Page 7 of My Date is a Polymorph (Blind Date Corporation #20)

W orro wrapped his arm around her after he thanked his cousins, and they walked back to the car that was waiting. Inside the car, she looked at him. “If all of our kids are going to be redheads, I might just have to bow out.”

He snorted. “It does run fairly thick through my family. It is probably why our great-grandfather was so generous to his wife. He was bribing her to look beyond it.”

“It explains your freaky pain tolerance. I plan on testing it randomly.”

“Good thing I am going to be consulting for the teams for missing persons.”

She looked at him. “Active missions?”

“Only when necessary, and if I have to go out, you are coming with me.”

She laughed. “That would be fun.”

“But if you get pregnant, I am not leaving until you are ready for me to go.” He wrapped her in his arms. “And then I am leaving you with a trusted friend, possibly in an armoured home.”

She smiled. “Knowing what vulnerability feels like, I am going to be jumpy as hell and probably wearing claws through all forty weeks.”

He sighed. “Right. Do you think we can?”

“Well, Khytten said that the dose today would remove all scar tissue and that was the problem with my damage, so a scan during my next annual physical should show that we are clear.”

“Why wait?”

“Because deep scans are expensive, and I have been spending all my money on my health.”

“Can I buy you a scan?”

“You already bought me flowers and a dress.”

He chuckled. “I want our marriage to start with you feeling like you aren’t in a hole.”

“I am not in a hole. I am just saving up for the next scan.”

“Well, as a team member, my spouse will be covered by my insurance.”

“That is quite the incentive. Stalking Khytten and pressing her up against a wall will have to stay an occasional event.”

“Where were you when this happened?”

“R&D. You would have to ask Hever for footage.”

“Was I that obvious?”

“I have seen Khytten. Up close. Most men are that obvious.”

Worro chuckled. “I prefer a more athletic figure.”

She smiled. “Good thing I work out.”

“A very good thing.”

She laughed and leaned her head against his shoulder, opening her takeaway box and eating as politely and as quickly as she could.

“Why are you eating so fast?”

“I have a meeting this afternoon that I am going to belch my way through. We are pitching a new rover through R&D to marketing.”

“And having indigestion will help you?”

“Heraina has met me. She won’t be surprised,” she mumbled around a dumpling.

Worro laughed and kissed her temple. “I can hardly wait until tomorrow. I got the license this morning, and we just have to get a judge to sign off on it.”

She looked at him. He wiped sauce from her lips. She ran her tongue after his thumb. “So, we are really doing this?”

He nodded. “We are really doing this. It has been too long.”

She nodded and was about to get kissed when she leaned back. “Save it for the ceremony.”

He laughed and hugged her. “Okay. Fair enough. It is going to make for a more unrestrained wedding night.”

“Fine. But if I shift into a giant bug and jump you, it will be your own fault.”

He laughed and held her while they returned to Z-Corp. She hugged him, and he helped her out of the vehicle and walked her into the lobby, hugging her again before he said, “Book an appointment. I will pay for it.”

She sighed. “I will.”

“Now. While we are standing here.”

She flicked a glance at him and went to the gateway, requesting an appointment for a deep scan. There was an appointment in two weeks.

Worro was watching and snorted. “Give me a minute.”

She watched as he typed in some codes, and then he nodded. “Check your com again.”

“Wait. Three-thirty? Today? What did you do?”

He grinned. “I am very good at finding the exact moment between clients, and someone cancelled. So, I will be here to hold your hand through the scan. I hear that those are not comfortable.”

She hugged him. “See you then.”

He leaned down to kiss her out of reflex, and she clamped a hand over his mouth. His eyes crinkled in amusement. She sighed. “It’s one day. Control yourself, Wonder.”

He chuckled and removed her hand from his mouth. “I am, or you would be over my shoulder, and we would be back in the car on the way to the house. I will see you in two hours. Heart of my heart, I am counting the minutes.”

She frowned. “Why are you suddenly using Sethir endearments?”

He grinned. “Because I am free to do so. I am not currently on a team, and you are not currently an apprentice. We are free to be us for now. And my part of us wants to drown you in endearments.”

“I will see you in two hours. I hope Hever made it back okay.”

“She did. We took the long way around so I could cuddle with you as long as possible.”

Keera shook her head and smiled. “Thank you. It was a fun excursion.”

He nodded. “See you soon.”

She headed inside, and when she was in her office, she got the notes she needed and called down to Hever. “Hey, are you back?”

“We are and are heading to marketing. You?”

“I am on my way.”

“See you there.”

Keera headed to marketing and walked into the boardroom they were assigned. Heraina was sitting and looking at the designs. She looked up and smiled. “Keera. Congratulations.”

“What?”

“Misker and Worro are friends. He mentioned the wedding.”

“Oh, thank you for the sentiment. It is just going to be a legal thing, so not a lot of fuss.”

Hever walked in with Dex. “Yeah, about that. I asked Krix, and he has no issue sharing our reception with you. You know the same people that I do, for the most part, so you two can each invite an extra twenty people, and we will have a separate first dance for you and share the head table.”

“Hever, no. I don’t want to mess with your day.”

“No messing. I actually will enjoy having a distraction built in to take the focus off.”

“Is Khassi doing your dress?”

Hever grinned. “She is. Dex begged.”

Dex nodded. “On my knees and everything. She just agreed because of Hever’s connection to you and your connection to Worro.”

Heraina grinned. “A whirlwind of preparations.”

“And it’s kid-friendly. Dex has cut things into three zones for the reception so that the dancers don’t trample the babies. Child minders have been found to wrangle the kids if the parents want a break or a dance.”

Heraina blinked. “Wow. That is wonderful. I am looking forward to this party.”

Dex nodded. “The lists will be finalized this week, and invitations will go out on Sunday. The family lists are still coming in.”

Hever chuckled. “Leska and her family are coming.”

Keera smiled softly. “That is very good.”

“So, Keera, will you be my matron of honour?”

She blinked. “Oh. Um. Yes?”

“You already have the dress. You can wear yours again on the day.”

“Is that acceptable?”

“Sethir don’t usually have weddings outside their home country. This is all new, and as you are half Sethir, it would be more than appropriate for you to be there on the day, wearing your best.” Hever smiled. “Though it’s a pity that you are all covered up after getting those scars removed.”

Heraina asked, “Scars?”

Keera smiled. “Yes, I was attacked by the same guy who carved you up, but I don’t heal as well, so I wore the wounds and a projection field for the last few years, until you killed him and Kritz organized a treatment.”

Heraina blinked. “How long were you like that?”

“Five years. The attack cost me my lover and my child, plus my freedom. I had to go home and live with my parents. So, now Worro is back, and he is trying to make up the years of loss to me. And I love him, so I am letting him.”

Heraina walked up to her and hugged her. “Oh, god. I just wore the marks for weeks. You did it for years. How are you sane?”

“That comes and goes.” She returned the hug. “I had family to keep me calm and to support me.”

Heraina smiled. “You did so well. What kind of treatment did they give you?”

“Uh, wound care?”

“Kritz couldn’t do better?”

Hever said, “She had no assistance from Z-Corp. She and her family paid for all treatment.”

“No insurance?”

“I was in team training at the time, but I was injured in my off time. No coverage. I didn’t work here at the time.”

Purple energy crackled around Heraina. “Seriously?”

“Yup. It explains all the victim services that charities set up, but because a known active killer attacked me, they felt the government should have taken action. I was left in between.”

Heraina frowned. “You just had to live with it.”

“Sure. I could shift my face to hide the scars, and the rest of them healed, sort of. Their nanites were weaker and died off, but the wounds remained open.”

Keera smiled. “But we are here for the rover. Let’s work out how plausible it is as a product.”

Heraina smiled and stroked her cheek. “Excellent idea. Let’s go over that first. It’s easy to advertise, but what do you think is the price point?”

They got coffee or tea, sat down, and began negotiations.

Dex was staring at Keera and Hever as they spoke and gestured, and finally, Heraina grinned, “Done. We can live with that price point, the advertising is easy, and we will arrange testing starting next week. It is going to be sampled from one hundred pounds to three fifty, so make sure that it can manage it.”

Hever grinned. “Done. We’ll have a few prototypes ready for testing.”

Keera sorted her files on her tablet and smiled. “Got it. I will keep an eye on repair costs and upholstery options. Five-point harnesses are mandatory, and the roll bars are required on all models.”

Hever laughed. “Yeah, yeah. What about the auto-drive systems?”

“Com links are optional. Satellite links are required. Not everyone has a working com. The linking unit adds twenty credits. Less if manufactured in line.”

Hever grinned. “I love that you know all that stuff.”

“Me, too. Now, I have to run to medical to check Khytten’s work. If I need more treatment, I would like to give Worro the chance to run for it.”

Heraina lifted her head. “Worro?”

“Yeah. He’s my fiancé.”