Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

STEVE

T he entire morning was torture. By the time I had gotten my cock to obey orders, everyone had started working on the walls. Billie was sharing a wall with Tyr and Berit. I was surprised to find myself curling my hands into fists. Tyr was talking to Billie, making me want to punch him in his stupid face. I shook myself. Is this what jealousy felt like? I didn't want any of my tribemates talking to her. Or even standing near her.

I grumbled but joined Reykr and Joey on the opposite wall and got to work. Reykr was usually quiet, but Joey was also working silently and was not her usual talkative self. The entire morning, I had a weird, tense feeling. I wondered if I should try to make conversation, but decided to get down to the work at hand and not try to force anything.

It was hard to keep my mind off of Billie as I sanded down the walls, but I couldn't risk having to run to adjust myself. I thought about our home tribe and wondered if anyone missed us. This tribe seemed much more tightly-knit than mine, with everyone being friendly with everyone else. It was refreshing after coming from someplace more reserved. I wondered what it might be like to stay with them permanently. Reykr and the others wouldn't want to remain here, but over the past few weeks, I found myself caring less and less about what they decided and wanted to decide for myself. Maybe Billie was having that impact on me. In our conversations, as we worked, it sounded like she had learned the hard way to do things that made her happy and not worry about what others thought. I felt like maybe I was getting there.

I was relieved when Osif called for a lunch break. The weird, silent tension between Reykr and Joey was uncomfortable, and I was tired of working alongside them. I was going to join Billie for lunch but was once again blocked by my own tribemates. I humphed as I sat down with Reykr and Joey, stuffing a meat pie into my mouth. At least the food here was good.

"Do you think we'll finish today?" Joey asked eventually after we'd sat in awkward silence for several moments.

Reykr let out a laugh that caused him to choke on his meat pie, requiring me to give him several hearty pats on the back.

"So, I'll take that as a no?" Joey sassed.

I was very surprised to see Reykr blush. "No, no, I'm sorry. I think this sanding business will be several more tedious days."

"Ah, yeah, I was afraid of that." Joey's shoulders slumped.

We had been working on the bar for a long time. The finish line was in sight, but everyone was getting tired. And now I needed to figure out why I wouldn't be joining them and continuing this afternoon. Billie and I hadn't discussed what ruse we would use to skip out on afternoon work.

I finished my lunch and stood. I was still formulating a plot in my head as I brushed the crumbs off my hands. Billie stood at the same time as me, but instead of looking at me, she called Joey.

"I told Emla I would have some berries for her to sample by tomorrow. Do you want to come with me? Let's have some girl time."

I tried to hide my confusion. I looked at Billie, and she gave me a quick look that told me she was lying.

"Sure, sounds better than more sanding." Joey stood, brushing off her lap.

"Steve, do you want to walk part of the way with us?" Billie asked me. "Agnarr has asked to be updated on the bar, and I figured you'd like to see him." She was clearly trying to stress the unspoken meaning of her words.

Everything clicked together in my head, and I tried to sound casual when I realized what was happening. I joined Billie and Joey as we headed down the path toward the longhouse. We walked in tense silence until we rounded the bend and were out of sight and earshot of the bar. Joey stopped, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Alright, it's time to fess up. I know you don't want to go berry picking with me," she said, giving her best friend a knowing look.

Billie looked embarrassed but held her chin aloft.

"Steve and I went on a date last night, and?—"

Immediately, Joey was jumping up and down and squealing. "I knew it! I knew there was no way you went to bed early!" She pumped her fist toward the sky with success. "So am I your cover?" she asked, practically dancing with excitement.

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind," Billie said, trying to keep her voice low. "I would appreciate it if you told everyone that you and I went berry picking this afternoon."

"Sure, sure. Anything for you, babe. What are you actually doing?"

"We're going berry picking," Billie said.

Joey put her hands on her hips and pouted. "That's a lame-ass date, Billie."

"Well fuck, we're on another planet with no electricity. What are we supposed to do? Go to the movies?" Billie rolled her eyes.

"I dunno, you could take him to the caves that Piper told us about," Joey suggested.

"Joey," Billie had a note of warning in her voice. "The caves aren't really an appropriate place for a first or second date, are they?"

I couldn't read what was going on between the two women, but they seemed to come to an unspoken understanding.

"Ah, yes. That makes sense. Well then, I guess enjoy your berry picking? Where should I go so people think I'm with you?" She smirked at Billie with such mirth that I could tell she was enjoying tormenting her friend about this.

"Go take a nap or a nice long shower," Billie said, dismissively waving her hand.

"Fine, that will work. I guess I'll go enjoy my unexpected afternoon of freedom," Joey said, giving me a knowing look.

I raised my hands in defense. "I don't even know what's going on right now."

Joey gave us one last knowing look before heading to the cabins.

Once she was out of sight, I turned to Billie. "So I guess we are telling Joey?"

"There's no one else I trust to cover for us," Billie said. "And she can be a blabbermouth, but she knows this is important to me."

"She knows what is important to you?" I asked, wanting to hear her say it out loud.

Billie blushed but lifted her chin. "You and me. I want you and me to be something. Isn't that what we agreed to?"

"Já, it is. And it is what I want to do," I said, pulling her close.

She let me wrap my arms around her for only a moment before she pulled away.

"Not on the main path," she hissed. "Then everyone will know. Wait for later."

Thinking about the rest of the afternoon, another worry cropped up. "What if someone asks Agnarr where I am? What will he say?"

Billie rolled her eyes. "He'd probably say, ‘eh, I dunno, maybe he went for a walk.' Agnarr is super mellow. We should be fine unless Reykr gets it in his head that he should do some investigating."

As much as Reykr was invested in knowing where I was, I knew he wouldn't abandon the project to look for me.

"Meet behind the kitchen in fifteen minutes?" I asked.

"Yep." Billie grinned.

Then, as if she was thinking about what we were actually going to do while berry picking, I was hit with her delectable scent. I was still trying to figure out why sometimes she smelled stronger than others. It felt like something I should know. I shook off the thought and quickly kissed Billie on the head before walking toward my room. At the very least, I could change before our date. I straightened up, then glanced down at myself and snorted. Sawdust and food crumbs probably wouldn't add to the allure.

BILLIE

I didn't have time to shower, so I hoped whatever smell the orkin had noticed wasn't a bad one. I couldn't smell anything, but Steve had said I smelled like us . If I was honest, that made my heart go a little gooey inside. I watched him walk away before I realized I was supposed to be headed to the kitchens. I grabbed some baskets for berry picking and food for dinner. I was heading out when Emla called to me.

"Billie!" She waved me down. "I want to give you something to take with you on your afternoon with Joey." In her hand, she had an earthenware jug with a cork stopper. "This is the first batch of mead I have so far. It's the standard honeyed mead. Why don't you and Joey try it while you pick berries? You can tell me what you think."

I took the jug from her hand. Did I want to have a drink with Steve? Maybe.

"Thank you. We will try it and report back. And thanks for supporting the new bar."

She patted my arm and waved me off. I exited the back of the kitchen to find Steve leaning against one of the walls, his hands in his pockets. He looked—the only world that came to mind was edible. He gave me a soft smile as I approached him.

"Hi." I breathed, standing as close to him as possible.

"Hi back." He smiled and tucked a curl behind my ear.

My hair was still in a bun from working all morning, but as usual, the ringlets around my face and at the nape of my neck came free.

"Want to go berry-picking?" I asked, holding up the baskets for berries and the basket of food I had packed.

I was already anticipating very little berry picking, but I wasn't sure what we'd get up to. I wanted Steve to set the pace at something he was comfortable with.

He grabbed the heavier basket from me and looped my arm in his. "Lead the way."

We headed down the meandering path toward the berry bushes that Emla had told me about. On the way, Steve peppered me with questions about tugboats, his latest obsession of Earth nautical inventions. Laughing, I explained them, and the conversation turned to the morning's work.

"I hated that I couldn't talk to you all morning," Steve said. "I got stuck with Reykr and Joey. I don't know what is happening with Joey, but she wasn't her usual talkative self, so we worked silently."

"Hmmm…" was all I responded.

"That ‘hmmm' sounds like you know something." Steve raised his brows at me.

"I think Joey might have a little crush on Reykr. What's the story there? Why hasn't he settled down? He's at least ten years older than you." I often wondered about the stoic, barrel-chested orc graying at the temples, but it never felt the right time to ask. Steve took a moment to answer.

"I think because he stepped in and helped raise me when my mom died, he never thought about looking for someone. My dad became a shell without her. Reykr did everything a parent should do, but he was only in his late teens. By the time I was of age, most of the orkin in our tribe that were of his age had settled down. Maybe he likes the quiet."

While it was an unfortunate situation, it wasn't Steve's fault. Yet another burden that wasn't his to carry.

"You can't blame yourself for Reykr still being single," I said gently, touching his arm. "He made that choice, and while it was a sacrifice, it was a sacrifice he made willingly."

I could tell Steve was considering my words, but he said nothing.

"Hey, who knows? Maybe something is blossoming between him and Joey," I continued. "Maybe Reykr needed to escape Snaerfírar as much as you did."

Steve paused. "You think Joey and Reykr could work? She's so small and loud. I mean that in a good way—I don't know that someone like Reykr could manage that amount of energy."

I laughed. He wasn't wrong. "I think you underestimate Joey's determination. If she's got her eye on him, Joey is nothing but determined."

We continued discussing Reykr and Joey's viability as we reached the berry bushes. Once again, I laid out a large blanket, and we set our baskets down. The bushes were in a small clearing, each plant as tall as I was. On closer inspection, they were close to some berries back on Earth, but not exactly the same. They reminded me of blueberries crossed with a grape, deep indigo but oval in shape.

Steve inspected them next to me. He pulled off a berry and popped it into his mouth.

"Any good?" I asked. Normally, I wouldn't eat random berries from an unknown bush, but Emla assured me these were edible and would not poison me.

"It's sweet but tangy, and the berries kind of pop when you bite down on them," Steve said, picking another one.

He held out the berry to me between his thumb and forefinger. I think he expected me to take it using my hand, but instead, I wrapped my mouth around his two fingers, pulling the berry into my mouth with my tongue. Steve's face went from surprised to heated as I sucked on his fingers. I slid my mouth off of him and bit down on the berry. It had the texture of a blueberry but was much more flavorful. I briefly wondered how it would taste with a honeyed mead but was distracted by the look Steve was giving me.

"Do you want to wait on the berries and do something else?" I asked, my voice dipping low.

"Well, we've sampled them and know they are good, so we deserve a break," Steve said, voice dipping low.

"I think that sounds like an excellent idea," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck.