Purrfect Roast: A Dragon Cozy Mystery by Verena DeLuca (the giving tree read aloud TXT) 📗

heart rate was up and I wanted to scream. I glanced around the room and found comfort in the fact that no one was paying attention to our table, let alone me having an internal freak-out. His behavior toward his fellow dragons was beyond out of line.

"The majority do enjoy the show." He transmitted in one of the most pretentious tones I had heard come from him.

"You're kidding, right?" I transmitted. "I get that you are high on attention right now, but maybe take a step back and review what all we've heard today. Only a self-centered tea tart would think the majority want to be here."

Azure did not respond, but he did not need to. How inconsiderate could a dragon be? There was no way the majority of dragons were here for the show. They were here because it was required. It was the only reason I came. Not that I was hiding it as well as some of these other tribe ladies.

Skylar and Aubrey deserved a medal for putting up with my whining. While I felt like a brat, I knew it was from being overstimulated and under-caffeinated. I pushed food around my plate and looked up at the girls focused on eating.

"I appreciate y'all putting up with my whining today," I said.

Both of them looked up from their plates, and Aubrey rolled her eyes while Skylar shook her head with a smile.

"We know you," Aubrey said. "No different from any day in the cafe."

She winked and took a drink from her water glass.

"Hey now," I said, and took a drink of my coffee.

"Totally," Skylar said. "Just another day in the life with Hailey."

She followed suit by taking a long drink of her sweet tea. I still had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that sweet tea was a southern delicacy. Cold coffee was the obvious choice for the cold drink of Texas. But then again, I was not here for any type of tea, warm or cold.

It made me giggle to think of how people in the UK would react to this state's obsession with sweet tea on ice. World war tea anyone? I could see the argument already. Who drinks cold tea? Where are the leaves? Are you supposed to microwave it? Then China would get involved, as tea was clearly invented there. It would be a total mess of weak arguments for how it was supposed to be drank. Likely ending with tea going right where it belongs—in the harbor. But that was tea, messy and weak. Not like coffee, understanding of preferences, and strong.

Not that sweet tea was even really tea, it was more of a dessert with all that sugar. A dessert as Texas as longhorns. I tried it once in college on a dare, never again. Way too sweet for my blood. Even Aubrey, the dessert queen, requested half-n-half—non-sweet mixed with sweet—when ordering it from our favorite chicken eatery. Ugh. I shook myself out of my thoughts, realizing they had moved to making laughable impressions of my sassy ways.

"Rude." I stuck my tongue out.

"Whatever," Aubrey said. "I know full well how you feel about crowds. This weekend had to be a hard one to muddle through. I'm actually surprised you didn't walk out."

"Not going to lie," I said. "The thought crossed my mind more than once."

They laughed and vocalized agreement with the sentiment.

I took another bite of macaroni and cheese, pondering over the day we had.

"Really," I said. "If I'm being honest, it hasn't been too bad of a day. We talked to some interesting people. Glad it was y'all I was stuck here with."

"It has been a pretty good day, all things considered," Aubrey said. "I still feel bad for bringing y'all into solving the trophy thing. We should have just hung out."

"Totally," Skylar said. "Taken a page out of the girls by the pool's book."

We all laughed again.

"Too true," I said. "They knew exactly how to relax amidst drama."

"Don't feel bad," I said to Aubrey. "It would have been a dull day had we not been investigating. Today's just been overwhelming is all. With the lengthy stay here, plus the drama of Tori, and Sue. Just a lot for a single day."

Aubrey gave me a heartfelt smile, and we let the silence linger between us, finishing up the rest of the food on our plates. She knew exactly what I was feeling. I needed to get home, take a long bath, and think through everything. It would all work itself out, just needed some time alone with my thoughts is all.

A cheer came from the lobby and we looked at the glass doors that separated the two rooms. You could barely make out people cheering, and I figured they found a second trophy.

"Guess we need to get back in there," I said.

"Totally," Skylar said.

"Just wish we knew who did it," Aubrey said.

"Oh!" I said, causing them both to jump. "I forgot! When we were walking into the dining room, I overheard some ladies saying that it was actually Naomi that told Sue a trophy was on the coffee table."

"Fascinating," Aubrey said. "Which group was she in?"

"The ones by the pool," Skylar said. "What do you think that's about?"

I fidgeted with my cup as they spoke and kept my eyes on the table. Someone was going to get away with this, and it was not right.

"Not sure," I said. "But maybe we should ask?"

"I don't know," Aubrey said. "I think y'all made a valid point of not pointing fingers."

"You should ask Veronica," Azure said.

"I could ask Veronica," I said. "She seems to be an open book."

"Hmm," Aubrey said.

We sat in silence for a few moments longer, then I stood up.

"I'm going to do it," I said. "What's the worst she can say? It was nothing?"

"Good point," Skylar said. "We'll come with you."

I smiled and let the relief melt over me. While I knew Veronica would not attack me over it, I was not looking forward to talking to