Reality Bites - Wattys 2018 Shortlist

Chapter 77 - Hot and Steamy

"So are you sure you know what to do?" I quizzed urgently. "The timing will be crucial" I stressed. "He can't be given a moment to suspect..."

"Relax sweetheart – I've had this sort of thing down since before you were a short dress your mother was wearing and a wicked gleam in my eye" Abe assured me. "I promise it will be completely believable and terrifying."

Pavel's lips twitched in amusement. It was hard at times to remember that Pavel had been with Baba since he was eighteen. I guess he'd really seen it all.

Nodding in satisfaction, I thought the whole scene was just about ready. In the past, my pranking had been more of the paintball sort of variety. But people grow up, me included. After the success of the Eddie prank, I'd decided to branch out a little.

It had actually been Dimitri who'd given me the idea. We'd been lying in one another's arms in the cabin after an impromptu hour of passion during what should have been a workout session.

"I used to loathe watching other men flirt with you," he'd confessed – referring to the time before we'd declared our love for one another, and consummated it within the very same cabin. "Even the idea of another man with you would drive me crazy" he'd admitted.

I was running his words through my mind while also pondering something else – how to prank Christian. He might have forgotten the 'piggie' comments, but I hadn't. Besides – Christian was well overdue for a pranking – and being a fortnight away from the end of our school careers together, it was pretty much now or never.

And so I'd settled on a plan.

However this time I decided I needed help. A lot of it. And so I'd roped in Baba, Pavel, Kirk, Dimitri, Adrian, a couple of the Mazur Guardians and I was just about to go and talk to my last participant. I wasn't sure about this last one – but it would be the icing on the cake, so I was hopeful and preparing to be my most winsome...

"So Lissa..." I started. "I was thinking about our trip to Court and Lehigh next weekend."

"Yes?" she said, sounding excited.

"Will Christian be able to come?" I asked, already knowing via Eddie and Dimitri he wouldn't be able to.

"No – he has his practical fire magic exams the following week. He's stressed out, and was quite happy about the idea of us going away for the weekend so he could study."

"So this is his last proper weekend as an academy student?" I asked, sounding her out. "Next weekend he'll be studying while we're away, and the weekend after it's Graduation and pack up?"

"I suppose so. I hadn't thought of it that way."

"It's all a bit scary, isn't it? Dimitri and I spoke, and we've decided if you're ok with it, we'll tell Baba to offer the Europe gig to Kirk? Pavel said he has an impeccable service record and he speaks a couple of European languages, which has to help. Dimitri really likes and trusts him – especially after the whole farmhouse event. If you end up with Eddie as a Guardian, Kirk and Dimitri will do a great job helping him find his feet. And he's a lot of fun. He has a sense of humor but knows how to be serious when he needs to be. I can see him fitting in with us well."

Lissa nodded. When it came to matters of security she left things to me.

"The only thing is – for him to really fit into our group, he needs to do a prank" I added laughing.

"Really Rose?" Lissa said. "Is that strictly necessary?! I'm part of our group, and I've never done a prank" she justified.

Hook. Line. Sinker! In some ways, I knew Lissa just oh too well!