32: What the Eyes Can't See (Part II)
"Clever as the Devil and twice as pretty."
― Holly Black
Dalish and Skinner exchanged wary expressions as they listened to Almira's seductive pablum at the table behind them.
"Feisty, this one…" Dalish muttered, shaking her head at the last volley of giggles.
"Ouf," Skinner mumbled, unimpressed. "This is really terrible."
Almira laughed raucously at something Krem said. An errant elbow jabbed Skinner's shoulder.
"Sorry!" Stitches quickly proffered, turning to the glum pair. "Didn't see you two there."
"No, he was more interested in the two there," Skinner whispered suggestively, indicating Almira's generous breasts.
Dalish pursed her lips, watching how proud Krem appeared to be as the other dolts in their group gaped at the very forward Almira, who only had eyes for him.
"Think she knows?" Skinner squinted, curious.
"At the rate she's going, we'll find out soon enough," Dalish continued.
"Don't look now but she grabbed his arm again," Skinner informed her.
Dalish rolled her eyes derisively.
Both women turned to glance over their shoulders, scowls on their faces.
"Did you see? She's pretending to be drunk after one tankard and is cozying up to him."
"Pssh! He's grinning like the village idiot with pie at the fair," Skinner concluded.
Another high pitched giggle washed over the two causing them to grimace. They silently sipped from their tankards, staring blankly ahead. They weren't unaccustomed to watching the Chargers' odd mating rituals: from Rocky's ill-fated pick up lines ("I'm very good with my hands! I handle delicate explosives all the time!") to Grim's disconcerting success ("He's got this…quiet strength…" a conquest had confided in them once) but Almira was grating on their nerves.
"Here comes the chief," Dalish said with relief, nodding at Bull as he stepped into the tavern.
The Iron Bull sauntered over, amicably slapping backs in passing and exchanging quick greetings.
"What did I miss?" he asked, halting before Dalish and Skinner's table, glancing over the small mob scene behind them.
"Nothing…Just Amateur Hour," Dalish indicated Almira, seated farther away, with a thrust of her chin.
Bull turned to look at the buxom elf who was twirling her hair in a beckoning manner as she spoke to Krem.
"Who's that?" he asked surprisedly.
"We aren't sure, but we think we hate her," Skinner decided.
Bull chuckled.
"All right, Krem!" he said quietly, offering his Lieutenant a thumbs up.
Krem winked at him, stretching his arm further across the back of Almira's chair.
Dalish and Skinner both groaned.
"Why did you go and do that for?" Dalish chastised him.
"She's a redhead!" Bull stated, as if that answered all of the cosmos' questions. "And she is obviously interested."
"I don't know why, but I don't think this is going to go well," Skinner sighed.
"I agree," Dalish seconded. She turned to Bull again, "It's Dalish intuition," she explained. "There is something about her…I just can't put my finger on it…" she continued, pensively.
"Finger? You'd need two whole hands to grasp what she's offering!" Bull said with a twisted grin. knowing fully well it would rile the two up. He braced himself for the inevitable tempest that would follow.
When Almira finally got Krem to follow her out of the tavern alone, she wasted no time in trying to push him against the wall. Except that she did not possess enough strength to actually do so and ended up giving him a pathetic little shove.
"What was that for?" he asked surprisedly and terribly entertained by her antics.
In her mind the whole scene had played out so differently.
"I was," she explained slightly tipsily, "attempting to foist you against the wall so I could…do something to you."
"Rob me of my coin bag?" he arched an eyebrow at her provocatively.
"I don't know how to quite explain it," she teased. "Here, let me show you," she said quietly, guiding his back up against a wall in the out of the way corner they had wandered towards.
She had to step up on her toes to reach his lips with hers and at first they kissed tentatively, almost gingerly. Soon enough they found themselves enmeshed in each other, their breaths rapid, her hands running through his hair, messing it every which way. It was a splendid make-out session, she thought. And how interesting that he didn't merely grope and paw at her—he actually seemed to restrain himself.
What a nice change, she mused. A fine, respectful sort.
It made her want him more. So when she pressed her body up against his and attempted to slip her hand down past his belt, he jumped and seized her hand.
"Slow down, Almira!" he complained.
She grinned hazily.
"Let's go to your room."
He gripped her wandering hand tighter, swallowing hard.
"Not tonight," he told her.
He's playing hard-to-get, she surmised with delight. That's normally my role!
"Why?" she pouted playfully, wrapping her arms around his neck
"I think we should get to know each other a bit better," he told her, suddenly sober.
She tilted her head.
"But that's precisely what I am suggesting! I'd like to get to know you a whole lot better…" she informed him sultrily.
"Let me walk you back to where you are staying," he offered, gently unhitching her arms from around his neck.
When she realized he was actually serious and that she wasn't getting anywhere with him, she huffed and crossed her arms.
"I am practically throwing myself at you," she grumbled.
Krem clenched his jaw while running his fingers through his hair.
"I know. So don't make this more difficult than it is, all right?"
She stepped back, staring at him with a mix of exasperation and admiration.
"Now this is a first! I've never met a man like you!"
Krem began making his way towards the steps down to the lower courtyard. At her words, he glanced over his shoulder with an arresting gaze that melted her.
"Oh, I am definitely like no other man you have met," he said slyly.