Reptile Dysfunction: A Monster Romantic Comedy by Zora Black

Author:Zora Black [Black, Zora]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-10-12T18:30:00+00:00

18

MASON

“Good morning, Mayor, Sir!”

“Good morning, Saul,” I return jovially, grabbing my usual copy of the Curiosity Herald from the stand. “How’s the world at large?”

The elderly orc tips his cup of coffee in my direction in greeting. “Falling apart, as usual. Things seem to be looking up in Curiosity though.”

“Oh? What makes you say that?” I ask absently, taking a sip from my own cup as I scan over the headlines.

Saul chuckles in response. “Seems like you’ve worked your charm again, Mayor. It looks like that tetchy reporter will settle down now.”

“Charlotte has only been doing her job. I can’t fault her for that,” I reply easily. I find myself already flipping the pages of the Herald though, my eyes quickly landing on her name.

“So it’s Charlotte now, eh?” The newspaper vendor casts me a sly grin.

A smile masks the surprise of my own faux pas. “Thanks for the press, as always, Saul. Have a good one now,” I wave and head up the steps to the town hall.

I’ve always enjoyed my morning routine, which generally tries to leave some time for chatting with the residents of Curiosity. This morning, however, Charlotte Lieberman has given me another reason to smile.

Her mayoral spread is a thoughtful, insightful piece that conveys just as much of an apology as it highlights social awareness in our little corner. It definitely falls more in line with the puff pieces the public is used to seeing from the Herald.

Plus, the gentled tone is a much-appreciated break from the biting sensationalism I’ve gotten used to seeing her byline accompanying. It may not be the hard-lined journalism she was looking for, but this morning’s read shows more of the thoughtful and thought-provoking woman I’ve grown to care about.

My snake companions settle around my shoulders in comfortable purrs while I settle at my desk to begin a new day. Even so, thoughts of Charlotte linger behind my motions.

I find myself wondering about what she really thought of our interaction, a more off-the-record assessment. She was impressed enough by our interaction to write a practically glowing review of my work ethic, but was a professional understanding really all there was to it?

Be cool, I silently admonish myself, going over my calendar and agenda for the day. Sure, it felt like there could be a connection between us… like a spark of something, but that could just be a side effect of the isolation that comes with my position. Since becoming mayor, there hasn’t exactly been a chance to spend the entire day trading thoughts and opinions with a bright and considerate woman. At least not directly in my line of work.

Not to mention beautiful, I sigh, wishing my mind wouldn’t bring up that particular detail. For the longest time, Charlotte was just a name I heard in rumors but had never met personally. Nobody had bothered to mention to me that Charlotte Lieberman looked like one of those silver screen starlets in the black-and-white films. Nor should they have, I mentally chastise myself, yet that doesn’t prevent me from thinking about her flashing, dark eyes.

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