I heard his snicker from the corridor.“Sure, sure.I’ll wait foryou in the food chamber–as long as it takes.”
What is that suppose to mean?I shrugged to myself and got dressed in a hurry.I was starving, and the thought of having an egg for breakfast made me even more motivated.
By the time I made it into the kitchen, my excitement had faded.I knew that the expression on my face would trigger a laughing fit in Tisvali, but I couldn’t help it.
I finally got the meaning behind that catchy song where the chorus went along the lines of, “I’ve been here all night, I’ve been here all day and, boy, got me walking side to side.”
Sothere.
- 34 -
Bottoms Up
“You’re just in time,” Tisvali noted upon my entry into the well-lit kitchen.To my relief, he met my funny walk only with an amused smile.He was prepared–he knew.
I tried not to blush and focused instead on my surroundings.The kitchen was a small round room with many niches in the walls.Some were sealed with vines for insulation, while others boasted neatly arranged sets of silver utensils, glasses, and plates.A round stone table stood in the center of the kitchen.Two glass bowls of food–one holding an egg–and three crystal glasses were waiting for me.
“I was starting to worry that the tea would get completely cold before you could make it,” Tisvali added.
“What’s with all the liquids?”I leaned over the table betweentwo moss-covered stone seats and took a peek–and a sniff.
Given how solid the contents of two of the glasses looked, I wouldn’t call them tea.More like smoothies.The vegetable-based, gross-looking kind of smoothies.The third glass contained water.
“I will explain, just wait a second while I go grab you a cushion.”He was out of the kitchen in a flash.
Was he making fun of me or being truly considerate of the state of things between my thighs?Not that I cared at this point.I didn’t even try to sit before he came back with two cushions.
He placed a cushion on each of the two seats.“There.This should improve things somewhat.”
“You need a cushion, too?”
He nodded.“You won’t be able to tell the difference, but Karim’s chairs used to be more comfy before the war started.Since then, we haven’t had much time to sit together, so he has been a bit neglectful of the moss in here.I’m not subjecting my buns to that.”
I smiled.Tisvali may claim otherwise, but I could tell he was using a cushion to make me feel less awkward.He was a sweet guy, and I was glad we got to spend time together.Having him as a friend might be possible after all, now that I was here to stay.
Tisvali, now seated, pointed at the first glass on the left.“That is a present from Borella.I saw your reaction when you smelled it and, yes, it tastes as bad as it smells.I should know: my moss partner forced me to try it once as punishment for having gotten carried away… You know.”He all but ducked behind the cover of his hair as he said it.
“So it helps with the soreness?”
“Yes.A lot, according to Borella.”
“I’ll suck it up, then.”I took the glass, pinched my nose, and drank it in three gulps.
“Wow, you’re tough.”Seeing how my eyes bulged and watered once I put down the empty glass, he shoved the second one in my hand.“To keep it down.”
Thank heavens for his quick reaction.I had no wish to have toclean that vile stuff from the floor.
“Holy moly.”I took a long inhale after I’d chugged the water in one go.How often did Borella have to go through this round of theFear Factorshow?
Thankfully, I wouldn’t have to anymore.During our bath, Karim had explained to me that the only reason he’d been a bit rough with me at first was his knowledge of she-elves.They needed it hard to reach completion.Now that we were on the same page about what I needed in the bedroom, there would be no walking side to side for me.
Well, not unless Karim and I got carried away again, lost in passion.Heat bloomed in my belly at the memory.He had been incredible.
“What about this tea?”I asked before my dirty mind could get me sidetracked.“Is it 10 out of 10 on the disgusting scale again?”
Tisvali chuckled but grew serious afterward.“You don’t have to drink this one.It is entirely up to you.Borella and Deidre both claim it doesn’t taste bad, just leafy.But I can get you extra water just in case.Should you choose to drink the tea, of course.It’s really up to you.”
That didn’t sound suspicious at all.I brought the glass to my nose for a sniff.“What is it?”I could distinguish some herbs, but that was about it.
