“Yep.”
“I don’t like him.” Xane declared with firm and inexplicable resolve. “I don’t like his plan.”
“Everyone likes George Clooney. He’s a silver fox! Plus, he made like three films about casino robberies.” She knew these things. She’d taken Intro to Cinema as an elective.
Xane wasn’t appeased by her expertise. “The man is a fox? This is translating to a small animal in my language. I thought you said he was a human.”
“He’s that too.”
“Well, shape-shifter or not, I will kill any human male who challenges me for you.”
“I’ll turn George down when he proposes.” Sadie promised dryly. “Don’t worry. He’s only got two measly arms, so he’s got no chance with a sought-after girl like me.”
Xane’s shoulders relaxed. “Only two? I could defeat such a man easily.”
Her maybe-husband could defeatanyoneeasily. MMA fighters would have run away from him in terror. It was very appealing.
Xane crouched down to grab a handful of some suspicious-looking gunk from the ground. Pulling up the fur-lined sleeve of Sadie’s robes, he began rubbing it into her skin.
That was way less appealing.
“Ew!” She tried to pull away, but he didn’t let her go. “Quit it, Xane! What are you doing?”
“I am disguising your scent.”
“But now I smell terrible!”
“Yes. That is the point. If you’re near other men, some of them will be able to tell you’re a woman. It would be a disaster.”He smeared her up with goo like he was applying sunscreen at the beach. “And you could never smell terrible, Sadie.”
She sniffed at herself and instantly regretted it. “Except Ido.”
His eyes stayed focused on his work. “You usually smellbetter, but under the stench, you still smell like you. Honey and sex.”
Well, what do you know…? Sadie tilted her head, so she could look into his face. “I think you’re flirting with me.”
He met her eyes and then glanced away. “Rtaharions only speak the truth.”
“You’re speaking about how nice I smell. That’s flirting, big guy.”
“Any male would notice your scent is intoxicating.”
“You’re the first male to bring it up, actually.”
“We are married, so I notice it the most. It is my right.”
Their supposed marriage was still a touchy subject for her. “You know, just because youthinkwe’re married, doesn’t mean we are.”
“Just because you think we’renotmarried, doesn’t mean we aren’t.”
Sadie ignored that smug retort and went back to brainstorming her plan. It was way safer. She needed to remember the plot ofOcean’s 11. The Frank Sinatra version of that movie was set on New Year’s Eve, right? She’d never seen it, but that counted as a holiday film. Holiday films were always the best. Too bad no one robbed a casino inHome Alone, because she’d watched that like forty times.
Anyhow, she’d for sure seen the George Clooney version ofOcean’s 11. That would do for inspiration. Pretending to be rich was a huge part of George’s big heist. She was almost completely sure. How could she fake being a high-roller? Maybe they could sell something to finance that part of the ruse.
“Do we own anything rare?” She asked, after a moment of deep thought.
Xane wasn’t done flirting. “Your hair is the color of the sky in my homeland. There is nothing else in the universe like it.”
“Really?” She reached up to pull one ordinary brown curl in front of her eyes. “Is it valuable?”TheGift of the Magiwas doable. Did aliens need hair extensions, maybe?