Mitzi was fidgety the next morning. Sleep had been a long time coming. She’d kissed him. He’d kissed her hand like in one of those romance novels. The only thing that ruined her remembrance was Bandy’s snoring next to her. The girl slept like a body thrown from a car crash and wouldn’t wake up short of a hammer to the skull.

  Mitzi had gotten her shower and when she came out, Runt had the schedule up in the living room. The entire workforce lived there, so why wouldn’t it be up at the house? She checked her name and blinked. She blinked twice. She was off today. She was off the NEXT day as well! She turned and Runt was standing in the open front door looking out at the trees across the street blowing in the wind. She bounced over to him.

  “Your highnessness, sir?” She said, somewhat timidly. She never knew whether he was going to be in uncle mode or monarch mode. When he turned he was smiling.

  “Mitzi-girl, you can call me Uncle Runt. I think things are gonna be ok now. I don’t know if we need the King of Blame.”

  She sighed. He was so much easier to deal with when he was calm like this.

  “Is the schedule right, Uncle Runt? I’m already off for two days?” She asked.

  “Absolutely. You’ve been working as hard as anyone else behind the scenes, Mitzi-girl. You helped fix up the house. You helped fix the restaurant when we needed volunteers. Hell, you fought off those kobolds living in the storage room! Monday and Tuesday should be slow. I want my best on the busy days. Go do something, Mitz. And take that sister with you.” He grinned. He looked up at the clock on the wall. “Shit! Gotta herd the troops!”

  He ran off, gathering the morning crew and Mitzi saw the van pull up outside. When she looked, Bandy was already grinning at the schedule.

  “What are we going to do?” Mitzi asked her.

  Bandy looked at her like it was obvious.

  “First, now that you can talk without giggling, you’re telling me about your walk. Second, I’m taking you to get a new outfit so you don’t look like one of those trash goblins if you’ve got someone interested in you.” Bandy said with a huge, sharp-toothed grin.

  Before he left, Runt gave both her and Bandy giant hugs, and herded everyone else off leaving the off-schedule folks with their first real free time in months.

  It was some time later, breakfast was dealt with, and Mitzi found herself walking through town with Bandy beside her. She was off work. Like, the WHOLE day! She had no idea what to do with herself. The term “horrible, horrible freedom” crossed her mind. She shoved it away and decided to be in a good mood. She had no idea where Bandy was taking her, though.

  “So.” Her sister said. “What did you learn about him?”

  Mitzi had specifically not spoken to Bandy about things last night OR this morning.

  “I don’t know that I should tell you. You’re the biggest gossip in the whole brood.” Mitzi said, crossing her arms.

  “Who would I tell?!” Bandy asked pleadingly.

  “EVERYONE, BANDY! That’s the point!” Mitzi looked skyward. Geez, this girl. She looked at her and she was doing the puppy dog eyes.

  “Fine.” Mitzi said. “I hear one peep from anyone about this, though, and I’m nailing your ears to the floor. Ya got me?!”

  Bandy just nodded happily.

  “So what’s he like?” she asked.

  Mitzi thought back to the whole conversation. What would sum him from the time they’d actually had the chance to speak?

  “He’s sweet.” She found herself saying. “He’s very considerate. He kept saying if he made me uncomfortable he’d leave. And he offered to help get me books. For a human, I don’t think he’s had a happy life, though. Something inside him goes out when he thinks about his family.”

  “Yeah?” Bandy asked. She cocked her head to the side, inviting more.

  “He’s an artist.” She said.

  Bandy squealed.

  “MITZ! Haven’t you been nuts about art since you were a broodling?”

  Mitzi shook her head. She had been. She’d found muck and made shapes on the walls of the dungeon. That had been stamped out early. Those drew attention. Books were easier to hide. No one could stop her from reading.

  “I don’t know if he’s any good or not, Bandy. Calm down. He could be doing stick figures.”

  Bandy obviously did not listen.

  “Maybe he can paint you!” She said in wonder.

  Mitzi loved her sister. She really did. But damn.

  “If you’re going to start fantasizing about MY life, I’m going home.” Mitzi said.

  “Sorry! Sorry.” Bandy was silent for a blessed moment. It didn’t last. “If you decide it isn’t going to work though, throw him my way, ok? I look kinda like you and I don’t mind being second prize! He’s cute!” She said with a piranha smile.

  “I am going to hit you.” Was all Mitzi said. Bandy just started laughing.

  Bandy knew a second-hand shop in one of the antique malls that sold second hand clothes and actually had changing rooms. Apparently they had enough dwarven customers that it was worth their time to keep clothes for the smaller Fantastics. The fact that they were goblins never seemed to bother most of the second-hand shop people in Natchez. This lady in particular actually helped with recommendations.

  Mitzi was amazed. She’d never owned a sun dress until now, and they’d talked her into a big hat that matched. The Shopkeep was so delighted with the look, she had insisted Mitzi wear them out. She had her regular clothes neatly folded in her shopping bag. She felt fancy. She felt like people.

  Some time later, they were leaving a small shop that sold peanut butter fudge. For once, Bandy had needed to restrain Mitzi. Mitzi wasn’t sure why she loved peanut butter so much. The others in the brood thought peanut butter was fine. She thought that humanity had yet to achieve anything so wonderful. She’d been in at least one fist fight with another goblin over a jar of Jiff.

  Mitzi felt great. She wore her pretty new dress, she was full of peanut butter, Bandy had finally settled down and was talking like a normal goblin, and the sun was out. They received a few looks. She didn’t care for once.

  She loved being outside. You spend your first twenty years underground in a dungeon, you start to appreciate not being in one. She hadn’t known what outside was until they’d left the dungeon. The first time she’d ever seen wild flowers in the daylight on the way to Tir-Na-Nog, she’d broken down crying on the side of the road. They’d had to stop the small caravan. She’d had no idea there could be things in the world like that. She’d never seen anything so beautiful. She wasn’t the only one that had needed to stop.

  Mitzi took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. She twirled in place. The dress flared. She felt like a flower right then. Bandy laughed. There was nothing malicious in that laugh. Mitzi stopped her little spin and when she stopped, she was facing the opposite side of the street, and there it was. Deeper South Magazine. Her stomach felt weird all of a sudden knowing who was probably there.

  “What is it?” Bandy asked when she noticed Mitzi staring. She looked at the building herself, then back at Mitzi. “Something wrong?” She said.

  “No. I think that’s where Dan works. He said he worked for a local magazine and that IS the local magazine. Like, he might be in the building. I just thought it was funny.” She was pretty sure he’d be in that building. Mitzi shrugged. “C’mon. Let’s go somewhere.”

  Bandy grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop.

  “Nope!” She said, laughing. “I am going to take your clothes home so you don’t get fudge on them, and you’re going to go surprise your art friend.”

  “But I thought we were having a sister day?” Mitzi said. She wasn’t sure this was a great idea.

  “We can have TONS of sister days now! Besides! He shows up at your work, you show up at his. That’s fair, isn’t it?” Bandy said, ears standing up.

  “Yeah, but. . .” Mitzi knew why she didn’t want to do it. “Bandy, I’m a goblin. I probably won’t be allowed in the building.” She felt miserable all of a sudden.

  Bandy shook her by her shoulders and grinned that wicked grin.

  “Mitz, You look amazing today. I’m pretty sure you can find your guy’s office or whatever they have in there and no one will give a shit.”

  Mitzi turned her head and looked at the building. It looked fancy and intimidating. It looked like a building for humans, by humans. Three stories full of humans.

  “Why do you want me to go so bad?” Mitzi asked.

  “Because I never see you laugh, and last night you couldn’t stop giggling. Then today you’re acting like my sister. Not the person who watches my back. My sister.” Bandy looked like she might get choked up, but she was still smiling. “I’m telling you to go hang out with the guy that did that. I think Runt’s going to keep us paired so we’ll both have the same days off as each other.”

  Mitzi looked at the building again. She sighed.

  “Fuck it. I’m gonna bug him at work.” Then she broke into a wicked grin.

  Bandy hugged her. When she pulled back, Bandy gave a much more devious grin.

  “Remember. I’ll take second place. I’m not picky.”

  Mitzi pinched Bandy’s ear until she started yowling before she let go.

  “I TOLD YOU I’D NAIL YOUR EARS TO THE GOD DAMN FLOOR. Don’t act like this dress has made me dainty, damn it.”

  Some final goodbyes, and Bandy ran off down the road. She’d left Mitzi with her shopping bag because fudge. Maybe she could let Dan have some? She didn’t know if she liked him THAT much yet. This was peanut butter, after all. There was only so much peanut butter in the world.

  She made her way across the street and entered the building. She walked up to the elevator, read the directory, found the floor she needed, hit up, and waited. She wished she had some sunglasses. She’d probably look adorable with sunglasses and this outfit. She heard a ding, the doors opened, and she stepped in.

  Mitzi suddenly realized she’d never been in an elevator before. She hit the button for the third floor and waited nervously. The sudden movement made her feel like her stomach had dropped out and she hoped to any deity available that she didn’t throw up peanut butter fudge everywhere. There was another ding, and she hopped out, glad to be rid of the experience. The change of exterior made her shake her head. She knew about elevators, but the experience was something else.

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  There was a desk, with a larger woman sitting behind it. She had piercings in her nose, ears, and lips, and her hair was dyed bright green. She reminded Mitzi of some of the goblins she’d known before coming to the wide world. Honestly, she reminded her of Bandy. It helped to put her at ease. Maybe this place was ok if they had someone gobliny out front.

  “Hi!” The lady said. “Can I help you?”

  Mitzi put her hand on the desk and tried to smile. She was glad she didn’t have Bandy’s teeth all of a sudden.

  “I, uh, I was wondering if I could visit Dan?”

  The lady looked at Mitzi quizzically.

  “We actually have two Dan’s. Do you know his last name, hun?”

  Mitzi felt like an idiot. She’d kissed a guy, twice, and never once asked his last name. Those were important to humans. It was like their tribe or brood. She might need to slow this whole thing down a bit. Maybe they could talk about that today. If she got in.

  “He, uh, he does art?” She said. She hoped there weren’t two of those, at least.

  “Oh! THAT Dan! I don’t think he’s ever had a visitor, and he IS working.” She looked at Mitzi and smiled. “But I doubt it’s a problem. Half of the ad department’s job is waiting for feedback.

  Besides, who wouldn’t want a pretty girl like you to visit?”

  “Thank you!” Mitzi said. She felt like she needed to compliment this woman on something. “I really like those things in your nose.”

  “Thanks! Have you ever thought about getting a nose piercing?” She asked.

  “No, but it works on you.” Mitzi said, still smiling.

  “Well, I’m going to buzz you in. Ads and design are in the back corner. Just make a sharp right just inside the door and you’ll see the cubicles. Look for the area with no windows.” She hit a button and there was a quiet buzz. Mitzi hopped over to the door. She looked back at the woman.

  “Thank you for this.” She looked at her sack of fudge. To hell with it. She reached in and pulled one out. It was one of the smaller ones, but still. She sat it on the desk. The lady smiled and took the fudge and started unwrapping it as Mitzi went inside.

  Mitzi was trying not to shake as the door closed behind her. She looked around and instead of a bunch of rooms, it was one GIANT room with some closed off areas. She hadn’t really understood what a cubicle was from reading about them, but the sea of little squares fit the word. They also reminded her of the wolf pits back in the Everywhen. She swallowed.

  She started walking down the wide space between the cubicles and the walls and occasionally a head would pop out and watch her curiously. A tall, skinny woman with light brown hair and glasses rounded a corner in front of her and came to a stop. She glared at Mitzi like she’d found a roach. It reminded Mitzi of the old woman who ran the tavern. This woman sidled over to a cubicle and spoke to the person inside quietly. Mitzi had giant ears. She used them.

  “Call security. There’s a fucking goblin in here.”

  Mitzi’s ears wilted. She may as well turn around. For humans, by humans. Then someone else rounded the corner and also started at her being there. The difference was this man broke into a grin. He was dark brown with glasses and hair shaved almost to the scalp. Mitzi wondered about the different colors of humans and if they meant anything.

  “You, I don’t think I’m going to forget any time soon.” He said to Mitzi. “You’re from Runt’s!”

  She was ecstatic at finding a friendly face. She looked nervously at the brown haired woman by the cubicle. The man looked at her as well and marched right up to her.

  “What are you doing?” He asked. The woman dropped her voice low which did absolutely nothing to keep Mitzi from hearing.

  “It’s a GOBLIN, Rob. What do you think I’m doing? I’m trying to get security to get a mob out of here.”

  Rob! This was Dan’s friend! He’d mentioned him. She saw Rob look at the man in the cubicle. That man looked up from where he sat, met Rob’s eye, and shook his head. Rob nodded. Rob got right in the panicked woman’s face.

  “Ok, Candy. I know I may have the wrong skin color for someone like you, but I am still one of your immediate supervisors. As such, I’m going to tell you to do two things. First, I want you to find something else to do for the rest of the day that keeps you out of my sight. Second, I’m going to ask you to stop using words like “goblin” and “mob” and making them feel like the N-word. Because, let me tell you, I KNOW how the N-word feels.”

  The woman, Candy, ran. She RAN. Rob shook his head before walking up to Mitzi and kneeling.

  “Hi. I’m Rob. You have GOT to be Mitzi. Dan told me a little about you. I’m sorry you had to see that.” He said, holding out his hand.

  Mitzi shook, gladly.

  “Nice to meet you. Dan told me a bit about you, too.” She looked around. She didn’t know if games were a sacred thing for humans like they were with some species. “You play games?”

  Rob laughed.

  “Honey, I LIVE games. Do you?”

  “Well, kinda. We found Monopoly in our house when we moved in. I learned the rules and everything, but the broodlings ate the pieces. And the money. Then the houses.”

  Rob laughed again.

  “I want Dan to bring you out for games one night. Would you like that?”

  “Yes.” She said with a giant grin. “Goblins are ok there?”

  “Girl, the people at the shop are going to shit themselves when they meet a real goblin that wants to play. YES goblins are ok.” Rob looked over his shoulder. “Look, I know you’re obviously not here to see me. He’s right down there.” Rob thumbed over his shoulder. “If you have any more trouble, you yell for me. Ok?”

  Mitzi didn’t know what to do, so she hugged him.

  “I will. Thank you!”

  Dan hated this part of his job. He’d done all the work he conceivably could without feedback. He’d sent the ads off to the clients. They were now either not checking their emails, or arguing in committee on whether the text needed to move right, left, or be replaced with comic sans. There was a level of hell involved in this job, and he was currently sitting in the lake of fire.

  Behind him he’d heard Rob laugh a couple of times, which was nothing new. Rob laughed at everything. He’d gotten his package that morning from the gnome deliveries and had it unopened on his desk. He had some work to do with it, but after that he’d find a time to give it to Mitzi. Regardless of what happened, he wanted to make sure she had this.

  “So.” The voice made him spin around. “See what happens when you show up randomly at some poor girl’s work?”

  It WAS Mitzi! She was standing there in the entrance to his cubicle like it was no big deal for him to have a visitor. He grinned like a maniac. She looked adorable in a sun dress and hat.

  “It’s good to see you! What are you doing here? I didn’t think I’d see you again this soon.” He said. He didn’t think he’d ever had a visitor at work.

  She hopped forward and threw her arms around his neck for a hug. He hugged her back. And suddenly, there was her scent. Spearmint. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. She stepped back.

  “I told you I’d let you know somehow when my next off day was. Well, today and tomorrow are my off days.” She looked embarrassed. “I’m really sorry if you’re busy. I just wanted to come say hi and let you know.”

  “NO! Not at all!” He had an extra chair against one cubical wall for when his supervisor came to talk. He nodded to it. “Please, sit down! I’m playing the waiting game.”

  She sat.

  “Speaking of, I met Rob and he’s pretty much demanding I come play games. I’m free tomorrow too. I guess that means you’ll be seeing more of me.” The smile she gave him was radiant.

  She immediately started looking around. Mostly, he had work related things up. Design bible stuff, rough sketches, but he had a few personal things. He had a small canvas on his desk that just said “NOT DEAD YET” in a sloppy font.

  What seemed to draw Mitzi’s eye, though, was the false window. It was painted glass of the city right beyond the wall. He’d mounted it in a thin shadowbox and loaded the back with LED’s the same color as daylight.

  “Did you make that?” She said, her voice full of awe.

  “Yeah. It’s what I would see if I had an actual window.”

  “Yeah, but you made it? Like, you really did this?” She turned to look at him and the look of wonder on her face made him embarrassed.

  “I did. I don’t keep my art up here, but I needed a window. I’d go nuts otherwise.” He said, watching the goblin nearly put her nose against the glass.

  “I can see the brush marks.” She whispered.

  “You really like art? I know you were super excited about it when I told you last night.” He said.

  She sat back down and looked at him. Amazement still plain on her face.

  “It’s like being a wizard. I mean, you basically take refined dirt and muck and put it on something and then beauty happens.”

  He watched as her ears did these little twitches. He wondered what that meant.

  “I wouldn’t say it’s magic.” He said.

  “You live with it. Of course you wouldn’t. You’re making something out of nothing. I always wished I could do that. All we ever did was destroy.” She said. He watched her expression darken.

  “Would you like to try painting some time?” He asked, and her face lit up.

  “You’d let me do that? Like, I COULD do that?”

  “Of course you could.” He said, genuinely surprised she had to ask. “Mitzi, I’d love to show you.” The idea of her in his studio made him grin. Everything with her made him grin. She bit her bottom lip and nodded. She had little fangs.

  “Ok. Can I try it soon?”

  He looked at her seriously.

  “That depends. How comfortable are you with coming to my apartment for a little while tonight?”

  “Are you sure? I know how people see goblins. I don’t want to, like, ruin your reputation or anything.” She said, suddenly worried.

  “Yes. I’m positive. I doubt anyone will even notice, and fuck them if they have a problem with it. You don’t have a cellphone, do you?”

  She shook her head.

  “No. I’ve only really used the PC’s at work, anyway.” She said, looking disappointed in herself.

  He was going to have to feel out her gaps in knowledge. He suddenly wished that terminology had NOT come to mind because the last thing he needed right then was the idea of him feeling her gaps. He knew he was turning red and she’d have no idea why.

  “You ok?” She asked him.

  “Fine.” His voice was a little huskier than it should be and she tilted her head to the side and watched him. Her ears raised.

  “I can come over. I don’t know where it is, though.”

  He gave her a playful grin.

  “Meet me here about five and you can walk me home.”

  She scowled at him.

  “If we’re reversing roles, then we’re reversing all the roles.” He said.

  The scowl broke and she giggled.

  “Ok. I should probably let you get back to not working.” She said. She hopped off the chair to leave when an idea seemed to strike her.

  “OH! I, uh, I thought really hard about whether I was going to give you this, but you’re offering to teach me to do art. So I guess that decided it.”

  She reached in her bag and pulled out a chunk of something light brown wrapped in cling wrap. She came closer, very close, and sat it on his desk. He looked at it.

  “Fudge?” He asked her. It should have been darker, surely.

  “Yeah!” She said excitedly. “PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE.”

  He held it up, examining it.

  “I didn’t know they made that locally. Neat!”

  “Do you like peanut butter?” She asked, watching him intently. He looked back at her. Her eyes were so deep this close. . . She’d asked him a question. Right.

  “Love the stuff. I keep a jar of it with a loaf of bread in the desk drawer.” He looked at her oddly. “Why?”

  She looked almost giddy.

  “No reason.” She was sort of twisting back and forth. It made her dress sway.

  “Uh huh.” He said, arching an eyebrow.

  Dan reached and took her hand. It was strong. It had calluses. Her skin was still remarkably soft though.

  “Thank you for coming to see me, Mitzi.” He thought about it. “And for the fudge.”

  She looked down at his hand holding hers and he thought she might say something but she just looked at it for a long time. She met his eyes.

  “You’ve made it very hard for me to think straight.” She said, almost sounding shy, which he thought was cute.

  “I’ve been having the same problem.” He said. “But, there are parts of me thinking very clearly.”

  He looked at their hands.

  “I’m normally not this. . .I don’t even know the words. Forward? Reckless? I’d normally be trying to get to know you better, Mitzi. I’m just as surprised by this as you are. But I don’t want to weird you out. I don’t want to make you want to stop wanting to see me.”

  When he looked back up, she was smiling at him.

  “One of us has been very forward and it hasn’t really been you. But I understand. I don’t really know what’s come over me. Goblins aren’t even supposed to be like this. I’ve always been a weird one. Bandy says I think too much.” Mitzi looked at her feet, the smile sliding off her face. “I’m kinda scared on top of all that.”

  “Would it help,” Dan asked, “if I said that I would like to be your friend? Regardless of whatever else is going on?”

  Her face slowly rose to look at him. Her expression was almost like when she’d been looking at the painting.

  “You can do that? Both, I mean? Be friends and. . .” She left it unsaid, the shock evident. Dan realized how little he knew about goblin society and how little she knew about his.

  “I don’t know how things work with your people, but for me, personally? I wouldn’t want to be with someone I couldn’t be friends with at the core of it all.” He said. He didn’t think he’d ever actually considered that consciously, but now that he’d said it, he realized how important it was. Most of his past relationships made a lot more sense now. One in particular that he shied away from.

  Mitzi looked behind her, outside of his cubical. He looked around her trying to see what she was looking for. No one was out there. She turned back.

  “I don’t know if you understand how important that might have been for me to hear.” She said.

  “I know it was important for ME to hear.” He said.

  She tilted her head, confused. That was fine. He had figured out why she had been looking and this gave him the opportunity. She was already standing so close to him, so he kissed her.

  He heard her little bag drop and felt her hand cup his cheek. Her other hand was still holding his. He put a hand on her side. He’d meant it to be quick but her hand seemed to hold him there. Her tongue found its way into his mouth and, while he was surprised, he recovered quickly.

  She tasted like spearmint. Not strongly, but it was there. Or maybe the smell was so overpowering this close. He wasn’t sure. He just knew the smell filled his mind. He hadn’t expected her to be so soft. Everything about her was soft. Her tongue, her lips, her kiss, the pressure of the nail tracing his jaw. . .that was a claw, now that he felt it.

  He felt something humming inside him. Like something curling around him. He felt safe again. He didn’t feel alone.

  Mitzi stepped back from him finally, though it was almost a stagger. Even with that, her face was the last thing to pull away from him. It seemed to pull his face with her. She sat in the chair and stared at him.

  “I, uh, I need a minute.” She said breathlessly. “Is it always like that? Human kissing?”

  “Sometimes?” He looked at her. “No. No it isn’t, not really. Never. Who am I kidding?”

  His mind reeled. He reached down and picked up her bag where she’d dropped it by his feet. It was FULL of fudge. He looked back at her. She was standing and straightening her dress. She reached out and took her bag. She gave him a giant smile.

  “Five o’clock?” She asked.

  “Yeah. I’ll be waiting for you.” He’d wait all night if he had to.

  She backed out of his cubical and gave him a tiny wave. He waved back still feeling in a bit of a daze. Then she turned and scampered off toward the exit and was gone. He just stared after her. He felt like he’d just started breathing again.

  Dan shook his head. He needed a distraction. He checked his email. STILL nothing from the clients. On a Monday. Sons’a’bitches. He sighed. He opened his package and started making some arrangements with one of the few friends he still had in Memphis while snacking on fudge. He felt like Mitzi was still there the rest of the day.