“It’s okay,” she finally managed to say, hugging the flowers close to her chest.
“Then you won’t tell DeeDee?”
She shook her head. It dawned what he’d just asked. “What has DeeDee got to do with this?”
“DeeDee said she would castrate me if I hurt you. I looked it up on my database. I don’t think it would be a pleasant experience.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it. DeeDee told Rogar she would castrate him? She started laughing. He frowned, and she laughed harder.
He squared his shoulders, looking quite affronted. “I tell you that I don’t think I want to be castrated, and you laugh? If you had that threat hanging over your head, you wouldn’t laugh.”
He was priceless. One second, she thought Rogar knew everything there was to know about Earth, then in the next, he comes up with something like this.
“DeeDee would never do that. She couldn’t. It was just a figure of speech to let you know she would be furious with you if you ever hurt me.”
He seemed to think that over, then nodded. “I see.” He exhaled deeply. “Good. I was afraid she might have special powers, and would cast a spell to make my testicles fall off.”
“Cast a spell? You have people who can do that?”
“My mother and sisters can, and there are others.” He shrugged.
Interesting. “Tell me more.” She took her flowers to the kitchen and put them in a glass of water. DeeDee was the only person who had ever gotten her flowers. Odd that she would feel warm all over because Rogar had brought her some, too.
He sat on the sofa. She joined him, careful not to sit too close. She wanted to know more about New Symtaria, and arm’s length from Rogar was still a temptation.
“We have many tribes. The same as you have many races on Earth.”
“But some can cast spells?”
He nodded. “Each tribe brings something of use. My mother’s tribe prays to Hadda, who makes everything on land grow and bear fruit.”
“Are there many gods and goddesses that you worship?”
“There are many, yes. Once they walked the land, and were one with us. They were part animal, part human. They were very good, and had special powers that helped the people. There are many tales of how, when they passed from this life, they were carried to the next realm by a golden ark.”
“They sound like the saints who used to be on Earth. Well, except they weren’t part animal.” It seemed strange talking to Rogar about the planet where he lived. He made it sound like a wonderful place. She looked down at her hands, then met his eyes again. “Someday, I would like to see New Symtaria. Would that be possible? I mean, to see it, but then come back here?”
His smile was slow. “Yes, that would be possible.”
She smiled, just because he was. But then, something changed in the look he was giving her. It became more intense, and she saw his need. Tingles of awareness wrapped around her. She straightened, and cleared her throat. “You said you could duplicate a dress for me to wear tonight?”
Disappointment flashed across his features, but just as quickly, it was gone. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the database.
“What kind of dress do you want?”
Oh, wow, this might be fun. “A designer dress?”
He typed in the letters, then handed it to her. “Just touch which one you would like to have most.”
She recognized a lot of the names. It wasn’t that she was materialistic or anything, but ohmygod, if Rogar could duplicate a dress, this would be a really cool device to have around. She felt like a kid in a candy store. She clicked on a designer. Pictures of dresses appeared on the screen—six in all.
“If you want to see more, then slide your finger down.”
She jumped when he spoke, not realizing he’d moved next to her. Maybe she was more materialistic than she’d thought if she didn’t notice him moving nearer.
When he looked at her, she quickly slid her finger down the screen. She really needed to pay attention. A bevy of dresses appeared at the touch of a finger.
“That one would look good on you,” he said.
He had good taste. It was a black strapless that clung to the body, then flared in soft folds at the knees, before flowing softly to the floor.
“Would you like to try it on?”
She looked at him through narrowed eyes. He couldn’t really make a dress appear out of thin air—could he? “Yeah, make it happen.” She handed him the database.
He grinned. “You don’t think I can.”
“Not really. Cool fantasy, though.”
She used to wait excitedly for the Christmas catalogs to arrive at the orphanage. By the time she’d scrounged one, the pages were dog eared and smudged from the many hands that had already poured over them. She hadn’t cared. Her head had been too full of dreams that one day she would have a family, and they would sit around a gaily decorated tree on Christmas morning and open presents. It sure beat the hell out of reality, and the one present she would get at Christmas, which was usually clothes. Not that she hadn’t appreciated them, but toys would’ve been more fun.
So now Rogar was giving her anything her heart could desire. Yeah, it sounded too good to be true.
“Thumb,” he said.
“Huh?”
“I need your thumb so the database can read your measurements.”
She laughed. Now she knew he was pulling a fast one. But he only quirked an eyebrow. Okay, she’d play along. She stuck her thumb out. When he took it, she tried not to think about the warmth of his touch, or the tingles that traveled down her arm.
“That should do it,” he said as he let go of her hand.
It took her a second to realize he’d spoken. She curled her hands in her lap. “Now what?”
“We wait.”
“And how long before it…appears?”
He glanced down at the screen. “Right about…”
Lights swirled in the middle of the room like a psychedelic tornado. When it cleared, the dress was there in front of her, as though someone wore it, except no one was.
“You did it,” she said, unable to take her eyes off the beautiful creation.
“Of course, I told you I could. Now do you feel better about going to the party?”
Oh, yeah, she was more than ready. So what if she was being petty, and knew that in the long run she wouldn’t gain a thing.
But damn, it was going to feel really good. Sort of like Cinderella—only kick ass.
Chapter 23
“We need to keep a low profile,” Callie told Rogar as he pulled in front of the country club.
“I understand.”
“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”
“Too late.”
The valet opened their doors. She tried to smile, but knew she didn’t quite pull it off.
He squeezed her hand as they walked down the sidewalk. “Have courage, Callie.”
Callie could’ve told him all her bravado had left about an hour and a half ago, but she bit her tongue. He was right. She held her head high as they walked inside the club. A man in uniform silently appeared and took her wrap, then handed each of them a paddle with a number boldly printed on it and a sheet of paper so they could
