Page 2 of My Ogre Husband
It’s hard to hide from my best friend, who knows me better than even my own mother. My parents haven’t asked more than a couple of questions since I came back, but Celeste seems to have sussed out what I’m hiding.
The tears come to my eyes before I can stop them.
“What if no one wants me?” I ask, wiping my face. “What if I never get chosen by someone who I want to choose, too?” I push all the applications away, scattering them across the ground.
Maybe I’m too much. Maybe I’m too energetic, or demanding, or needy. Maybe Shisek was my best chance at love and I blew it by asking for that chair.
Celeste gasps. “Maddie!” She scoots her chair closer and wraps me up in a hug. “All of these monsters want you. They wouldn’t have applied for you otherwise.”
“But I don’t want any of them!” My tears are flowing faster now. “I can’t end up with another Shisek. It would break me, Celeste.”
Sometimes when it’s dark, I think no one will ever love me the way I want to be loved. I want freedom as much as I want companionship. I want to experience something as average and normal as grocery shopping. I want to make love, and have meals together, and cuddle up on the couch for a silly TV show with my companion in life.
Celeste wipes my cheek with her thumb. “You won’t end up with another Shisek. You know what warning signs to look for now, and you know what you want. You just have to be a little patient until the right one comes along.”
“I guess so,” I say, sniffling. “But I’m tired of waiting.”
She nods. “I know. You want to be swept off your feet. And you deserve that.”
When I’ve cooled off a little, I notice there’s just one application left on the table after my tantrum.
NAME: EGORR
There’s no last name—just “Egorr.”
SPECIES: OGRE
I’ve never had an ogre apply for me before. His photo is... unusual. He’s almost too big for the camera to capture, with a huge green body, and a big round head. He has no hair, and massive tusks protrude from his lower jaw, nearly curling up to his brows.
At first, I think he’s the opposite of handsome with that squashed-looking nose and small eyes. But something in his smile, which looks awkward and a little forced, speaks to me. It’s like he’s holding in what he really is and putting on the face he thinks I would want.
I’m curious what’s behind that smile.
An ogre would certainly keep me safe out in the world, being eight feet tall and bigger than most other monsters we might encounter, save for giants. Immediately I think of how big his cock must be, and my eyes go wide.
“Maddie?” Celeste asks, her gaze following mine to the application. She quirks an eyebrow. “An ogre?”
I trace his smile in the photograph before realizing I should probably read the rest of the application.
OCCUPATION: SOFTWARE DEVELOPER
An ogre who programs computers? Huh. I don’t know why I expected him to be a lumberjack, or maybe a pro weightlifter. I read further on.
“My life is pretty quiet,” his personal statement reads. “I want to share it with someone who I can come home to every day. I have a lot of love to give, and I just haven’t been able to find the person I want to give it to.”
My heart twists in my chest. I know just what he means. I have so much devotion inside me, so much desire and longing, and nowhere for it to go. I want someone who has just as much to offer me in return. I want to love and feel loved completely.
“What do you think?” asks Celeste. “Can you give it another try with someone else?”
The more I look at the picture, the more I can imagine Egorr being handsome. With just that tiny glimpse of what he is inside, I could see myself being attracted to him, huge tusks and all.
Maybe Celeste is right, and I can’t judge Egorr based on Shisek. This ogre is a whole separate, different person, and there’s a chance he could be just what I’m looking for.
I check through the rest of the application, which contains all the notes from the resident director during the vetting process. She’s written down things like, “Very considerate,” “a little forgetful,” and “already has plans for decorating Maddie’s bedroom.”
My heart swells just the smallest amount. An ogre certainly has furniture already, so that’s a plus. And I have a fantastic memory, so we should complement each other well.
“All right,” I say with a sigh. “I’ll ask him to meet.”
