::Clever sibling of mine. I don’t think I’ve ever managed to fool our mins the way you did. Min-Oliver is already planning ameeting with the coders, confident he’ll convince you to reveal your secret.::
::I would.:: If not for him, then for Niren.
::Good to hear. Kaia is looking forward to this masquerade ball. Not sure I like what she wants me to wear. So restrictive.::
I should have thought about that. “Can she send me links, preferably local?”
::She’ll be delighted. She’ll even choose an outfit for you if you let her.::
It would save me time. And she did have good taste. ::Tell her I said yes.::
::Wise choice. Now, I doubt you pinged me about outfit choices.::
::I wanted to ask you about living in Seattle. How do you manage your duties from there?::
It took Frank a while to answer. When he finally did, instead of teasing me, he sent, ::Min-Tess told me to expect questions. I thought it would be years before you considered moving off the island. I think I can guess the reason.::
He’d no doubt be right. Considering they’d meet Sam and his family at the ball, it was pointless to keep it a secret. ::I met someone who makes me want to stay.:: Though I needed to stay for myself. I understood that. It was going to be hard to remain in Princedelphia if Sam didn’t want a relationship with me, but I had to try.
I could feel Frank’s smile through our bond. ::Is he handsome?::
::Gorgeous. Kind. You’ll like him. He’s vibrant, like you and Kaia. Thrives on chaos. He’s like the eye of any storm.:: I let out a breath. I loved him.
Frank continued, oblivious to the shift in my system. ::Then I look forward to meeting him. Does he know about your plans?::
::Not yet.:: But I’d tell him if it looked like he might be open to seeing more of me.
I loved him.
While my system thrummed, Frank told me what he liked about living in Seattle—other than Kaia—proving he enjoyed interacting with people far more than I did. ::You’ll have to get used to living among humans. That’ll be the hardest part for you. Travel and work won’t change, just where we’re traveling from.::
The more he spoke, the more his stories made me think of working with Rick and Riley, of Sam and his family, listening to humans at the café. How much I’d grown used to humans in these past months—more than I’d ever thought possible.
When Frank asked me what I liked most about Princedelphia, my heart skipped a beat, and I almost said Sam. Instead, I mentioned the café. ::The baristas and the machines make me feel welcome.:: Which was true, but it sounded off, even to my ears. Yet, Frank let me get away with it.
::Machines always did like you,:: he sent, with a hint of curiosity.
That made me smile, and this time, I didn’t hold back my feelings. ::They like Sam, too.:: And I loved him. ::I can hear the difference in the machines when another barista works with them.::
Frank’s teasing sizzled along our bond. ::Sam. Short. Strong. I like it. I can’t wait to meet him and his family.::
That set my nerves frazzling up and down my system, even after he closed our connection.
I could have escaped to my balcony, escaped into my drawings. Instead, I pinged our mins.
I had plans to make.
Chapter Twenty-Six
SAM
burned toast
“Morning, coffee!” Ella came bouncing into the room as I was burning toast—for the second time that morning.
Only four days until the ball, and I couldn’t stop thinking about Adri. “Morning, bean. Did you sleep well?”
I never should’ve brought him over. His presence permeated every room. I could still picture him sitting across the table, inhaling espresso. Or sitting on the swing in the garden, his head tilted as he listened to me. For grinder’s sake, my bedroom still smelled of him.
