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CHAPTER 20
FUNK’FRUED
Dargus chose the catering tent of Chef Bulbua to get some food in his pumpkin.
For one, it was close to the fabrics section. Also, he and Bargus had had no digestive problems after eating here once. The waiters being entirely hidden under their hoods and cloaks was an added bonus, as the fewer aliens Lia was surrounded by, the less overwhelming it would be for her during lunch. Dargus chose a table at the far end of the spacious tent for the same reason.
And also because he wanted to keep an eye on who entered, of course. One could never be too careful on a trading moon. Particularly when accompanied by a rare gem of a female.
Dargus cast a secret glance at Lia. The awe in her gaze, which had dimmed earlier in the fabrics section, was back.
It made him see the catering establishment in a new light. The old-fashioned bar with an outdated, box-shaped model of a drinks bot. The gentle light of floating orbs dispelling the gloom inside the tent. The tables and dining benches placed on, rather than levitating over, the carpeted ground… Chef Bulbua’s tent had a retro vibe and homey feel to it that Dargus hadn’t paid much attention to during his last visit.
“This place is nice–Oh, thank you.” Lia sounded surprised by him pulling the bench out for her, but pleasantly surprised.
I’ll do it every time grounded seating is involved, if it brings such a pleased smile to her face.
Dargus had just sat opposite her when a waiter glided to their table. His green cloak prevented the Kaltzupian from floating up and away while also keeping his transparent body out of view. Clients didn’t want the reminder of what anti-gravity propulsion system testing could do to an entire planet’s population.
“Drinks?” The male voice of the child-size waiter sounded like an echo.
“Greetings. Can we see the menu first, please?”
“A donkog or a spirtlina. Choose.”
“Um… We’d prefer something non-alcoholic.” Dargus exchanged a look with Lia, hoping she would not be offended by him speaking on her behalf. An alcoholic drink could knock her out, as unused to non-Terran drinks as she was, and he was intoxicated enough already by her company.
She nodded in understanding, without a single word being exchanged between them.
“Choose.”
Dargus’ eyes narrowed at the waiter’s face. Or, rather, at the darkness under the Kaltzupian’s hood. “Water, please.”
A sharp click sounded from within the hood before the waiter glided away.
Dargus was no expert in Kaltzupians but he was pretty sure this one had just cussed.
“That was rude,” Lia muttered. “No tip for the mini Nazgul.”
Dargus’s translator had no explanation for the last word, but he got her meaning. “No tip for him. He has to learn from the best in the trade first.”
Lia smiled somewhat shily. “I’m far from the best waitress, Dar. I’m a bit of a clutz, as our first meeting on theDickionshowed you.”
“Nonsense.It was the door’s fault.”
Mirth filled her eyes. “Right? How dare it crash into me!” Her smile faded as she went on. “Waitressing was never in my plans, you know. Being a clutz aside, I studied to be a lawyer. I suppose Dad’s strive for justice inspired me as I grew up.”
“What went wrong, pumpkin?”
She sighed. “What didn’t? I failed to pass the final exam. Then I found a job at a notary’s office and with Brandon whispering in my ear, I grew complacent. I postponed re-sitting the exam twice before eventually giving up on the idea altogether. I had a stable job, a home, a man – why bother studying more, right?” A bitter laugh left her.
Dargus couldn’t stop a low growl from rolling out of him. The thought of his pumpkin with another male was enough to trigger his Luvian possessiveness. However, it was the realization of what Lia had suffered because of this Brandon that brought forth his anger.
“Is this the male who destroyed your faith in love?”
Lia shot him a surprised look.
“I deduced as much from what you told your parents in the video.” He rested his tail on her knee under the table. “In addition to robbing you of your dreams, how did he hurt you to rob you of love as well? Because if I have to break the law to avenge you, I will.”
