11. Kiki

Chapter 11

Kiki

I slink back into the dorm room, hoping to sneak in unnoticed. Fat chance of that happening.

"Lookie here. Look who finally decided to grace us with her presence," Steph sing-songs, her red curls bouncing as she waggles her eyebrows at me.

So much for stealth mode. I plaster on an innocent smile. "Oh, hey guys. What's up?"

Octavia looks up from braiding Bambi's hair, and Bambi’s green eyes twinkle. "Oh, nothing much. Just wondering where you’ve been all day."

I flop onto my bed with an exaggerated groan.

"How was your tour? More specifically, how was your tall, dark, and hairy tour guide," Steph quips.

Heat creeps up my neck. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Octavia, usually so quiet, pipes up. "Come on, Maria. Spill the tea. We’ve been waiting all day. What's he like?"

I bite my lip, unsure how much to divulge. These women are practically strangers, after all. But then again, we're all in this bizarre situation together. Maybe a little girl talk is exactly what I need.

"Gruffydd's...different," I start, choosing my words carefully. "Not at all what I expected."

"Different." Bambi giggles. “Yeah, we know.”

“Come on, though, we talked to Enfys, but none of us has even had a conversation with a male Sasquatch yet. Enfys says they’re supposed to keep their distance until tonight,” Steph chimes in. “But apparently, for some reason, Gruffydd is an exception.”

“What we really want to know,” Bambi leans forward with interest, “is what to expect.”

I glance up at Octavia who doesn’t seem to care either way as she continues to fix Bambi’s hair.

I shrug, aiming for nonchalance but probably missing by a mile. "He's smart, for one thing. Did you know the Sasquatches have stock portfolios? And don't even get me started on their underground garden. It's called Eden and it’s gorgeous, like a true Eden?—"

"We saw it," Steph interrupts. "But we want the juicy details. Is he scary? Did he try to eat you?"

I roll my eyes. "Please. He's about as scary as a giant teddy bear. And his fur? It's not thick and coarse at all. It's actually short and really soft and silky. Like a baby’s hair."

The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. Crap. Now they're definitely going to think something happened.

Sure enough, three pairs of eyes widen in unison.

"And how exactly do you know how soft his fur is?" Bambi asks, her voice dripping with innuendo.

I wave my hand dismissively, hoping my face isn't as red as it feels. "Oh, you know. We may have taken a dip in the hot springs. No big deal."

"No big deal?!" Steph practically shrieks. "You went skinny dipping with Bigfoot and that's no big deal?"

"It wasn't skinny dipping," I protest weakly. "I wore my bra and panties."

Octavia giggles, a sound I haven't heard from her before. She’s really quiet. I wonder if it’s her scar that makes her so shy and introverted. It’s a terrible scar, definitely caused from a burn, and covering the whole side of her face.

I groan, burying my face in my pillow. "Can we please change the subject?"

"Not a chance," Bambi declares. "What else happened? Was this like a romantic tour?"

I peek out from behind my pillow, weighing my options. On one hand, I could keep my budding whatever-this-is with Gruffydd private. On the other hand, I'm dying to dissect every moment with someone. Anyone.

"Well," I start slowly, "he’s sweet. And corny.” I grin widely. “He mentioned something about soulmates and destiny."

The collective gasp that follows could probably be heard all the way back in New York.

"Soulmates?" Steph repeats, slapping her hand over her chest.

I try to play it cool even as my heart does a little flip at the memory. "Apparently, it's a Sasquatch thing. They have these...you know what, I’ll let you find that out for yourselves."

"That's..." Bambi pauses, searching for the right word. "Actually kind of sweet."

"I know, right?" I can't help the goofy grin that spreads across my face. "He said he wants to court me. Can you believe it? Court me. Like we're in some Jane Austen novel or something."

Steph sighs dreamily. "That's so romantic."

"It's cheesy is what it is," I counter, but there's no real heat behind my words. Truth is, I kind of love it. Gruffydd's different. Of course he is, you idiot. Different species! But it’s more. His earnestness is...refreshing.

"So, what are you going to do?" Steph asks, leaning forward eagerly.

I shrug, suddenly feeling very exposed. "I don't know. I mean, this whole situation is crazy, right? We're in an underground city full of creatures who aren’t even supposed to actually exist, for crying out loud. And now one of them thinks I’m his soulmate? It's a lot to process."

Bambi nods sympathetically. "I get it. It's overwhelming. But maybe...maybe it's not such a bad thing? I mean, we were talking,” she gestures from herself to Steph and Octavia, “and it seems as though all of us are here for a reason. To escape something, or because life—mingling in human society—just wasn’t working out for us. I don't know what your deal is, but we figure maybe this is the universe's way of giving us a second chance."

Her words hit like a ton of bricks. She’s right. Don't get me wrong, at one time, life was great. Fabulous. The world was my oyster. Kiki Karaprtyan was a household name and I was recognized everywhere I went. But then it all went into the crapper faster than you can say eyewitness . I’d give anything to have my old life back, but the reality is, that may not be possible. Could Grotto really be my second chance? It beats roach motels and lonliness, that’s for sure.

Before my mind can go too far off on a tangent, Steph claps her hands excitedly. "Well, ladies, we can continue this fascinating discussion of interspecies romance later. Right now, we have a hoedown to get ready for!"

Right. The hoedown. I'd almost forgotten about that.

"What exactly is a hoedown anyway?" I ask, grateful for the change of subject.

They all just stare at me. “What? I’m from Manhattan.”

"No clue," Steph admits. She motions to Octavia, who shrugs. “We’re from Chicago.”

Our eyes dart to Bambi who shakes her head. “Salt Lake City. I’ve never heard of a hoedown.”

We spend the next hour getting ready, which mostly consists of showering and putting on clean clothes. None of us have a clue what one is supposed to wear to a hoedown, but it doesn’t matter since all we have available are changes of oversized t-shirts and yoga pants.

As the four of us make our way to the central meeting space, which I learned from Gruffydd today is called the Hub, we hear strains of...is that fiddle music?

As we round the corner, I stop short. My jaw drops at the sight before me. The cavernous space has been transformed into a full-blown party scene. Twinkling lights hang from the ceiling, casting a warm glow over everything. Long tables groan under the weight of what looks like enough food to feed an army. And in the center of it all, a group of Sasquatches are square dancing. Honest-to-god square dancing.

"Holy guacamole," Steph breathes beside me. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

I nod dumbly, still trying to process the scene. I recognize Enfys, weaving through the crowd with a tray of drinks, her fur adorned with little flower clips. And over by the buffet, a group of Sasquatches are tending to what look like giant barbecue smokers, the aroma filling the air.

The live band consists of a group of Sasquatches playing some sort of instruments that look like a cross between oversized fiddles and oversized banjos. They’re playing a lively tune.

But it's the dancing that really catches my eye. I never would have pegged Sasquatches for the square dancing type, but there they are, swinging their partners, do-si-do-ing, and promenading. Their movements are surprisingly graceful for such large creatures, and the joy on their faces is infectious.

Bambi verbalizes what all four of us are thinking when she chokes out, "Un-freaking-believable."