“Don’t mention it,” I grinned weakly. “Tell me you wouldn’t do the same for me.”
“Don’t know,” he retorted. “You’ve never suckerpunched me at the beginning of a caper.”
“Now that I still owe you for.”
Just then, Vilhelm appeared with the wine, and Aahz hurried away to rejoin the group.
I managed to snag a goblet and retired to a secluded corner while the party went into high gear. Pepe seemed to be fitting in well with the rest of the team, if not functioning as a combination jester and spark plug, but somehow I felt a bit distant. Sipping my wine, I stared off into the distance at nothing in particular, letting my thoughts wander.
“What’s the trouble, handsome?”
“Hmmm? Oh. Hi, Tananda. Nothing in particular. Just a little tired, that’s all.”
“Mind if I join you?” she said, dropping to the floor beside me before I could stop her. “So. Are you going to tell me about it? Who is she?”
I turned my head slowly to look at her directly.
“I beg your pardon?”
She kept her eyes averted, idly running one finger around the rim of her goblet.
“Look,” she said, “if you don’t want to talk about it, just say so … it’s really none of my business. Just don’t try to kid me or yourself that there’s nothing bothering you. I’ve known you a long time now, and I can usually tell when there’s something eating you. My best guess right now, if I’m any judge of the phenomenon, is that it’s a girl.”
Ever since I’d met Tananda, I’d had a crush on her. With her words, though, I suddenly realized how badly I wanted someone to talk to. I mean, to Guido and Massha I was an authority figure, and I wasn’t about to open up to Aahz until I was sure he’d take the problem seriously and not just laugh, and as for Chumley . . . how do you talk about woman problems with a troll?