Page 49 of Ruled By Fate

The woman flashed it a cursory glance. “It’s sweetbread,” she answered as if they hadn’t been saying it all along. “Our chef breads and pan sears the thymus gland of a lamb, then serves it with a lovely assortment of vegetables and cheeses inside the stomach lining of a baby cow.” She adjusted the angle of her silver tray. “Who ordered the rabbit?”

The friends stared back in silence. They stared at the plate.

Then they got up in unison, left a stack of cash on the table, and fled the restaurant.

Chapter Ten: A Cheeseburger Fit for The Gods

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“This is a little more my speed.”

Dave’s Bar & Grill was a well-lit, old-time establishment that believed the secret to a successful business was no secret at all. Give the customers what they want. Dave’s customers wanted good beer, good burgers, and a good time with their friends. His restaurant was designed to deliver precisely that.

Mike grinned as a dart zinged past him through the air, burying itself dead center in the target on the opposite wall. This was met with a chorus of applause and shouts of approval from a bevy of onlookers. Cameron blushed shyly, ill-used to this amount of attention and praise. He clinked his bottle against Mike’s when it was offered, and the two enjoyed a cold swig of IPA.

After his first beer, Cameron had managed to stop grimacing every time he forced himself to swallow. After his third, he’d begun to loosen up.

“So, who taught you?” Mike asked, unbuttoning the high collar on his shirt and loosening his tie so it dangled on both sides of his neck. “Or were you just born with natural ability?”

“My father taught me,” Cameron replied without hesitation, copying Mike and adjusting his clothes. “He threw spears with me every afternoon when I was growing up. I suppose it’s more or less the same concept. Balance, precision… centering one’s focus to avoid losing a limb.”

Mike’s eyebrows shot up. “Spears, huh? Was he some sort of survivalist? Or like a martial arts master?”

“No, just a kindhearted man who wanted to indulge my childhood fantasies.” Cameron turned the dart over in his hands, remembering. “I wanted to be a great warrior.”

“Bruce Lee?”

“The archangel Michael.”

Mike’s beer paused on its way to his lips before he gave a thoughtful nod. “Yeah, okay, I can see it.”

Cameron let another dart fly, again hitting dead center, again meeting with a cheer from the growing crowd of onlookers.

“You know, if you have half as much talent with a ball, you should come to our next soccer practice. We’re a man down since James broke his arm.” Mike flashed him a grin. “Or do you call it football? You look like you might be one of those people.”

Cameron hesitated but couldn’t help but feel supremely touched. “I’ve never played organized sports before, but I would be honored to try.” Bolstered by this success, he decided to push his luck. “How about that game last night?”

“What game was that?”

The angel froze in a moment of panic before lowering his eyes to the floor. “Checkers.”

Mike let out a howl of laughter as he took the darts from his companion’s hand. For all his earlier suspicion, he was clearly growing to like the dart-wielding angel.

The ladies, meanwhile, were leaning tipsily against one another at the bar, absurdly overdressed for the venue in a tangle of black silk and sapphire satin. After a couple of perilous rounds of darts, in which Sherry very nearly blinded two people and Brie broke a clock, they’d decided this was a game for lesser beings. Instead of attempting it further, they were waiting for their next round and talking conspiratorially about their respective escorts.

“—It wasn’t until he turned around that I developed a full appreciation for the uniform.”

Brie snorted some IPA into her sinuses, trying not to laugh. “I would’ve paid good money to see you shouting at him about your shoes while he tried to give you a ticket,” she said, having no trouble imagining the scenario to perfection. “I can’t believe you never told me he’s a cop! I would’ve… I would’ve checked my brake lights.”

Sherry threw back her head, laughing. “Yeah, I’m super guilty of withholding major life developments, Brie, and I feel horrible about it.”

“Fair enough.”

Brie grinned but felt the sting of truth in Sherry’s words. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Cameron right away.” The two looked over to see the men laughing and talking together like old friends. “I didn’t know what to say. He’s a little hard to explain. The whole thing is hard to explain.”

Sherry shot her an appraising look. “I get that. It’s all happening fast, Brie. Very fast. How are things going with him?”

Brie contemplated with a little frown, swirling her beer in slow circles. “I think things are going well. Honestly, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind, and I haven’t had a chance to slow down and process things, you know?”

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