“To be sure. So you haven’t been guilty of ogling old ladies before?”
“No,” he says quietly. “Do your thing, but this conversation isn’t over.”
He comes to me and touches my cheek, featherlight. “Well, I do.”
I mumble into his shirt, “Fuck the vids. They’re all posted by assholes.”
He squints up at me and groans. “Maybe you’d keep men around longer if you didn’t do
that
.”
He arcs a brow at me. “I guess breakfast’s out of the question?”
“Right, I’m going.” And he does.
His disembodied voice responds, “A moment please.”
“What can I do for you, Sirantha?”
“No, I can resume my research later.”
“You’re really doing research?”
“Yes, actually. I will let you know if I find anything.”
I set 245 on the table, power her up, and input my codes. “Okay if I record?”
Finally, I decide on, “Is it hard for you?”
“Do you find it difficult to look at me as I am?” Vel indicates his current form with one claw.
“At first, yeah. But getting to know you took away the strangeness. And now you’re just you.”
“This could take a while,” he cautions me.
I smile faintly. “I don’t have anywhere else to be.”
l spend most of the day with Vel.
“Thanks for your help,” I tell her, as we head back down the hall.