Blending In

by RJ Blain

  Either he forgot about me or liked having a lizard in his coat, but Chase neglected to put me on the seat like he had on the way to the restaurant. Or he suspected I’d dive into the steaming bucket of chicken and resume my feeding frenzy.

  Chase was a wise man.

  Chapter Six

  The doctor lived in a nice townhouse in an even nicer part of town, which did a good job of confirming Chase lived in an entirely different world, one where money mattered little—unless it was stolen from his company. I found the whole situation absurd.

  Then again, I found the whole idea of someone trying to kill me over Chase’s money absurd. Money would make my life easier, but I didn’t understand why someone would hurt someone else to get it.

  I’d save hurting someone for when chicken was withheld from me.

  A light snow fell, and I hissed at it, retreating deeper into the safety of Chase’s jacket.

  “You’ll survive.” Chase grabbed the bucket of chicken and carried it to the front door. He knocked twice before giving the knob a twist. The door opened.

  What sort of crazy person left his front door unlocked in New York City?

  “I’m in the study, Chase,” a man boomed.

  “Harvey’s convinced I’m deaf along with everyone else. He refuses to acknowledge he can’t hear anything in his left ear. One day, he’ll have someone look at it. He’s talented with his magic, but it comes at a price: he can’t use it on himself. It drives him right up the wall, too.”

  I wiggled so I could peek out of Chase’s coat. The inside of the townhouse was even nicer than the outside, and the owner liked antique everything.

  I’d do my best to stay in Chase’s shirt for the duration of the visit so I wouldn’t break something I couldn’t afford, and I was fairly certain I couldn’t afford anything in the doctor’s home.

  A white haired black man with the wispy start of a beard hopped to his feet when Chase strode into the study. I’d seen libraries with fewer books, and hundreds of volumes resided in neat piles on the floor. “Where’s this cursed chameleon of yours, boy?”

  “In my jacket.”

  “Well, that should be warm enough. Trot her on out and let’s have a look-see.”

  Chase obeyed, wrapping his hand around me and dislodging me from the warm confines of his jacket. “Her name is Miriah.”

  The doctor strolled over and leaned close. “Well, there’s definitely a lot of magic at play here.” He plucked me out of Chase’s hand, and I hissed my alarm. “Most interesting.”

  “The curse?”

  “I’ll get to that in a moment. I’m curious. She’s rather vocal for a chameleon. Sure, some hiss like she does, but she’s rather loud. She’s similar to a few natural species, but she changes colors faster than mundane chameleons, too. Does she make any other noises?”

  “I heard her squeak a few times, and she growled some in her sleep.”

  “The growling was likely some form of respiratory distress. How long did it take to clear up?”

  “It stopped after she woke up and started moving around on her own,” Chase reported.

  “Call me if she starts growling again. Growls aren’t part of a chameleon’s vocals, so we’ll need to figure out if she has different vocal cords than a standard chameleon. They’re usually silent unless hissing because of being agitated, and they’re usually much softer.”

  “Since when did you become a reptile expert?”

  “Since you called me and notified me you’d be bringing me a chameleon. I called a friend, and I had a long chat with someone who knows chameleons. Record the sound if she makes it again, and I’ll pass it along to see if it’s something to worry about. How has her climbing ability and balance been? Her ability to move?”

  “She landed a few bites when I didn’t give her her chicken fast enough.” Chase lifted up the bucket of chicken. “This is her dinner and her breakfast, as I’ve been informed she eats human food and not chameleon food.”

  “You’re feeding her chicken?”

  “When I’m told her favorite food is this specific chicken, I’m providing.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “What can you tell me about the curse?”

  The doctor turned me over in his hands, and I hissed at him, snapping my teeth at his fingers. “Yes, she’s quite agile for a chameleon, and she’s rather aggressive. Unsurprising, really. I’d be agitated, too, if someone I didn’t know handled me without permission. The curse is a curious one—if you want to call it that. I’m not convinced. I can see the shadows of injuries, particularly along her back and side, but this ‘curse’ magic is repairing it. She’ll be as good as new by morning. I don’t even need to do anything. It looks like the magic is tapping her natural energy reserves, though, so make sure you feed her extra.”

  Chase gave the bucket a good shake. “I think I’m covered, and if not, I have plenty in the fridge I can cook up if she eats the entire bucket.”

  Dr. Harvey sighed. “Did you not learn anything from observing your mother?”

  “I’ll acknowledge I should have paid more attention.”

  “Women are simple, Chase. Feed them at appropriate intervals, tell them you love them at least once a day, do not steal their food, do not ever, ever steal their food, don’t make messes they need to clean, and there’s something about pillows and thermostats, but I’m choosing to forget what.”

  “Do not make me come in there!” a woman howled from somewhere deeper in the house. Upstairs, from what I could tell. “If I wanted to live in an icebox, I would’ve bought a walk-in freezer.”

  “Ah, that’s right. Don’t adjust the thermostat to save money on the heating bill. Don’t ask how much it costs to run the AC in this place.”

  “Good to know. Anything else I should know?”

  I had a thought: Chase needed to pick who he took advice from with a little more care, although Dr. Harvey’s points on not stealing my food were amusingly accurate.

  “I hear paying close attention to when they complain helps but if you really want to impress her, you stop what was causing her to complain. Marigold wants me to see someone about my ear.”

  “The poor boy’s going to go deaf, too, if you keep shouting at him!” the woman screeched as the sound of her voice drew closer.

  Steps creaked overhead, and I blended in with the doctor’s hand just in case his wife came into the study ready to wage war.

  Chase chuckled, and his expression relaxed. “Do you need a lift to the specialist?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Yes, please!” Marigold screamed.

  I wondered if the woman held some responsibility for the doctor’s hearing problems.

  “Tell me when. If I’m not free, I’ll have Dad play driver for you.”

  More thumps warned me the woman was on the move, and several moments later, a little, gray-haired lady with a glorious, golden tan leaned into the room. “Thank you, Chase. Dear lord, Harvey. Do you have a tumor on your hand?”

  “She’s a chameleon, and she’s changed colors as it seems your ruckus alarmed her.”

  “Well, that’s something. Last time our boy here brought a little white girl along, she done made it halfway to Jersey before he caught up with her after she got told off for her language and actin’ like she ain’t ever seen a mixed couple before.”

  Chase sighed. “That little white girl was my niece, Marigold. Miriah isn’t a little girl. She’s a woman. Anyway, my niece earned a tongue lashing for being nasty, and she won’t do it again in front of me if she’s got half a brain. Unfortunately, there’s also a reason my sister won’t visit me right now.”

  I assumed nasty meant rich, white, and prejudiced, a common enough affliction in New York.

  “Well, sure. You told that little girl if you ever heard such a slur come out of her pretty little mouth again, you’d hang her by her britches from the Empire State Building. Be fair, Chase. When you make threats, you typically mean them. She probably worried you’d actu
ally do it, so she ran off down the street like she meant it while her parents watched all aghast. Anyway, thank you. If you’re taking him to the appointment, he won’t back out of going. Again.”

  “You’re welcome, Marigold.”

  The doctor scowled. “That’s right, side with her.”

  “Keep your voice down, Harvey. He’s not deaf, not like you. I can’t hear my show over your howling.” Marigold darted off with far more energy than I expected from a bent woman who couldn’t stand perfectly straight.

  Chase leaned out of the study and called out, “Same goes to you, Marigold. Tell me when you need to go in for your back. And don’t even try to tell me it hasn’t gotten worse.”

  “Old can’t be cured, boy.”

  “But old, bent backs can be straightened if you go to a specialist. An appointment, Marigold. Not excuses. Call me after you make an appointment.”

  “Fiend!”

  I questioned who was the adult in the odd relationship between Chase, his doctor, and his doctor’s wife.

  “How severe do you think her injuries were?”

  “Severe enough, but she’s in no danger and is healing well. Feed her, let her rest, and keep her warm. With magic that strong on her? It’d take a lot to actually hurt her. I’m assuming the divine wanted an insurance policy; his curse isn’t much of a curse if his victim dies while transformed. The real risk is her getting too cold, and it’s only a risk because she’d be helpless. I don’t think it would do any lasting harm to her, but she’d be unable to defend herself. Of course, this is just a guess. The magic on her is strong enough to make seeing anything else difficult at best.”

  “I think your guess is right. She was helpless after she got clobbered with a glass full of water and ice. It took her hours to warm up, too.”

  “Get out of here, go home, and make sure you take your vitamins. You also need to get sleep. If your next bloodwork comes back like you lick your food instead of eating it, I’ll have your daddy pop you one.”

  “Ouch. I’m eating properly now, I swear.”

  “Account for any gym time. Protein supplements are encouraged for a reason. I even gave you a convenient chart to tell you exactly how much you need.”

  “That protein supplement tastes like chocolate left out to rot in the sun for a month.”

  “Chug it down and chase it with some real chocolate milk if it bothers you that much.”

  Chase scowled. “You’re cruel and heartless.”

  “Just take the damned supplements if you work out at the gym.”

  “Fine, I will.” Chase reclaimed me from the doctor, and I curled around his wrist. “Thanks for having a look at her.”

  “Of course. Bring her over if you have any issues or hear her growl again. I’ll also ask around to see if there’s anyone who might be able to break that curse.”

  “Don’t bother. A divine placed it, and he’s actively meddling. It would take another divine to do it, and he’s masking his portfolio.”

  “Already looked into it?”

  “I tried. I can’t find anything on him, but whoever he is, he’s definitely a divine.”

  “How’d he register to you?’

  “Neutral with annoying tendencies,” Chase grumbled.

  “You’re much grumpier than I expected over this.”

  “This curse made her vulnerable at my company.”

  “You can’t beat a divine, Chase. I know you have opinions on workplace safety, and I know you really don’t like when someone who is your responsibility is threatened, but you need to hold your temper. Do what you can. Otherwise, let it go. She needs sleep and food, and as I see you’re on top of the food issue, you don’t need me for anything else right now. Go home. Leave the divine alone.”

  Chase grunted.

  “You think you’re all that and a cup of Marigold’s coffee, boy, but you can’t beat a divine. Give it up.”

  “Like hell I can’t,” Chase snapped. “Fine. I’ll call you if there are any issues.”

  The doctor stepped forward and prodded Chase’s chest with a finger. “Leave. The. Divine. Alone. He’s obviously taking steps to protect her. All you’re going to do is get your ass kicked. By a divine.”

  “Because of that divine, someone almost killed her at my company.”

  “Deal with that issue. The divine is not the reason that issue happened. Be grateful that magic was in place. Had she been human, I make no promises it would’ve ended as well for her.”

  Chase clacked his teeth together. “Dad’s sending someone in to draw fire.”

  “Good. That’ll keep him busy for a while. Head on home and keep an eye on the weather. We’re in for a bad blow in the next few days.”

  “Great. Just what I needed. More snow on top of trouble at work.”

  “Take your bah humbugs elsewhere, you.”

  Chase muttered curses all the way back to his car.

  Like his doctor, Chase lived in a townhouse perfect for the rich and famous not far from his office building. He’d never seemed like a fan of the holidays to me, but lights decorated his handrails and windows, the LED type I preferred. He even had a Christmas tree in his living room, one made of plastic and in dire need of some tender loving care from me. While he had ornaments, tinsel, and lights, he’d tossed them on at random.

  The poor tree needed to be groomed properly.

  I blamed my son for my automatic need to make a Christmas tree presentable.

  Chase locked his front door behind us, turned the thermostat up, and pulled me out of his jacket. “Go ahead and explore. I’ll make you a plate of chicken and get the heated blanket set up for you.”

  He bent over and set me on the hardwood floor. I scampered to the tree, climbed up, and blended in, which didn’t work well thanks to the color-changing lights.

  Chase’s laughter warmed me. “And to think I had doubts about putting up a tree this year. Enjoy.”

  When he strolled down the hall, I admired the view. Him in a suit kept my attention, and unlike every other man I’d developed a crush on, I hadn’t found a single fatal flaw within several hours of serious exposure yet.

  There had to be something wrong with him. Time would tell what.

  Technically, I’d discovered one flaw: he could curse with the best of them when annoyed. A good vocabulary didn’t count as a fatal flaw. I viewed it as additional coloration.

  To some women, his protective streak would count as a fatal flaw, but I liked it. A man protective of people would be protective of his family.

  I wanted someone who would protect me and Caleb, especially as I had a poor track record of protecting myself. Sometime after I returned to human for extended periods of time, I’d have to do something about that. A few self-defense courses would work, and maybe I’d ask my best frenemy for advice on the man department. Tiana managed to date without running into trouble.

  Maybe she could teach me which men to avoid.

  Once certain he was gone, I went to work tidying his tree, settling into a routine of climbing down, picking a few ornaments to move, and climbing up to gingerly relocate them to their new homes. The work soothed my nerves and offered hope I could still give Caleb the perfect Christmas. How I’d top several weeks with his father remained a mystery, but I’d figure something out. Picking a good dog for him might work. Maybe. I cringed at the thought of disappointing him.

  He’d spent weeks depressed over his father’s failure to show up, although knowing the truth made it a little easier on me. If Gavin didn’t tell Caleb the truth, I would—sometime in May. Or June. Maybe July.

  It’d take that long for me to work up the nerve to do it.

  “You really love Christmas, don’t you?”

  Somehow, I kept hold of the glass ball, twitching at his voice. I dragged it to its new spot and hung it, giving a tug to make sure it’d stay in place. When finished, I gave Chase my complete attention, and nodded to answer his question.

  “Well, redecorate to your heart’s co
ntent. I brought you a piece of chicken and broke it up for you. Since you like the tree, I’ll bring the blanket in here in case you get cold. I tend to be an early riser, but don’t worry about it. If you’re still asleep when it’s time to head into the office, I’ll wrap you in the blanket so you can rest. A replacement computer should be ready for you by the time we’re there, but it might take until noon at the latest. One of the techs messaged me to let me know they were able to recover all your work.”

  I’d appreciate that tomorrow, and I clapped to indicate my approval.

  “All right. I’ll have an unlocked tablet on my nightstand. If you need anything, use it. It has an alarm app and a notepad running. Enjoy working with the tree. Remember, if you need anything at all, wake me.” He offered a smile before strolling out of the living room, leaving a plate piled with shredded chicken near his coffee table.

  I needed my heart back, but he’d only think I was crazy if I told him the truth. No, I’d wait for him to show his true colors.

  Gavin understood me better than I liked.

  I always picked the wrong men. Always.

  Chapter Seven

  In the dead of night, I transformed back to human. Uncertain how long the respite would last, I ditched my purse on the coffee table and sent Gavin a text threatening death if I shifted during my shower. His reply promised a shower and a chance to get dressed but nothing else.

  I could work with a shower and a chance to get dressed. It took me a few minutes to squish my pride, but I thanked him for not being a complete jerk.

  Tip-toeing around Chase’s home seemed wrong, as did borrowing his shower without his permission, but I ignored my misgivings. Even an hour as a human would restore my sense of normality.

  A little normality went a long way in my complicated life.

  Unfortunately, Chase’s ridiculous bathroom with its massive shower ended my dream of indulging in peaceful, quiet normality. The damned thing had buttons, and I lost ten minutes figuring out how to turn it on. I stole his shampoo, the source of his vanilla scent, and turned the heat up as high as I could tolerate.