Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
The bulb was out of my reach, even if I stood on my tiptoes, but Rath had no problem reaching it. He changed it quickly and the two of us descended the basement steps into the cool, dim, subteranean space.
As soon as my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I felt like I had hit the jackpot.
The walls were lined with shelves, all filled with clear Mason jars which were neatly labeled in my Grandma’s spidery script. There were vegetables, fruits, soups, pie fillings, and more, all there for the taking.
“Wow…there must be hundreds of jars down here!” I breathed as I looked at the bounty my Grandma she had left me. “And to think I had a can of tomato soup and an apple for supper last night because I thought there was nothing else in the house!”
“There’s enough down here to feed an army—an army of Orcs, even,” Rath remarked. He shook his head. “I think this was how your Grandma kept herself busy, since she never watched TV.”
“She didn’t even own one, I don’t think,” I said, picking up a jar of green beans and examining the seal on the top, which was intact. “At least, I haven’t found one around here.”
“I have one at my place—a whole home theater system. If you like to watch movies or shows or whatever,” Rath offered. “Since you’re cooking for me tonight, maybe I can return the favor and we can have a movie night sometime.”
I gave him a flirtatious look from under my eyelashes.
“We’re not even done with the first date yet and you’re already asking for a second?”
I didn’t know where the words came from—or the sassy, flirty attitude either for that matter. I was usually so shy around men—mostly because I couldn’t talk to them. But with Rath, the conversation flowed so naturally and I felt so attracted to him…I hoped he felt the same way about me.
He gave me a surprised look, which turned into a smile.
“Well, yes—I guess I am,” he rumbled. “If you don’t mind dating Creatures, that is.”
“I don’t have a lot of experience dating at all,” I admitted. “Um, Creatures or otherwise. But I don’t mind. If…if you think we’re compatible.”
I was thinking of how much bigger he was than me and how I had never actually successfully had sex with anyone—let alone someone his size.
Rath smiled.
“We’re compatible. Creatures and humans get together all the time. My own mother was human and my dad was a full-blooded Orc.”
“How did they meet?” I asked, as I chose two large jars of vegetable soup and we headed back up the basement steps.
“Well…actually my dad carried her off during a raid.” He sounded kind of embarrassed.
“He did?” I asked, surprised. “I mean, does that kind of thing happen around here?”
“It used to,” Rath said. “Anyway, he always claims it was love at first sight—he saw her and just knew he had to have her.”
“How did your mom feel about that?” I asked, putting the jars of soup on the kitchen table.
“Oh, she hated him at first,” Rath said candidly. “But he eventually won her over.”
“How did he do that?” I looked in the cabinet and found a large stew pot to pour the soup in.
“He brought her back to his camp and then he basically waited on her hand and foot and showered her with presents and attention,” Rath said. He shook his head, a fond smile on his face. “He worships the ground she walks on—always has.”
“It sounds like they have a great marriage,” I remarked, smiling a little myself. “Even if it had kind of a rocky start.”
“They’re soul mates,” Rath said seriously. “I’ve always hoped that someday I could find what they have, you know?”
Actually, I didn’t know because I had never let myself dream about having a soul mate—or even a regular partner I could be with long term. But I could see the look in the big Orc’s eyes and I knew he was serious. I wanted to tell him I wished I could find a soul mate too—but would that sound too much like I was throwing myself at him?
“I think we all hope we can find the right person,” I said, smiling. “Um, how many grilled cheese sandwiches do you want?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
As it turned out, Rath ate four grilled cheese sandwiches and I had one. We each had a good helping of my Grandma’s vegetable soup too. Eating it brought back more childhood memories and made me feel like she was giving me a warm hug.
While we ate, we talked about our lives. Rath told me about his childhood, growing up in an Orc tribe and how he’d had to hunt and kill his first grizzly bear when he was only nine, which made me shiver.
I told him about my mediocre life back in the human world and how I had lost my main job and my rent had doubled.