“We used to have a full staff, including a chef, on the premises.” Miller said. That explained why there were ingredients that had never been used, even though they kept getting restocked. Lily wasn’t going to ask what had happened to the staff, especially as she bet it had something to do with the young men now living with Simon, and their refugee status.
Lily caught Simon biting into a chocolate chip cookie, and playfully smacked his arm.
“Mmm,” Simon moaned, his mouth filled with melting chocolatey goodness. “Would you stay and live here forever, Katie?”
For a second, Lily wished she could. Especially when Miller echoed the offer.
“You’ve done so much in a short time, Katie. I know the boys think the world of you too, and if they didn’t before, they’ll be wrapped around your finger after they’ve tasted these cookies!” Miller was tucking into the almond crackle cookies.
“To make up for tonight’s missing the boys, why don’t we all have lunch tomorrow on the grounds at the Faire?” Simon said, with his mouth full. “I was bringing them anyway, to have them start adding to the Security presence there.”
Lily arched an eyebrow. “Is there a special need for them there?”
Simon smacked his lips with the last morsel of the chocolate chip cookie, reaching for a shortbread. “No, not at all. It’s just that security’s the best fit for them, job-wise at the Faire, and it was always the plan to integrate them there. Your help has made it possible for that to be sooner rather than later.”
That made sense. It’s not like she could see Barric serving portions of hot food at the Staff Caff, Merek glowering at the kids at the Staff Childcare Center, Tybalt working alongside Jordy in Ops, or Aylwyn working alongside Rika and creating more HR nightmares for her with his flippant answers to the people who came in. And as for Col….all she could think about was that he would be there at the Faire when she was.
“Lunch would be great. A reprise of how we met, in the Staff Caff?”
Simon shook his head. “No, actually I was thinking in the Royal Court of Food area.”
She knew it. It was where there were food vendors offering up medieval themed food, some that she heard were based on authentic recipes from centuries ago. It was one of the major attractions of the Faire, large, and crowded with attendees and the employees who didn’t have access to the Staff Caff.
Simon continued. “I also thought of something else that might help with continuing to assimilate them, based on our baking together just now.”
“Really?” Lily couldn’t imagine, but she did notice that Simon was now a lot more comfortable around her than he was when she had first shown up.
“How would you feel about going on fake dinner dates with them, one at a time?”
The almond crackle cookie she had been nibbling on suddenly felt like glue in her mouth.
“You don’t mean romantic dates, of course.” Miller added quickly.
“Oh no, not at all.” Simon said, and a little tinge of pink appeared in his cheeks. It was endearing. “I meant to have dinner with each one, so they would know how to behave in a restaurant. In case they did go on a date. But not with Katie. Of course not.” He was babbling with the return of the nerves.
Lily placed one hand on his arm, and noticed that it actually soothed him, rather than amplify his nervousness. Progress! And if that happened after one baking session alone with just him and Miller, then it made logical sense to spend that kind of time with each of the boys. With Col.
She shook off the thought. He couldn’t be the first one. Maybe not even the second. Or third. It had to be a fake date, and somehow she knew that would be difficult to remember with him.
“It’s a great idea, Simon.” Lily said. His face immediately lit up.
“You think so?”
“I agree,” Miller said. “And if I could suggest who to start with—”Please don’t say Col. Please don’t say Col.“—How about Aylwyn?”
Lily was flooded with relief. Aylwyn would be the perfect first “date”. He was already halfway assimilated—in some cases, so much so that he’d need a little readjusting—and Lily felt the most comfortable with him, as if he were the baby brother that she had to watch out for. Even though he was twice her size. Somehow Miller had intuited that. He saw a lot more than he let on.
Simon pulled his head back, eyebrows raised high. “Aylwyn? Why Aylwyn?”
“He’d be the most open to this idea.” Miller explained. “He’d make a good trial run, and we can make whatever adjustments are needed, if they’re needed.”
“I guess that makes sense.” Simon said. “Is that ok by you, Katie?”
“Oh, absolutely,” Lily said, when she really meantOmigod, Miller thank you so much!
“Cool. We’ll get started with Aylwyn then.” Simon said, and turned to reach for another chocolate chip cookie, his back to Lily.
Miller said quietly to her so Simon couldn’t hear, “plus he’s not Col.”
