the rubber sole in half. “He doesn’t know
how I feel.”
“But Wod does. Why not accept his help?”
Lon pulled off his socks. “I can’t… I mean, it doesn’t seem right.”
“But it’s probably the only way you’re going to get close enough to Rom. You
haven’t managed it even though you worked with Rom every night for the last five
months straight.”
“I’m choosing my time.”
Bok snorted but chose not to berate Lon on his slow timing as usual. In fact, he
stayed quiet for long enough that Lon sat up to look at him.
“What?”
Bok chewed the inside of his lip for a moment, then nodded. “I think you
should let Wod help you.”
“I—”
“No, really. If you’re serious about Rom, you need to get things going, and
Wod’s the perfect person to do it. He can get you close, and he can keep everyone
else away.”
Lon’s eyes widened. He’d expected Bok to champion his sleeping with Wod, not
using Wod’s help to get close to Rom. “B-but he shouldn’t have to do that.”
“But he offered . For whatever reason, he wants to help you. Heck, he probably
could have seduced you himself last night, but he didn’t.”
52
Jet Mykles
Lon frowned. That was true. Though he’d said no, even he could admit that a
few more kisses and Wod probably could have lured him into sex. Maybe, despite
his offers, Wod really wasn’t all that interested, at least in Lon specifically. Lon sat
back in his chair, a little depressed at the thought.
If Bok noticed Lon’s train of thought, he gave no indication. “You need to talk
to Wod again and see if he’s still willing. Maybe going to the Mistletoe tonight is a
good idea.”
“Yeah.” Lon leaned an elbow on his desk, bringing one of his knuckles to his
mouth to chew on it thoughtfully. “Maybe.”
“Right.” Bok stood and rubbed his palms together over a little laugh. “I’ll see
you there.”
“Wait, what?”
Bok giggled. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
To that, Lon could only roll his eyes and groan.
Reindeer Games
53
Chapter Eight
Lon arrived late to work that night. Not that anyone noticed. He was still
there in plenty of time to join the other handlers in gathering the harnesses and
helping to load the sleigh, long before any of the reindeer appeared.
He’d taken great care with his appearance, trying to look nice without looking
like he was trying to look nice. His jacket was sleeveless, cinnamon red with a
sparkly gold ruff along the collar and arms. The shirt he wore beneath was more
than a typical undershirt, long-sleeved and white with faint gold shiny pinstripes
shot through. His pants matched his jacket, and he’d chosen stylish ankle boots
rather than his more comfortable pointed slide-ons. He’d brushed his hair until it
shone and even combed through some gold highlighting that Bok had once
purchased for him, then pulled it all back into a tail, bound with a thin yellow
ribbon. His outfit wasn’t out of place and was suited for the work, but it was a bit
more than normal.
None of his fellow handlers noticed. For which he was both grateful and put
out. Then the reindeer arrived.
Wod noticed.
He entered with Rom, the two of them talking casually. Lon knew the instant
they were there, and two heartbeats later his gaze met Wod’s. Wod’s dark eyes
scanned him down, then up, and a wry smile curled his lips. He gave Lon a small
nod, an acknowledgement that warmed Lon’s heart. Embarrassed by his flush, he
turned away to busy himself with his job.
Once the reindeer arrived, the barn erupted into activity. Rom and Wod were
stark opposites tonight, the former in an ice blue robe so light that it was just a
54
Jet Mykles
shade away from white, and the latter in a green so deep it would be black in lesser
lighting. The complementary contrast of their hair and skin stood out as they
gathered with the other brightly garbed reindeer near the back of the barn. Rom
spoke to
how I feel.”
“But Wod does. Why not accept his help?”
Lon pulled off his socks. “I can’t… I mean, it doesn’t seem right.”
“But it’s probably the only way you’re going to get close enough to Rom. You
haven’t managed it even though you worked with Rom every night for the last five
months straight.”
“I’m choosing my time.”
Bok snorted but chose not to berate Lon on his slow timing as usual. In fact, he
stayed quiet for long enough that Lon sat up to look at him.
“What?”
Bok chewed the inside of his lip for a moment, then nodded. “I think you
should let Wod help you.”
“I—”
“No, really. If you’re serious about Rom, you need to get things going, and
Wod’s the perfect person to do it. He can get you close, and he can keep everyone
else away.”
Lon’s eyes widened. He’d expected Bok to champion his sleeping with Wod, not
using Wod’s help to get close to Rom. “B-but he shouldn’t have to do that.”
“But he offered . For whatever reason, he wants to help you. Heck, he probably
could have seduced you himself last night, but he didn’t.”
52
Jet Mykles
Lon frowned. That was true. Though he’d said no, even he could admit that a
few more kisses and Wod probably could have lured him into sex. Maybe, despite
his offers, Wod really wasn’t all that interested, at least in Lon specifically. Lon sat
back in his chair, a little depressed at the thought.
If Bok noticed Lon’s train of thought, he gave no indication. “You need to talk
to Wod again and see if he’s still willing. Maybe going to the Mistletoe tonight is a
good idea.”
“Yeah.” Lon leaned an elbow on his desk, bringing one of his knuckles to his
mouth to chew on it thoughtfully. “Maybe.”
“Right.” Bok stood and rubbed his palms together over a little laugh. “I’ll see
you there.”
“Wait, what?”
Bok giggled. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
To that, Lon could only roll his eyes and groan.
Reindeer Games
53
Chapter Eight
Lon arrived late to work that night. Not that anyone noticed. He was still
there in plenty of time to join the other handlers in gathering the harnesses and
helping to load the sleigh, long before any of the reindeer appeared.
He’d taken great care with his appearance, trying to look nice without looking
like he was trying to look nice. His jacket was sleeveless, cinnamon red with a
sparkly gold ruff along the collar and arms. The shirt he wore beneath was more
than a typical undershirt, long-sleeved and white with faint gold shiny pinstripes
shot through. His pants matched his jacket, and he’d chosen stylish ankle boots
rather than his more comfortable pointed slide-ons. He’d brushed his hair until it
shone and even combed through some gold highlighting that Bok had once
purchased for him, then pulled it all back into a tail, bound with a thin yellow
ribbon. His outfit wasn’t out of place and was suited for the work, but it was a bit
more than normal.
None of his fellow handlers noticed. For which he was both grateful and put
out. Then the reindeer arrived.
Wod noticed.
He entered with Rom, the two of them talking casually. Lon knew the instant
they were there, and two heartbeats later his gaze met Wod’s. Wod’s dark eyes
scanned him down, then up, and a wry smile curled his lips. He gave Lon a small
nod, an acknowledgement that warmed Lon’s heart. Embarrassed by his flush, he
turned away to busy himself with his job.
Once the reindeer arrived, the barn erupted into activity. Rom and Wod were
stark opposites tonight, the former in an ice blue robe so light that it was just a
54
Jet Mykles
shade away from white, and the latter in a green so deep it would be black in lesser
lighting. The complementary contrast of their hair and skin stood out as they
gathered with the other brightly garbed reindeer near the back of the barn. Rom
spoke to
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