“How does he look? Mad as hell?”
Maggie looked again. Ro was watching them with a tight jaw and narrowed eyes, the plastic cup he’d been holding a screwed up ball on the table next to his hand, his claws sinking into the wooden surface. “Well, since you mention it…”
Ben nodded as if it was just as he expected. “He’s jealous.”
“What? No he’s not!” Maggie laughed him off.
“Oh yes he is, and you know it. You two have been stuck like magnets, breaking each other’s hearts since he got here.”
“That’s not true…” she objected. Was it? She knew the team had noticed their friendship, and their brief falling out, but magnets? Hearts? Was her cover blown? Maybe Ben would keep her secret if she asked.
“Yes it is, and don’t argue. I have a plan,” he said.
“Uh-oh.”
“First, I’m going to twirl you,” he let go off her waist and led her into a twirl with his hold on her hand, her skirt flaring briefly as she spun. He caught her waist and turned her back to him. “Then we’re going to get you and Ro together.”
“And how are you going to do that?” Maggie challenged.
“I’m going to make him even more jealous,” he replied, tugging her closer so that their bodies were pressed together, his arm going behind her back.
Maggie tensed, and her eyes instinctively looked to where Ro had been sitting in case he really was watching, really was jealous, but he wasn’t there.
“He’s gone,” Maggie said, pushing away from Ben and looking around. Ben stopped dancing and searched the crowd.
“He’s not here, he left the room,” he said, then laughed. “And you’re telling me he’s not jealous?”
Maggie ignored him, suddenly worried. She would be upset if Ben had somehow chased Ro away.
“Maggie,” Ben got her attention again. “He’ll be back. In the meantime, Alex is in on this too so watch out for her later.” He winked and left the dancefloor catching Lucy to whisper in her ear.
Maggie wanted to go and look for Ro, but before she could make it to the exit, another guest stopped her and complimented her on the decorations, and like that she was caught again, always someone else needing her for something. She had to put out more food, more plates, more punch, more cups. She had to re-pin some decorations that had come untacked. One friend after another tracked her down to say goodbye before they left for home.
By the time she had a minute to herself again, she saw Ro was back, standing by Kez, talking as if nothing had happened. She had the silliest urge to go to him to explain what Ben had done, but why? Ben was certainly wrong. It must have just been coincidence that Ro had left the room when he did; she must have been mistaken when she thought he looked angry. And Ro knew nothing of Ben’s ‘plan’, which was good. He might be offended if Maggie told him the others thought he was jealous over her.
Still, she made her way through the crowd to him, catching her breath.
“Hey,” she greeted the group. It was Kez, and a few other Balin she didn’t know, who she nodded to in greeting.
“Maggie,” Ro said. “Did you have fun?”
She looked at him, but there was nothing in his expression to give alarm. She must have just imagined the shadow of a petulant tone in his voice. “When?” she said, playing dumb.
“I like this beat,” Kez cut in, tapping his claws against the carpet. “Don’t you, Ro? Reminds me of home.” Maggie judged that Kez was feeling the effects of the punch. “You could almost dance to this.”
Ro scowled at him, but the Balin on his other side agreed. “I know what you mean, a little more drum, take the words away…” He tapped his toes as well, picking up the same beat.
The female on the end laughed. “Are you males going to display for me?” she giggled.
Kez reached out and stroked her chin. “Why? Are you needing, fila?” he said, grinning. Maggie didn’t know where to look, almost blushing at the blatant flirting.
The female batted his hand away. “In this weather, I feel like it’s all I do. It’s too hot here,” she complained, and the males grunted in agreement, nodding. “But it would remind me of home,” she added wistfully.
“Me too,” said Kez, putting his cup down with an air of determination. “You will join me, Sem? Ro?”
Ro growled quietly, his expression dark.
“Oh, of course. Nevermind! You entertain your human female here, Sem and I will charm Ara!” he said, staggering a little as he pushed off from the wall in the direction of the dancefloor. The female hissed but followed after them.
Maggie glanced at Ro, but he was watching the others as Kez and Sem tripped over each other, shoving each other into position on the dancefloor. Ara stood with her arms folded to watch. Maggie watched too as the males began stamping rhythmically, their crests standing fully erect, following some kind of choreography as they moved roughly in time with each other, too drunk to be perfect.
“Maggie.”
She looked back at Ro, who was now staring at her with an odd expression.
“Don’t watch them,” he said, and she identified the look on his face as pain.
“Why not? Is it rude?” she glanced back at the dancefloor where a little space had cleared for the Balin, other humans pausing to watch.
The dance was obviously intended to be a virulent display, but the two Balin kept losing their composure and laughing, or stumbling into each other. Nevertheless, they managed to stomp and beat a pattern that Maggie expected she would find quite intimidating if the two males weren’t tipsy. As it was, it didn’t take long for Ara to wade in, stopping them from embarrassing themselves, and finding herself quickly sandwiched between the two, who then began trying to stare each other down while Ara tried to wiggle free, complaining shrilly.
The show over, Maggie turned back to Ro, only to find him staring into his punch like it was a mirror for his soul.
“Hey,” she called softly, touching his arm to make him meet her eyes. “Are you not having a good time?”
“I am,” he said, but his smile was as forced as she’d ever seen it.
“Liar,” she said. It saddened her to think he wasn’t enjoying himself. They’d both put so much work into it.
He sighed but didn’t say anything more.
“Do you miss Teiss?” she guessed. “Lots of people miss home at the holidays.”
He shook his head. “No,” he said.
“Then what? You can tell me,” she reached for his hand and squeezed it.
He looked at her as if he wanted to believe her but was still holding back.
“You’re always keeping secrets from me,” she whispered, stepping closer. “I don’t like it. You can trust me.”
He moved closer too, almost closing the gap between them, making her have to look up to see his face. “Maggie… Could we talk outside?” he whispered.
“Of course,” she said, hypnotised. She didn’t know what she expected to hear, but she wanted to help him if she could.
He put his cup down and led her towards the exit. Maggie didn’t even care that a fight between two Balin might be about to break out on the dancefloor, which she would normally consider part of her hostess duties to stop. Whatever this was, it was more important.
As she followed Ro through the doorway, a pair of arms snagged her and Lee from Security called “Mistletoe!” dropping his stubbled mouth to her cheek for a pantomime kiss with such force it turned her head.
“Uh, Lee!” she said stunned.
She looked for Ro. He was watching her, his expression completely cold and closed off, his hands balling into fists. He didn’t seem to know what to say, his jaw twitching as if he was chewing his words.
“I will return later to help you clear up,” he bit out after a moment of stony silence, then he turned and strode away out of sight, his long legs taking him out of reach before she could fight her way out of Lee’s arms.
“Ro!” she called, but he didn’t stop.
&
nbsp; Lee let her go. “Oh… Sorry, should I not have done that?” he said, sounding genuinely contrite.
“No. No, it’s fine. Go and have fun,” she said, forcing a smile and pushing him into the party. As soon as his back was turned, she jogged off to the end of the corridor, but she couldn’t see where Ro had gone, and as little as she felt like it just then, she still had a party to run. With a stomp of frustration and a worried curse, she turned and went back to party. He’d said he would come back. She would just have to wait for him.
Chapter 15
After that, Maggie helped herself to a lot more punch. She still did her duty as hostess, even dancing with a few of the women from Enquiries to some of her favourite songs, but in the back of her mind she was just waiting for the party to end so Ro would come back and she could explain. Ben had said he was jealous. It was starting to look like maybe he was, or at least, something was going on. Maggie just wanted to make it clear that she cared about Ro, that he was the best friend she had, that she never wanted him to be hurt or sad or angry.
The hours passed, people got drunker and started to pair off. There was a human woman Maggie had never seen before sitting on the lap of a tall Volon in a Security uniform, enthusiastically sucking face with him while he clawed at her hips. From the looks of them, they were both totally wasted, but Maggie was still jealous. They had what she didn’t, and they made it look easy. She wondered if she should intervene, but by the time she’d made up her mind, they had disappeared. Other couples were slinking off home together, until it was just the stragglers. Maggie summoned self-driving podcabs for the ones who were too hammered to leave on their own and the ones who were trying to fall asleep, helping them one by one down the steps of the building with help from the poor security guard on duty. At least none of them threw up.
Finally she was alone. She wanted to stay in the chair she had collapsed in, but she knew she couldn’t. She kicked off her heels, despite the worrying state of the dancefloor, and closed her eyes for a moment. She was exhausted, but she had to tidy up a little before she could leave. It was Saturday tomorrow and she would come in to finish the clean-up then, but the food couldn’t be left out. And she wanted to see Ro before she left.
With that in mind, she forced herself up and began putting cellophane over the punch bowls, and what food there was left into the coolers Catering had provided. She let the music play. The post-party silence would be too sad.
She heard a step behind her and whirled, hoping it would be Ro and it was. He looked sheepish and nodded at what she was doing.
“Let me help,” he said.
She slumped, leaning on the table, her hand over her heart. “You came back.”
“I said I would. You shouldn’t have to do everything by yourself,” he said, picking up where she’d left off with the cellophane.
She couldn’t do anything other than look at his face, seeing it in profile as he focused on the catering. “Are you still mad?”
“No. I was never mad at you, Maggie,” he told her.
“It felt like it.”
“I apologise.”
“When Lee kissed me, it was just because of the mistletoe.”
“Mistletoe?” he asked, frowning at her.
She nodded at the sprigs over the door. “When two people pass under the mistletoe, it’s traditional to kiss. I don’t know why. It doesn’t mean anything. It wasn’t romantic in any way.”
Ro grunted speculatively as he contemplated the white berries, then went back to what he was doing.
“And when Ben asked me to dance, he was just trying to make you jealous,” she pressed.
“He was?” Ro frowned at her again.
“Yes… I don’t know why. I guess he thinks you like me, or something.” She fiddled with her dress nervously. “It wasn’t my idea. I didn’t say anything.”
Ro sighed and nodded.
“Ro, I’m sorry!” She couldn’t take his distance anymore. “Please don’t be mad anymore!”
He looked at her in surprise. “I said I am not mad at you,” he said.
“Well, it feels like it!” she pouted. Maybe it was the alcohol, or the exhaustion, or the culmination of months of work being over, but she almost felt like she could cry. The one thing she cared about the most was falling apart.
“Maggie,” Ro soothed, stepping closer, his palms rubbing her bare arms. “What’s wrong?” he said, sounding genuinely concerned. “Why are you sad? Is it because of me? I’m sorry.”
She sniffed, comforted more than he could guess by his words and touch. “You still owe me a dance,” she reminded him.
He stilled, then sighed again. “I don’t-”
She pulled out of his hold, moving quickly to the stereo, scrolling through the playlist. “I’ll pick a song,” she said. “This is my favourite.” She went back and grabbed his hand, pulling him onto the dancefloor though he was obviously reluctant. “Do you know how to slow dance? Everyone can slow dance.”
He looked confused. As the song began, she placed his hands around her back. “Your hands go here,” she said. She put her arms around his shoulders, reaching up to do so, pressing their bodies together. “Okay? And now we just… sway.”
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, nudging him along with her until he began moving on his own.
“This is dancing?” he asked.
“Slow dancing,” she replied, laying her cheek on his chest. “It’s how couples dance together.” She felt his claws shift on her back, his hands repositioning themselves as he held her tighter.
“I like it,” he murmured, his voice soft and low, and so intimate as they danced alone that she didn’t even care when her feet stuck to the floor.
“Me too.” She could feel almost the whole length of his body pressed against her, chest to chest, stomach to stomach, hips to hips, thighs to thighs. She could hear his heart beating, a constant sound different from the thump-thump of a human’s. She dared to run her thumbnail up and down the scales on the back of his neck, and she felt his breath hitch in his chest.
For a quiet moment, they just held each other, swaying softly on the spot, rotating around without trying, lost. She knew she couldn’t look at him, because the effect he had on her was all over her face. The comfort of his arms was almost like falling asleep, if it wasn’t for the hot thrill that heated her whole body. She could feel the firmness of his arms and chest under the silly sweater she had bought him, and knew she would never be able to forget the feeling.
“You look very beautiful tonight, Maggie,” he whispered over her.
Her breath hitched and her heart stuttered, even as she melted further against him. Even if he didn’t know what he was doing to her, she’d take it. She’d take this moment and keep it as a memory. “Do I?” she asked, unable to stop her grin.
“Yes. And I was jealous.”
Her heart beat faster as she took in his words. She stopped dancing as she lifted her head to look at his face. “You… were?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left like I did. I never meant to upset you but I just couldn’t stay and watch.”
For a moment, she considered him. The soft, sad way he was looking at her. The weight of his hands above her hips. The heartbeat fluttering through her dress. His voice, his scales, his claws. Then she rose up on her tip toes, and gently guided his head down, pressing their lips together in a kiss.
She didn’t care anymore. She didn’t care about hiding it. She wanted this, and if not having it was going to hurt as much as it did even if they were friends, she might as well risk it. Maybe she had the punch to thank for her bravery, or the romantic song, but whatever the reason was, she didn’t even hesitate.
His mouth was dry and warm. Not as soft as a human’s, and she could feel the pattern of his scales. He let her kiss him with no objection, his hands didn’t slacken on her waist, but they didn’t tighten either, and he didn’t kiss her back.
She broke away, opening her eyes to s
ee his face from closer than she ever had before. She could feel his breath as just the faintest warm brush against her skin. She could see the striations in his brown irises. “Sorry,” she said, sinking back onto her heels, letting go of his neck.
He kept holding her. “Don’t apologise,” he told her. Then, apparently after thinking for a moment, “But the mistletoe is over there.”
“I know,” she said.
“Not… here.”
“No.”
“So…”
“So.”
“You kissed me.”
“I did.”
“Because…?”
“I wanted to. I’ve wanted to for a long time. I wanted to when I was in your apartment, and when we were in that bar and it rained. I wanted to probably since the day I first saw you,” she said. She wasn’t ashamed anymore. There was no one else to worry about, it was just them.
“Hm,” he contemplated. “You know, Balin do not kiss.”
“No?”
“No. I have never done it before.”
“Well-”
“You will have to show me how,” he interrupted. “By kissing me again. I may need many kisses to learn. I am a slow learner. Not in most things, but in this I feel I will need lots of practice.”
She grinned, her gaze slipping to his mouth. “Okay, no problem. I can be patient.”
“I know you can,” he agreed.
“I’m a good teacher.”
“You are.”
“We want you get it right after all.”
“We do.”
He lowered his mouth to hers, and when her lips touched his scales she cupped his jaw. The song they had danced to had ended a while ago and it was now playing another one but she didn’t care. She pressed kiss after soft kiss to his mouth like sips of wine. After a moment, he kissed her back, his mouth chasing hers, catching her lips and she almost let him take over right there. She felt like he was holding her up, that without him she’d be a heap on the floor. She curled her fingers around the back of his head and held him to her as they kissed.
With his hands on her waist, he shifted their weight and walked them backwards until she hit a table and he broke their kiss to lift her onto it as if she weighed nothing.
The New Guy (Office Aliens Book 2) Page 12
