Harry and Toi – Harry 3

Harry and Toi

Harry 3

1

* * *

I’d be embarrassed to admit how close by daughter came to knocking me on my ass at the train station. True, she was only a couple inches shorter than I and fit, but I did have sixty pounds on her.

I would have spotted her before she took a run at me, but I wasn’t expecting to meet a Hermetist. The leggy brunette in black waiting to use a booth looked like it might be her. I was trying to figure out if it was when Toi cannonballed into me.

I’m not embarrassed to admit that her hug was the highlight of my month.

She was trembling and ugly crying on my shoulder. I’d never felt that loved. I kept a lid on my emotions though because I was now in Protective Dad mode.

The guy who started walking up to us triggered my ‘nasty fucker’ radar. Then I noticed the suitcase. “’Scuse me, sir. Your girlfriend dropped this by the elevator. In a hurry to see you, I guess.”

I observed closely but couldn’t find anything filthy in his expression or tone. The ‘girlfriend’ I could forgive; there was no way for him to know. “Thanks, buddy.”

A tip of his hat, a friendly smile, and he was gone.

Toi was so excited, she was giddy. I felt the urge to impress.

My office and my cases certainly worked. Things got a little uncomfortable for me when she asked for my write up of the Silvergrey case. I had mixed feelings about her reading my account of her genesis. I wasn’t thrilled about her reading about my sex life, either. She was my baby girl, though. Like every dad, she had me wrapped around her little finger. I kept my cool as she zipped through the pages.

She didn’t mention Mæve, which relieved me. She did mention her mother, which I expected to talk about with her anyway, so I was prepared.

A couple of her questions threatened to put us on a shaky course, but I handled them well.

We managed to make it out of there without any dangerous situations arising, like that kiss in Azhure’en before I left. I thought the kiss on her forehead nicely steered things toward the familial. I felt steady enough to make it through the evening.

* * *

Toi took her hat off the moment she stepped into the apartment hall. I took it and her coat, hanging them in the closet. She walked the short distance to the living room while I was putting my outerwear away.

I picked up her suitcase and followed.

“Wow. Nice, dad. I thought your apartment would be more…”

“Slovenly?”

“No! Well…no. More bachelor-y.” Her expression initially confused me. Her eyes lit up, but something around the edges of her mouth indicated a suppressed frown. She wanted to be supportive of me but had her own hopes and couldn’t quite mask them. “You found yourself a girlfriend.”

I decided to pretend I bought her supportive daughter mode. “Not exactly.” I had done most of the cleanup that afternoon, for Toi. It helped burn off the nervous energy I had, for some reason. Mæve had seen my usual housekeeping, of course. Despite that, she kept coming back.

“That’s not a ‘no.’ Who is she? Is she pretty? Does she look like me? I mean…” Her face turned bright red. “Dad, I didn’t—”

“It’s okay, sweetheart, I get it. No, she doesn’t look like you and it’s just casual.” I thought it would be more awkward to talk about my new fuckbuddy, but my daughter’s faux pas had pulled all the awkward from the room. “It’s Mæve.”

That smile of hers. “From the case? “She’s here on Noir?”

“Abram set it up. He got her named as his successor as Superior of the Chapterhouse here.”

“Dad,” looking all serious, but with mirth beneath. “I must meet her to see if she’s really good enough for my daddy.” A slightly evil grin threatened to surface.

“We’ll see. Maybe I can set something up in the next couple of days. Now,” holding up her suitcase, “if you will follow me your room, we have a dinner reservation to attend.”

* * *

Defying my experience, my daughter was ready in under fifteen minutes. We had time for the cab to arrive and get us to the Ritz with eight minutes to spare.

She looked stunning, and I said so before we left the apartment.

She had done something amazing with her hair that had it up off her back and coiffed to accentuate her face and neck, the latter of which was long and slender. Her ears were small, shapely, and close to her skull. I was relieved they didn’t look like mine, which were almost entirely lobe.

That black dress was silk, off the shoulder and cut to her calves. It covered her decently, while clinging enough to highlight her lithe and lean figure. The shawl, which was all the humid night required, was also black and lacey.

I had seen her adult body nude before, but now she radiated a sensuality that had me doubting my fatherly resolve. She wore heals that put her squarely at eye level with me. Because of this, whenever she glanced my way an image came of us lying in bed together; a fantasy I had trouble shaking.

The Ritz was the finest restaurant in the city. I picked it because the dining areas were broken up by strategically placed verdure that made little private alcoves, shielded from listening ears as well as prying eyes. Perfect for lovers, I now cursed myself for realizing, as well as mere intimates who wanted some privacy.

The hostess led us to our table which, as I had requested, was window adjacent, giving as close to stunning a view of Santo Mortis as this city could present. Before leaving, she took our outerwear.

The waiter arrived promptly thereafter. He took our drinks. Anticipating a long evening, I followed Toi’s lead and had wine. We made small talk about the restaurant and the climate, the latter of which Toi seemed fascinated by, until our drinks arrived and we ordered dinner.

“When’s the last time you took a date here?” That ever so slightly wicked smile.

All her questions, it seemed, were about my love life. “Is that what this is?” I had wanted to say ‘…what you think this is,’  but I chickened out as I knew it would sting.

“It could be.” That look. The one she had given me after that kiss when we said goodbye. She was asking me with her eyes again, inviting me to repeat the willingness I’d had then.

“Okay, then. This is a date.” I reached across the table and held her hand. I was committed now. I wondered if I had ever not been. We still had to talk, seriously talk, about this.

As beautiful a smile as I’d ever seen, brimming with tears. She broke contact and the moment passed. In a lighter tone, “You still haven’t answered my question, Dad.”

It took me a second to remember what it had been. “I have never taken a date here.” Before today. “In fact, I’ve only ever been here once, entertaining a prospective client.”

“Did you get the case?”

“No. It was early in my career, when I thought I could make more money courting ‘respectable’ people.”

By her amused smirk, she had heard the scare quotes. “So, respectable people don’t hire private eyes?”

“Oh, they do. They just don’t like to be seen doing it. The Merkelsen’s reek of respectability. They found me through the gossip of their peers.”

“So, all you needed to do was get one case among the upper crust to get the word out.”

“Exactly. My first big case was suspected embezzlement. Word got to my client through one of his employees, whom I had helped sort out a nasty bit of blackmail.”

“So, you’ve never taken Mæve here?” my daughter asked, merriment peeking out from her eyes.

“No. Mæve and I prefer a less formal place, when we dine out.”

“Ooh, where’s that?”

Oh boy. “It’s called the Red Palazzo.” Unlikely she knew of it and she’d be back in Azhure’en before she found out. Hopefully.

“Sounds fancy.”

“It’s a lot more laid back than this place.”

“Why didn’t you take me there?”

I had no trouble fielding this one. “I wanted to spoil my little girl.”

“Next time let’s go there; we can let our hair down.” She played a with ringlet of hair she had left dangling behind one of her ears; that teasing smile back in place.

Next time. I knew there would be one, now; probably after… I wondered what it would be like, to be out in public with my my beautiful daughter, then. I couldn’t contain my smile.

“Does that grin mean, yes?” she asked.

Fuck it. With my luck, Toi would discover the truth about the Red Palazzo on her own anyway. “Sure does.”

“Good.” Her eyes were merry.

2

Dinner was excellent. The conversation was banal, but it floated on the constant feeling of delight we both shared in the mere fact of it. The tone was light-hearted, flirty, and would have sounded silly to anyone listening.

I should have lied to Mæve about where I was taking Toi.

We paused our chatter while the busboy cleared our table and I was considering another carafe of wine when my friend with benefits strode past our secluded little alcove. She was wearing shimmery green that flattered her curvy figure. I had to admit, bald pate or not, she had never looked better to me.

Mæve’s luck was excellent. Either that, or mine had just taken a header. My daughter spotted her just as I did, but before Mæve saw me. Toi turned to me. “That’s her, isn’t it?” in a stage whisper. She didn’t wait for my nod before calling out. “Mæve!” and waving.

Mæve’s imitation of genuine surprise at seeing me was masterful. I almost believed it myself. Almost.

She placed a hand on the hostess’s arm, asking her to wait a moment and came to our table. I stood to greet her. Toi did the same.

We shared a hug and a kiss that was as close to chaste as I thought possible. She saw murder in my eyes. This made her smile wider, of course. “Harry, lover, who’s this gorgeous creature with you?”

“My name’s Toiliúil. I’m Harry’s daughter.” She held out a hand, which Mæve shook warmly.

“Of course. Harry hasn’t stopped talking about you since he got back.” A blatant lie. “I missed the fireworks in the Silvergrey Sea, but it’s been the talk of the whole Order since then. Speaking of which, I hear you’ve signed up. Congratulations.” Now a hug which looked a little silly, as my daughter was six inches taller than Mæve. “So, you are the Child of Fyre. What’s that like?”

Toi giggled at the question.

“Kidding, luv. I won’t pry.”

“Oh. Okay. So, you’re fucking my dad. What’s that like?”

Both women laughed so loudly I saw the hostess wince. I shushed them, pointing to the pained expression of the woman waiting on Mæve’s pleasure.

“Well, I shouldn’t linger, I’ve a table waiting. Delighted to meet you, Toiliúil.”

“Wait. Can’t you stay? I’d love to talk. And call me Toi, please.”

I had to derail this. “I’m not sure they’ll let her—”

“Nonsense. They love me here.” That short ginger demon scooted over to the hostess. A moment’s discussion and the latter went and was back with a chair and a menu almost as soon as Mæve returned to us.

Toi did want more wine.

I switched to bourbon.

* * *

The nightmare scenario. Mæve and Toi got on like a house on fire. They chatted about everything, including some things that made me want to cover my ears for. Hermetic secrets my hairy ass.

Toi did sense I was feeling left out at one point and made an effort to include me in the conversation.

I wished she hadn’t, for Mæve followed suit.

It would have been alright except I could not communicate to Toi that our nascent arrangement should be kept under wraps, at least until we decided it wasn’t a horrible idea.

She wasn’t stupid, my daughter. She said nothing that Mæve could possibly have misconstrued.

Where she failed was in not understanding what careful observers Herms were, as she would eventually become.

A flash of a smile here, a lingering stare there, her very tone when she mentioned something innocuous about me. She may have thought the other Hermetist would interpret those as a daughter’s affection, but I knew Mæve better.

Then I felt a bare foot sliding along my calf and for a few horrifying seconds, I didn’t know whose it was.

It was Toi’s.

‘Don’t panic, Tranker. Just keep breathing,’  I thought. I tried to look interested in what the women were saying, desperately hoping Toi would stop.

Mæve’s dinner saved the day. As soon as she saw the waiter, Toi withdrew her foot, sitting up a bit straighter. Mæve’s eyes dart to my daughter for a fraction of a second. Toi didn’t notice. Fuck.

Everything settled down and I had a hope that I would get out of this without psychic injury.

Mæve joined me in sipping spirits after she had dined. Conversation mellowed and I began to relax, actually enjoying both women’s company.

Then Toi’s foot found my crotch. She had slumped down in her chair, but had done so so gradually, I hadn’t noticed. I doubted Mæve had been as unobservant as I, though she gave nothing away. We all had a more relaxed posture but that just meant Toi’s foot had a shorter distance to go to find my nuts.

Gentle pressure and a slow up and down with her toes, had me hard as steel in under a minute.

In my career, I had had to keep my cool while under imminent threat of death. I did myself proud that night if I do say so myself. I’m certain I gave nothing away to Mæve.

How she knew anyway, I simply could not figure out.

Mid-sentence, Toi jumped with a cry of pain. The heel of her foot punched my nutsack, then vanished. Mæve was looking at me when I flinched, damn her.

Turning to Toi, she looked properly mortified. “I’m so sorry, Toi! I didn’t know your foot was there!” Mæve had ‘accidently’ stomped Toi’s free foot, of course.

“You okay, sweetheart?” I asked.

“I’m fine, Dad. Mæve, really. I was more startled than hurt.” Toi had a glow from almost a litre of house wine. Her smile was genuine, though.

“Oh, good.” Mæve gripped Toi’s hand tight for a moment and everything seemed fine.

Seemed.

Finally, the evening was over. Mæve insisted on picking up the cheque as reparations for the injury done and as a present for my daughter and I on our reunion.

Mæve knew there was something going on between Toi and I, but neither by word, gesture, nor expression did she give anything away.

I was not looking forward to our next conversation; my lover’s teasing would be merciless.

—Gideon Jagged
Innsmouth, November 2026

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