“Umm it’s fine.”
“Then eat the sea sausage.”
I almost vomited in my mouth at the sound of that. Eyes… so many on me, expectant. What if it’s a major faux pas to not try something at a Vepar party?
I sliced a tiny bit off the end, and stabbed it with my fork. Swallowing hard, I slid it into my mouth.
They watched me, studied me, ready to judge me.
I smiled while I chewed the most disgusting thing in the world. It tasted like I had just eaten a dirty sock.
“Announcing Derrial, Corran, and Thane,” Luren called out from the doorway.
The women all cheered and turned their attention away. Swiftly I grabbed the napkin and put it into my mouth, spitting out the sea sausage. I reached for the blue drink, anything to get the bitter taste out of my mouth, but stopped, remembering the warning. I pushed the glass away from my section of the table.
The three Vepar took seats at the table, several spots away from me, but I caught Corran’s attention from further across the table.
They were served the starter, and all three didn’t touch the sea sausage. Smart idea.
Music played overhead, a high beat, and at once I almost burst out laughing. It was the Macarena, and everyone was bopping away at the table to a song that was a fad back on Earth so long ago. I wondered what exact history they referenced for their ball information.
Two of the females moved to sit closer to the men, chatting their ears off, and I’d be a nun if I said I wasn’t jealous to see them laughing and placing their hands on their arms and touching their hair. They were even sticking their chests out when they spoke with them.
The second meal came, a round dish with what looked like lasagne. I poked the top and pulled out a forkful. There were layers of what looked like vegetables amid something green. Seaweed sheets? I tasted it, rolling it over my tongue. It tasted like an explosion of sweet and savory flavors, much better than the sea sausage. I dug in, trying to ignore the giggles or the men’s voices, sounding honestly interested. Fire raged in my veins, but I sat quietly, pretending to smile and remain calm when I wanted to scream for them to stop touching my men. Yep, clearly I was the green eyed monster today.
Zeni slid into the empty seat next to me, staring at me, touching my cutlery. “Are you having fun?” she mocked.
“Absolutely,” I responded, my voice dripping with honey.
“Good. The party’s just getting started so be ready.” She reached out and grabbed my drink before guzzling it down in one go, then left.
I should have stopped her, but then again, it might be interesting to see if Giny had indeed spiked the drink.
When the waiter came around, I ordered myself water, catching Zeni practically sitting on Corran’s lap. I clenched my jaw, when Giny returned to her seat and leaned in closer to me. “She’d do anything to win them over. It must be burning you up to see her all over them.”
I nodded, unable to pull my attention from them. Zeni caught me looking and broke into a fake laugh. “Oh Corran, I have something you’ll want to see,” she cooed and slid her fingers down the front of her heart-shaped dress, pulling the fabric purposefully down to show lots of boob.
I dropped my gaze, crossed and recrossed my legs, tapping my fingernails on the table. Derrial and Thane were hard to see from the heads between us. And it scorched me alive to sit at a table with three men who captured my heart, who drove me insane, and ignore all the women who were pouring themselves all over them.
My mind filled with revenge. Tampering with their wardrobe cylinder, having Zeni wake up and find fifty sea sausages in bed with her, a threat. They sounded reasonable to me.
A gasp caught my attention and I looked for the source. Zeni and Corran were so close their heads touched, both of them staring at something that looked like a photo. Did they have old fashioned cameras here?
Corran shot to his feet, his chair scraping across the marble floor, Zeni flailing as she almost fell face first to the ground before she caught herself. He rounded the table to show Derrial and Thane the photo or whatever it was.
I swept my gaze back to Zeni who reclined in her seat smiling like a Cheshire cat, staring at me, proud of herself. What did she do?
The desserts came around as Corran took his seat, and none of them looked my way, seeing to be ignoring me on purpose. I felt sick to my stomach, and despite the fact that the pyramid green desert intrigued me, I couldn’t stomach a thing. My knees bounced under the table, and I had to know what was going on.
Fire scorched my insides. I needed water, fresh air, something before I combusted.
When Zeni made her way to the bathroom, I excused myself, climbed on my feet, and marched after her.
I didn’t remember ever feeling so furious, but I left the room and saw her slipping into a room.
Quickening my pace, my fists clenched, I was about to shove myself into the bathroom when someone looped an arm around my waist and swooped me backward and off the ground.
I kicked and wrestled, looking back to find Corran. “Put me down,” I roared.