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Tobias left Katana and Jacques alone shortly after Jacques’ arrival. He had his own love he needed to find and pursue.
When Katana’s eyes had lit up with such joy at seeing Jacques and meeting him as a human for the first time, Tobias knew he’d done the right thing. He wanted to have someone look at him like that and he wanted to look at someone like that too.
***
KATANA AND JACQUES cleared three bottles of wine and emptied the boat of food. A little after midnight, they teetered back through the front door of Tobias’ house. He’d sent a driver to pick them up when Katana called for a ride home.
When she collapsed on her bed, fully clothed, her eyes were already shut before she could even undress.
All too soon, it was morning.
“Hey,” Jacques said, knocking on her bedroom door. “Are you up?”
Katana groaned and opened her eyes. “Is it really morning already?”
“Unfortunately.”
“My head is pounding. I think I drank too much.”
Jacques laughed. “That’s why I brought gifts.” He waved a box of paracetamol at her and held out a glass of orange juice.
“Thank you so much,” she said, reaching for them eagerly. She took two tablets and downed the juice. “What time is it?”
“Nine.”
She gasped. “We’ve got to be in court in an hour. I haven’t pressed my uniform either.” She scrambled out of bed and grabbed a towel from the floor. “I need a shower too. I smell like stale alcohol.”
“Don’t panic. I’ve already sorted your uniform.”
Katana looked at him and frowned. “For real?”
He nodded his head.
“You’re the best,” she said. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
Jacques blushed. “No problem. It was my pleasure.”
Dashing off to the shower, Katana couldn’t wipe the grin from her face.
***
SHOWERED AND DRESSED, Jacques, Katana, Lenore, Arald, and Tobias all piled into Tobias’ Mercedes, ready to attend the trial of Mr & Mrs Kempe.
Sat in the back, Jacques and Katana were squished together as Arald dominated most of the space.
“How are you holding up? Being human again and all?” Katana said.
Jacques smiled, his eyes lighting up with happiness. “Loving it. I never thought food could taste so good. I had re-heated pizza for breakfast. Do you know how good that is?”
Katana laughed and shook her head. “Have you tried shifting back yet?”
A streak of sadness flashed through his eyes. “No. I don’t want to. Not yet.”
“Too scared you won’t turn back?”
He nodded. “Sounds silly after everything we’ve been through, huh?”
“Not at all.” Katana grabbed his hand. “It’s great to finally meet you as a person, though. It’s...different, in a good way.”
He laughed. “I know what you mean. I err...” he scratched his head and looked down “...I need to apologise for my behaviour, when Ashley appeared. When I ran off. I’m sorry I was so dramatic.”
“Hey, it’s all in the past now. Done and dusted. Forgotten.”
“Makes things a little awkward with us though, doesn’t it?”
Katana giggled. “The awkward part is getting used to you like this. It’s somehow easier to shout at a wolf and stay mad.”
Jacques chuckled and grasped Katana’s hands with his. “You know I meant it, though?”
“What?” she replied, licking her dry lips.
“That I felt you’re supposed to be mine.”
Water sprung to Katana’s eyes and her heart started beating harder. “I know...I just...there’s so much to adjust to right now. Heck, last night I thought I was going to be agreeing to Tobias’ marriage proposal.”
Jacques squeezed her hands. “I know. I’m glad he had a change of heart.”
“Strange, really, but I’m not complaining. Still, I do have one thing to ask you.”
“Go on.”
“Well, I feel kinda dumb asking this, but I have to. My dad always said that if you were human you would be...you know...”
“In Vegas, wearing sparkly dresses and calling myself Jennifer?”
Katana laughed so hard, she cried. Nerves were perhaps a part of that too. “Yes,” she said, between splutters of laughter.
“K, I hate to break it to you, but no. I’m not gay. I have no interest in the male species except on a platonic level. People like your father, the typical Neanderthal alpha-male types, don’t tend to understand the men who are in touch with their emotions. That’s all.”
Katana pictured her father running around with a club, grunting, and chewing on raw meat. She laughed even harder. “He really is going to be Neanderthal-like when he’s hauled up in court today.”
Jacques gave her a thin smile. “I am so sorry this happened, K. Can you ever forgive me?”
“Forgive you for what?”
“For dragging you through all of this. After all, if I’d kept my mouth shut, none of this would have happened.”
Katana wrapped her arms around her friend. “Yes, it would have. Maybe not this week, or this month, or even this year, but at some point, Gregory and my father would have come tumbling down from their pedestals.” She smiled and touched Jacques’ cheek. “You know what? I’m grateful that you trusted me to deal with it all. That says a lot.”
Jacques curled his arms around her, holding her so close it was hard to tell where one started and the other ended. “That’s exactly why I love you,” he said.
Katana smiled and buried herself further inside his shirt, inhaling his intoxicating scent of fresh oranges. “I love you too.”