“That’s so cool it’s like… empirical!”
Cole’s shoulders started to shake. Sterling looked back at me and mouthed,
I said, “… Definitely. So. What kind of medication did they give you, dude?”
“Stuff for pain. And antibiotics. And painkil ers. Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
“Nope. But, uh, I figured you…”
Cole was gesturing wildly like he either wanted to talk or climb the Atlas Mountains before we left the region. I kept waving him off. Final y Vayl pointed at him then pointed to the ground. The message was clear.
He subsided.
I said, “So, Miles, how long are you in for?”
“Overnight. Monique’s going to stay with me the whole time. She says she’s worried about me. But I think she might be one of those cougars. You know what I mean?
When Bergman actual y tried to pul off a growl I nearly dropped the phone. Cole had started to slap himself, but it wasn’t working. He covered his entire head with his shirt while Sterling buried his face in Cole’s shoulder and they both shook uncontrol ably. Behind us, even Kyphas began to snort.
Final y I managed to say, “Gee, Miles, are you sure?
Maybe she’s just being nice.”
Bergman said, “Naw, I think she’s hot for my bod. I’l tel you one thing. I’m not going to put out on the first date.
That’s for sure. I’l definitely make her wait until at least date number two.”
Cole and Sterling fel to the ground and began to rol around helplessly. Beside me I could see the glint of Vayl’s fangs. If I didn’t end this conversation right now I would probably rupture something vital from the supreme effort it was taking not to laugh out loud. I said, “That’s a sound plan, Miles. You do that. So I’l pick you up in the morning.”
“Okay! Have fun boffing your vampire!”
I hung up. Three beats of silence. And then we al roared.
The riad seemed smaler without Monique and Bergman there to brighten the corners. I said so to Vayl as we stood outside his door. Everyone else had gone off to their rooms to clean up. I should be on my way too. But it was hard to separate, even temporarily. So I found another excuse to stay by adding, “It’s great that you booked a riad so close to the medina. Makes for a short walk to, wel , pretty much anywhere.” Then I grinned like a lottery winner as I realized this was the first time he’d heard my compliment as
“himself.”
I realized he was thinking along the same lines when he said, “It seems that it was my last lucid move for some time.”
I said, “I don’t know how long this is going to eat at you.
I guess it would bother me for longer than twenty minutes too. But Sterling believes the only reason Ahmed could curse you was because you’d already cursed my mother.
And you only did that to protect me. If that’s wrong, you can wal ow in guilt for the next hundred years and I won’t fault you.”
“I know how miserable I made you.”
I smiled up at him. “You were kind of a dick back in the day, weren’t you?”
His face went taut and for a second I knew how Ahmed had felt to face his rage. “Yes.” Terse, get-the-hel -out-if-that’s-your-intention tone.
“But you’re not now,” I noted.
He pul ed a long breath in through his nose. “No.”
“That’s a hel uva feat. I’l bet I can name fifty men who could live three hundred years and never improve on their dickness.”
Twitch of the lip. “Is that a word now?”
“Absolutely. Here, I’l use it in another sentence. ‘His dickness was so far beyond help they decided to amputate.’ I think that’s—Vayl? Are you… laughing? About the serious malady of dickness? Geez, that’s pretty insensitive of you, considering you beat it yourself.” I leaned against the wal , savoring the sound of his pleasure. Then I realized I was leaving a red splotch on the tile. “Ick. I real y gotta get a shower. And try to get this shirt clean.”
“Yes,” Vayl said doubtful y as he viewed it through the stains. “It is so… charming.”
“I like it. Cole gave it to me for my birthday.” Oops. Al that work to stomp out the doomsdays and one slip of the tongue had relit the fire.
“I missed your birthday.”
“Not real y,” I said. “We had cake.”
