“Pork belly porchetta?” he asked.
I nearly gasped. “It’ssooogood!”
“I’ve never been here, but a friend recommended it—and recommended the pork belly porchetta as well.”
“Your friend didn’t steer you wrong,” I assured him, thinking that the only thing that could make this date better was cannoli at Vacarros after dinner, and then a night of sex after that.
We both ordered the pork belly porchetta. Eng went overboard on the appetizers, letting me know that both of us would need the fuel for the rest of the evening. My thoughts immediately went to the bedroom, but the placid expression on the orc’s face made me wonder if he had something else in mind. Hopefully it didn’t involve jogging, given my choice of footwear.
We were starting on our second glass of wine and digging into a table full of appetizers when Eng suddenly asked me how my family was.
My family.
“Good, thanks. I’m looking forward to Christmas. My siblings are all going to be in town for the holiday so we’re going to be squished-in like sardines in a can. Hopefully the weather is good so we can spill into the backyard.”
“There are eight of you?” Eng asked. “Plus two sets of grandparents, your parents, then spouses and children? That will make for a crowded holiday gathering.”
Oh God, he remembered. And he sounded a little envious, as if the idea of almost thirty people crammed into a house was his idea of Christmas perfection.
“Yep. It’s going to be a whole lot of chaos. I’m the baby of the family. Emmajean is the eldest and she lives in Atlanta with her husband. She and Johnny’s kids are all grown with families of their own, so it might be just the pair of them this year. Charlene is divorced and living in DC. She’s bringing her youngest who is a senior in college. Trey’s ex-wife has his kids this year, so he’ll be solo coming up from Tampa. Michaela and Jame’s daughter is on some ski-vacation in France, but they’ll be here for Christmas from Chicago. Leroy’s local, and will come with his wife and two kids. Agatha also lives locally and is bringing Mia, who at ten is quite the little soccer star. Then there’s Terrance who is bringing his husband Jacob. They’re both living in Olney, so they won’t have far to come. And then there’s me.”
No husband. No kids. I thought about maybe inviting Eng, but one amazing date didn’t make a stable relationship and Christmas was months away. Although from the nostalgic expression on his face, my family might not be too much for the orc. Huh. If this thing between us lasted, then I would absolutely dump him into the deep end of the Filipkowski holiday madness.
“That’s quite the family.” Eng nodded thoughtfully. “Easily accommodated even including your parents and grandparents and whatever aunts and uncles and cousins may attend. I assume they will all be staying over at your house?”
Wine about shot out of my nose. After a brief coughing fit, I managed to croak out a vehement “No.” Eng waited patiently for me to elaborate.
“I live in a tiny studio apartment. Which means I don’t even have a separate bedroom. It’s one small room, a kitchen sectioned off by a counter that serves as my dining table, and one additional room with a shower, a sink, and a toilet. It’s barely big enough for me. We’ll be at my parents’ house, which isn’t what I’d call large, but somehow managed to fit ten of us back in the day. Charlene and Alice will probably get a hotel rather than drive from DC Christmas day. The three that aren’t local will stay at my parents’ house, though. It would be insulting to my parents if they didn’t. Charlene and Alice getting a hotel for the night is always a huge secret, because if my mom knew, she’d insist on pulling out the sofa bed or putting inflatable mattresses in the family room or something.”
“My mother would also be upset if my siblings and their families chose to stay elsewhere.” Eng took a sip of his wine. “My sister Cskila still lives in the castle, as do I.”
There was a sudden stiffness in his shoulders. I hesitated, but since he’d asked about my family, I felt I should do the same.
“It’s just you and your sister?” I smiled. “I can’t quite imagine that, growing up with seven brothers and sisters like I did.”
He toyed with his wine glass for a moment, never looking up at me. “Cskila and I were the only ones to survive the plague. I lost two sisters and my youngest brother.”
I sucked in a breath, sympathetic grief hitting me like a fist.
“Thankfully my parents survived,” he continued. “And Cskila. So many orcs lost their entire family. Females were especially hit hard by the plague.”
“God. Eng, I’m so sorry.” I reached across the table and took his hand in mine. He didn’t pull away, so I curled my fingers around his and waited for him to release a long breath and continue talking.
“Gork was little more than a toddler. I’d been surrounded by sisters and was thrilled when he was born. He followed meeverywhere, pestered me with a million questions. When he died…” Eng swallowed hard. “When he died, I wanted to die as well. It was so unfair.”
“Itisunfair,” I agreed, imagining how horrible it would be to lose a brother, and how difficult the loss must have also been for Eng’s parents.
“Elwenka had found her life-mate and married the year prior,” he went on. “Life-mates are rare, so her wedding was particularly joyous. She’d left our kingdom as her mate was the chieftain of the Lakwan clan. My mother received notice of her passing right as the plague began to tear through our kingdom. Elwenka had been pregnant. Her mate died two days later, as often happens among those with life-mate bonds.”
Tears stung my eyes and I gripped Eng’s hand harder. He looked up at me, his lips trembling.
“Bacilla…she was a girl on the edge of womanhood. She had such joy, such life, such happiness…”
“Eng, I amsosorry,” I whispered. His eyes met mine and something passed between us, something shared even though I had never experienced a tenth of his grief.
The orc cleared his throat, but still kept his hand entwined with mine. “I apologize. This isn’t a good topic for a date.”
“It’s not a happy topic, but dates are for getting to know each other,” I told him. “I would be devastated if any of my siblings died. I had no idea you’d suffered such a horrible loss. My deepest sympathies to you and your parents.”
