“I think she’s had enough!” I cried when she finally decided not to take any more and bit me properly. The blood welled on my finger, blending with the body paint. I put her down, and she immediately galloped over to where the Hell Ferrets were lurking.

“Well, lucky you are both insanely photogenic—I’ve got more than enough to work with here!”

I heaved a silent sigh of relief and walked over to where Jules was standing, watching Luci cavort with the ring-ins.

Why were they here? Was it just to make sure I kept on-task?

“He’s very … selective … about who he associates with,” Jules explained wryly, pointing to Falcor, who was tucked into a little sling that Jules wore on her front. He glared at the interlopers from his perch.

I giggled nervously. “Clearly Luci has no such qualms.” Her little shadow boys were writhing all over her. “I keep telling her that she’s always living out my why choose fantasies whenever she gets together with these two.”

“Oh, do you know them?” Jules asked.

“Oh … uh …” I tried so hard not to wince and failed. My big mouth got the best of me—again.

“Oh, sorry! Her boyfriend left them with me earlier.”

Gratitude filled me as I glanced up, finding Ezra leaning against the door frame. His eyebrows lifted as he perused my costume.

“I didn’t want to interrupt the shoot, but they demanded to be put down the second I came through the door, and they scurried off before I could stop them.” He gave me a ‘play along’ look. “So I just browsed the shop downstairs for a bit. I figured they’d be in better hands up here with the ferret people, anyway.”

Jules looked questioningly from Ezra to me. I nodded mutely, a silent agreement with Ezra. I was saying nothing. Opening my trap right now would only get me into bigger trouble.

“Well, I guess we better get you all cleaned up and ready to take your little critters home.” Esther set down her camera, heading towards me. I backed away.

“Oh, uh, I …”

“Just tell ‘em your heading to a fancy dress party already, so we can get outta here!”

“Yeah, I’m ready to take pretty little Luci to a second location!”

My head twisted in the direction the voices came from. At the last second, I locked my jaw so my mouth wouldn’t fall open. But no one else seemed to have heard them.

“Oh, come on, Jemma Bliss, don’t act so shocked! You know we can talk!”

I quickly bent, tugging a chattering, disgruntled Luci away from the writhing ferret pile. While I was close enough that I could whisper so no one else would hear, I hissed, “Don’t speak about Luci that way, you dirty little⁠—”