The Wizard's Misery The Chronicles of the Midlands Book One

Chapter Thirty One

They entered the tavern and Haverty selected a table and they all sat down as a pretty waitress with curly, chestnut brown hair and brown eyes appeared. "Long time no see, Brandon!" she said happily as she smiled at him. "How have you and Miles been doing?" she asked giving Haverty a quick look.

"We've been well, Sarah. How have you been?" Brandon asked her smiling.

"I'm doing much better now that I see your handsome face," she said flirtatiously, giving him a coquettish smile. "The place is just not the same when you're not around," she explained still smiling. "Well, I guess you're all here for dinner?" she asked as she looked around the table,  briefly acknowledging Celine before returning her gaze to Brandon.

"Yes, we are and we'll all have an ale while we wait," Brandon told her smiling up at her.

"Well, tonight we have chicken, pot roast and meatloaf. So, what would you like, handsome?" she asked Brandon.

"I'll take the chicken," he quickly answered.

"How about you, Miles? What would you like?" she asked Haverty who rubbed his beard a moment while thinking.

"I think I'll try the pot roast," he finally decided, giving her a smile.

"How about you?" she asked Celine as she gave her an appraising look, noticing the bruise on her jaw but not saying anything about it.

"I'll also have the chicken, thank you," Celine told her as the woman quickly returned her attention to Brandon.

"I'll go and bring the ales. Be right back, sexy," she said to Brandon as she swished her skirt and sauntered away.

She returned a few moments later and as she put Brandon's mug in front of him, Celine noticed how she bent down real low, intentionally showing him her cleavage and as he looked at it, Celine blushed at the woman's immodest behavior. "I can't believe that she did that!" she told herself, feeling embarrassed. "And he actually looked!" she observed completely mortified, never having seen people behave in such a way.

The woman placed Celine's and Haverty's mugs on the table while still giving Brandon flirtatious looks which he seemed to enjoy and Celine started to have a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Finally the woman left after winking at Brandon and Celine picked up her mug and drank half of it down in one chug as Brandon watched the woman walk away and Haverty sat back observing Celine's reaction to everything that had transpired.

Brandon finally turned around and picked up his mug, taking a sip as he looked at Celine who was looking down into her mug, avoiding his eyes and then he looked at Haverty who had a knowing look on his face. He gave Haverty a questioning gaze but the older man just smiled and took a sip of his ale.

"After we drop off Jackman tomorrow, what do you want to do with the coach, Sir?" Haverty asked, breaking the silence.

Brandon looked thoughtful for a moment. "I guess it'll come in handy for traveling around when the cold weather comes. So, let's send it to Central City where we can get it when we need it," he decided and took a sip of his ale as he looked at Celine who downed the rest of her ale, placing the empty mug on the table a little too loudly. "You're finished already?" he asked her in surprise.

"I was thirsty," she said in a matter of fact manner not looking at him as she started to feel a little strange but pleasantly so. "May I have another, please?" she asked, quickly glancing at him with a hopeful look and then looking away again just as quickly.

"Alright," he answered as he looked for Sarah and motioned for her to bring another mug. The woman nodded her head and blew him a kiss as Celine watched and the sinking feeling in her stomach worsened.