Page 92 of Grumpy Pucking Orc
“Is that…is it something romantic to say to someone?” Because it didn’t seem romantic to me, but I was trying to be sensitive to orc culture.
“Oh,veryromantic.” Bwat grinned at me. “But you must have known that. You’re Ozar’s mate. That means you’re an important part of him, like a leg or an arm.”
Or a heart.
“Grumem-esch-ach metanekan schlonakanap-tsknt,” I said again carefully. “Is that right?”
He winced. “Close. I’m sure he’ll get the idea.”
I headed back to the table where Ozar was finally done signing autographs. Abby had her nose in her phone, no doubt checking numbers from tonight’s game and monitoring social media posts. Willa was arguing with Eng about something in a corner of the bar. Stephanie was holding court with six orcs, telling them about this weekend’s pack hunt. I plopped down beside Ozar, scooting the chair over so my leg was pressed against his.
“Spending the night at my place tonight?”
He slowly shook his head. “I want to, but it’s Coal’s first night in my apartment. I’d feel neglectful if I didn’t return tonight. Can you spend the night at my den instead?”
I grimaced. “I have an early morning breakfast meeting with a colleague, and I didn’t bring a change of clothing. I’d need to be out of your place by six.”
Which would completely throw off my schedule. I’d significantly deviated from it today, and the thought of missing my morning routine and gym-time was almost giving me hives. Still, I loved the idea of spending the night in his arms again after so long apart, and it was only fair that I slept over at his place occasionally, especially since he was trying to settle Coal in.
“When is your breakfast meeting? If we both get up at five, will we have time to go to your place, then to your gym before?” He smiled sheepishly. “I can take care of Judy while you get clothes together, and I want to join your gym.”
“When you have a perfectly good gym at the arena?” It seemed like a waste of money to me.
He shrugged. “I don’t need to go to your gym every day. I would like the option, though. Unless your gym is private time? For you to be alone or with your friends?”
I laughed. “Alone with fifty other sweaty humans? I’d love for you to join and go sometimes; I just don’t want you to feel like you have to spend the money.”
“I don’t spend money on much else,” he pointed out. “I have no car. The team pays for my apartment-den. I pay for my milk delivery, food, and furs. I can afford to join your gym.”
“Okay.” I took a drink of my beer and eyed him over the rim, trying to figure out how to approach this next topic. “About the car thing…I think you should learn how to drive. I mean, I’d like to teach you, if that’s okay. If not, there are driving schools you can enroll in.”
“I would love for you to teach me to drive.”
Ozar practically bounced in his seat.
“We’ll start out in empty parking lots,” I warned him. “And you’ll need to get a learner’s permit. I’m not sure what the requirements are for adult orcs getting their license for the first time, so we’ll need to check into that.”
“I’ll get a car of my own.” His eyes gleamed, and I wasn’t sure he’d even heard what I’d said. “Or a truck. It will be blue.”
I laughed. “Okay. Blue truck it is. But license first, okay?”
He grinned. “Okay.”
There was so much more I wanted to say, so much more that we needed to talk about, but this was all I could manage tonight. And maybe it was enough for now. There was still the subject of our future looming over us, but for now, these little discussions about how we could merge small parts of our lives together were progress.
“Grumem-esch-ach metanekan schlonakanap-tsknt,” I told him.
Ozar blinked at me. “Is this some human custom? Which of your friends is pissing in your window?”
I sighed and tried again.
“Ah.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. “Grumem-esch-ach metanekan schlonakanap-tsknt, my beloved Jordan.Grumem-esch-ach metanekan schlonakanap-tsknt.”
Chapter 41
Ozar
We were up at five in the morning, stopping to get Jordan’s car at the stadium parking lot before heading to her house. She quickly added a change of clothes into her workout bag while I fed Judy and searched the house to clean up any of the cat’s “little gifts,” as Jordan called them.
