Page 35 of Carnal: The Beast Who Loved Me

CHAPTER SIX

“I’m off.” Dandy’s routine had become predictable. Every day at two-thirty she said goodbye and left Rosie in charge until Scar arrived at four-thirty. On her way out, she said, “They’re starting work on that thing you suggested tomorrow.”

Rosie had to think for a minute. “The vestibule?”

“Whatever. They said they’ll try to not interfere with lunch traffic, but ‘try’ is a word with broad interpretation.”

Rosie chuckled. “Yes. It is. It will be worth some hassle. You’re going to love it. You’ll see.”

Dandy waved over her shoulder without looking back.

Everything was done, which meant the next two hours would define boredom. Rosie tapped her fingers on the polished bar as her eyes wandered to the end, where the gray cat sat looking like it was fantasizing that she was a lion and Rosie was her prey.

Carnal entered the Commons quietly and watched as Rosie worked behind the bar. She was drying glasses one by one, holding them up to the light before putting them in the next place in line on the shelf. She was so lost in thought, she hadn’t realized that she wasn’t alone until he said, “What’re you thinking about?”

She jumped. And something about her surprise made him chuckle. It was a rusty sound and an even rustier feeling. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed. He eased onto one of the stools facing the bar.

She went on working, studiously ignoring him while he waited patiently, enjoying watching her as much as she liked being watched.

When he broke the silence again, it was to ask, “You ever been in love, Rosie?”

She paused mid swipe for just a fraction of a second before she continued wiping down the bar, but seemed to be considering the question.

“I think so.”

“What happened?”

She stopped and met his gaze across the polished wood.

“I thought he was the best thing that ever happened to a penis. But he chose work over me. Maybe it was a hard choice, but he made it look way too easy.” She shrugged. “I didn’t see myself taking second place behind a job.”

Carnal’s face took on a more serious expression. “What kind of job?”

“Well,” she paused again, “it’s kind of hard to explain. In my world there are monsters and there are people who try to protect innocents from those monsters.”

“He’s a monster killer.”

“Yes.”

“Is he good at it?”

“I don’t know. But my guess would be yes.”

“What would happen in your world if everybody who was good at killing the monsters stopped doing it because someone in their life wanted them to stay safe?”

Rosie’s mind froze while she examined that question from every angle possible. She didn’t want to confront the obvious answer so she skirted past it. “All I know is that I didn’t want to spend my life waiting and worrying that he wasn’t coming back.”

“So you made good on your promise and left.”

Rosie stopped polishing the bar and looked down at the cloth she was holding in her hand. “Yeah.” The cat jumped up to the end of the bar effortlessly, pranced between them waving her tail like a challenge, and sat herself down right in front of Carnal. When he reached out to pet her, the cat purred loudly while giving Rosie a look so full of malice that she understood why humans had once thought animals could be possessed by evil spirits. Rosie drew a cider and set it in front of Carnal.

“Well, his loss is my gain.”

“You’re going to get cat hair in your cider,” Rosie admonished.

Carnal smiled as he continued petting the cat. “I’ll be careful.”

Rosie shrugged. “It’syourdigestive system. Don’t come crying to me when you have a hair ball stuck in your throat.”

---