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“Yes, of course. What other ‘Isaacs’ is there…?”

Kahn cut her off, his voice rising with each incredulous word. “You’re cooking for Isaacs, of the Air House? Are you out of your fucking mind!?”

Humans edged out of the breakfast aisle, dragging their children with them.

Randa’s mouth thinned. “The yelling and cursing is beginning to get out of hand, Kahn.” She grabbed some maple syrup from the shelf, because he would need it to go with the eight boxes of frozen waffles he’d already selected. “The key to blending into the human world is to actually blend in.” She tried to push the cart around him, but he shifted into her path.

“Look.” He took a deep breath, and she had the strange feeling he was trying to reign in his temper. “Inviting Isaacs into your home is a bad idea. He’s a bad person. He’s done bad things.” His tone suggested she had the IQ of a very dumb rabbit.

“We’ve all done bad things.”

“Yeah, but his are worse. Of everyone in the world, why would you want to hang out with Isaacs?” He paused. “How well did you two know each other in the Air House?”

Randa didn’t appreciate the insinuation. “Are you asking if I slept with Isaacs? Because that’s none of your business.”

“You hired me to protect you! It’s my business if you’re hanging out with deranged killers.”

“I did not hire you to protect me.” All she wanted was Sax dealt with, not bodyguards. Why was that so hard to understand? “And Isaacs is not a deranged killer. He’s my friend. I’ve seen him at his lowest points. He’s seen me at my lowest points. We don’t judge each other for it.” She made the sentences short and final. “We both understand what it takes to survive.”

Kahn switched to a different tactic. “Everybody hates you, right? Maybe it’s not a great idea to hang out with one of the few people they actually hate more.”

“They can hate me all they want. But no one tells me who I can be friends with. Especially not you.”

“I’m not telling you who you can be friends with. I’m just telling you Isaacs is a horrible friend to pick.”

Randa stared at him for a long moment. “Isaacs is coming to dinner on Sunday.” She said, and the words were unequivocal.

“Fuck!” He threw up his hands. “I think you’d date that son of a bitch just to spite the world. I’ve never met anyone more obstinate…”

It was Randa’s turn to interrupt. “I’m not dating Isaacs!” She shouted, pushed past the brink of good manners. “I’ve never slept with him. I simply enjoy cooking a nice meal for someone who doesn’t despise me, alright?”

Kahn stopped ranting and stared down at her.

Randa scowled back. “Isaacs is nice to me. And I can be myself with him. And I know that he’s not going to hurt me. So, I will have dinner with him. If you do anything to interfere, I will fire you and find someone else to kill Saxon.”

Kahn’s head tilted, like he was trying to see into her thoughts.

Selina, Kansas.

Perth, Australia.

Randa looked away, dragging in a deep breath. “If you want to obsess about someone’s dating life, I suggest you start with yourself.” She went on stiffly. “This afternoon, we’ll give you all makeovers. The Light House needs to look respectable by eight o’clock tomorrow night. It’s a daunting challenge that requires hours of work.”

Kahn frowned. “What happens at eight o’clock tomorrow night?”

“The singles mixer.” She edged the cart around him and this time he let her pass. “I’m sure I mentioned it.”

“I’m sure you didn’t.” He scowled down at the cart, like he was now trying to diagnose the source of the incessant squeaking.

“I spoke about the singles mixer to Steve, right in front of you.”

“Who’s Steve?”

“The flower delivery-boy. Remember? Anyway, it’s the perfect place to meet women. I promised to find the Light Phases Matches, and I will drag all five of you to every dating event in town until that happens.”

Kahn blinked like he’d forgotten all about their deal. Which made no sense, since it was the only reason he was here, wasn’t it? He put a hand on the cart to stop her moving forward and bent down to fiddle with one of the back wheels. “You want to go out tomorrow?” He translated warily, his eyes on his work.

“Yes. There will be a gathering of available women at the Wastin’ Away Bar and Grille. We’re going to look them over and see if any of them catch your interest.”