Genie Knows Best Read Online Free Page B

Arabia ; this had to be a bonus he’d come up with to thank her. His way of showing his appreciation for the business.
    She wasn’t quite sure it was appropriate, given the reason for tonight’s party, but at least David was giving to her instead of taking from her. After Albert’s little nondisclosure, she’d take the good where she could get it.
    But this… She didn’t know if she could take this. Albert’s defection wasn’t enough; now she had to deal with mythological beings, hairy sitcom creatures, and a devastatingly handsome, half-naked man who could kiss her right out of her djellaba if he so desired.
    He could?
    Samantha rewrapped her fingers around the lantern’s handle, never more thankful for an interruption than for the fox with his squeaky voice, bouncing as high as her thigh next to her.
    And if that didn’t sound insane…
    “Owner? There’s another djinni around here?” Another bounce. “Cool, Kal! Someone for you to play with!”
    The centaur laughed so hard he started choking. Cousin Itt whacked him on the withers until he neighed. Samantha didn’t want to contemplate what that meant.
    Kal looked at her. “I don’t know anyone named David, Samantha. Not in this century anyway.”
    She’d had a feeling he was going to say that. Well, not the century part. And did she even want to know what that meant? Hell, no.
    “So you’re saying that you… and the fox… and the little green men—”
    “Leprechauns.” The mayor coughed the word behind his hand.
    Samantha shot him a look. Of course they were leprechauns; she knew that—
    What?
    Samantha shook her head. In denial or to clear it, it was anyone’s guess. “But you all can’t be real .”
    Kal gripped her shoulder and that touch was definitely real. So were the electricity and goose bumps it ignited. “I assure you, Samantha, we are very real.”
    And if all of that wasn’t enough to convince her—not to mention the tingle still going on with her lips from his kiss—something dropping out of the sky and landing on the road in front of her went a long way toward doing so.
    Something that looked a lot like a dragon. An iridescent, purple-scaled, ridge-backed, frilled-neck dragon. With lime-green fingernails. Claws. Talons. Whatever.
    Samantha shook her head. Again.
    There was a dragon in front of her.
    “What’s your hurry, hon?” The dragon was chewing gum—at least, Samantha was hoping it was gum and not a leprechaun.
    She stumbled back to the chair. David couldn’t have had anything to do with this .
    The dragon ambled closer, its long, pointed nose inches from Samantha’s face.
    Samantha held her breath.
    “Kal?” asked the dragon—which was so much more wrong than a talking fox or people congratulating her for throwing a good funeral. “What’d you do to this one? She’s looking a little green.”
    The leprechauns chuckled.
    “I didn’t do anything to her, Maille. She’s still adjusting to the magic, and now you all come along and upset her. I haven’t even had a chance to explain.”
    Upset… The word didn’t quite convey what she was feeling, but Samantha had a feeling nothing would, so it was as good a word as any.
    She licked her lips and then wished she hadn’t when the dragon’s eyes narrowed on her mouth. No need to give the giant lizard any ideas.
    “You guys really don’t have anything to do with The Main Event, do you?” Samantha was amazed she had enough air in her body to utter that question.
    “The Mane Event?” the mayor asked. “Heinz’s place? Faith, lass. Do ye think Orkney looks as if he’s had a haircut lately?”
    Cousin Itt—make that Orkney—shook his head with a weird, snuffling sound that Samantha was going to assume was laughter just for her own peace of mind.
    “Oh, I don’t know,” said the centaur—Wayne. “I’ve seen Heinz’s cuts, and I have to say, that’s one of his better ones.”
    Another garden gnome ran out from between the dragon’s front legs and