“Do you suppose they grind them up and put them in this?” Aisling said that she didn’t know, but hoped not. “Oh, to think of all the brownies that had to end their lives for this thing. I mean, it does smell good, but I don’t know that I want to eat some of my own kind, do you?”
“Why don’t you go to the kitchen for us and figure out where they’re keeping the others? Surely the way that people are eating these, they’d have to have a great many of them around, don’t you think?” Dak said that he’d look now. “Be careful, my friend. I don’t know what sort of thing they’d make from grinding you up in it. Oh, Dak, these poor, poor creatures.”
Dak found the box that the brownies were made from. Reading over the ingredients was difficult, as the words were longer than he was. But there was no mention of brownies. Reading it a second time, skipping over the words that he didn’t know, he figured that he knew the word brownie well enough to figure out how many it took for them to make the dessert.
Going back to Aisling, he saw that she was having a cup of tea. He nearly told her that she was taking it all again when he noticed that she’d put him a few drops on the plate under the cup. He tasted it before telling her what he’d been able to find out.
“So it’s just a name that they call them, and it has no brownies in it at all?” Dak said that there were a lot of big words. “Yes, but there was no mention of brownies or faeries. Why would they call it something like that? I mean, she nearly had me shifting and burning the place down. If not for the fact that I thought them to be here, I would have, too.”
“Yes, well, let’s try this thing. I will be surprised if it has any flavor at all.” Running his finger over the dark chocolate on the top, he then grabbed a handful of the pastry beneath it. “Oh, my lady, this is better than any food that we’ve eaten to date.”
It went well with the ice cream that was brought to them later. Also, he simply could not get enough of the nuts that had been baked into the confection. Nor did he turn down the second sampling of tea that Aisling put out for him. Tea and brownie, he decided, went together like he and Aisling did. A perfect pairing.
When they left the restaurant, as full as they’d been when leaving their first place for dinner, Dak was able to tell her what a food critic was. It was nothing much, he thought, but it did get them both to thinking about some way for them to make some money. The credit card was nice, he told her, but there were a few places that they wanted to try that didn’t take cards. Why they didn’t was a mystery to them both, but it seemed to be that way.
“When I searched through the minds of the few people there, they all had different opinions of the job. But I went by the office and found someone on the computer. We must get us one of those. But I gave him the suggestion to look up the word.” She asked him if he thought they could fix a computer to work for them. “I would think that it would be most easy. Especially when we have nothing to do but watch the television box. But you should come up with a different name to us, I think. That way they won’t know who you are. Also, you’ll need to figure out what sort of critic you wish to be. Perhaps a food writer? Or one that is a restaurant critic. I would think that means you are judging the place and not that food, but there wasn’t much on it with the computer when I looked it up. You would do what we do. Eat a meal, then write down what we thought of everything that we ate. I was thinking that we’d not mention that we didn’t care for the things that we didn’t like, unless it was something about the way that it was cooked. I didn’t like the green beans, but you did. So you’d tell me what you liked about that, and we’d both tell about everything else.”
“I think that we should read a few of them first, don’t you think? I mean, what if we think differently from the way that others might think?” Dak said that was a good idea, and they decided to pick up a computer on the way back to the apartment. “This way, we can learn about it as well. I’m so glad that you taught me to read, dear friend. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you with me.”
Even with the two of them, they had a bit of trouble hooking up the computer. The instructions were very vague at times, and then other times there were too many words. Finally they just followed the pictures that came with it and didn’t read the words. It not only made it easier, but also less stressful for them. They had the things running before the sun came up. That was when Aisling said that she needed to rest. While she was resting, a deeper nap than she’d wanted thanks to him, he’d gone to see Lord Connor. The snow wasn’t deep on the ground yet, but it was snowing when he left the man.
Now here he was, back with not just more information on the computer, but he’d been able to produce a printer too, just so they could read over what they’d written before sending it off to the newspaper that Lord Connor had made contact with. Not only did they have a job, but they also had someone at the paper excited about having them tell him what they’d liked around town. It was a job come true for them.
~*~
Aisling had read over about two hundred reviews before she was ready to write her own. She was glad for the spelling thing on the computer. Without that she was sure that she’d embarrass herself and Dak with all the mistakes that she’d made. As it was, she had made notes on not just the restaurant, but how they would rate the place in their paper.
“I’m so happy that you found that little icon, Lady Aisling. Having the forks to give to a place is very funny to me. You’re careful not to put too many, correct?” She told him that she was only using five at a time. “Five for some of the places that we’ve been doesn’t seem enough.”
“From what I’ve read, the more stars you give a place, more and more people will eat there. But you have to be careful in giving them for just the food. I made a chart that I’m going to follow. See?” Aisling handed him what she’d been working on. “They get one star for each of the five things that I’m going to rate them on. A lot of the other critics said that they only gave them on the restaurant. We read about them. But people seem to want the whole of the place before they eat there. Like, are the bathrooms nice? Not just cleaned up, either. One lady gave a bad rating when there was no toilet paper on the tube like thing. But there had been plenty of the rolls behind her. I would think that wasn’t nice, simply because she was too lazy to put it on the roll. What if they had been too busy to get in there and do that? Or if no one had told them? I won’t do that.”
After rating the restaurant that they’d eaten at last night, including the other things that she’d rated them on, they were given four and a half stars. She explained to Dak that giving someone five stars would be hard on the restaurant, because there was nowhere to go but down from there.
“Down to where, my lady?” She explained to him what she’d read about that. How a restaurant would strive for five, but would want something to work harder for. “I see. So while they want a five, they want to work on being the best that they can be. If you give them a five right off, they’ll think that they’re perfect and not want to change for the good. Yes, I like that.”
She did as well. After writing up the entire review, she read it over three times. Not making it like a report was also something that she was striving for. A few of the reviews that she’d read had complained about how the person that was rating them made it seem like they were doing it like a bullet point.
“I’ll have you know that I have looked up more words today than I knew were around. When I came to a word that I didn’t know, I would look it up, only to find that there were words in that part that I didn’t know what they meant.” Aisling laughed. After printing up her papers, she laid them on the table. The computer screen would sometimes make Dak’s eyes hurt when he had to stare at it for too long. “It was a good deal of fun too. I know a lot about this new venture that we’re taking on. What do you think of our first write up on a place?”
Dak took his time reading it over. She was glad for that. It wouldn’t b
e good if she had done too many things wrong with her work, and they had to tell her that they’d not pay her for it. Not that she needed the money, but it would be nice to have a little cash on hand for things.
Aisling knew that Dak was visiting a dragon. She had also figured out that he was waiting for some kind of signal from the dragon for them to leave this place. Aisling hadn’t figured out why they were waiting or why he’d not told her about the other dragon, but she wasn’t upset about it. If he knew something that was going to make it better when she met the king, then she didn’t want to mess up his plans. Or whatever the other dragon might say about her coming too soon.
The credit card did worry her some. Whoever it belonged to—Aisling did think perhaps it was the dragon that Dak was seeing—she hoped they didn’t mind that she was using it for everything they did. It did have her name on it, but she knew that such things had to be approved up before you just got one. Of course, whoever the dragon was, he might well have come here if he’d been upset about things. She was also unsure if the money coming out of the card for the food and things that they did was coming from a real account. Aisling knew that people needed money to keep up with their bills and such. If there was no account, then how were they being paid at the end of the day? So far she’d not figured out a way to ask Dak about it.
“I think this is perfect, my lady. Just the right touch in places that will make someone believe that you were honest in what you said, and that you really enjoyed the food and the place. I love that you put me in as your companion. That was very kind of you.” Aisling told him that she’d not be able to do any of this without him by her side. “Nor I you, my lady. I have enjoyed my life with you, and hope that nothing changes.”
It was also important that they didn’t let anyone know who they were. Not that they couldn’t tell them their names—or hers at least—but the restaurant could not know that they were critics. It would make the owner or the cook make things more delicious than he would anyone else’s food, and that would be wrong. She’d also read about how one critic not only told them who he was, but demanded free meals for a good review. That was unfair to everyone that read them. No one would trust you any longer about your word. Aisling’s word was all she had for now, and she wanted to be able to take pride in what she said to people.
Sending it in the form of an email was slightly confusing to them both. After reading up on how it was done and how it worked, they were more confused than before. Finally, she put the names of the two people in the place that Dak had given her to send, and the name of the restaurant in the subject line. It then asked her for an email address.
“I’ve already given that to you, my lady.” Aisling told Dak that she didn’t think that was what it was asking her for. “Then what? I was only given those to email this to. I know not what others it could be asking for.”
“I think that it wants me to have one.” He looked at her strangely. “They’ll want to know who the email is from, don’t you think? I mean, it’s easy enough to make up one and send it with the report. We just have to come up with a clever name to call the two of us.”
“You would put my name there as well?” She asked Dak why he’d think anything differently. “I don’t know. Perhaps because I’m not human?”
“Neither am I, in the event you forgot that. Let me see. I’m thinking that our name should be something to do with us both. Like a combination of our names.” He shook his head at her. “Then tell me what you think, my friend. You must have an idea.”
“I do. I am a faerie and you are a dragon. We should be Dragon Faerie. That’s all, just that. Perhaps that will make people remember us as well. Then we don’t have to tell people a different name when they ask you. You’re just Aisling.” He snapped his fingers. “I think you will need a last name as well. We should think on that a bit.”
“Oh, I have one. One that I heard on the television box this morning. I would like to be called Aisling Denver. Like that song we heard on that movie. Remember it?” He smiled and said that he had. “Good. Then we are Dak and Aisling Denver. Is that all right with you?”
“Oh yes, it’s splendid. Thank you ever so much.”
So, after putting her email address in the line, they’d sent it off. She was playing with the computer, marveling at her new email address, when she had something pop up on the computer. She squeaked when it did that. Of course, Dak came to her immediately.
“It is welcoming me to the email place. I was nervous that whoever these two men are were going to send it back and tell me to forget the entire thing.”
They were still laughing when a second one popped up on the screen. This one was from one of the men that she’d emailed the report too. Reading it aloud, she was surprised at how nice the letter was.
“I would eat there because of how you described the place. I would also try the pulled pork, as well as the brownie. You did an excellent job in telling people what they really want to know, as well as not being too opinionated about things that no one else cares about. I do think that my partner will enjoy having you out there as much as I did reading this. Thank you—excellent job on your first review.”
Looking at Dak, Aisling couldn’t help but be excited. Not only had the man enjoyed their report, but he would eat there because of it. “What do you think of that, Dak? Could we be critics now?”
“I think that you are, my lady.” They were both laughing when the email thing dinged at them again. This time it was from the newspaper that they had emailed it to. “Oh my, I do hope that he loved it too.”
Not only did he love the report, but asked her if she had any more. That he would run her column whenever she would send him in some of her pieces. But he would love to run them every Thursday so that people could make plans to go to the restaurant that she had been to on the weekend.
He would also like to keep her as the newspaper critic if she’d not go to any other newspaper. She asked Dak if he knew what that meant. And if he thought that would be a good idea.
“I do, my lady. Why would you want to send the same report to other papers when he is willing to pay you not to? Not that you had any plans for such a thing, but if he wishes, you can do just what he asks.” She thought so as well, and wrote out what she wanted to say back to the man. He had also asked her for an address, which they had figured out for themselves when people asked her, and a phone number. “I guess we’ll have to get us one of those devices for real, won’t we?”
“I suppose. Are you sure we can afford this, Dak? I mean, I haven’t made a payment on this thing since we’ve been using it, and I don’t want it to run out of money.” Aisling was hoping that he’d tell her what was happening with the card, but he only assured her that there was more than enough money for her to use it. “I guess that we’ll be able to pay back the account whenever a bill comes. Now that we have a box at the post office, I guess things will be all right there.”
She told the man at the other end of the email, an Andrew Hemingway, that she lived in an apartment, but only had a box number. Giving him the number on her door as well as the street had been easy for her to do as well.
As soon as Aisling hit send, she wondered about the other thing that he’d wanted. A social security card. Then not five minutes later, he’d said that he’d found it. How he’d found something that she had no idea about was something that she was going to have to look into. But for now, she was as happy as she’d ever been. And she felt secure in making her own way in the world for a change.
Aisling did wonder what other things she could look up on the computer. As she did searches for things that she’d heard or seen, she was learning more and more about the time frame that she was in. So many things to learn, and she told most of it to Dak. He, of course, had known some of the changes that had occurred, but not all. That was what she had fun with, explaining things to him for a change.
When she looked up about
cell phones, she thought that her head might explode. There were too many for her to name in brands, and everyone, the places said, had the best network, whatever that was, and the best coverage.
By the time the sun was coming up the next morning, not only was she going to have a phone shipped to their apartment, but she was going to have the best of the best. Whatever that meant to each of the companies. Reading over each of the things the cell phone did made her wonder why she’d need it, but she didn’t complain when they also gave her access to a cloud. She’d never owned her own cloud before, and thought it might be nice the next time she was flying around to try and find it. Humans were so smart, Aisling thought, if they had the ability to own a cloud well above their heads. It would be fun to figure out all the things that they’d been able to do since she’d been asleep all that time.
Chapter 9
Connie simply fell in love with the burg that her brother was staying in. He had such a lovely home, too, that she wanted to get one for her family. Looking at Spencer, she knew that to mention a home to him now would only depress him more. They’d lost so much in the last few decades.
Spencer was lying down when Connor and Roxanna had come to see them. Spencer was sleeping more and more of late, and she so worried about him. There were days when he’d not even get out of the bed—he’d been just too sad to do so. Today, she was somewhat embarrassed when she couldn’t wake him enough to come and see her brother and his new wife.
“It’s all right, Connie. I’m just so happy to see you.” Hugging her brother made her realize how much she had missed being hugged. That was another thing that Spencer had stopped. He didn’t have any physical contact with her or their two boys. “I do hope you can stay for a while.”
She fobbed Connor off and told him that they’d see. There was nothing for them to go back to anyway, so it was stay with Connor or live in the caves here as they had been doing at home. When she looked over at Roxanna, Connie wondered what the woman was thinking when she finally stood up. Connor did as well.
Connor: House of Wilkshire ― Paranormal Dragon Shifter Romance Page 10