Page 18 of Elves and Espresso

“You must remain the picture of proper perfection if you’re to sit in my room and eat with me. We aren’t actually married, you know.”

Aleixo’s hand flew to his chest in mock offense. “You wound me. As if I would ever behave in such a manner. I am the picture of proper propriety…perfect proper of picture…perfection? Whatever it is you said.”

We sat at the table by the window and dug into our meal. I hadn’t taken the time to truly look around the room until now, and I marveled at how beautiful it was. Yes, it was simple, but there was a simplistic beauty surrounding us and it made me want to never leave this room. It felt safe and comfortable.

Dark red curtains framed the window, casting a romantic glow about the room as the moon shone outside. The large bed had four posts, with a canopy draped over them. There was a desk in the corner with a few books lined up. Dewdrop was nestled on a pillow, dozing in and out of sleep.

“I know that face. You’re thinking, aren’t you?”

We’d been together for only a few days, yet he knew all my faces. Nearly all of them, I corrected myself. “I am, but I’m also admiring this room. It’s quite nice when you really take it in.”

He took a bite of his chicken and glanced around, much like I had a few minutes earlier. “It is. Mine looks the same on the other side.”

“She’s done well here. Her and her husband, of course.”

“It’s amazing what teamwork can do. Two people working together toward a common goal, a common experience.”

His eyes were on me as he spoke, and I raised mine to meet them. “We have a common goal.”

“We do,” he affirmed. “Does that make us a team, then?”

“I’m not sure. This is all temporary.”

He looked out the window, as though something had caught his eye. “Does it need to be temporary?”

I froze. It had to be temporary; it couldn’t be anything more. He was a human who didn’t even belong here, and I was an elf. There was no crossing the chasm of differences, let alone realms.

“Perhaps we had best focus on dinner.”

Silence came over us, and all that could be heard was the clattering of utensils on dishes as we continued to eat. Minutes passed, and I realized I could barely taste what I was eating. Was I disappointed that he had not pushed the matter? No, I couldn’t be. Because then I would be disappointed that he was not respectful when the opportunity required it. What an odd mix of emotions to be experiencing…

He rose when he finished, and I quickly followed his action. “I suppose I’ll be retiring,” he hesitated. “Unless…”

“Unless what?” I pushed.

With a smirk, he pulled a deck of cards out of his pocket. “Unless you’d fancy a match of cards.”

Chapter Seventeen

“Apassing fancy or a livable fancy?” I teased.

Aleixo shuffled the cards in one hand. “A living fancy, obviously.”

“Very funny.” I nearly laughed. “I don’t know how to play with those. Are they like tokens?”

His hands stopped mid-shuffle, his cards flying all over the table. I picked up one that fell in front of me before standing up. He followed suit, leaning to gather what had spilled. “Do you not have cards in this realm?”

Eyeing the strange symbol on one, I shrugged. “We have tokens with similar symbols, but not cards…although, I have heard of them somewhere before.” I couldn’t place where, but likely a traveler.

He walked around the table so he was standing in front of me, taking the hand that was holding his card, before slowly removing it, still holding my hand. “Isn’t it strange how there are realms all over with parallel lives, yet you can just miss someone without ever knowing?”

His words caught me off guard and I looked up at him, mesmerized by his blue eyes. They were so beautiful that I missed the rest of his words. His brow raised and he leaned closer, waving his free hand in front of my face before I finally realized I had been caught staring.

“Hello? Calista? Cali? Java? Someone? Anyone?” His voice trailed off, using every name he could think of for me, and I continued to blink up at him. “Are you lost?” He reached up to touch my face gently.

I knew he was kidding, but I couldn’t think. “I must be.” It came out soft as a whisper, but I saw his eyes widen in surprise. With a scramble, my words rushed out as I heard Dewdrop stir behind us. “But then again, in a realm such as this, who isn’t? I know where we are in relation to the portal, but does one ever really know?”

The cards in his hand disappeared into a pocket and he turned to shuffle his feet instead of the cards. “We should talk.”