Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 69936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“Stop.”
“Your eyes lit up just at me mentioning his name.”
Did they? I did enjoy when he swung by for our chats, and not only because he’s hot. Though knowing I didn’t have to be scared of him, I could now admit how attracted I was to him. Or to his human form, to be precise.
“He may seem all nice and friendly because he wants to bang you,” Eric said, “but that guy’s got skeletons in his closet. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
If only he knew…
Before I had a chance to come up with a response, the café door swung open. Daddy headed in, a smile sweeping across his face as soon as our gazes met, and those butterflies began swirling around in my stomach again, warmth prickling at my cheeks.
As he approached the bar, he asked, “Could I have a black coffee?”
“Do you actually like that?”
“You said it was the easiest thing for you to make.”
Eric rocked in his chair, making a face like he was about to hurl.
Whatever. I thought it was sweet that he’d remembered I’d said that when he first visited me in the café after my abduction.
“You want me to warm up a muffin for you?” That was one of the treats I gave him on his visits.
Eric snickered. “I’m sure it’s already warmed up and douched.”
At my glare, he smirked particularly mischievously.
“I would enjoy another muffin,” Daddy said, obviously not catching on to Eric’s joke.
I went to work, glancing over my shoulder occasionally. His eyes lingered on me, and the expression in them…let’s just say I haven’t had a man look at me like that in a long time—or maybe I should say a Furker for the first time?
I placed his muffin in the convection oven and set the timer before heading over to the bar with his coffee.
“I don’t know that it’s right to leave you drinking this,” I said. “I wouldn’t mind trying a Javanilly shake for you.”
“What is that?”
“Basically, a Javanilla shake from Seattle’s Best,” Eric replied. “But they got the trademark, and our café needed to get some of those customers without getting sued.”
“I don’t want Twink to have to do too much,” Daddy insisted.
“I’m sure that’s the easiest thing he wants to do for you.”
“Eric,” I snapped.
“You have to let me enjoy this.”
“You’re enjoying it plenty.”
He shrugged, quirking a brow. “You’re not wrong.”
“I need to practice anyway,” I told Daddy. “Javanilly is one of the more complicated beverages to make. Maybe I should use you as my guinea pig to figure out this gig.”
“What do you do with these guinea pigs here?” he asked in that very direct way of his—since I learned his secret, he’d become more forthcoming with his questions about Earth, and particularly things he encountered around town, and I was only too happy to clarify.
But the odd question earned another look from Eric, and when I laughed to deflect, I might’ve overdone it because Eric’s attention sharpened.
“Isn’t it getting time for you to clock in?” I asked him, not just because of the attitude he was giving me, but because I wanted to chat with Daddy alone.
“I have another twenty minutes,” he replied, but he must’ve noticed my cross expression because he rolled his eyes. “Fine, dude. Have fun flirting. I’ll catch you later.”
After he headed off, I glanced around to make sure no one was in earshot before asking, “So how are the repairs going?”
“The findoneum vines are healing up nicely, and I’m patching up the raydicore crystals, but I have yet to procure anything similar to the hyperblemic crystals or a means to repair the one I have, which is an essential component to traveling the universe, especially with regard to moving at hyperspeed, so it’ll take some time.”
It was impossible to ignore the bizarre words he used. “Hyperblemic, raydicore, findoneum…those are more placeholders?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“And these are just randomly made up?”
“Sort of what feels right based on my limited understanding of the language.”
I laughed. “Well, that’s one way to do it, but I hope Daddy isn’t just working.”
“I’ve spent some time walking through the park.”
He mentioned during earlier visits that he did this to adjust to our language and customs, so he could blend in.
“I don’t think you’re gonna have a lot of people figuring out who you are,” I said. “I mean, they might think you’re weird or that you have neurodivergent behaviors, but no one’s gonna be rallying people around to drag you to Area 51.”
“What is Area 51?”
I was about to say something, but I stopped myself. This might not be the time to get into all that. “Eh, I’ll tell you about it another time.”
I started working on a Javanilly shake, using the laminated recipe sheets available to help me through my shift. Daddy didn’t take his eyes off me, something I didn’t mind. When I finished his shake, I passed it to him, eager to see how he’d react.