Corner of the Hill

Chapter 17 - Cold Glinting Crystals

"Where are we going?" Ala asked after Dr. Talon led her past the kitchen.

"I thought the only way to ensure our lunch was private..." Dr. Talon led her to his study and opened the doors. When they opened, the delicious smell of thyme, rosemary, and garlic surrounded her. There were two place settings with beautiful bowls of pasta and glasses of red wine. The table was decorated delicately with vases of flowers and candles. "...Was to have it in a separate room," he shut the door behind them.

Ala was stuck in awe with the effect of the setup. The way that the light shined through the window and onto the table illuminated the entire scene. "This is beautiful," she gasped.

"You like it?" he asked nervously as he pulled out her chair for her.

"I love it," Ala sat down and folded her hands over her chest. "Did Eve White do this?"

"No, no, she only helped with the food. No one knows about this secret interest of mine," Dr. Talon laughed before taking his seat.

"It seems that I'm learning about a lot of secret interest today," Ala put her napkin in her lap. She looked at the vase on the table and raised a brow. "Did Henry make that?"

Dr. Talon paused for a moment before feigning a smile. "He did, yes."

"It's nice work, he has a talent for it," Ala said while she admired the craftsmanship.

"Well, he was one of the king's close soldiers. I'd expect him to have many more talents."

"Hmm," Ala said before looking at her food. "This looks delicious."

"It's a vodka sauce. Eve White said that they are difficult to ruin, so I went with that," he laughed.

"Wise choice," Ala joked with him as they began to dig into their meal.

As they ate, they talked about their shared interest in literature and nature. It was something that Dr. Talon hadn't expected her to know so much about. Talking to her was so easy, she was sophisticated enough to discuss intricate concepts and care-free enough to tell a joke.

Ala had found herself losing track of time as she talked with Dr. Talon. He was charming, charismatic, intelligent, quirky and even a bit flirty. She had to admit, she could see why Eve Black found him to be so appealing. She even began to notice how handsome the man was and well built.

"You know," Dr. Talon changed their subject. "You're very beautiful."

Ala's cheeks flushed a dark shade of pink as she smiled sheepishly. "That was so forward."

"Oh, I apologize. It's just your hair in this light and your laugh," Dr. Talon became frazzled, feeling like he did many years ago when he first became a student. "Not to mention the pure structural symmetry of your face, the shade of your skin and glow in your eyes these are all just biological factors that support the laws of sexual attraction-".

"Sexual?" Ala's blush deepened as she interrupted his rant.

"Oh...! Well...actually!" Dr. Talon's face was the shade of pomegranate now and his skin glistened with sweat. "It's just a matter of science is what I am trying to tell you. Actually, I think I know there's a book in here somewhere that will explain."

He shot up from the table in a graceless manner and frantically began to search his bookshelf. His fingers were shaking so much and his eyes were darting so quickly, that it made his search quite difficult to complete.

Ala did her best to hold in a snicker as she stood and slowly walked beside him. She peered over his trembling shoulder and spotted the book that he had been searching for. "Ah, I see it," she pulled it from the shelf.