Page 34 of Double Take

The loss would cost them financially, but she wasn’t as upset about it as she might have been.We get to spend another night together. Just us. No interruptions.

“You’re smiling?” Amity frowned.

“I’m enjoying the time with John.” Verity glanced at the vehicle. “I need to go,” she said, “but tell me about your Cosmic Mates match. Did you meet him yet?”

Her friend looked like she’d tasted spoiled food.

“It didn’t go well?”

“He…a…ake.” Her words broke up as the screen filled with snow.

Stupid Terra Com! “What did you say?”

“He’s a snake!”

“He was a jerk? I’m sorry.”

“Not…his pers…lity…his sp…”

Dammit. “What was that?”

“He’s Nagarian.”

Faith’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding.”

“I wish I were.” Amity shuddered. “His torso and face looked humanoid—but his bottom half was scaly, slithery snake! He crawled into the café andhissedat me, and I honestly don’t remember what I said, but I think I knocked over a table when I ran out. I may have screamed.”

Amity was a kind, accepting, open-minded person with a major snake phobia. Even on vid, the reptiles freaked her out.

“I feel bad. He ventured all this way. I did say I was willing to meet an alien,” she said, her expression a mix of guilt and horror.

“It’s not your fault. That was a bad match. You and a snake-man are not compatible.” She frowned. “Hey, wait a minute—didn’t his profile sayhuman? Am I remembering it right?”

“Yes! And all his photos were from the waist up.”

“He lied,” Faith said.

“Probably he has a hard time meeting women because he is half snake and hoped when I met him, it wouldn’t matter.”

Her friend would give him the benefit of the doubt, but Faith wasn’t going to. “You can’t misrepresent yourself and pretend to be someone you’re not. It’s wrong, and Cosmic Mates can’t make compatible matches if clients aren’t truthful.”

John’s honesty had impressed her. After her painful past, she insisted on complete transparency.

“That makes…feel…little better. I hate…hurt…eelings.” The connection started breaking up again. Then: “Can I help you? Do you have a question?” Amity turned her head, addressing the customer in the shop.

“We’re breaking up, and you need to take care of business,” Faith said. “Don’t expect me in town before tomorrow night. I’ll try to contact you if there are further glitches.”

“Okay.” Amity grinned. “Don’t…anything…wouldn’t do.”Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, was probably what she’d said.

She waved goodbye, disconnected, and tucked her tech-tab into her bag, doing a quick count of the snack bars. Ten. With peaches and potatoes, they would enjoy a fine feast. With a spring in her step, she returned to the vehicle.

* * * *

“How much is this vase?” The drop-dead gorgeous man held up a red-and-brown vessel.

“Five hundredcred,” Amity said. “It’s a wine carafe, but it works as a vase, too.”

“Reasonably priced and dual purpose. I’ll take it.” His sexy grin went all the way up to his soulful brown eyes. He was tall, broad in shoulder and slim in hip, with a head of thick, near-black hair gone silver at the temples. So, forties, maybe?

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