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Bess chuckled. “I went brown. She went grey. Cloudy went nuts.”
Cloudy laughed. “The gills have come in handy twice this week.”
Morsek asked, “Miss Bess, are we diverting you?”
“You are very diverting, but there are other servers. I am a co-owner, so I get to stop and chat now and then. It’s good to be the boss.”
Cloudy groaned. “Oh, damn. She has her flirt on.”
Her parents hushed her, and Hazor ate along with interest, watching like it was entertainment, which it was.
Arkon looked at them. “Miss, you said your sister was in the kitchen?”
“Yes, why—oh...”
Arkon got up and walked into the kitchen, where there was a screech and a shout immediately following it. Arkon came out with Molly over his shoulder. His face was covered with frost. “Hazor, we have another one, and I know what she does.” He wiped the ice from his face.
Molly twisted. “Cloudy! You are hanging out with a horrible class of Vecchin.”
Cloudy smiled. “I know. Side effect of working at the dock.”
Arkon said, “I am not a Vecchin. I am a Nycorin.”
“Great. I am sure you are very proud. Put me down.”
Morsek smiled. “I am a Jennar.”
Bess said, “You, also, must be very proud.”
Morsek grinned. “I am, actually.”
Cloudy leaned in and explained the food that Hazor was looking at.
He grinned. “Aren’t you happy I didn’t flip you over my shoulder like that?”
She snorted. “You know I would have bit you, right?”
He shrugged and ate some chips. “I confess, I did suspect that would be your response after knowing you for five minutes. The risk-reward ratio was difficult to work through.”
She laughed. “You are unpleasantly accurate in your assessments.”
He smiled. “You do know that my mother and father are going to come to this place, right? Perhaps my grandparents.”
“We don’t have any Hmrain-backed chairs,” Bess said.
“You have benches. He can sit on a bench. I think it will be good for him.”
Strains of music began, and Cloudy smiled but remained sitting as couples took to the dance floor.
Hazor asked, “What are they doing?”
“A form of dancing. It is a courtship thing.”
She snapped her mouth shut when he got to his feet and pulled her up. Locals of all races stared as he walked her to the dance floor and wrapped his hands around her, pulling her in close.
The room went quiet except for the music, and then conversation gradually started, only to be broken when Morsek led Bess to the dance floor, and Arkon hauled Molly and set her on her feet. She huffed and straightened her clothing, muttering darkly at him. He grinned and whispered. She looked at Cloudy and shrugged, clearly saying, “Family tradition.”
Arkon smiled, and he moved easily with her in his arms.
