Psychic

22. Dinner

 The ship was already at Korrik when they arrived. When it was time for dinner, Lily and Debra prepared the food on the ship, since everyone would not fit into any of the caravans. Some people were already sitting at the table, while some of the adults were bringing over the food and plates.

"So you're leaving tomorrow?" Matt asked Rai, who gave him a handful of spoons to hand out at the table.

"We wasted a lot of time going back and forth but that should be it," Rai confirmed. "We have what we need now so..."

"Yeah?" Lily asked quietly as she placed two bowls on the table, one with mashed potatoes and the other with peas. "Leaving already?"

"The sooner, the better," Ken told her. He was eating at the table before anyone else arrived. "If we wait too long, the kids may be harder to find."

"I know," Lily nodded.

Debra brought two more bowls, one of dinner rolls, the other with ears of corn and sat beside Ken. "Is that okay with you, Lily?" Debra asked her.

"It's fine." Kiyo entered the hold with Reno following him. "Kiyoshi, love," Lily called him and gestured for him to come over. "Look. Look what I got you for when you came back." She held up a bag of bagels. "Zaki found the seller at Bellaylus again."

Kiyo smiled at her then turned to Reno. "You sit there and don't say anything to anyone," he commanded him, pointing at a chair at the very end of the table. Reno obeyed him for the moment, more focused on watching Rai.

Kiyo thanked Lily and took a bagel to prepare it the way he liked. Lily was putting ice into cups and placing them at the table but she continued to talk to Kiyo. "So how was it?"

"Complicated," Kiyo admitted, "thanks to Reno's interference."

"Is that the new one?" Kiyo tilted his head toward him at the table.

"Yeah."

"Okay. So did you meet anyone new? Make any new friends?"

"Friends?" Kiyo scoffed. "Ken and Debra are new to me but not to you, right?"

"Oh no, I've met them both a few times already. Nobody else? No cute girls?"

Kiyo laughed and looked at her, "what? I don't know. Not really."

"What kind of answer is that?" Debra chuckled, pointing at Kiyo with her fork. "Either you have or you haven't."

Reno had no interest in anything around him except Rai but he could not miss the opportunity to embarrass Kiyo. He tried not to smile when he stated, "it's the kind of answer you get from a man in a one sided love affair."

Lily turned to Kiyo and crossed her arms. "Is that true, Kiyoshi? What have you not told me? Who is it and when are you going to tell her?"

"I'll say something when I'm ready," sighed Kiyo.

Lily seemed disappointed in his answer and turned to Reno. "And what about you?" she asked, curious to hear what he would be willing to say in front of Rai.

"I have someone specific in mind at the moment."

"Well, my daughter is single." Lily pointed Rai out. "Well, if you are too..."

"Lily!" Kiyo gasped, turning to her as she sat at a chair near Reno.

"You don't say?" Reno smirked up at Rai, who was avoiding looking at him. "Well, she is exactly the woman I mean." The kitchen went silent as everyone suddenly became uncomfortable. Rai turned to him suddenly. Her face was red but her expression was absolutely furious. She stopped what she was doing at the counter and went into her cabin. Kiyo took his bagel with him when he followed her.