“Your drinks, sir!” the attendant called out, lifting steaming mugs to the dispensing trestle.
Hanan glanced toward the service window, and then back to Eyja with a smile as he began to pull his hands free from their clasp. She, however, did not move hers. So, he let his fingers trail softly along her skin, until he turned to retrieve his order. Handing the attendant a few coins from his pants pocket, he then grabbed the piping drinks and motioned to Eyja.
Finding a free, sturdy little table in the cleared area outside the café, they sat down.
“Thank you, kind sir,” she giggled, taking her cup from him. Hanan, meanwhile, pulled his chair out and closer to Eyja. The area was overrun with patrons huddled in tight, trying to grab a rest and some refreshment from the night’s events – so crowded in fact, that although they were positioned across from each other, they ended up in a very close fit with her knees pressed between by his inner thighs.
Neither of them seemed to mind.
As they sipped their hot cider in the cold night air, Eyja chattered on about how much she loved the drink, and how it reminded her of the one her mother used to make. Her chitchat soon drifted to silence though, as she stopped to stare off into the distance with a melancholy sigh. Picking up on her change of mood, Hanan dropped his hand to rest on her lap, giving her knee a gentle squeeze. She looked to him with a small appreciative smile, and then revealed that her mother had passed on recently. He could see that she missed her terribly, as she went on to tell him more about her family.
Hanan listened carefully, or at least pretended to. He was a master at appearing to hang off of every word, asking appropriate questions and making the right comments at the right time. He had acquired this skill early and found it worked well, especially with women, as most everyone he ever encountered was far too self-absorbed to notice anything else. So he continued to play the attentive listener as she carried on, while concentrating instead on their surroundings, watching and listening to what was taking place around them. At last, he found his opening.
“Speaking of which, what of your new husband?” he asked as casually as he could. “Shouldn’t it be his arm you take for a walkabout on this night?”
“Oh, he’s off on business… over in Helvagrön, I believe it is,” she replied with a resigned smile and a shrug. “I was with him for several days out in Klundlön, but…” she paused, “…he sent me home yesterday. So, here I am.”
“I see...” he nodded, and then pressed his lips together trying to repress a smirk. It was much too easy to get information out of this one, he thought… So that is what you’re up to, you old jackass… Money, might, and a little divine assistance… and then continued setting his revenge in motion, “It must be quite lonely there at Holier Court without him.”
“It’s not so bad. I keep myself busy as best I can, but…” lowering her gaze to Hanan’s hand still resting on her knee before slowly looking back up to him, “you get used to being alone.”
Hanan smirked noting the suggestive flicker in her eyes, as she added, “Well, he’s due home later tomorrow.”
**all work copyrighted**
