“I don’t really know what to say, honey. You know I think you’re amazing and perfect and gorgeous. And I know Juan wants you and he’d be silly to pass up the opportunity you represent. But who knows what another person’s priorities are? Some people still think Tracy was crazy for taking up with me, or that I’m crazy for staying with Tracy.”
I frowned at her: my turn to protest.
“I know you’re not one of them,” Griz said, squeezing me closer. “What I’m saying is that people never make any sense. Who knows what the hell they’re thinking half the time. But there was something about you and Juan together that was… comfortable. Sexy and sparky, and all of that… but also comfortable. You look like you fit. Fit for what, I dunno. Maybe just for a few months of jungle sex, maybe for a lengthy future culminating in an old age full of tons of grandkids and a smattering of broken hips. Who knows? But in the meantime, give yourself a fucking break. You’re a catch, for anybody’s net.”
I strained upward to kiss Grizzie on the cheek. I wasn’t so sure about my being a catch, but she was right about the other stuff: I didn’t know anything about what was going on between Anyan and me, because there was nothing yet to know. I needed to stop worrying about it and let things play out.
Hopefully with added jungle sex and little or no hip breakage, I thought, wondering for the trillionth time in our friendship at Grizzie’s propensity for terrifying imagery.
“Enough about me,” I said. “I want to hear all about you, Tracy, and the babies.”
Grizzie grinned, and her happiness was so dazzling that it made her earlier ball-and-chain jokes all the funnier.
“Well, Tracy’s being a total cow and pooh-poohing all my baby names. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with Lesbia! It was a perfectly acceptable name to the Romans.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Walking toward Anyan’s that night, I was still giggling over Grizzie and Tracy’s Great Baby Name Debacle. For a girl, Tracy was leaning toward Christie, Loren, and Abigail, while Grizzie was adamant that Lesbia, Sappho, or an unpronounceable Goddess symbol were totally the way to go. It got even worse with boys names. Tracy had suggested Wyatt, James, or Thomas, but Grizzie was gunning for Rock A. Billy or the completely inexplicable choice of Manchego.
The thing with Grizzie is you could never really be sure when she was serious.
Manchego’s gotta be a joke, I thought, keeping my focus on the hilarity of the afternoon’s events rather than on the fact that I was walking toward Anyan’s. If I had stopped to think about it, however, my thoughts might have gone something like this:
VIRTUE: You’re just going to train with Nell, as usual. Don’t get all crazy.
LIBIDO: I’ll give Anyan a training!
VIRTUE: You’ll do no such thing. (A) He is undoubtedly the one who will do the training, both inside and outside of the bedroom. (B) This is the time for magical training. Not the naughty kind!
LIBIDO: Mmm. Naughty.
VIRTUE: Focus!
LIBIDO: I’ll give Anyan a focus!
VIRTUE: I hate you.
After that little exchange, both my virtue and my libido quieted. Then I noticed how sweet and crisp the air was scented by the ocean and the first hints of spring. In other words, I was really enjoying the long walk back to Anyan’s when my cell phone rang. I dug it out of my purse, and then frowned when I saw who was calling.
“Hey, Ryu,” I said, after taking the call.
“Jane!” Ryu said, practically shouting. “It’s so good to hear your voice!”
I paused before speaking. In my memory, it had been only a little bit ago that we’d had our final spat outside the Healer’s mansion. But for him, I’d been comatose for a month. During which he’d apparently come and visited me a few times and helped to investigate the humans who had attacked us. In other words, he’d had a month to act as a good friend, rather than the angry ex he’d been after he’d again found me with Anyan.
“Thank you, Ryu. And thanks for coming to Rockabill and helping out.”
“Oh, no, it was the least I could do. How are you feeling?”
“Totally fine. Ridiculously well, actually. Although we’ve still got a lot going on here.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ve been talking with Caleb about it. Do you need me up there?”
The question was a loaded one, if I’d ever heard it.