by Ashlyn Chase
Benjamin chuckled. “Okay. I’ll get this to Cameron, but I’d suggest you forget about talking to the chief. There’s nothing he hates more than wives or girlfriends trying to change his mind about something.”
“Does that happen a lot?”
“Not really, but when it does, the guy pays for it.”
“Oh. In that case, forget it. Thanks for getting the card to him.” She strode off before anyone else saw her.
***
Drake Cameron had taken his lumps like a man and had let the chief reprimand him without getting defensive. There would be no commendation this time, just a seven-day suspension.
Having distracted himself with the Internet for as long as he could, he felt the need for solace, so he headed to the bar his buddies frequented. Even when one of them did something stupid, they were supportive after the chief finished with them. The paranormal bar he went to would be supportive too, but sometimes he needed his human brotherhood.
As soon as he strolled in, he spotted Ralph Benjamin and Mike Kelly at the bar. They waved him over.
“I’m glad you came in. You saved me a trip,” Benjamin said.
“A trip where?”
“Your place. That crazy chick who got you suspended came by and dropped something off for you.”
“Yeah?” His heart leaped. Maybe I haven’t lost her after all! He had saved some hot women before, but none of them came to the firehouse bearing gifts. It was usually the blue-haired grannies who brought in homemade cookies or pies.
Ralph reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope.
Oh. Just a friggin’ card. I guess she doesn’t bake. He opened it and focused on the bright design. It was a fire-breathing dragon. Holy shit. Is she psychic or did she really see me through the smoke? Either way, she didn’t seem terrified. Maybe she was worth getting suspended for.
With some trepidation, he opened it. A smile spread across his face as he read: “I know it’s your job and I’m sure you’re not braggin’, but I felt like a knob as you slew my dragon. You saved my ass and I’ll never forget it. I ran into yours and I don’t regret it. I’m sorry I sent you into harm’s way. You’re so my hero and I hope you’re okay.” It was signed, “Sincerely, Bliss.” Beneath that it said, “Please pardon the terrible rhyme. It was the best I could do with limited time.”
He tucked the card and envelope into his shirt pocket.
“She said it was an apology.”
“Yeah, it was.” And maybe a little more. The hope of finding a woman who could handle his dragon identity sprang to life like an ember coaxed back into a burning flame.
“Did she say where she was staying?”
“Said she had to move back in with her parents.”
“Where do they live?”
“Don’t know.”
“Did she mention their names?”
“Nope.”
Damn. “Did she say anything else?”
“She wanted to speak to the chief and take the blame for what you did, but I told her it wouldn’t help. She just rushed off after that.”
“Did you see where she went?”
“Sorry, no.”
***
Finally back to work, Drake had promised the chief that he’d stop taking stupid chances. The one-week suspension had seemed like a month. He grabbed a cup of coffee in the fire station’s kitchen and leaned against the counter.
“That’s been there since this morning,” Mike said.
“That’s one good thing about staying home for a few days. Decent coffee.”
“So how’s the computer dating thing going?” Ralph asked.
Drake was beginning to regret ever telling the guys how he’d spent his time off. “It was a stupid idea. Nothing came of it.”
“Why not? Were you asking for a Victoria’s Secret model who’s a brain surgeon in her spare time?”
Drake chuckled. “No. Nothing like that.” It’d be easier to find a neurosurgeon lingerie model than a female dragon.
He could picture the brunette as a model. She was tall, though not as tall as he was. He hadn’t seen her in heels, only bare feet, but she might be close to his six feet if she wore four-inch stilettos.
He couldn’t believe he’d caught himself thinking about her for the umpteenth time. If only I could find her. But it seemed hopeless.
His family had lost the ability to breathe fire, which was a good thing. Otherwise, he’d have been tempted to let out a fiery blast of frustration.
“I’m going to check the dating site again, just in case.” He ambled off to the firehouse’s activity room with the guys wishing him good luck.
A few minutes later, Drake gaped at the computer monitor. He couldn’t believe his Internet dating search had paid off. The response he’d just received was obviously from a female dragon.
Hallelujah! There is hope for the dragon species.
Fathering children was something he really wanted to do someday, and because that was only possible with another dragon, he had to at least look into it. This was the whole reason he’d moved to paranormal-rich Boston. If there was a single female dragon anywhere…
Suddenly, he thought of Bliss. He’d been willing to give up the dragon search when he met her. More accurately, he’d change his search from a female dragon to a female he could fall in love with, one who wouldn’t run from him in terror. A human couldn’t bear his children, but if that wasn’t important to her, perhaps…
He still didn’t know if she had actually seen his alternate form, and he was driving himself nuts trying to figure out a way to ask her… without asking her. If he ever saw her again.
Maybe this was a sign he should keep his options open a bit longer—at least long enough to meet the lady dragon. Don’t think beyond the immediate task at hand, Cameron… for once.
Ignoring his ambivalence, he began typing his answer.
“I’d like to meet you. There’s a place called the Green Shamrock near Quincy Market. Do you know it?”
A few minutes later, she emailed him with her answer. “Yeh, I can meet you dayuh tomorrah. Whah time?”
Wow, she seems anxious… and barely literate. Drake chastised himself. Maybe she was just a terrible speller.
If all dragons had such a difficult time finding other single dragons, it made sense that she wouldn’t want to wait—and he shouldn’t either.
He typed, “I’ll be there at four o’clock. How will I know you?” And just to be doubly sure he was talking to another dragon, he said, “What are your distinguishing marks?”
“Mi family has chaka black hair wit a streak ah silvah growin out ah da widah’s peak.”
That was his confirmation. She mentioned her family’s marking. All dragon families had some visible way to identify their clan. Silver growing out of pure black, only in their widow’s peaks, sounded odd enough for a dragon’s markings.
On the line right below that, she asked, “An yas?”
Something didn’t feel quite right. His fingers tingled and shook slightly as he typed, “Sandy hair with yellow streaks. Side part.”
Am I about to make a mistake?
Some dragons, himself included, had a type of sixth sense alerting them to danger.
He thought about Bliss and figured he must be feeling a twinge of ambivalence. What possible danger could a blind date entail? Ugh. Don’t answer that, Drake.
Without questioning himself further, he hit “send.”
She responded with a quick, “See ya den.”
And he typed, “See you tomorrow.”
He was just stepping away from the computer when Benjamin appeared in the doorway. “Lunch is ready, Drake. Any luck on the dating front?”
“Uh, maybe.” He hadn’t mentioned his desire to find Bliss. The guys would probably think he was nuts to get involved wit
h the woman responsible for sending him back into a burning building for her computer—and getting him suspended.
“Hey, that’s great. Maybe we won’t have to worry about our sisters after all.” Benjamin returned to the kitchen without further comment.
That’s what Drake liked about the guys he worked with. They could joke around and leave an opening if a buddy wanted to share his personal life. The others would listen and maybe sympathize or offer an opinion, but no one pushed or prodded. Drake wasn’t about to volunteer any information. Not yet.
He was very glad the female dragon wanted to meet him tomorrow. A little more than twenty-four hours suddenly felt like a long time.
***
“No, no, no! Not her! Anyone but her!”
Mother Nature stared into the bright sky, gathered two fistfuls of her long, white hair next to her ears, and squeezed. “Gahhh!”
Apollo abandoned his poker game and joined her near the window. The entire top floor of the office building was covered in a glass bubble, so essentially the entire perimeter was a giant window that allowed the Supernatural Council an unobstructed view of Boston.
“What’s wrong, Grandma?”
“I told you never to call me that,” she hissed through gritted teeth.
“Sorry, Gaia. It’s just that you gave birth to Zeus, who’s my father, so therefore…”
She glared at him and a violent wind ripped through the room, blowing cards off the table and rippling everyone’s long, white gowns.
“Sorry, Goddess. Forgive me.”
She sighed. “I’ll forgive you this time, but only because you’re my favorite.”
The other gods gaped at them, several with raised eyebrows.
“Oh, relax,” she called out. “You’re all my favorites.” Then she rolled her eyes.
They looked away, although some of them still appeared tweaked. A moment later, the cards were magically back in their hands and they resumed their game.
“So what’s wrong? How can I help?”
“That fucking Caribbean dragon, Zina,” Mother Nature muttered. “What’s she doing up here?”
Apollo shrugged. “You probably have a better idea than I do since I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
Gaia pointed her long finger at a motorcyclist cruising down Storrow Drive. “That bitch right there. Thanks to a voodoo priestess, she’s run amok for two centuries and there’s nothing I can do to stop her.”
“What’s she doing that you need to stop?”
Gaia threw her hands in the air and whirled away from the glass. “Everything. That creature does whatever she damn well pleases and cares nothing about the consequences. I understand she has a lair where she keeps sex slaves. She finds men vacationing alone, and suddenly they’re never heard from again.”
“Why haven’t we been supplicated? Beseeched? Prayed to for help?”
Gaia chortled. “Come on… Do you really expect men to complain about being sex slaves?”
Apollo shrugged.
“But that’s not all. Humans have almost spotted her in dragon form, either through her carelessness or because she’s tempting fate on purpose. It’s happening more and more frequently.”
“Why would she do that?”
“I swear she’s goading me. She’s a spoiled brat, and the last time I caught her flying, I paid her a little visit. I thought she understood my stern warning. After that, I decided to take a nice walk on the beach and she zipped past me, singing, “Neener, neener, neener.”
“Don’t let her get to you.”
“Oh, sure. Be the bigger goddess, right? Ignore her, right?”
“Exactly.”
“I can’t!” Mother Nature shouted so loudly the gods jumped and dropped their cards. “She’s coming into her fertile cycle. If she mates with another dragon, I’ll have to deal with more of them.” Mother Nature crossed her arms and muttered under her breath, “I was almost rid of them too.”
“Why do you want to get rid of them?”
“I don’t make mistakes, but sometimes… Never mind.”
“So, what should we do?”
“We shouldn’t do anything, yet. There are barely any dragons left, so chances of her finding one are slim. But just in case, contact the Balogs and ask them to keep an eye on that bar where the paranormals hang out. If she shows up there, we’ll need to know right away.”
Chapter 2
Bliss sat at the family dining table, trying to concentrate on her work despite constant interruptions. For some reason, her mother could not understand that talking while Bliss was trying to think was the same as interrupting.
“Is it so terrible to be back home? You’ve done nothing but mope for days.”
Her mother stirred the pasta sauce bubbling on the stove. The tangy tomatoes mixed with garlic and spices smelled like home. Under other circumstances, it would be wonderful. If Bliss were in her own apartment, she would have simply opened a jar. Try to be nice.
“I’m sorry, Ma. It’s not bad. It’s just…”
“Just what?”
Bliss sighed. “I don’t know. I feel like a nine-year-old when I’m back home, letting you cook for me, sleeping in my old bedroom.”
Her mother wiped her hands on her apron. “If you were married, I’d let you have the guest room.”
“And give up the opportunity to sleep in a bunk bed again?” Bliss slapped a hand over her heart in a dramatic gesture. “Perish the thought.”
“Yeah, yeah, Miss Sarcastic. Look, we don’t know how long you’ll be here. It could be months or years, and what if your married brothers and their lovely wives come to visit?”
Bliss tried not to groan out loud. “Why would they stay over? They live less than a mile away.”
“You never know. Besides, your sister and her husband could decide to visit from India at any time. I’m sure it wouldn’t be a short stay. The thing is, you should be married and in your own home by now. If you were married, you could forget about that silly competition. I’m sure your husband would support you no matter what happened in life. It’s good to have someone you can count on, and Daddy and I won’t be here forever. The older you get, the more I worry. I was married by the time I was twenty.”
“You were pregnant with Ricky.”
“No I wasn’t. Your brother was born early. And for your information, your father and I had been engaged for two years, so we were ready to settle down. We just waited until he graduated from the tech. You’re nearly twenty-eight! What are you waiting for?”
It was the same old argument. Bliss didn’t know why they continued with the charade. Her brother would have had to be about four months early to make the timeline work. She usually let it go, but maybe if she pursued it, her mother would be the one to shut up and let her get back to work.
“Why did Nonna and Nonno rush the wedding plans?”
“There was no rush. I just wanted a June wedding. If you want to talk about a rush, your grandmother was married at the age of eighteen after a two-week engagement.”
“And look how well that worked out. The two of them bickered each other into early graves.”
Her mother crossed herself and faced Bliss head-on. “That’s just how they communicated. They loved each other dearly. Why do you think they had six children?”
Bliss smirked. “I don’t know… lack of birth control?”
Her mother tossed her hands in the air. “You have an answer for everything. Always did.”
“Speaking of which, I should get back to work. I need to put into words all the things people are too afraid to say.”
“That business of yours is what scares the men away. Honestly, the vicious things you write in those cards… it’s dreadful. And now, because of that stupid TV show, everyone will know about it.”
“Hopefully. My cards are fu
nny and people love them. If I get the kind of exposure I think we’re going to get, I should sell tons.”
“I’ll never understand that. If anyone gave me one of your cards, I’d be very upset.”
You don’t know how close you’ve come to getting one. Her mother would also never know how many snarky cards she’d inspired. There was just too much rich material to ignore. “I really do need to get working.”
As Bliss strolled toward the adjoining dining room, her mother said, “Why don’t you work at the desk in your room? It was always where you did your homework.”
“Because I like my legs at a ninety-degree angle and under the surface I’m working on. If I sat at my old desk, my butt would be below my knees and they’d bump up against the side of the desk. Why are you keeping that old thing anyway?”
“You never know… Maybe I’ll have a grandchild someday after all.”
“Emilio and Ricky are married. Why don’t you bug them about having kids?”
“Who says I haven’t?”
Bliss chuckled. “I love my brothers, but thank God it’s not just me.”
Her mother crossed her arms. “Aren’t you worried about your biological clock?”
Hell no. The alarm isn’t going off and won’t for years. “Ma, I don’t want to marry the wrong man just to have kids.”
“Has it never occurred to you that you might marry the right man? Honestly, you’re such a pessimist.”
“I am not. I just have a pessimistic life.”
“Oh, really? What’s so bad about your life?”
“For one thing, I cannot work in this house, and I have a deadline to meet.”
“Deadline, shmedline… Why are they giving you a deadline? Are there greeting card emergencies?”
“Mom. I’m finally hopeful of landing big contracts. Remember how it was in the beginning? Me helping my big sister take cards to craft fairs and small gift shops? How many did she sell?”
“I have no idea.”
“Not a hell of a lot. If she didn’t have a friend in advertising, she might never have gotten the business off the ground. Now that she’s entrusted it to me, I want to make it an even bigger success.”