people don’t leave home?”

“We didn’t, but I made a friend and wanted to know where she came from, so I got a visa and came to visit, and then I got another one and got a job.”

Ekron looked at her. “So, what do you look like?”

“Different. You are nosy as fuck, aren’t you? You have a mate. Go get her.”

“Vikor has a mate; we have a beloved playmate.”

“Great. Go play.”

Ekron grabbed her arm, and she reacted to being nagged and followed. She grabbed him, twisted his arm, lifted him in the air, and slammed him to the floor. She looked at him. “No touching.”

He was breathing roughly, and then he calmed himself. “You are a heavy-hitter.”

She smiled. “I am not.”

She smacked his face lightly and turned to Techor. “I am going to get some food. Are you going to step to the side?”

Techor stepped to the side, and she smoothed her dark pink dress and walked past the staring crowd. She glanced at the judge. “Get the shiny idiot on his feet. He’s drawing a crowd.”

Techor nodded and helped Ekron to his feet.

Zera swooped in and linked arms with her. “Lalli, try not to do that again.”

“He grabbed me.”

“Yes, but your patron is here, and he recognized the little tap you bestowed.”

“Ah. Oops.” Lalli grimaced. “Sorry, but Ekron is just so annoying.”

“I know. We all know. What does he want you to do?”

“Sing publicly and professionally. You know that’s against my people’s beliefs.”

“Yeah, nothing to gain you attention for profit. It’s a weird rule.”

“We can all enthrall our audiences if we try. Therein lies a supervillain in the making. And we have had sirens take over entire communities, so now it is punishable by death.”

Zera blinked. “Well, fuck.”

“Indeed. My parents raised me right, so I just protect people and work in a kitchen. It’s a good life. Since I hauled my buddy with me, we are both having fun away from home.”

Zera frowned. “Wait. Why didn’t I know you had a buddy?”

Lalli chuckled. “Because we didn’t make a big thing about it. We chose different occupations but get together a few times a month. That’s one of the rules of living away from home. We have to be able to support ourselves.”

“And she obviously doesn’t sing for a living.”

Lalli snorted. “No, she doesn’t.”

Lalli deliberately didn’t look toward the kids’ section, where a woman in an expensive gown was crouched to talk to a set of three earnest kids with their two older siblings.

The woman lifted her head, pursed her lips, and bubbles filled with children’s stories began to float throughout the kids’ area. Breena was really good with kids.