Read Online Gentleman Takes a Chance by Sarah A. Hoyt - Free Book Online
Authors: Sarah A. Hoyt
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anywhere now. Besides, how do you propose to drive in that?"
Rafiel shrugged. "Four-wheel drive and I'm used to this. I learned to drive in this."
Kyrie nodded. Rafiel, like Anthony, was local. "Well, I still don't know how I can come with you. Not with . . ." She waved around at the diner, and nodded towards the new customers, assuring them silently that she could see them and would be with them shortly. "Maybe if one of our employees shows up," she said, doubtfully.
"Yes. Get me a coffee and a piece of pie, please. I'll wait."
She frowned at him, because his willingness to wait meant he was convinced this did indeed involve shifters, and that meant there was no one else he could trust.
Looking towards the booth, she assured herself that Red Dragon was still there, now looking fixedly at Rafiel with a scared expression. Perhaps it was Rafiel that he thought he had to protect Tom from.
She took the order of the new couple—two coffees, which meant they had braved the walk just to be near other people—and went back to grab the pie for Rafiel.
"Chick-pea pie," she announced, as she set it down in front of him—a joke that had developed from the fact that Rafiel never specified what kind of pie he wanted, which led to her inventing more and more outrageous pretended contents to his food. "And your coffee."
"What does he want?" Rafiel asked, looking at Red Dragon and not even acknowledging her joke.
"He says he's come to redeem himself by protecting Tom," she said, and was gratified to watch Rafiel's eyebrows shoot up. She wasn't the only one who found this absurd.
* * *
"Kyrie says that you can't manage the diner alone," Tom heard Rafiel say, in barely more than a rumbling whisper. Tom had just moved the furthest away from customers possible, while remaining behind the counter. The sheer pileup of dishes from the tables Kyrie was cleaning demanded that he put them in the dishwasher, which was around the corner from the coffee maker, and almost to the hallway.
He looked up from slamming the dishes down. Rafiel had a slice of apple pie in one hand and his coffee in the other and was standing by the portion of the counter where Tom normally put the dishes for Kyrie to carry away. Past him, Kyrie was cleaning one last table. There remained four fully occupied ones, but everyone had been served, and had gotten their bill, and seemed to be just sitting around, talking, reluctant to face the storm again. "Maybe if it slows down now." "It might, you know?" "It's nasty out."
"I'm surprised there's anyone here," Rafiel said. "At least anyone who doesn't need to be here. What possessed you to come in?"
"I shifted," Tom said, slamming the last few plates into the dishwasher, shutting it and turning it on. "In our bathroom. There's . . . uh . . . no bathroom left."
He looked up, to see Rafiel staring at him, as he half expected, openmouthed. "In your bathroom? Why?"
Tom shrugged. "It will sound very strange."
"Not as strange as deciding to shift in the bathroom. How could you possibly think you'd fit. Or that there would be—"
"Fine," he said. "There was a voice in my head. The Great Sky Dragon's voice."
"The . . . ?"
"Yeah."
Rafiel looked at Red Dragon. "Threatening?"
Tom shrugged. "I thought so at the time. Now I'm not so sure. He was talking about some Ancient Ones or others who were, supposedly, after me."
"I see," Rafiel said, in that way he had that made it clear he did not see at all. He ate his apple pie in quick bites.
"At the time," Tom said, "I didn't even realize the voice was in my head. It sounded like he was talking to me through the bathroom window. Considering the last time I met with him . . ."
"He almost killed you?"
"Yes. Panic had carried me halfway through the shift before I realized he was in fact in my mind, and for some reason this failed to be reassuring."
"Ancient Ones," Rafiel said. "Shifters?"
"I don't know. He didn't say. I just . . . I'd had a weird
Rafiel shrugged. "Four-wheel drive and I'm used to this. I learned to drive in this."
Kyrie nodded. Rafiel, like Anthony, was local. "Well, I still don't know how I can come with you. Not with . . ." She waved around at the diner, and nodded towards the new customers, assuring them silently that she could see them and would be with them shortly. "Maybe if one of our employees shows up," she said, doubtfully.
"Yes. Get me a coffee and a piece of pie, please. I'll wait."
She frowned at him, because his willingness to wait meant he was convinced this did indeed involve shifters, and that meant there was no one else he could trust.
Looking towards the booth, she assured herself that Red Dragon was still there, now looking fixedly at Rafiel with a scared expression. Perhaps it was Rafiel that he thought he had to protect Tom from.
She took the order of the new couple—two coffees, which meant they had braved the walk just to be near other people—and went back to grab the pie for Rafiel.
"Chick-pea pie," she announced, as she set it down in front of him—a joke that had developed from the fact that Rafiel never specified what kind of pie he wanted, which led to her inventing more and more outrageous pretended contents to his food. "And your coffee."
"What does he want?" Rafiel asked, looking at Red Dragon and not even acknowledging her joke.
"He says he's come to redeem himself by protecting Tom," she said, and was gratified to watch Rafiel's eyebrows shoot up. She wasn't the only one who found this absurd.
* * *
"Kyrie says that you can't manage the diner alone," Tom heard Rafiel say, in barely more than a rumbling whisper. Tom had just moved the furthest away from customers possible, while remaining behind the counter. The sheer pileup of dishes from the tables Kyrie was cleaning demanded that he put them in the dishwasher, which was around the corner from the coffee maker, and almost to the hallway.
He looked up from slamming the dishes down. Rafiel had a slice of apple pie in one hand and his coffee in the other and was standing by the portion of the counter where Tom normally put the dishes for Kyrie to carry away. Past him, Kyrie was cleaning one last table. There remained four fully occupied ones, but everyone had been served, and had gotten their bill, and seemed to be just sitting around, talking, reluctant to face the storm again. "Maybe if it slows down now." "It might, you know?" "It's nasty out."
"I'm surprised there's anyone here," Rafiel said. "At least anyone who doesn't need to be here. What possessed you to come in?"
"I shifted," Tom said, slamming the last few plates into the dishwasher, shutting it and turning it on. "In our bathroom. There's . . . uh . . . no bathroom left."
He looked up, to see Rafiel staring at him, as he half expected, openmouthed. "In your bathroom? Why?"
Tom shrugged. "It will sound very strange."
"Not as strange as deciding to shift in the bathroom. How could you possibly think you'd fit. Or that there would be—"
"Fine," he said. "There was a voice in my head. The Great Sky Dragon's voice."
"The . . . ?"
"Yeah."
Rafiel looked at Red Dragon. "Threatening?"
Tom shrugged. "I thought so at the time. Now I'm not so sure. He was talking about some Ancient Ones or others who were, supposedly, after me."
"I see," Rafiel said, in that way he had that made it clear he did not see at all. He ate his apple pie in quick bites.
"At the time," Tom said, "I didn't even realize the voice was in my head. It sounded like he was talking to me through the bathroom window. Considering the last time I met with him . . ."
"He almost killed you?"
"Yes. Panic had carried me halfway through the shift before I realized he was in fact in my mind, and for some reason this failed to be reassuring."
"Ancient Ones," Rafiel said. "Shifters?"
"I don't know. He didn't say. I just . . . I'd had a weird
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