Book Club
An Alleycat Crew Short
“When do you think we’ll be done here?” Calynn turned in her chair to ask him.
“I don’t know,” Kash replied. “The courier seems to be running late with the package… why?”
“There’s a bookstore down the block doing a dark romance book club tonight. I kinda want to go.”
“Dark romance book club?”
“Yeah,” Calynn smiled, already lighting up. “I’d have to read the book quick, but it looks like fun on the cyber-web site. It starts in just under three hours, but I don’t want to buy it if you don’t think we can make it. Well… I might still buy it. It looks like a really good book. It’s got this world’s version of dragons in it. The older handsome wizard takes a new chamber maid—the young voluptuous protagonist—but her beauty distracts him from his work. So he locks her in the dungeon…”
“Can I opt out of the commentary?” Kash interrupted, waving his hand. “I’m not interested in such books.”
“But she falls in love with him…” Calynn tried. “It sounds sweet.”
“Still not a fan.”
“And there’s a menacing dragon terrorizing the city,” she continued, practically pleading with him to like it.
“Does the dragon eat the wizard or the girl?”
“No… how could it be a love story if one of them dies?”
“How about a militia that confronts the dragon? I like historic military dramas.”
“No… no armies,” her voice was tiny now and her head drooped forward.
Kash stepped forward and gently placed his finger under her chin, lifting it so she looked up at him. Her beautiful brown eyes looked sad. He despised making her sad.
“So what makes it a dark romance?” Kash asked, less than willingly.
“The forbidden love,” Calynn replied, cheering up a little. “Wizards have to stay chaste—that’s a total rule in their order—but the girl is too beautiful. He wants to lock her away so she doesn’t wreck his focus, but he can’t stand being without her either. It’s obsession, power, all that dark, twisty tension… but underneath it he’s completely wrecked for her. Toxic on the outside, stupidly romantic on the inside. That’s the dark part.”
“Sounds… complicated.”
“No more complicated than the ex-Legionnaire fighter pilot who falls madly in love with his beautiful, brilliant blonde pilot in a synthetic body,” Calynn smiled slyly.
“Oh, he’s madly in love with her, is he?” Kash asked, voice low and seductive.
“He better be… she’s head over heels in love with him.”
“Oh,” Kash said softly, leaning in closer. “Why’s that?”
“He’s strong,” Calynn replied, running her hand across his chest, “ruggedly handsome, very protective over her, and fulfills all… her needs.”
“I’d bet she’s exceptional at fulfilling his needs also.”
“She loves handling all of his needs,” Calynn said, grabbing his belt to pull him closer. “Would you read about their romance?”
“Probably not,” Kash smirked. “But maybe the other stuff they do.”
“You’re no fun,” Calynn said, rolling her eyes and pushing him back a tiny bit.
“Wanna bet?” Kash narrowed his gaze at her playfully.
“Are you trying to distract me so I forget about the book club?” Calynn asked, pulling him in close so their lips almost touched.
“Is it working?” Kash asked, placing a delicate kiss on the corner of her mouth.
“Maybe,” Calynn smiled, wrapping her arms around him. “I’m a little overdressed for…”
“Hey!” Kash exclaimed suddenly, pulling away from her. “The courier is here. Time to work.”
Calynn bit her lower lip, groaned in annoyance, and spun back around to her monitors.
“After the exchange, you can keep an eye on them,” she said, looking back at him over her shoulder. “I’m going to book club.”
