Chapter Five #3
Amy grinned. “I still want to walk through the space and get a feel for what we can do for different zones.”
“Not a problem. I can do that.” Krys smiled. “I can make an air column that is a few inches above the ground, and it will keep any of the frosty folk nice and cool.”
“That sounds good. Why not all the way to the ground?”
“Slip and falls.”
“Oh. Shit. Right.”
Reynal chuckled, leaned over, and kissed Krys. She gave him her full attention.
He lifted his head. “Sundays are days off from the post-check of the venue until you head to bed.”
Amy had returned to her table with a blush to her cheeks.
She looked into his dark eyes and blinked. “Right.”
Their food arrived, and she looked at her club sandwich with fries.
He chuckled. “I did not think you were the sandwich type.”
“I am just happy that this isn’t under a plastic wrapper.” She dunked two fries in the small container of ketchup and then pulled the sandwich in close.
He sliced his steak and grinned. “I am rather curious as to what happens next.”
She snorted and picked up the wedge of three layers of sandwich and opened her mouth wide before her bite sliced downward. She smiled and chewed, mumbling, “Mom never lets me eat white bread, so this is the maximum white bread you can get in a sandwich.”
Reynal grinned, brought her hand to his lips, and then continued his meal with neat, economical bites.
She destroyed her sandwich and collected the fries to face their doom. A soft touch on her cheek got her to turn, and he gave her a small bite of steak. She chewed slowly.
He nodded. “You know what I noticed?”
“What?”
“The cut and preparation of the food last night was better.”
“Yeah. Azreen and Vaia asked for something specific, and they got it. The preparation was because my company respects a nice cut.” She smiled and continued on her fries.
He finished his meal and put his cutlery down. “Dessert?”
Krys nodded. “It’s the best part of eating here.”
The dessert menus were brought to them, and Krys immediately pointed. The server said, “I am sorry, miss. We are out of that one.”
She looked at Stephani and scowled. “If I go to the kitchen and talk to Theiry, what do you think they are going to tell me?”
Stephani blinked and blushed.
Normic must have sensed a disturbance brewing. “Krys, is there something wrong?”
“Nope. Just devastated that your signature dessert is out of stock today.” She glanced at Reynal. “Can we just go?”
Normic frowned. “It isn’t out of stock? Stephani?”
“I could have sworn the pastry chef said we were out.” She blathered.
Reynal kissed Krys’s hand. “We will leave. The mood is spoiled.” He pulled out his wallet and dropped a wad of bills.
Normic looked at her and said, “Krys. We can get it for you.”
“Four.”
“What?”
“This is the fourth time I have been here and denied that dessert just because I wanted it. You suck, Uncle.”
Reynal held her chair for her and tucked her in close. “It’s fine.”
“Yeah. I have been trying to try that dessert since I was ten. The servers stopped me then. I was too low caste.” She sighed. “My parents were pissed then, too. And every milestone I have tried to celebrate here has been the same.”
“And this has just added to it. Where do you want to go on our second date?”
They were passing Keel as he stood up with a frown.
“Anywhere but here.”
Reynal chuckled. “Doable.”
“Why did you drop three hundred dollars for a ninety-dollar lunch?”
“Because I didn’t want to wait for the bill while you got progressively more unhappy. I don’t like you unhappy.”
She chuckled. “In that case, let’s see if we can get drive-thru milkshakes at Nevanniel’s.”
“In the limo?”
“Yeah.”
“I am sure the driver will be up for it.”
They left, and she slid her arm under his wings as they walked out.
“Krys. Please. Wait.”
She turned and saw Normic striding after them. She patted Reynal and turned.
“What? Uncle Normic.”
“Stephani is fired.”
“Don’t you fucking dare. I know you gave them the orders to give me and my family minimum hospitality when we came here.”
He looked ashamed. “The order was given years ago. I forgot to reverse it.”
She smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I won’t be back. Coming here was Reynal’s idea.”
Normic frowned. “But if you get engaged, you will come here.”
“No fucking way. This was the restaurant’s last chance with me. Overpriced, the food is prepared adequately but not beautifully, and your servers are rude and entitled. You have given Reynal permission to date me, but you probably tried to suggest a different option for him.”
Normic’s cheeks darkened.
“Right. Goodbye, Uncle Normic. You have managed to kill my desire to taste the pretty dessert I have been after since I was ten or even to set foot in your facility again. Have a great day.”
She turned and went to Reynal, taking his hand as he led her to the long SUV. She was tucked inside, and they were off to the werewolf clan milkshake shack.
* * * *
Amy wandered out and said, “Uh, Dad? Why did they leave so suddenly? If there is one thing I know about Krys, she likes desserts.”
He turned and ran a hand over his face. “When her family wanted to come here to celebrate her skipping grades, I ordered the staff to keep them from ordering the best food on the menu, including the dessert. She asked for it, and they told her it wasn’t available.
Same when she finished high school early, and when she opened her first business, it was the same.
She has been trying to have our signature dessert for close to two decades.
Today, she was denied again, and it broke something. ”
Amy frowned. “The snow globe? It’s lovely. I had two. Wait, she’s never had it?”
“No. I forgot to retract the order until I saw her face. Then it came rushing back.”
Amy frowned. “This is very disappointing. Why do you have a caste system anyway? This isn’t the Middle Ages.”
“It is to help distribute the funds of the clan.”
“And don’t the less powerful members need more support than those who are wildly successful?”
He opened his mouth and closed it with a snap. “This is the way things have always been.”
“Right. There has always been a male couple in control of the clan?”
He blinked again. “Ah. Right. I think I may have to redo some policies.”
“As someone who was raised powerless in this kind of situation, I can add my input, and if Krys is ever willing to speak to you again, she has insight into growing up in a lower caste. Did she get the same education you offered me?”
He blinked and looked a little white around the eyes.
“Wow. That’s a no.” She patted his shoulder. “Let’s go back inside to help you make rules for all the clan. Keel can tell us how much it will cost to get everyone equal. I also want you to talk to Krys and her parents. You have done a lot of damage there, and my cousin deserves respect.”
He snorted.
“You know she is powerful enough to freeze you out, shatter you, and use her winds to scatter your corpse, but she doesn’t do it because you are family, and she doesn’t want to be in charge of the clan. Don’t change her mind.”
Normic gave her a look, and she saw that he had understood that situation the moment Krys had outed herself.
“Oh. You figured that out.”
He gave her a short nod. “Now, how do I fix this?”
“Talk to them. She needs to find out why you are so harsh with your brother.”
He tightened his mouth. “He embarrassed us with that inappropriate union with Krys’s mother. She just showed up one day and demanded to see the timber wolf that could accelerate faster than a sports car.”
Amy snickered and covered her mouth. “Well, start with that.”
“He could have gotten a degree, been the best in his class. He had unlimited potential.”
“But now he’s a business owner, he’s a father, and he’s a husband.” Amy put her hand on his arm. “Also, the child who caused his fall from grace is a bit of a monster. A charming monster, but a monster.”
He sighed and put his arm around her shoulder. “That is true. I will make calls and see if we can’t all have dinner together.”
“Better do it fast. She’s running the most popular venue in town. Images of last night’s wedding are everywhere. The pictures are gorgeous, the event was glorious, and the food was amazing.”
He paused. “Better than here?”
“Uh. Gee, you look so nice today, Dad.”
He snorted. “Of course. Krys can bring out the best in people.”
“In that case, wouldn’t it be better to get her on your side? Maybe helping the lower castes out? Filtering needs and bringing in requests?”
They walked past the hostess, who looked shocky as Stephani sniffled on her way out.
Normic paused and stopped her. “Stephani, you haven’t lost your job.
Resume once you are calm. Krys pointed out that this was my policy, and I foolishly forgot to change it when she proved that she could wipe us all out with a cold snap until we couldn’t breathe and our lungs froze. ”
Stephani blinked. “I didn’t know that.”
Amy nodded. “Yeah. You are lucky she doesn’t like to make a scene, or you would be frozen to the spot where you denied her what she wanted. Don’t worry, though. This place no longer has anything that interests her. She won’t be back.”
Stephani whispered, “But if she gets engaged?”
“She won’t be back. This isn’t a safe place for her, and that was making her defensive urges rise. Reynal was doing his best to distract her, bless him, but the laughter and sneers in the eyes of the surrounding serving staff pointed it out.”
Stephani blinked as understanding dawned. “Oh. So, if I had been a little more nasty...”
“You would have met her beast or Reynal’s right here in the middle of the restaurant.”
“Oh.”
Amy finally understood, and she turned to Normic. “You treat the higher-powered extranaturals better to keep them from acting out.”
He nodded.