Miners of Djaromir Toren - Leora Gonzales Page 0,13
Lady Veruca?”
“Nice to meet you,” she said with a regal nod, spoiled only by the fingers pinching her nose.
Matrix coughed a few times into his fist before giving Toren a terse nod. “Now that you’re here—”
“This is Jessica,” Rue interrupted with an obvious fake smile that was partially hidden by the hand over her face.
Jessie didn’t want to seem rude, so she uncovered her nose and tried for a polite smile while trying not to breathe.
“Everyone calls me Jessie,” she corrected, partially standing from the bench to hold out her hand for Toren to shake before she realized he didn’t have one free. Lowering it quickly, so he didn’t feel the need to pass off the plates he was carrying, she subbed a nod his direction. She knew the ‘nice to meet ya’ grin she’d pasted on wasn’t incredibly convincing, but she’d also never had to smile while someone waved shit under her nose either.
Rue bumped her shoulder into Jessie’s hip. “Anything?” her friend whispered at a volume sufficient for everyone withing twenty feet to hear.
Jessie pinched the shoulder pushing against her and sat back down. She knew her friend meant well, but Rue’d reached well past driving her a little crazy. She wasn’t sure what her friend expected, considering the male in front of her was the alien equivalent of a Garbage Pail Kid. The fact that she even asked her if Toren was punching any of her buttons was laughable. Having to actively try not to gag served as indicator enough that this candidate was a hard no. She had to have some standards, right?
“Nope,” she answered, ducking her head as disappointment filled her with now only one Djaromir left to meet in Gunninng. One final chance before she’d have to say good-bye to her dreams of a happily ever after with her own hunk of alien miner. As the familiar wave of sadness hit her, Jessie wanted to kick her own ass. She had done exactly what she’d wanted to avoid and gotten her hopes up again like an idiot.
Fool me once…
“Where is Shuddre?” Matrix asked, bringing her attention back to the conversation they were having. “We recalled him as well, correct?”
Caspre nodded. “Yes, we—”
“He tethered his mining pod at the same time as I did,” Toren answered with a nod in the direction he’d approached the table. “We actually walked here together, but he’s waiting outside the dining hall.”
“Is he well?” Matrix’s brows furrowed in concern. “He wasn’t injured in the mines, was he?”
“No, sir. I had just planned on grabbing enough food for us both to take away from the dining hall. We figured there was no need for both of us to pollute the air in here.” Toren chuckled, the sound warming Jessie’s insides as his even white teeth split the dark shag of his beard.
Jessie took a moment to study Toren a little closer. The Djaromir still looked like a caveman and smelled like a pile of fresh dog poo, but he had a voice that was low and rumbly. She found it almost nice enough for her to look past the little bits of crumbled stuff he had clinging to his beard—until she watched one little pebble detach itself from the place it had been nestled and roll into his collar.
It made her wrinkle her nose for a reason other than the smell permeating the air.
She wondered how many other pebbles he had tucked under his leathers waiting to be freed. Considering she hated the way it felt when she dropped things down her cleavage, she could only imagine how annoying the feeling had to be. She didn’t care how dirty he was; it had to be driving him bonkers.
Jessie shook her head in an effort to focus. She had allowed herself to get so distracted on the pebble tangent, she hadn’t been paying any attention to what was being said about Shuddre, the last possible match she could make before leaving on a phaetrain.
“Not only does he smell worse than I do, but the number of Djaromir here can be easily overwhelming after experiencing the solitude of the mines. The crowd here is almost unbearable after being alone for so long.” He gestured to dining hall around him with one full plate, the swinging movement causing a piece of meat to tumble off and land on the floor at Caspre’s feet. “Sorry about that.”
“I understand.” Matrix waved his hand. “Go, eat and relax. Once you have a chance to wash up,