Page 14 of Fake Dating an Orc Cowboy

“Thanks.” I took Ostor’s hand and hurried him over to a rack with all sorts of sunglasses, thankfully finding a few that had been marked “Orc”. They were universally round, and they were going to make Ostor look like an overgrown, green Harry Potter, but they’d give his poor eyes a break. I bought a pair and curled my finger his way. “Bend forward and I’ll put them on.”

He scowled at them before shaking his fist at the sky again but did as I asked.

I tried not to laugh. An orc in sunglasses should be a common thing, but he still looked different while wearing them.

Actually, he looked amazing.

“You brought a bathing suit, right?” I asked, picturing him wearing floral print shorts. Were his legs as lightly haired as his arms?

“I did not.”

“Okay, then, we’ll hit the resort’s gift shop after we’ve settled into our room and get you some.”

“I’ll buy my possessions from now on,” he growled.

“Consider the sunglasses a gift.” I could understand clinging to one’s pride. I also tried to pay my own way whenever I could.

“Thank you.”

We walked over and got inside the van. Juan slid the door shut and climbed into the driver’s seat, where he verified our resort and then started the engine.

“Beer? Water? Tequila?” he asked gaily as he drove the vehicle away from the terminal.

“No thanks,” I said.

Ostor shook his head and stared out the window. “Amazing. So different from where we come from.”

“We” meaning he and I, I assumed, and not the orc kingdom.

“Palm trees are pretty, though very different from evergreens, aren’t they?” I lived in the Boston area, though not in the city itself. “Do you have trees in the orc kingdom?” Vegetation must grow there, or they couldn’t feed their orc cattle.

“Some. They’re not as tall as these, though they have more branches.”

“Palms adapted to live in hot climates like this one and to weather tropical storms. I understand they’re quite flexible and can sway rather than break in a strong wind.”

“Will we experience such a thing while we’re here?”

“Thankfully, it’s not hurricane season, so I doubt it, though I’m sure we’ll see rain here and there. It’s common in the afternoon, but it leaves as quickly as it arrives, and the area steams after.”

He nodded and continued to stare, pointing out one thing after another as we left the airport behind and traveled to the resort strip in Cancun.

Juan pulled into the palatial place that was a complete opposite from how the locals lived, and stopped at the front entrance. Someone rushed over to the vehicle and opened the sliding door.

“Hola! Welcome to Azure Sands,” the man said with a big smile, gesturing for us to get out of the van. “Orc. An orc!” His brown eyes lit up. “Welcome, orc!”

Ostor grinned. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you.”

“You as well. Come this way.” The man guided us toward the large glass entrance doors etched in gold. “Your bags will be brought to your room once you’ve checked in.”

Towering palms framed the entrance, as well as three-story cream-colored pillars and huge stone planters overflowing with bright tropical flowers. Lush hibiscus shrubs glided away in long rows on either side of the stone sidewalk that curved around to form a complete oval behind us. An intricately etched, tan-colored stone awning arched over us. Two-story carved statues of Mayan gods marched in long lines behind the shrubs. I could’ve remained out here for hours, studying each statue.

“Hola,” a woman said. She dipped close, offering us sparkling margarita glasses full of tropical drinks adorned with pineapple skewers. “Welcome to Azure Sands. A fruit drink?” Her eyes gleamed. “Or do you want tequila?”

“What’s teek-eela?” Ostor whispered out of the corner of his mouth. “Everyone keeps offering it. Is it a ritualistic drink here?”

“It’s another form of alcohol. Yummy alcohol,” I said with a grin. This was going to be fun. When my sister’s invitation arrived, I’d cringed and immediately started thinking up excuses for why I couldn’t attend. A sudden inability to expose my skin to the sun. Food poisoning. Or pneumonia. I’d call a few days before and fake a cough.

But Ostor was making this fun. With him as my date, I was looking forward to the long weekend. Such was the difference being with a great guy could make.

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