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"I just..." I looked up to find her smiling at me, but this wasn't just an attempt to be nice. When she bit her lower lip, I was sure of it. "I was mostly asking what's good."
"Definitely the roasted beef, but it's kinda expensive."
"I only have a gold piece," I admitted.
She giggled. "Then you can afford anything in here. Maybe a bottle of wine to go with it?"
"I'd prefer to sample a few drinks, if that's ok?" Because I'd already tasted wine. Amerlee and Jamik often let me have a glass at the holidays.
"Maybe a glass of sherry?" she offered.
I nodded, so she held out her hand. Clearly, that meant I was supposed to pay first. Digging into my right pocket, I pulled out the pouch there, worked open the top, and slipped out a gold piece. The girl's eyes were aimed inside, though, trying to determine if there was more where that came from.
"I'll get your change, miss," she promised.
But the exchange had made a few others look at me. A middle-aged man smiled, then let his eyes drop down my body. In a booth to my right, a pair of younger men - only a few years older than me - had put their heads together, but their eyes were pointed my way. It didn't take long before they convinced themselves of something, and the pair stood up in tandem to make their way over.
"Got room for company?" the shorter one asked.
It was a large table, so I nodded. "I do."
After all, wasn't this why I was here? My goal was to see what life was like outside the temple. I wasn't sure what exactly I was looking for, but avoiding the people I'd snuck out to meet certainly wouldn't do it. The taller man claimed the chair beside me. The shorter one sat directly across from me. I wasn't sure which of them smelled so bad, but it was a struggle not to wrinkle my nose in disgust.
"Your daddy know you're out here?" the guy beside me teased.
I laughed, unsure of what else I could do. "Not exactly."
"Oh, slumming it, huh?" the shorter one asked.
"I was just looking for a meal," I told them. "Someone said this was a safe place to get one."
"Well, you buy us a couple of pints," the shorter one offered, "and we will make sure it's very safe for you. Pretty little thing like yourself shouldn't be wandering around without a little protection."
A heavy tankard dropped onto the end of the table next to my hands, and a third man joined the conversation. "And she's too sweet to realize that you just want a few free drinks," the man said. "Get out of here before I make a complaint."
All three of us looked up at the speaker at the same time. He was about their age, but clean, dressed in an elegant black suit coat, a white cravat tied at his throat, and the scent of teak wafted from him. His hair was as dark as his clothes, and piercing blue eyes stood out behind his thick lashes. I had no idea who he was, but he was absolutely beautiful. Not just his face with its strong jaw, high cheekbones, and full lips, but also the broad shoulders and flat waist that not even his heavy coat could hide.
"Sorry, sir," one of the guys said, and the pair left me as quickly as they'd arrived.
The man claimed the chair across from me and offered his gloved hand over the table. "I'm Talin, and you really didn't want those two around."
I reached up, my leather-clad fingers sliding into his. "Nari, and I'm honestly glad you chased them off. One of them smelled bad enough that I was sure he'd ruin my dinner."
Talin chuckled. "Well then, would you mind if I stayed? I promise I'm mostly harmless."
"Mostly?" I asked, having picked up on that word. "Should I assume you're a dangerous man, Mr. Talin?"
"Just Talin," he assured me, "and I wouldn't want to lie to you. So what is a woman like yourself doing in a place like this? Traveling? Or should I assume you're on a pilgrimage to see the temples? You're dressed for it, after all."
"I've seen the Temple of All Gods and Temptation," I told him, deciding to just go with it. "How about you? Is that why you're here?"
"No," he assured me. "The truth is that I've been renting a room here for the last three nights. I had an extended stay with my family, and in all honesty, I can't stand them. Would rather sleep on a rented bed then listen to my brother."
"Sibling rivalry," I guessed, having heard that excuse often when I was a child.
The serving girl arrived just as I said it, placing a clear glass and a heaping plate before me. "Is he bothering you, miss?" she asked as she spilled a handful of coins across the table. Clearly, that was my change.
"No, Talin's fine," I assured her.
