by M. Gregg Roe
“We could go to my place,” said Conrad. “I have a leftover pork roast and potatoes I could heat up.”
It was more than Audrey had on hand at the moment. “That sounds good. Let’s go.”
She walked next to him as they headed south. It was bitterly cold, but the clear, star-filled sky was beautiful. She fished her gloves out of a pocket in her cloak and donned them, but her feet were still cold. Wearing a nice dress had been a mistake in that respect, and in how it had obviously made Conrad uncomfortable, maybe because he had shown up dressed casually. It was her mistake for not having thought it through.
Audrey’s relationship with Conrad was a complicated mess. It had started off being only physical, but that didn’t seem to be working out for either of them. As much as she enjoyed sex, she really wanted it to be with someone that she cared about. That was something that she had been lying about to herself for years. She simply wasn’t the type of girl who went out with lots of men just to have fun.
“I like that dress,” he said, shortly after they turned left down a narrow street lined with row houses on one side and fallow vegetable gardens opposite. “Is that the one you designed?”
“Yes, it is.” She was amazed that he had remembered her mentioning that. “I sewed it too, which is why some of the stitching is sloppy.” She kept meaning to fix that, but she never seemed to get around to it.
“I’ve got some clothes that need to be repaired,” he said tentatively.
“I can look at them while you’re fixing the food,” she offered. “Do you have any sewing supplies?”
“I have a few things. My mother gave them to me.”
“I’ll fix what I can tonight and take the rest home. And you don’t need to pay me,” she added, noting the expression on his face.
“Thank you. My mother keeps telling me I need to marry a woman who can sew.”
Audrey laughed. “Was that a proposal?”
A look of shock showed briefly before he shook his head and chucked nervously. That made Audrey feel guilty. She kept misjudging him.
It wasn’t long before they arrived at the building that housed both Conrad’s workshop on the ground floor, and his living quarters above. As always, everything in the work area was neat, clean, and organized. Once upstairs, he hung up their cloaks and asked her to sit down. After tending to the fireplace, he left the room, soon returning with both a small canvas pouch and a square wicker basket containing several articles of clothing.
Audrey found the pouch of sewing supplies to be well-provisioned, including several colors of thread and an assortment of buttons. She set to work mending a tear in a beige shirt. Given his occupation, it wasn’t surprising that Conrad’s clothing sometimes ended up damaged.
The aroma that soon filled the room surprised her. She could detect two different spices, one of which it would never have occurred to her to use on pork. By the time Conrad announced that dinner was ready, she had finished with two shirts and one pair of pants. Now ravenously hungry, she put aside the shirt that she had just started on and sprang to her feet.
Dinner was a revelation. The pork was tender and juicy. The potatoes had been sliced, sautéed, and then drizzled with a cream sauce that tasted amazing. In response to her question, Conrad told her that it was his grandmother that had taught him to cook. That had been after he was apprenticed to his paternal grandfather at the age of twelve.
“Your father wasn’t interested in carpentry?” she asked after cleaning her plate.
Conrad wiped his mouth before answering. “No, and that was a great disappointment to his father. My father wanted to be a farmer. He moved to Lovar and ended up raising chickens. That’s where he met my mother, and where I and my sisters were raised. My grandfather spent my entire childhood trying to interest me in carpentry because I’m his only grandson.”
“That obviously worked,” said Audrey. “He’s retired now?”
Conrad nodded. “They live in Lovar now.”
“How old are your sisters?”
He paused a moment to think. “Fourteen, and almost seventeen.”
Audrey eyed the dish that still held some potatoes, but she decided that she was full enough already. Conrad began to clear the table, and she jumped up to help him. Working together, they soon had everything cleaned up and put away. She returned to mending as he added a log to the fireplace. It all felt rather homey as if the two of them were a real couple.
Conrad disappeared for a while, finally returning with two goblets made from dark wood and a glass bottle of grape wine that made her smile. She explained that she had been to the temple where it was made, and he asked her several questions about it. In between sips of wine, she finished the final item and neatly folded it. “Thank you,” he said, taking the pile from her and heading to the bedroom. By the time he returned, no doubt after putting everything away, she had made up her mind. She put the goblet down on a side table and rose to her feet.
“I need to apologize,” she said, staring earnestly into his deep brown eyes. “After our first actual date, I told you we could never have a relationship. I shouldn’t have said that. And I shouldn’t have suggested we just get together to have sex.” She lowered her head. “I’m sorry.”
“And I’m sorry I keep talking about my work. I’m just not very good at conversation.”
“You’re just focused on your occupation,” she said, raising her head and smiling sweetly. “I tend to talk too much about sewing and martial arts.”
She walked up and placed a hand on either side of his waist. After a moment’s hesitation, he reciprocated, and they simply stared into each other’s eyes for a while.
“What I learned tonight,” she said, as his nearness began to affect her, “is that we do have things in common. We both like to cook, and we’re both children of livestock farmers. It was pigs in my case.”
“Then you’ve had pork before,” he said with such a straight face that she had to smile. Conrad did have a subtle sense of humor.
“Not cooked like that. And I want the secret of that cream sauce.”
It made no sense, but Conrad’s dry recitation of the ingredients excited her beyond all reason. Suddenly they were pressed against each other kissing deeply. His mouth tasted of the spices from their dinner, and of the wine. That aroused her even further.
Neither one of them got much sleep that night.
There were two large sheets of paper pinned up on the wall of Grasapa’s office. They depicted the floor plans of the building that currently housed Xlee’s Martial Arts Academy, but which had once been some kind of business. Alterations had been made when Grasapa first purchased the structure over a decade earlier, but nothing major. What Audrey saw as she examined the plans made her wonder if it might not be simpler to just knock down the current building and erect a new one. When the work was done, there would be small private rooms for students that wanted to live on-site, and they would share a common area, a kitchen, and a large bathroom. (It occurred to her that that was similar to the courtesans’ living quarters at Desires.) There were new offices for the instructors, and new changing rooms that included bathing facilities. Two new classrooms were included, and the old ones would eventually be completely remodeled.
The only reason that Audrey and sought out Grasapa to ask about the renovations was because Conrad had mentioned hearing about it from other carpenters. He was even thinking about bidding on some of the finishing work, which was his speciality. But she had never imagined anything so extreme.
“When does this start?” asked Audrey, staring at the place on the second floor where Demon Dresses’ office was currently located. That was going to be part of the student housing.
Grasapa walked over to Audrey’s left. “The initial phase will start within ten days. I am sorry, but Demon Dresses will need to relocate sometime in the next month or so.”
“That’s okay; we’re not exactly doing well. I’ll talk to the others about it.” Still, Audrey felt sad. It was ano
ther blow to the business that she had started. And it might be terminal.
“There is more. My husband and I will soon be moving to a small house in Rohoville. It is the money from the sale of our home here which has made it possible to finally put these plans into motion. It has proven to be a profitable investment.” Grasapa looked over, her plain face showing a trace of melancholy. “I will still be teaching here perhaps a third of each month, but Bennett and Zalina will be formally in charge. Others, such as Kora, will be given additional teaching duties to make up the shortfall.”
Hearing that made Audrey feel even sadder, but she could guess the reason. “You’ll be closer to where Ariel lives,” she observed.
“It saves nearly a day of travel each way. We miss our daughter.”
“Where will you stay when you’re here?”
Grasapa responded by tapping a spot on the new second floor layout. “This will be my new office. It will include storage and a small bed. I will either eat out or with the students.”
“Oh.” That made more sense than staying with friends or renting a place.
“How is your quarterstaff training coming along?”
Audrey assumed that Piran regularly reported her progress. “I can perform the entire Shorinken Staff Form now, although we’re still working on a couple of areas that I’m struggling with. Then I’m going to learn to do it at full speed.”
“I believe that you will find that relatively easy,” said Grasapa, now thoughtful. “You already have combat experience with one.”
“Yes, I have.”
Grasapa nodded. “I intend to resume teaching you personally when possible. After some review, we will move on to new techniques and combinations.” She showed a definite smile. “Expect it to be both tiring and painful.”
“Isn’t it always?” said Audrey, shrugging her shoulders and smiling.
Grasapa returned to her desk and seated herself—her way of indicating that their conversation was over. After directing a Shorinken bow of respect to her teacher, Audrey exited and headed to the other end of the building, the part that would soon be undergoing huge changes. She entered the Demon Dresses office without knocking, finding Hazel there hunched over the work table at the far end of the room under the window. “I have news,” called out Audrey as she hung up her cloak. “About the business,” she clarified.
Hazel winced as she stood up. She stretched her arms above her head and then moved her head around while rubbing her neck. “I needed a break,” she confessed. “You wouldn’t believe how many stitches this dress requires.”
“And there’s only one more dress after that?”
Hazel held up three fingers as she walked up. “Three dresses now. I found us two more customers.” Her eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you look happy about that?”
Audrey quickly explained about what she had just learned from Grasapa. And when she was done, Hazel surprised her with a playful kiss. “You worry too much, Audrey. We can find another place. I can finish this dress at home if I have to.”
Her friend’s words did make her feel better. “Okay. The four of us need to get together and discuss it.”
“We will.” Hazel tilted her head to the right, looking sly. “I also have news. I finally came to my senses.”
“About Lukas?” asked Audrey, praying that’s what it was.
“I am through with him for good. In fact, I’m taking a break from men.”
“But not women?”
Hazel grinned. “I’ve got a date tonight with an adorable blond girl I met at a temple. How about you?”
“Conrad and I are dating. For real, this time. We even agreed to be exclusive.” She now understood the importance of discussing that issue early in a relationship.
“So my plan to get the two of you together did work,” smirked Hazel. “It just took a while.”
“Yes, it did.” Audrey sighed as she glanced around the room. “I’m going to go talk to Marryn. Can you let Aliva know?”
“Of course. Don’t worry, Audrey. We’ll get through this.”
“If you say so. See you.”
No one answered where Marryn lived, so Audrey simply left a note. If Demon Dresses went out of business, it wasn’t the end of the world.
The next evening she invited Conrad over to dinner, doing her best to dazzle him with her cooking skills. (He was very complimentary.) They stayed up late, but this time there was more conversation than sex. She really had badly misjudged him, but at least she had come to her senses before it was too late.
12
‡ Marryn ‡
Halfway to the front door of Xlee’s Martial Arts Academy, Marryn abruptly stopped. She couldn’t just ignore what she had just seen. She had to say something although she didn’t know what. After taking a deep breath to compose herself, she turned and walked over to the bench at the side of the entryway where one of her fellow students was sitting. But then she just stood staring, not knowing what to do.
Without even looking up, Denis said, “Leave me alone.”
The pain and desperation in his voice shocked her. She removed the satchel from her left shoulder and lowered it to the floor. “I know you’ve been talking to Kora. I talk to her too. My parents divorced last year.”
“You wouldn’t understand.” The hands in his lap clenched into fists. “You’re one of the elite.”
It sounded like an expletive the way he said it. And it was true, in a way. “That doesn’t mean I’m happy,” she said, then realized how lame that sounded.
He finally raised his head. “Did you have to take a second job to be able to afford our class?” he demanded, staring directly at her.
Unable to speak, Marryn simply shook her head.
“You don’t know anything about me.” He looked away in disgust. “I don’t want pity from some conceited rich girl.”
Marryn sat down on the bench to his right as tears began to run down her cheeks. “We’re not rich,” she said, squeezing her eyes shut. “My mother’s position allows us to live in the castle, but she’s not paid that much. And that part of the castle isn’t in great shape.”
“Why is the castle in such bad shape?” he mused. Then she heard a sharp inhalation. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“I shouldn’t be crying.” She wiped her face with the right sleeve of her cloak. “You’re not the first person to accuse me of being conceited. I’m working on it.”
“I should go.” He stood up, looking both glum and uncertain.
“You have work?” Marryn stood and then retrieved her satchel.
“Lunch first, then work.”
“Can I join you?”
Denis eyed her with suspicion. “I’m going home to eat.”
“I’ll pay for it,” she said, trying to smile. She knew that it made her sound desperate, but in a way she was.
He stared for so long that she began to get nervous. “Fine. Where?”
“The Blue Hammer Tavern?” It was close, inexpensive, and had fast service.
He nodded and motioned toward the door. Marryn rose to her feet and wiped her face again. After he opened the door for her, she led the way. They hadn’t gone far when he began to speak.
“My parents fight all the time,” he said, not looking over. “My father drinks too much. He has trouble keeping a job. My mother does housekeeping. She’s the one that really supports us.”
“Does he ever hit your mother?” That might explain why Denis was studying Shorinken.
He surprised her by chuckling. “No, she hits him if he gets out of line. She’s a large woman, and he’s built like me.”
Denis was thin, lanky even. His dirty blond hair always looked dull and had a tendency to curl. But she found his boyish features attractive.
“What kind of work do you have this afternoon?”
“I work as a store clerk. In the evenings I work collecting night soil. Are you sure you want to have lunch with me?”
“Yes,” replied Marryn, wondering if
that was really true. “It’s important work. They use it for fertilizer in Dymar and Lovar.”
He eyed her suspiciously. “I can’t figure you out.”
They arrived at the Blue Hammer Tavern, and she asked for a booth. When the waitress came by, she ordered the lunch special and apple juice for both of them. After an awkward silence, she finally asked, “Why are you studying Shorinken?”
“I got beat up a lot growing up. I want to learn to defend myself, and to get stronger. What about you?” he shot back.
Marryn was caught off guard. “Um … just to get in shape. I don’t think I have any talent for it.”
He waited until after the waitress had set down the cups of juice before he replied. “I’m not sure if I do either, but I enjoy the classes. I wasn’t sure about Kora at first, but she’s a good teacher.”
“She really is. Actually, my brother is dating her at the moment.”
Their food arrived, ending any further conversation. It was a casserole containing beef, rice, and green peppers. Marryn watched Denis as she ate hers. He finished it all but ate slowly, chewing each spoonful thoroughly. She thought that the food was good, but nothing special.
After carefully wiping his mouth with the cloth napkin, he addressed her. “I’m not going to tell you what I talk about with Kora.”
That was disappointing, but she tried to hide it. “That’s fine. I talk about personal things with her sometimes.”
“What do you want from me, Marryn?”
“Just to be friends. My closest ones all moved away.” She lowered her head. “I really don’t have any friends my age here.”
“I guess that’s not too much to ask,” he said. “But I don’t have much in the way of free time.”