Courtship Conundrum...

Pebble pond, so named for the soft and slippery rocks littering the edges of the sparkling water before descending into the deeper middle.  An overgrowth of trees and bushes allowed only a smattering of sunlight through.  This was the perfect place for a frog to soak in her daily vitamin D needs without being fired into a palm sized treat. 

Greely spied the perfect log a stone’s throw away, teeming with both natural and shifter frogs.  Her purpose in coming today was two-fold.  Yes, the sun would be nice, but also, she needed to break her dry streak and soon.  Months had gone by since she’d last taken a lover. Her last paramour had, in all honesty, been awful. 

He was still in love with his ex-girlfriend and spent the entire evening guilt-ridden for merely having dinner with another woman.  She’d figured sex would be a no go, but after a number of successive drinks, he’d made advances.  She should have turned him down, but that night she’d seen him, The Blacksmith, for the very first time.

Months of sexual inactivity added to the sheer perfection of the dark haired, glittery-eyed smith, led her to make a crucial mistake.  Never go home with a man still in love with someone else.  The sobbing started at the same time he’d finished which, sadly, was two minutes after he’d begun.  The rest of the night she’d spent sopping up his soggy, snotty mess.

Greely blamed herself.  She knew the dating rules, but intentionally dismissed them because of a pretty face on another man.  Karma, the cranky camel she lunched with, made sure to remind her of this mistake on a daily basis.

Greely blamed herself.  She knew the dating rules, but intentionally dismissed them because of a pretty face on another man.  Karma, the cranky camel she lunched with, made sure to remind her of this mistake on a daily basis.

Now here she was, back at the pond about to try again.  The chorus of croakers was loud tonight; everyone was looking for love, but as she drew close to the log all fell silent.  Natural frogs moved to different logs and the shifters moved back to the forest.  Even the big bull frog from the summer solstice, she figured for a sure thing, jumped into the water and swam to the other side of the pond.

Greely plopped herself on the log and waited, hoping someone would come back and take an interest in her.  The minutes grew long turning from ten to twenty and gave her a chance to ponder the odd assortment of items showing up on her doorstep over the last week. 

First to arrive, a rusty cup of sorts, filled with the glittery sands only found on Talbot’s Peak’s underground beach—odd, but kinda sweet.  The next day it was a perfectly smooth, very shiny bowl filled with small colorful candies.  They were her favorites, Everlasting Gobstoppers.  The list of odd, but sweet gifts continued until this morning when there was nothing sweet about the stinky, dirty black rock waiting for her.  

She’d figured this was the work of the purple fairy, but then dismissed it as no one else had received a surprise on their doorsteps.

Thirty minutes passed slowly on the log, wondering if someone here might be an admirer.  She’d never had one before, but thought it would be pretty okay if she did.  Finally a male shifter walked out from the forest on two legs with a very nice third nestled between them.  This could be working out very well. 

This man was good-looking and well formed.  He was no blacksmith, but then who could compare to that dreamy dragon.   She had to stop the useless fantasizing about him.  This evening was about finding another to help her get past the brain melting hunger she had for her unattainable desire and to possibly find her secret admirer. 

“Greely…”

Oh heavens.  This was going better than she’s expected.  If he knew her name, he would clearly want to get to know her better and may have been the deliverer of her doorstep treasures.  Greely shifted, pasting a smile on her face even though bark dug into her ass and she longed for another.

“Um, hi.”  She smiled, naked and going for the sexiest eye twinkle she could manage.  “Sorry, I don’t know your name.”

His gaze immediately lowered away from her nudity.  “My name doesn’t matter.  You are no longer welcome at Pebble Pond.”

“No longer welcome…why?” Greely stood, mortification coloring her face.  She was the first to be banned from the pond and she didn’t know why.

“You have been marked as unacceptable.  Please leave.”

Oh god, could this get any worse?  Unacceptable, like she was diseased, dirty and undesirable.  “Who would mark me as such?”  She had to know.

“The Smith.”

There was no pleasure to be had at Pebble Pond only pain as she watched the good-looking man move back to the forest.  There was no secret love interest here for her, merely more embarrassment.

Greely swayed as she made her way back to the car.  The Blacksmith, the finest man she’d ever laid eyes on and her secret crush had marked her as unacceptable.

Was it any wonder she held the dubious title of Doomed Love Club Queen?

###

Erol reared back his long graceful neck and breathed fire down upon his forge. There was much to be made today, chains for the lusty shifters and horse shoes for the bloody humans.  He’d gotten behind in his work over the last week as he spent great amounts of time rummaging through his treasure looking for the perfect gifts for his soon to be queen.

“Do you really know what you’re doing, Erol?”

The pesky camel was getting on his nerves, but she was a friend to his mate so she would not be eaten.
Only she didn’t need to know that.  “Courtship has not changed that much over time so stop asking me that question, Karma.  Go now, before I toast you and have you for a snack."

She laughed like she knew some secret he did not.  “I’d only give you heartburn, slimy.”

How could Greely not come to him when she learned she’d been marked by his love…

~~~

May your courtships be winsome and wise!

Serena