19. Angie

19

ANGIE

W hen I woke the next morning, my nose was pressed into my rolled-up sofa blankets. So much for dreaming that I'd snuggled against Tuvid all night. As for my gargoyle fiancé, he was not lying on the other side of the blankets.

I slid from the bed and grabbed my robe, stumbling out to the kitchen to find him showered and dressed. He'd made muffins and a pot of coffee. How could I complain about something like that?

Smiling at the cute picture of him placing the tin of muffins on my island, I burst into tears.

"Angie," he croaked, flinging the potholders aside and rounding the island to hold me. "Are you okay?"

"You cooked. You showered," I sobbed into his chest.

"And that upsets you?"

"No, I'm happy," I wailed.

"I see." He pulled some tissues from a box and, tilting my chin, wiped my eyes with the gentlest touch.

That made me cry some more until I gained control of my weepy eyeballs. Sniffing, I backed away from him. "I'm sorry."

"No need to be." His mouth curled up on one side. "I'm glad I make you happy."

Before his smile made me start crying again, I scooted past him, aiming for the hall. "I'll get ready, and we can eat."

A short time later, we sat at the counter and ate, then left for the microbrewery.

Since our tails had to be tied while in public, he had to contort himself to fit inside my car, rather than fly. We opted to retie our tails when we reached the brewery, however.

"Why the rolled-up blankets in the bed last night?" I asked. "Is that a gargoyle tradition?"

He nodded; his knees pressed against the dashboard despite putting the seat as far back as it would slide. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable. It's enough that you agreed to tie tails to save my reputation and remain bound, more or less, for three days after."

"Other than you dive bombing the crowd last night, it's been fun."

Once I'd parked, we slipped from my car. It didn't take long to secure my tail and bind them together.

Feeling like I was competing in a three-legged race, we went inside the brewery and to my office, where we juggled the chairs around so we could sit side-by-side.

I struggled to drag my mind off the fact a hot gargoyle was sitting very close beside me, while he appeared completely absorbed in his work .

Finally, I started looking through the supply orders for the past three months and was soon lost in numbers.

Someone knocked on my door and Emma poked her head through the opening, giving me a smile that slid to Tuvid. "What's this I hear about you two getting engaged? Congratulations!"

Word traveled fast. "Thanks, Emma. I thought you and Jularin were spending the weekend at the casino."

Her lips thinned. "We broke up. Would you believe I caught him making out with a succubus behind one of the slot machines? He promised me he wasn't seeing her any longer, but I guess he was." Tears welled in her eyes.

I got up and stepped over our bound tails, taking her arm and bringing her inside, closing the door behind her. "I'm so sorry, Emma."

She sobbed. I grabbed some of my handy tissues and gave them to her, struggling not to get weepy myself. Break-ups always did me in even if they weren't my own.

"He's a jerk," she snarled. "We were having fun too. I actually won a thousand dollars."

"Wow, congratulations."

"Thanks. It was such a relief."

"A relief?"

"My rent's due tomorrow." She blinked at me through her tears. "Now that he's with her again, and I put all his stuff out on the curb, I'll have to pay the full rent myself until I find a roommate." Sniffing, she blotted her eyes. "Do you know anyone who's looking to move into an apartment? It's a two-bedroom. We used the second bedroom as an office, but most of the junk in there is his. I'll be dumping that out on the curb after work today. "

"I don't know anyone who's looking to rent." I grabbed tissues and wiped the tears from my face. Fortunately, Emma knew me well, and ignored my sobs. Sympathy crying was a bitch. "But you can put a posting up in the staff lounge. Maybe someone here is looking for a place to move into."

"Thanks." She stood, her shoulders heaving with a sigh. "I appreciate you listening. You too, Tuvid."

He nodded, looking back and forth between us with a speculative gleam in his eyes.

"I should get to work," Emma said. "Bookkeeping waits for no one. Congrats, though, you too. I hope you'll be very happy together, unlike me." She sniffed.

"If you need to leave early or take some time for yourself, feel welcome. Just let me know. I completely understand."

"You're an amazing boss, Angie. I don't know what I'd do if I worked for some guy who wouldn't understand."

"I'm here for you. Always." I walked as close to the door as I could with my tail connected to Tuvid's.

She gave me a hug, and we were both soon sobbing again.

"Males suck," Emma declared, stomping out of the office.

I was shutting my door when a scream rang out from the front of the microbrewery.

We raced side-by-side to the tasting room, where Tuvid flung open the door.

The retail cooler doors stood open and all the beer that had been neatly packed inside for sale now lay on the hardwood floor—every single bottle broken .

Beer covered the floor, gurgling and releasing bubbles as it sunk down between the floorboards.