Chronicles of the Selphia Plains [Rune Factory 4]

Three Little Words Part III

The next morning, after her morning chores and her visit to the baths at the inn, Avani set out to find Barrett. She caught up to him in Arthur's offices, poring over some of the old scrolls there and deep in discussion with both Arthur and Leon. As she walked in, both Arthur and Leon lit up at the sight of her. Then Leon frowned, glancing at Barrett and quickly away, feeling that hateful, gnawing, ache deep in his gut as he realized her errand there. He excused himself, not wanting to hang around to watch his lover begin to seduce another.

As he hurried toward the door, Avani caught his hand, and held on to it for a moment, giving it a hard squeeze as she looked into his eyes, silently reassuring him. Then she released him, and he left. Despite his teasing threats, he knew he'd never seek out the company of another woman in his bed. He resigned himself to a fitful night alone in his room at the inn, and briefly considered spending it drunk before rejecting the idea—he didn't know what he might do in that condition.

After Leon's departure, Avani turned with a smile to Arthur, chatting with him briefly about a new pair of eyeglasses he'd added to his collection recently. Then she turned to Barrett with a cheerful, sweet smile, and said, "Can you come over for dinner tonight? I have more salmon, way too much for just me, and I could use some help eating it. So since you said it was your favorite, I thought perhaps you'd like to give me a hand?"

He hesitated, looking blankly down at her, and she clapped her hand to her cheek and exclaimed, "Oh! Or maybe you didn't care for my cooking.... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed...." She looked anxiously up at him through her long eyelashes.

"Oh, uhh, no. It was... it was fine. Good. I meant it was good," he mumbled, caught off guard by the suddenness of the invitation and by the captivating image of glimmering sea green filtered through the darker forest of her lashes.

"Then you'll come?" she asked eagerly, her face brightening. "After all, you need to eat sometime, so why not let me cook something for you? We can make it an early dinner if you need to get to bed early or something. I'm flexible."

"I... I suppose I can make it," was his ungracious reply.

"Great! Can you be there around 19:00? Or would you prefer an earlier dinner?"

"No, that's fine, I guess," he said.

"Then I'll see you later! See you around, Arthur!" she called, as she darted out the door.

Arthur sighed as he watched her go, then turned to Barrett with a slightly envious look. "You lucky dog," he commented with a smile.

"Huh?" Barrett said, startled.

"Dinner with Avani—and even cooked by her, too. There's not a bachelor in town that wouldn't give his right arm to be in your place. And some that would give even more." Arthur sighed again, smiling despite his chagrin and shaking his head ruefully before returning to the business at hand.

Avani spent the rest of the day arranging things to her satisfaction. She set out a dress that she deemed perfect for the occasion: made of thin, white, gauzy material and trimmed with delicately knitted lace, it somehow contrived to be both innocent and provocative at the same time. She had a 'backup' outfit selected, too, in case the first one didn't do the trick—a short, full, violet skirt and a semi-sheer blouse in just the shade of pale lilac to highlight the vivid green of her eyes.

She completed as much of the food preparation in advance as she could, and set a bottle each of sparkling wine and white wine in the refrigerator to chill. She had seasoned some salmon steaks to grill, washed a bowl of fresh greens and pared some oranges for a salad, and prepared the ingredients for a creamy risotto. She had piled fresh, ripe, tiny strawberries she'd picked just that morning—probably the last crop before the winter snows began—into a large blue bowl, and she'd skimmed the cream from some fresh milk to go with them.