Chapter 34 – Out in the World

  “Sometimes they literally need to touch grass after being cooped up in here all the time.” Order HR admin when approving leave requests.

  In a surprising twist, Kurt was sitting in the passenger seat of his car while Val drove. He was mostly surprised that she volunteered but also a little surprised that could. While he had nothing against it, the topic hadn’t ever really come up beside her mentioning that she trained for it.

  When Kurt said she could drive, he meant that she drove his SUV like a damn rally car, and she was on the isle of man. The dirt road that Kurt lived off of was by no means overly complex, but she hit every corner perfectly and with amazing technique.

  Fortunately for Kristi, who was not enjoying the experience, Val settled down a mile ter when she hit the paved road that lead into town. “That was… something.” Kurt said once they came to a stop at a red light and joined the traffic.

  “Thanks!” Val answered cheerfully.

  “I don’t think that was a complement.” Kristi piped up from the back where she had been holding on for dear life. Apparently, she did not appreciate the adrenaline inducing experience.

  Val gnced into the rear-view mirror, squinting at Kristi. “I am positive my boyfriend is being supportive of my skill.”

  Kurt would neither confirm nor deny that accusation but was debating on getting Val her own car if she was going to insist on driving any more. Still, she finished the trip to Johnny’s at a much more sedate and stable pace, not even breaking the speed limit.

  Pulling up to the building, Val found a space and parked before turning to Kristi. “We’re here!”

  Kristi was looking nervous once again and was rubbing at her arm. She had changed back into her long sleeve shirt and jeans, not wanting to stay in Kurt’s borrowed clothes. She looked at the building out the front window.

  “You are sure that nobody will know.” She said it as a statement and the other two weren’t sure if she was asking them or telling herself.

  “Hey.” Val reached out and put her hand on Kristi’s knee. “It’s ok, we are here, and John is a friend. Nobody would say a thing even if they could see your scales.”

  Getting out of the car, Kurt moved to the rear door and opened it, holding out his hand for the nervous dragoness. “Come on, I promise John is nice in a genuine sense and not just to avoid conflict.”

  She took his hand, and he helped her out of the car. The gesture was appreciated as much as it was pointless. Val popped up right next to her and held on to Kristi’s arm as they walked through the doors.

  “Oh, hey Val.” A waitress said from where she had been rolling silver ware at the hostess stand. “Bar is open for you as usual.” Then she made eyes at Kurt. “Hey, Kurt.”

  The way she said it made him feel like she was implying something, the ‘hey’ had a strange tone to it. “Hi Michelle. We will see ourselves back.” He was trying to figure out what the deal was since he knew for a fact that she was human and as ordinary as can be. He was also wondering when she had bothered to learn their names since he had to read her nametag to know hers.

  They found a booth in the bar area and a waiter came and pced menu’s down before taking drink orders. He disappeared into the back and John came out a minute ter with the waiter in tow as he carried drinks.

  The rge man sat next to Kurt, pushing him into his side of the booth which put him across from Val. “Thanks Brandon, can you deflect people for a few minutes?” The waiter nodded and went to guard the entrance to the bar area. “Kurt, Val good to see ya.”

  Feeling something was off, Kurt spoke up. “What’s up John? Something feels… not right?”

  The rge man snorted and looked to Kristi. “Where are your manners young man?”

  “Oh, right. Kristi, this is John. He and his family are ‘old’ friends, and he owns this pce. John, Kristi is an old friend of Val’s and a new friend of mine.” He put some emphasis on the old part to try and convey that John was trusted, he would circle back to make sure she knew.

  John reached his hand over the table, offering it to Kristi who shyly reciprocated. “Good to meet you. Gd the pup here is making new friends besides Val and that short bastard that likes to take me to the cleaners when we py pool.”

  The rge man then paused, clearly getting information from his ring. “You are an odd one.” He said but when Kristi all but shrank away from him he quickly amended his words. “Ah, I don’t care about that nonsense. The ring clued me in.” He fshed the ring Kurt had made. “Little gift from him.”

  Kristi seemed comforted enough to find her voice. “He has a way with ‘gifts’ I see.” And she fingered her neckce. A bold move considering she was so on edge about her nature. Apparently, she was beginning to trust a little more in Kurt and his judgement.

  “What’s going on with the cloak and dagger, John?” Kurt asked again. Val began filling in Kristi about the ring in question while he talked.

  Val snorted but John ignored her. “Couple things. First, thanks for getting Mark a ring.” Kurt just nodded and waved it away. “Second, there was some folks in here asking of you couple nights back. Got the staff a little interested in what was going on.”

  “What can you tell me about them?”

  “Well, they were human, guarantee that part. There was something wrong with them though. They didn’t really act right.”

  “Bit… ah, culty?” Val asked, thinking exactly what Kurt was.

  “Either that or some government weirdos. Hell, could be both. They came in asking a bunch of questions after the dinner rush and about wouldn’t take no for an answer. If I had a line to a higher power, they might have barked up his tree too.” John was a bit hot and bothered which Kurt could tell from his Yooper accent slipping out.

  “They didn’t do anything, did they?” Kurt asked.

  John ughed and looked over at the waiter standing by the bar. “Na, Brandon and I told em off in a way to make sure they got the message.”

  Kurt leaned forward and said in a hushed tone. “You do have protection, right?”

  “Course, all the staff except the bus boys have heat on em.”

  Giving the big man a pat on the arm, Kurt expressed his gratitude. “Thanks for covering. That might expin why Michelle paid me extra attention.”

  John said his goodbyes and headed for the back while their waiter returned to take their orders. It turned out that Kristi was hungry as she polished off a burger, fries, chicken wings and a sad by herself before Kurt even finished his own lunch. Val just smirked at his stunned expression.

  When he got the bill, he paid in cash but slipped their waiter an extra fifty for helping John with the situation the other night. The gesture was appreciated apparently because he all but walked them out and held the door for them.

  “Where to now?” Kurt asked when he took his rightful pce in the driver’s seat. Nothing against Val and her driving but it felt weird to ride shotgun in his own car.

  “Where do you want to go?” Val asked Kristi. “We are trying to get you out and about after all.”

  “Umm. I. I don’t know.” She sounded surprised about that. “Before, all I could think of is all the things I would do if I could blend in but now…” She trailed off and looked to Kurt and Val for help.

  “TC.” Kurt said confidently.

  “Shopping.” Val said a moment ter. “She had been ordering clothes online and trying to fit them herself with alterations.” Val expined. “Let’s go out to TC and do a little shopping and grab dinner. Walk around for a bit since its nice out.”

  Before Kurt could leave, Val and Kristi switched spots. She said it was so their friend could look around a bit more, but Kurt suspected she wanted to take a quick nap on the back seat. Either way, Kurt and Kristi talked as he drove.

  She told him about her home realm and the forest she grew up near. Apparently, the trees around Kurt’s home reminded her of that and she enjoyed the fresh scent compared to the order. She was also impressed at the ke that accompanied their drive, spending most of her time staring out her window at the gssy surface.

  They arrived not long after, the early afternoon traffic being retively light that day. First things first, Val had him drive to a pce to buy clothes. He naturally picked the mall since it had options a plenty. That was the st he saw of them of a few hours as the kitsune dragged her friend off towards a store while he wandered around for a while.

  A couple hours ter, Val called, and they met up near the entrance they came in with many bags while Kurt had just picked up a few cheap bits of jewelry from a nearby pawn shop to experiment on. Kristi had changed clothes at some point, putting on a pair of Yoga pants and tank top like Val normally wore.

  He could tell that the outfit was new to her based on how she kept fidgeting with the garments that showed a lot more skin than she normally did. He was sure to compliment her choice, trying to reassure her. It seemed to help a little and Val piled on saying ‘she told her so’.

  Next, Val had them going back to the commons where she went to the distillery tasting room and eventually haggled a case price for more of her favorite whisky. Kurt and Kristi wandered around and he bought a few more trinkets in the form of copper jewelry, wanting to try the copper metal. Naturally there was some confusion with the shop owner who thought they were a couple, leading to some quiet ughs.

  “I can’t believe she thought we were a couple.” Kristi said, he cheeks blushing a little.

  “I can.” Val said. She was struggling with the crate of whiskey bottles until they got to a secluded section of the common hallway. She looked around quickly, making sure nobody was watching before storing the entire crate in her ring.

  “What the hell?” Kristi said. “Where did i.. Mhmmf.” Her shout of arm was quickly muffled by Val as she cmped a hand over her mouth.

  “Shh. Tell you in the car, just don’t freak out.”

  Kurt rolled his eyes as their antics, and they trooped back up the stairs. He wasn’t sure why they hadn’t told Kristi about the storage rings but then again, it hadn’t come up. If she had asked what all he had made, he would have shown her.

  Once they were back in the car the interrogation began with both girls in the back seat. Kurt just decided to drive to the downtown area, and they could just walk around from there. It was still a little early for dinner but there were other tourist traps around there for Kristi to experience. After she was don’t grilling Val that is.

  “What was that?” She asked in a much more appropriate tone.

  Val summoned a bottle of water from her ring. “A dimensional storage made into a ring.” She cracked the bottle open and took a sip.

  “Where did you get that!?” Her follow-up was insistent. “I didn’t think those existed.”

  “Where do you think I got it?” Val said. Kurt could hear the smirk in her voice. “It’s almost like I know a brilliant and handsome enchanter who is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.”

  Kristi shifter her eyes to Kurt. “Wait. You made this?”

  “Was it the brilliant or handsome part that gave it away.” Kurt joked but got a ft stare in return. “So, you shouldn’t worry too much. Val and I each have one, my friend Alec has one and then there is Jay and Penny.”

  “What have you been making these for years and just holding onto them?”

  Heaving a sigh, Val expined a little more. “Remember how long it took to make your neckce?” Kristi touched the pendant and nodded. “Right, so Kurt can do like two of these rings a day just going on how long it takes to engrave then how tired it makes him.”

  “Then why are enchanted items so expensive? I think enchanters can only make like a few dozen things a year if they are simple, less if it’s something like a bag of holding.”

  “We will be looking into that too. I have my suspicions about the guild.” Kurt said.

  Looking at Kurt again, she had to ask the question that had been eating at her. “Are you sure you can tell me this?” She was beginning to wonder if this was a ‘I’ll tell you but then I gotta kill you’ type of arrangement.

  “The way I see it, you can just be another witness for how fucked the guild is.” Kurt was not happy with how bad things were around that organization. He originally thought enchanters were just zy but now he was suspecting foul py.

  “Let’s talk about it ter.” Val said, patting her friend on the leg. “Maybe when we get home or something.”

  She agreed to that, also wanting some space to arrange her thoughts. Kurt had caused some revetions that she wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about them. Plus, Val hadn’t steered her wrong, always being a true friend and Kurt…

  Kristi didn’t know what to think. The man was an enigma to her, but he was also comforting. He had been nothing but kind and friendly, not treating her any different than Val. Well, maybe a little different since she wasn’t sleeping with him.

  That st thought opened a flood gate of conflicting emotions as she stared at the back of his head from her spot behind him. Was it an act? What was the feeling she got from him? She debated trying to ask Val on the down low since Kurt didn’t seem to care about their personal conversations.

  Those thoughts ended abruptly when he pulled into a parking lot and found a space. She hadn’t even realized where they were going until he stopped and all she could see was the back of a brick building.

  “Found a decent spot that I think you will like.” Kurt said and opened his door.

  Val and Kristi got out as well, following him out to the sidewalk and turning right. They walked for a few dozen yards before they were standing on the main street of Traverse City. Everywhere they looked were small boutiques and restaurants. They couldn’t throw a rock without hitting at least five tourist traps.

  They spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the streets, going in and out of a dozen different stores before finally stopping for dinner. They opted to try a Thai restaurant that seemed to look good. Kurt had the cuisine before, but the girls hadn’t.

  They each ordered separate main courses with Kristi ordering a few and getting them progressively spicier as she went. Apparently, she liked the hot and spicy sauces that went on the food, prociming it to be amazing despite her visibly sweating. Kurt and Val bowed out much earlier, not daring to push their luck in Scoville scale.

  The drive back was pretty quiet as everyone was digesting still. Kristi was back in the front seat, this time getting a view of the other side of the road while Val was doing something on her phone in the back. Kurt was fine with the silence, but he was beginning to dwell on the task Jay had asked of him. Then he thought about the day and how enjoyable it had been. He would have to stop in to see Alec som…

  “Damn it.” He muttered under his breath. Apparently, it was enough to cause the girls to startle.

  “What?” Val asked, moving so see the mirrors.

  Kurt quickly tried to calm them down. “Sorry, its nothing. I just remembered I could have gone to see Alec while you were shopping.”

  Kristi caught on to the name being said again. “Who is he again? I know he’s a dwarf but why would you go see him?”

  “He works at a gun store over in TC. Its right next to the mall, actually.” Val answered.

  “Well, why didn’t we go there instead of those silly little shops?” Kristi seemed offended. “Guns are way cooler than fifteen different cherry salsas that all taste the same.”

  Giving her a healthy dose of side eye, Kurt followed that trail. “So, you like guns?”

  Snorting, Kristi rolled her eyes. “Duh, we had quite the conversation st night on the porch.”

  “Right, but I thought that was just your interest in employment and technology more than the objects themselves.” Their conversation had been rather technical in regard to weapon employment than anything else.

  “Just show her what’s in the lockers.” Val said as she settled back into whatever she was doing on her phone. “That will get her panties wet.” She ughed at the looks she got from the front of the car.

  “Lockers?” Kristi asked.

  “Those green lockers in the workshop in the basement?” Kurt questioned back and got a nod in reply. “Right, those are filled with either guns or magic… sometimes a bit of both.”

  They pulled in a few minutes ter to be greeted by the sight of people. Some very familiar people that they had just seen very recently. Mark and Hailey were walking around with some stakes, string and paint. They consulted some papers as Kurt drove up to the garage and they looked up.

  He parked and they all piled out. “You are back sooner than I expected.” He said, walking over to shake Mark’s hand. “Also, a little te in the day, right?”

  “Nope, my concrete guy had an opening tomorrow morning so long as the site was marked out for him.” Mark answered. “We figured a few minutes of our time tonight could be a good thing since the weather looks good through the weekend.”

  “Fair enough. But did you really come up with pns so quick?” The turnaround was far faster than he had been expecting after their st conversation.

  Hailey walked over and tossed a can of marking paint into the back of their truck. “After we got our asses chewed out, Pat asked what we had been doing. When we told him, he wasn’t so heated anymore and remembered a job the old man did a few years back for pretty much the same thing.”

  “Yup, all we had to do was add an extra foot of length, so one more truss, and it’s a perfect fit, even the grade is the same.” Mark said. He waved at Val and Kristi as they went past as he continued talking. “Got another girl?”

  “She’s a friend of ours that needed a change of scenery.” Kurt answered simply. “Need anything from me at any point?”

  “If you could make yourself scarce tomorrow until mid afternoon it would help the guys to not have someone in the way.” Hailey suggested.

  “I think something can be arranged.” Kurt said with a ugh and went inside, waving goodbye as the couple packed up the st of their things and rolled out.

  He stepped into the house to see Val putting her case of booze in the pantry while Kristi was staring at him from the kitchen. She looked away after they made eye contact, trying to busy herself but finding nothing to do.

  Sensing the upcoming awkwardness, Kurt made a bid to generate some dialogue. “Want to see the lockers?”

  Kristi perked up immediately. “Oh, yes please.” She all but skipped to the stairs while Val ughed and followed after them.