7. Chapter 7 Bizarre Bazaar

Chapter 7: Bizarre Bazaar

G rum

“Remind me again why we’re here?” The words come out more growl than question as Joy drags me through the crowded street that borders the Integration Zone. It’s a chickenshit move, blaming this on her. We’re both well aware that I’m the one who made the offer.

“Because,” she chirps, her eyes sparkling with that manic Christmas glee I’m starting to find less annoying by the hour, “even detectives need a night off. Plus, you were kind enough to invite me because I’ve never been to the Zone’s Outdoor Bazaar before!”

“Well, it’s not exactly in the Integration Zone. Because it’s so close to Christmas, we’re expecting a big crowd of humans to attend, so the city gave us permission to move the booths to the city street that borders the Zone. Maybe your store will get a little action since it’s so close.”

“I’m glad JoAnn called and apologized for walking out of her volunteer job. She used to work for me and offered to man my shop tonight. C’mon. Let’s explore!” Joy’s normal over-the-top, forced happiness morphs into something much more genuine. She seems like a kid on their birthday as she grips my forearm and pulls me ahead. Funny, her touch doesn’t piss me off nearly as much as it did when I first met her. Who am I kidding? It doesn’t piss me off at all.

The night market’s noisy, joyful chaos surrounds us. I see the explosion of color, sound, and scent through Joy’s eyes and wonder if it’s exciting or terrifying to her. When I glance at her, her sparkling eyes and wide smile tell me it’s the former.

Vendors hawk their wares. The air is thick with the aroma of sizzling meats and flowery incense. Joy is practically vibrating with excitement. It’s… not terrible to see her so happy.

“Oh, Grum, look!” She tugs on my arm, pointing to a stall where an orc woman is weaving intricate patterns in hand-dyed fabrics. “It’s beautiful.”

As Joy approaches the stall, the woman smiles, her tusks glinting in the glow from the streetlight. “See something you like?”

Joy nods eagerly, running her fingers over a delicate bracelet. “This is amazing. How do you do it?”

As the woman explains the traditional finger-weaving techniques, I find myself watching Joy. Her enthusiasm, her genuine interest in our culture… is refreshing. Most humans who venture into the Zone are either wary or treat us like some sort of tourist attraction. But Joy… she’s different.

She carefully looks at many of the wares, but she keeps coming back to an aqua bracelet woven with a row of jade green stars.

“You like this one? I can give you a good price.” The woman places it on her own wrist, and it looks good, but those colors would look better against Joy’s skin.

Joy shakes her head reluctantly.

“It’s beautiful, but, um, my credit card…” She screws up her face to show the vendor just how much she regrets not being able to make the purchase.

“Those green stars? Those are the symbol of our Goddess, Ani’Wei who is the goddess of all good things… including love.” This grandmother is quite the salesperson.

Joy’s eyes widen as she glances at my forehead, then back at the bracelet.

“That’s your tattoo?”

I nod.

“I didn’t take you for a religious male.”

“My people celebrate privately, for the most part. We connect with the Goddess in our hearts.” I press my fist to my chest as a wave of connection to the Goddess flows through me. That’s funny. I haven’t felt close to her for a long time.

“You want to buy it?” The saleswoman presses Joy.

“No. Sorry. I’m maxed out.”

Yeah, maxed out. I caught her little slip when she hinted that some of those toys weren’t donations from the public but came from her line of credit.

“What I can afford,” she tells me as she hesitantly turns away, “Is dessert. Think you can point me in the direction of the best baked goods in the bazaar?”

She beams up at me, and for a moment, I forget about stolen toys and musty old theaters. All I can think about is taking this woman in my arms, pressing her close, and kissing her senseless. Wait, what? Have I gone crazy?

“Sure. I’ll take you to my favorite baker.”

“I knew there was a reason I kept you around, Grinch. Wait. Do you know who the Grinch is?”

“Yeah. I know the Grinch. The guys’ human mates made me watch it last year. I could totally relate, really got into the movie, until the end. The traitor. He turned into a bleeding heart.”

“Well. He sure seemed happier at the end of the movie than at the beginning. I’m just sayin’.”

Rolling my eyes, I can’t quite suppress my smile. “Alright, Tinsel Queen, time to sample some baked goods.”

I see Thrall, one of my firefighting buddies, and tell Joy, “See that huge guy over there? I need to speak with him. Why don’t you take a look at my favorite dessert booth, and I’ll join you in a minute?”

I describe the little booth, point her in the right direction, and to her credit, she forges through the crowd of towering minotaurs and slithering nagas as though she was born and raised in the Zone.

Only a few minutes later, I join her at my favorite booth. “You found it? You’re going to love this.” Did I really just say that? Did I let her hear my enthusiasm? About baked goods? I’m really getting soft.

“Hello, Grum. Come for your favorite mellaton ? Apricot or blueberry today?”

Crap, I really didn’t want Joy to know I like these treats so much that the baker knows my order by heart.

“I’ll be with you in a minute,” she says to Joy as she waits for me to give her my order.

Okay, moment of truth. Keep my connection to Joy a secret or “go public?” I pull Joy to my side, and damn, she feels so… perfect there, like we’re two pieces of a puzzle. “She’s with me.” I flash my tusks, but the movement is so forced I imagine it looks more like a grimace than a smile.

“Oh… with you .” Grandmother’s eyebrows flash in surprise, then she repeats, “Ohhhh,” with a smile. “You finally found a mate?”

“NO! No, grandmother, nothing like that. She’s just… my supervisor at my volunteer gig.” I yank my hand off Joy’s waist and, to make myself perfectly clear, I sidestep three paces.

“Mm-hmm.” She doesn’t even try to hide her skeptical smirk.

“You’re Grum’s grandmother? So very nice to meet you.” Joy is so earnest, so genuine. She effortlessly includes the woman, acknowledging her with a warm smile.

“It’s a term of respect we use for all elders, uh, female elders,” I explain, wishing we could just order and get the heck out of here.

“Pleased to meet you… Grandmother.”

I glance at Joy to see if she’s mocking, but she’s tipped her head respectfully. This melts something in my chest that’s been sitting there like a rock for a long time.

“Here. For Grum’s… supervisor.” Grandmother starts putting mellatons on a paper plate, one of every flavor. “You try them all. Tell me your favorite.”

When Joy pulls out her wallet and asks how much she owes, Grandmother says, “My treat. Are you going to tame our grumpy Grum? You’d do the whole Integration Zone a favor.”

After praying to the Goddess to spirit me away before I’m embarrassed further, Joy and I settle on a few outdoor chairs set up nearby and I put half a mellaton in my mouth to hopefully put an end to the discussion.

“Mmm,” Joy says after breaking off a small bite and tasting it. “Flakey, crisp… apricot. These are amazing.”

I can tell she’s trying hard to hide a smile behind the piece of pastry. Thankfully she lets the subject about taming me drop as she proceeds to take a bite of each of the six flavors, remarking on how each is tastier than the next.

“Dibs on the rest of the apricot,” I grouch, trying to regain at least a shred of my dignity.