17. Kiki

Chapter 17

Kiki

Once again, I slip into the dorm room, hoping to fly under the radar. The moment I close the door behind me, four pairs of eyes zero in on me like heat-seeking missiles. Busted.

"Whadda ya know," Steph singsongs, her freckled face split in a cheshire cat grin. "Someone just waltzed in doing the strut of shame."

I glance around, taking in the scene. The girls are lounging on a plush fur rug, each cradling an iPad. And Frank, our custodian-in-training is here too, perched on the edge of a split-log chair.

"Funny," I roll my eyes as I plop down next to Bambi. "I don't remember buying a ticket to this comedy show."

Bambi cocks a perfectly arched eyebrow at me. "Spill, sister. Where were you all night? Wait, don't tell us. We already know." She punctuates her words with an exaggerated wink.

Heat creeps up my neck as the others chime in with a chorus of "oohs" and kissy noises. Mature, ladies. Real mature.

I'm saved from further interrogation by Frank, who clears his throat awkwardly. "Right. So, as I was saying, you each get an iPad to order any clothing or personal items you need. Everything will be delivered to an Amazon locker topside and my grandfather—he's the current custodian—or I will bring it down for you."

I accept the sleek device and begin scrolling, not sure what I want. It’s not as though there’s a haute couture of Grotto since the Sasquatches don’t wear clothes. That's when it registers there’s a new face among us. Well, not entirely new. It's the woman who fainted when we first arrived.

"Hey there," I greet her with a smile. "I'm Maria, aka the chick who screamed like a freak and probably triggered your fainting spell. Sorry about that."

She returns my smile, though it doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Deborah. And no worries, I'm pretty sure it was the whole 'underground city of mythical creatures' thing that did me in."

I laugh, but it fades quickly as I take in her appearance. She's still thin, of course, but she looks far less gaunt than she did two days ago, and the dark circles under her eyes are gone. She appears healthier. Grotto must agree with her.

"Deborah was with Dafydd last night," Steph chimes in, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh really?" I lean forward, curiosity piqued. "Do tell."

Deborah blushes, ducking her head. "It's not like that. He was just...very kind."

"Kind, huh?" Bambi gives a knowing smirk.

"We were ready to break down the door and rescue you," Steph admits, looking sheepish. "You know, in case he was holding you hostage or something."

I snort. "Trust me, if these guys wanted to hold us hostage, a handful of women wouldn't stop them."

"That's what I said!" Bambi throws her hands up. "But Miss Worrywart over here insisted on a recon mission."

Deborah's eyes widen. "You guys were worried about me?"

Steph reaches over and squeezes her hand. "Of course we were. We've got to stick together down here."

Deborah blinks rapidly, and I suspect she's fighting back tears. My heart clenches. I get the feeling this girl hasn't had many people in her corner.

Eager to shift the focus off of Deborah and save her from more embarrassment, I brandish the bag of ground coffee Gruffydd gifted me. "My hairy Prince Charming gave me a lovely gift."

"Aww." Bambi slaps a hand over her heart. “That’s so thoughtful.”

“Coffee!” Steph shouts. “I’d kill for a cup o’ joe right now.”

"Yeah, I didn’t have the heart to tell the big softie that I needed a coffee maker to brew it. But that’s definitely going in my Amazon shopping cart.

The conversation turns to the hoedown and I glance pointedly at Steph, Bambi and Octavia in turn, “Did anyone else get lucky last night?"

“Did anyone else do the walk of shame, you mean?” Steph teases.

I throw a pillow at her. "It's not a walk of shame if you're proud of it," I retort, sticking out my tongue.

"Bambi had an admirer. Olwydd. He was very attentive." Steph waggles her brows.

"Attentive?" Bambi rolls her eyes. "More like clingy. He wouldn't leave me alone all night. It was kind of sweet at first, but then it got a little..."

"Suffocating?" I supply.

"Bingo." She points at me.

Steph sighs dramatically. "At least he was actually admiring you. I got glared at all night."

"Glared at?" I frown. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know, it was weird. One of the Sasquatches wouldn’t stop staring at me. Every time I danced with someone, I could feel his eyes on me. Not in a sexy way, but in an 'I want to rip your head off' way." Steph shudders.

I glance over at Octavia, who's been quietly observing our banter. "What about you, Octavia? Any Sasquatch suitors?"

She startles, like she's not used to being included. "Oh, um...no. Not really."

"She was too busy running the whole show," Steph chimes in. "Seriously, the girl was everywhere. Refilling punch bowls, bussing tables, I think I even saw her polishing the cutlery at one point."

A vague memory surfaces of Octavia flitting around the edges of the party, always in motion.

Bambi frowns. "Octavia, you know you didn't have to do all that, right? You were supposed to be enjoying yourself, not working."

Octavia shrugs, picking at a loose thread on the hem of her t-shirt. "I didn't mind. I like feeling useful."

There's a story there, I can tell. But before I can probe further, Frank stands up, clearing his throat.

"Well, ladies, I'll leave you to your shopping. Let me know when you're ready to submit your orders." With an awkward salute, he's out the door.

"Okay, but seriously," Steph turns to me as soon as he's gone, "how was it? Spending the night with Gruffydd?"

I can't help the dreamy sigh that escapes me. "It was incredible. Like, mind-blowing." I fan myself dramatically. "Let's just say, you're all in for a very pleasant surprise when you take that step."

They're all leaning forward now, eyes wide with anticipation.

"But there was something else too. It's hard to explain," I continue, "but it was like...fulfilling on a deeper, more spiritual level. Definitely nothing I’ve ever experienced before." My head snaps up sharply after my admittance. I expect them to snicker and tease me, but they don’t.

Bambi puts a hand over her heart, "That's beautiful, Maria.”

"It really is," Steph agrees, uncharacteristically serious.

I glance over at Deborah and Octavia, who both look a bit misty-eyed as well, so I continue. "I know it sounds crazy, but I really think there's something special about this place."

The words settle over us, and it hits me then how much I like sitting here, laughing and bonding with these women. For the first time in longer than I can remember, I feel a sense of belonging.

Don't get me wrong, I still miss my old life. But I think, if I’m never granted the miracle I’ve been praying for—going back to the real me, to who I was before WITSEC—that staying here in Grotto wouldn’t be so bad.

“So, anyone know what a hootenanny is?”