Chapter 1
Business as Usual
It was just another day. She’d hired several females from the villages and quickly sorted out who would work and who wanted a job where they could meet a lord or high level military man to mate. A couple of them had been nasty when she’d fired them, but she could handle dirty words and threats. She was tough enough to handle more than that if it was tossed her way.
Erak would be mad if he found out what had happened and that she’d not informed him. Even though his interest was part time, she couldn’t deny what she felt for him. It was painful to care for someone who seemed to care so little for her.
Did she have a bad attitude? Some seemed to think so, but she didn’t believe it was true. All she wanted was to be treated like she was important. Honesty and respect, those were what she wanted and she couldn’t seem to get them no matter what she did. First he lied to her, then he ignored her except when it suited him to have her company.
Men seemed to be the same wherever you went. Selfish, self-serving, and they took more than they gave. She’d just stay alone. At least her mother and sisters had found males that treated them right. They must have gotten all the good ones.
“Tomi? Someone should do the baking that Dala was supposed to do.” Sonja mentioned.
“Thank you for reminding me. I’ll get right on that.” She didn’t mind. Baking calmed her and soothed her frayed emotions. As she gathered her ingredients, she began to hum softly.
Her mind was on her work and she was getting things done. “Tomi?” A familiar male voice said.
“What? I’m a tad busy right now.”
“When were you going to tell me you were threatened?” Erak asked.
“It was nothing. People get angry when they get fired.” She replied.
“I take these things seriously. What if they come back and try to cause trouble?”
“I’ll deal with them then.”
“You need to let me help you. Some of these people mean what they say when they threaten you.” He informed. “Won’t you stop what you’re doing and talk to me?”
“I’m two people short. Someone has to do the work.”
“I want to spend some time with you. Can’t you take a break?”
“When you are busy, I need to understand. When I’m busy, you have no understanding. That’s just not going to work for me.” She continued to work and he stomped away.
She just didn’t see their relationship going anywhere. They’d kissed and it had been amazing, but they’d not gone past that point. It might never happen, that they did more than kiss. Her body ached for him, but her mind said no. Her relationships back on Earth had left a lot to be desired and she’d rather be alone than have a less than stellar relationship. Ha, she’d accidently made a joke.
The problem was her future happiness was no joke. Erak finally left when he realized she wasn’t going to drop everything to talk to him. Good! Males needed to be trained right. It didn’t matter if he was a king or a poor male. Being a poor male would actually be less complicated. Why did she hold him being a king against him? She didn’t even know herself. Maybe it was just the fact he’d hidden it from her. The problem was, she felt more for that male then she’d ever felt for another. No matter what she did, she was falling hard.
Putting the bread in the giant oven to bake, she looked up and smiled. “Lushia! I am so glad to see you. I didn’t think you were coming in today.”
“I’ll be honest with you, I couldn’t stand to work with Dala. If you’ll look at the schedule, you’ll see I was working the days she was not.” Lushia admitted.
“If this happens again, you tell me. No one told me how mean and nasty that female was. I finally fired her because she was lazy. She spent all her time talking up the males.” She observed.
“She threatened everyone here at some time or other.” Lushia declared.
“Including me when I fired her.” She giggled. “Someone told Erak and he wasn’t happy.”
“That female is dangerous if she’s willing to threaten you. Be careful.” Lushia suggested. “What do you need me to do?”
“This is the list of food that needs done. Take your pick and mark it off the list once you start it. I’ve got all the bread in the oven.”
“You’re amazing. I’ve never seen anyone work as hard or as fast as you do.” Lushia admitted.
“I’m slow compared to my mom. Sometime I hope to get her in here to show us all how it’s done.”
“I doubt her mate will let her do that. These dragon males are extremely possessive.” Lushia noted.
“My mom doesn’t put up with that kind of behavior. They almost split up over it. The reason she can’t come in is she has a business she runs too. She just can’t find the time. That’s something I understand. So what hours can you work now that the big bully is gone?”
“Bully?” Lushia asked.
“Someone who pushes others around and uses their position or some other method usually size or strength to make others feel bad. It’s a hard term to explain, but it’s a bad person who is cruel to others.”
“Some words don’t translate exactly. But what you just said fits Dala perfectly. I can work full time, I actually need to because my Reddik got laid off.” Lushia admitted.
“What does he do?” She asked.
“He worked on a farm, but they got a new worker who needs the house they provide and they can pay the male less.” Lushia explained.
“Does he have a lot of experience farming?” She wondered.
“Fifteen years and more, he was raised on a farm.” Lushia informed.
“Here, send him here. They hire almost all the time. Have him tell whoever he talks to that I sent him. It should help.”
“Thank you. He is so upset that he can’t work.” Lushia admitted.
Her mom would give the male a chance. She hoped he worked out. Mates sometimes saw things differently than other people did. Usually, they had a gentler view. The outlook she had was harsher and she knew it. In her past the males she’d dated had always left her in pain or numb. That wasn’t something she intended to go through again.
“Lady Tomi?” A voice called out at the counter where orders were taken.
“Yes?” She said biting down her impatience.
“The king would like to place an order and have you deliver it personally.” The male, one she’d seen around but didn’t know his name, said.
“What would he like?” She asked not letting him see her irritation at Erak. He was, after all, the king.
“He said for you to choose a good meal for two with drinks. You would make the best choice, he said.” The male told her. “Just charge it to his account.”
“I will. Thank you.” She replied and the male hurried off.
With Lushia here, she could get away briefly. She owed Erak this favor as he’d given her a huge amount of business. If she hurried, she could make it back before the lunch crowd hit. Since he’d let her make the call, she used up her leftovers so she could remove some of the pots from the cooler. Some had only a little food in them now.
Rushing around, she made two meals. One of stew, a BLT sandwich, meatloaf, biscuits, and two pieces of pumpkin pie. Many of the foods here looked similar to ones from home. The other meal also had meat load and a BLT but then it had potatoes and carrots, the last of yesterday’s bread, and the last piece of cherry pie. That pie was one of Erak’s favorites.
Once the tray was filled, she hurried away. Just outside the door, a soldier waited. He took the tray and led her to Erak’s office. What could the king possibly want? The doors were held open by guards as she and the other male walked into Erak’s meeting room. He stood immediately and came forward to greet her.
“I’m glad you could join me.” He greeted. “You two may go.” Erak dismissed the guards and they hurried out. Motioning to the table, “Sit please. What have you brought me?” He grinned like a young boy.
“A little bit of everything.” She explained.
“Meatloaf? Gods I love that. Don’t be bashful, the other meal is for you.” Erak informed.
It was true she’d been working hard and had forgot to eat. “Fine, if you insist.”
“I do.” He moved to her and pulled out the chair helping her sit.
She moved the plates around giving him the largest share of the food. It was all good to her, so she didn’t care what she ate. Her appetite wasn’t the best when she worked as hard as she had been.
“I hoped you would attend Lord Toreen’s birthday party with me.” Erak asked.
“When is it?”
“In two weeks, I just received my invitation. Cretia said it will be a small intimate get together.” He explained.
“I can do that if you’re sure you want me to?”
“What do you mean by that?” He asked.
“I just thought you might be better served looking for a mate.” She said even though it hurt. The thought of him with someone else pained her.
“I’ve found my mate, she just refuses to see what she is to me.”
She didn’t bother to act dumb. He meant her and she knew it. The problem was he hadn’t been honest and even if she forgave him for that, he’d not been persistent in his pursuit of her. He’d been there one moment and gone the next. Then he had waited weeks with no explanation and came around again after she’d taken over the cafeteria. It was like out of sight out of mind, then back on his mind when she was nearby.
Why did everything in her life have to be crazy or disappointing? She really didn’t think she expected too much. A male that truly loved her, cared about their relationship, and was honest. That was it. Why was that so hard to find?
“You’re thinking too hard. I care about you so much and I want to spend time with you. What do I have to do to get you to agree?”
A giggle broke free. “You could always come work for me in the kitchen.”
“You jest? Maybe I’ll do it and then what will you think?”
“We’ll see if you’re a good worker, won’t we?” She asked.
“Maybe I need to find out how you make these marvelous dishes.” He commented then took a bite and moaned.
The sound was sexy and made her body heat. He sniffed and she knew he was aware of her desire. Those winged beasts just had an advantage every time. They could sense emotions and even scent lies at times. Their senses were superior to humans and they were strong and fast. Erak in particular was also smart. She suspected eventually he would out smart her.
He was planning all the time and she would eventually give in. It was just a matter of time. Meanwhile, she would hold out because he deserved to suffer for what he’d put her through. She had no plans to go down easy. It frightened her to think about holding out, but it also scared her when she thought about giving in.
It was funny that she could imagine him in an apron with his sleeves rolled up. His hands would be sunk in dough or he’d be cutting up vegetables. A smile came to her face.
“That’s better. I like that look on your face a lot.” He admitted.
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Maybe a smile should worry you?”
He frowned as he seemed to try to work out what she meant. “Do you mean you’re planning something?” He asked.
“You’ll know when I do something.” She smirked. It was fun to tease him.
They finished eating but now he was more withdrawn. That was alright because she didn’t like to talk all the time. Sometimes, it was nice just to have a companionable silence and relax with another person with you. Most humans disliked that but the people here were different. They didn’t mind it so much.
“That was delicious. Maybe I will show up in your kitchen.” He chuckled which made her laugh too.
“I’d best get back to work. Those in the kitchen will be trying to keep up with the demand.”
“You took care of me that should count for something.” He observed.
“It isn’t enough when I’m in charge.”
He should understand considering his position or at least she thought that way. They were alike in many ways except her kingdom was on a smaller scale. She ruled the kitchen and only had a handful of employees to manage. When she thought of things that way, it was easy to feel bad for Erak. Things were hard for him and she’d not made them any easier. Still, wasn’t she entitled to a choice?
Once she got to the kitchen, everything was crazy as it was lunch time and most of them took lunch at the same time. She filled in wherever she was needed, cooking, making sandwiches, doing dishes, ringing up orders, and finally fixing plates. Everyone in the kitchen worked hard for two hours. Many of the people at the castle took long lunches. It made the busy time stretch out, but made it possible for them to feed everyone.
Her cafeteria was small and it helped that she bought some things already cooked like desserts. Her sister and a few of the ladies that wanted some spending money supplied the extra she needed and she couldn’t get by without it. As soon as the last customer left, they all collapsed in a corner in chairs at the table they used for breaks.
“Gods, that was tough.” Lucia admitted.
“Business has picked up. We’re getting people from town now too.” She admitted.
“If it picks up anymore, how will we handle it?” Lushia asked.
“I may have to cook somethings at night and bring them in with me in the morning.” She observed.
“You already work all the time.”
“True, but more employees will only help if they cook during off times. No one wants to work at night and it’s hard to find someone trustworthy.” She explained.
“You do know this is a big castle and there’s room next door that’s used for storage and empty most of the time?” Lucia asked.
“What?”
“Oh yes. And someone with the king’s ear might get use of that wasted space. Not only could you add to the kitchen, but there’s enough to add to this ridiculously tiny dining area.”
How had she not known about that? Why had Erak not mentioned it? This could change everything once she had the time to remodel. It was hard to imagine a kitchen here that didn’t make cooks bump shoulders or elbows as they worked. Now she knew that was possible. The problem was how to get Erak to agree without getting closer to him or giving something personal or valuable away.
It was as I she had summoned him. He was dressed much like her kitchen help. “Erak? What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see how things go in the kitchen. Never having cooked or cleaned, I don’t really understand what you do in here.” He explained.
The thought of Erak up to his elbows in dough was quite sexy to her. “You want to learn to cook?”
“If you have the patience to teach me.”
“That would be my pleasure. Let’s wash our hands and clean all the way up as far as you can past your elbows.” She cleaned hers next to him at the large sink. “My first rule is to keep clean and wash your hands often. Hair needs to be restrained in some fashion. Even short hair needs to be netted or capped. We always wear a clean apron when we start the day. Our second concern is safety. Work slowly, but steadily. When people rush, they can get hurt.”
Not everyone listened and often she had to repeat herself, but Erak paid close attention to every word she said.
“What do we do now?” Erak asked.
“A good place to start will be working with dough. It’s fun and we can make a large number of dishes with it. Leftover dough can be used for bread or even desserts. I was planning to make pizza soon. You being here makes it ideal.”
They went through the ingredients of the basic pizza crust. Erak seemed to enjoy kneading the dough and fixing it in the pan. It had been a real surprise to have Erak in the kitchen. He was completely different in her domain than he was in his own. Up to his elbows in dough with a dash of flour on the tip of his nose, he was unbelievably sexy. They hadn’t had sex, not yet. The two of them had kissed, even heavy necking, but actual sex hadn’t happened because she was scared that it would mean more here.
They made a lot of huge pizzas most of them meat since dragons were after all predators. Some dough was left over and she made sticks with it. Half were dipped in garlic sauce the other half in sugar with cinnamon.
“I’ll admit that was harder than I expected it to be. You’re telling me that’s an easy dish? It was fun, I’ll admit it.”
“It’s often something mother’s make with their kids when they start teaching them to cook.” She admitted.
“I can’t wait to taste some of it.”
“We can make a salad to eat first. The garlic bread sticks will also be out sooner.”
She showed him how to fix a salad and they each made their own. “This tastes better since I made it myself.” He admitted.
“It’s really good. What you think is the pizza tasting better is the satisfaction of a job well done and a pizza with all your favorite ingredients which may not be the ones someone else might have selected.”
“I think you might be right. All this meat with mushrooms and a bunch of cheese is for a dragon. Anyone else might go for more vegetables.” He admitted.
Customers began to come in but Erak’s help had gotten her ahead. He was so big and strong, lifting the heavy items was a breeze for him. None of her employees were dragons. They were mates that hadn’t changed or other nondragons living in their area filling needed positions. So far everyone was loving the pizza and they were getting slammed with customers. It was because they knew items were only available until they were sold out.
That might not be a problem today because they had made a lot of pizza. Still, dragons ate a lot. She enjoyed her pizza even though it made her think of home. Her baby sister was the thing she missed the most. Thinking about her made her sigh.
“What wrong, Tomi?” Erak asked.
“The pizza makes me think of home.” She admitted.
“Shouldn’t you be happy? It’s one thing less to miss.”
“Have you ever been away from home for long?”
A guarded look came over his face. “Yes, but I was too busy to miss home overly much.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Are you ready for dessert?”
Now Erak looked interested. “Are we talking about food or something else?” His voice was husky and undeniably sexy.
“Food of course.” She tried to act nonchalant, but her face felt hot.
“Now that I’ve worked with you for a day, it’s your turn to work with me and see what a king does.” He demanded in his kingly voice.
“It was only part of a day and I’ll admit you did well. I would be glad to spend part of a day at your job, but I don’t have the helpers you do.”
His mouth started to open and he slammed it shut. “What if I find you some help? Would you come then?”
“Certainly.” She didn’t see any way he would find acceptable help when she hadn’t been able to.
Once they’d eaten their cinnamon sticks, he left and she got back to her work. It seemed like it was never done. Eventually, she was done for the day. She’d cooked up a lot of extra food and put it up and now her back was killing her. Becoming a dragon would ease those aches and pains as well as allow her to lift the heavy pans without a problem, but she refused to consider it just to make her life easier.
Yes, Erak was gorgeous. He was also smart, sexy, kind, and easy to get along with. When she said things that way, even she wondered what was wrong with her. She slipped out the back way going down the stairs. Hopefully she’d not missed the last bus that went by her house. The walk was doable, but damn she was just so tired.
“Tomi? What are you still doing here?” A voice came to her in the dark. Maybe not so dark for a dragon.
“Garulto? What are you doing here?”
“I work here.” He answered clearly amused. “What are you doing here so late?”
“Missing my bus I’m sure.”
“That’s no problem. I can give you a ride home. Just follow me back to the roof.” He instructed.
“How’s mom doing?”
“Irritated that she never sees you unless she comes here.” He replied.
Glad that he didn’t mention how her mom always ended up helping her, she ignored the comment. “Mom won’t mind you dropping me off, will she?”
“No, she’ll be mad if I don’t.” Garulto admitted.
She didn’t understand their relationship because they were like a young newly married couple. None of her sisters, or she for that matter, resented it. They were all glad their mom had found a second chance at love.
Once on the roof, the soldiers stood straighter as soon as they saw her step-father. “Need help, General?” One of them asked.
“If you don’t mind.” He replied.
As if they would admit it if they did. He changed and they pulled out a step stool to help her reach his back pulling it away when she did. They were in the air in seconds. She had to admit she loved flying although she rarely got the opportunity. Life was a funny thing. Her career was rewarding, but her personal life was confusing.
Eventually, Erak would push her to make a decision one way or the other. She heard whispers often that said he needed a mate. Could she stand to see him in the arms of another? The fact that even the thought of it hurt told her she shouldn’t make him wait much longer. That the thought of spending much of her time with him was a pleasant thought should say enough.
Garulto landed and she slid off his back easily. “Thank you and tell mother I said hi.” He took off into the darkening sky as she hurried into her house.
It was time to get ready for bed and it was sad that sleep was the only activity she had besides work. Soon, maybe she would overcome her fear and make the final decision. It wasn’t like she didn’t already know what it would be.