Page 4 of Under the Dragon's Spell
"You're still looking for a job?"
"I figure I can't live off my brother forever."
"Don't be silly. You won't live off your brother forever. You'll find someone to love, and then you'll raise an army of children who will drive you insane. That's my plan for you. Don't mess it up."
I laughed softly even though her words hurt a little. I just wanted that so much.
"So what's the job offer?" she asked.
"It could actually fit into your plan…"
"Details! Don't make me drag everything out of you."
"There's a dragon looking for someone to have his baby."
"A dragon? You mean a full dragon?" Disbelief shone through her words. "When do those ever come off their little island?"
"I guess he really wants to mate with someone more human for some reason. There weren't too many details, but they said it'd be a long term position."
Luca was quiet for a moment, a rare occurrence with her. "Does that mean if you do end up having his baby he'd letyou raise it alongside him? Because, really, I don't want you to have to part with your little one when it's born. That would be horrible."
I hadn't considered that, but she was right. I couldn't do it solely for the money or the experience. If I had a baby, I couldn't abandon it to the care of strangers, no matter how wealthy those strangers were.
"I'm not sure," I said. "All the information seems pretty confidential. Maybe when I've applied and they accepted me…" I trailed off. After all, I had no idea how to even fill out this stupid questionnaire. "I don't know if I'm ready for another partner."
"It's been weeks since Rory," Luca reminded me, as if I didn't know exactly how long it had been. "You need to put yourself out there again."
"But is this job really the right way to do it?" This wasn't dipping my toe in the water—this was jumping down a waterfall. I got the feeling that as soon as I took another step forward, the currents would pull me along to an inevitable end, and there was no telling whether I'd like it.
"Only one way to find out," my ever optimistic friend said. "It's unconventional sure, but just applying won't hurt you."
"I guess maybe you're right. But they sent back these papers I have to fill out and I don't know… Some of the things they want to know are really personal stuff."
"Like?"
"Like how many guys I've had sex with. Why would they want to know?"
"That's… Okay, that's a bit odd. Maybe they're trying to see what kind of person you are."
"You think they're gunning for virgins or something?" At least in the stories I'd heard, dragons had a thing for virgins. But those were just stories, right?
"I really don't know. Couldn't you just lie, though?"
I shook my head, even though she couldn't see me. "You know that's not my thing."
"Tell you what, why don't you just come over here and I'll help you fill out the paper? Mara would love to see you, too."
"Sure." The corners of my lips tugged up. If I could do this with Luca, it might actually be fun. "Let me just take a shower and then I'll head over."
"See you in a bit!" She hung up. I put the phone aside, still not sure that I was doing the right thing, but determined to try and see anyway.
3
ADRIAN
Luca's house was never quiet. If it wasn't her making noise by exercising her favorite hobby—playing the drums—it was her little daughter. At barely two years old, Mara had become quite the whirlwind. The girl ran toward me as soon as I stepped through the door.
"Mara up!" She reached her arms out to me and I picked her up.
