Page 15 of Quick on the Claw

“So you and Zak met already, huh?” Bella asked, a wide grin on her face.

“Zak?” Sia asked.

“I’m an earthling,” Bella laughed. “I had to give him a nickname. What do you think, Tiffany?”

“Zak?” Tiffany mulled it over and then grinned at Bella. “I like it. Strong and powerful. Seems to fit him.”

“See,” Bella glanced at Zak. “Told you.”

“You like it, Tiffany?” he asked, his voice deep and rumbly.

Tiffany took a swig of her wine and tried to ignore the way he said her name so low and sexy. “I do.”

“Then you must call me Zak. Ever since Bella gave me the nickname, it has stuck even at home.”

Sia squeezed her thigh next to her in excitement.

“Oh, well…okay, Zak.”

The way Zak looked at her made Tiffany’s throat dry, and she took another gulp of her wine. The deep amber liquid sparkled in the crystal glass, reminding her of Zak’s eyes. She set the glass down, only to find those eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat.

“So, Tiffany,” Zak said, his deep voice carrying easily across the table, “I hear you’re a history teacher. Tell me, what’s your favorite historical period to teach?”

Tiffany opened her mouth to answer, but Sia beat her to it. “Oh god, don’t get her started on the Renaissance. She’ll talk your ear off about Leonardo da Vinci and his flying machines for hours.”

“Sia!” Tiffany protested, feeling her cheeks warm.

The meal itself was a feast for the senses, each dish more extraordinary than the last. A soup that changed color with each spoonful, its flavor morphing from savory to sweet and back again. Delicate pastries filled with what looked like starlight, bursting on the tongue with a fizzy, ethereal taste. Meat so tender, it practically melted, seasoned with spices that danced on the palate like a perfectly choreographed ballet.

As Tiffany sampled a particularly intriguing blue vegetable, her eyes widened in surprise. “This tastes like... a summer afternoon at the beach. How is that even possible?”

Zak leaned in, his voice low and conspiratorial. “Ah, you’ve discovered the Emoberries. They have a unique ability to evoke emotional memories through taste. I’m curious, what specific memory did it bring up for you?”

Tiffany found herself drawn into his golden gaze, the rest of the table fading away. “I was eight,” she said softly. “My grandmother took me to the beach. We built sandcastles and collected seashells. It was... perfect.”

Something flickered in Zak’s eyes – understanding, perhaps, or a shared sense of nostalgia. “It sounds lovely,” he murmured. “I’m glad our humble Emoberry could bring back such a cherished memory.”

Their moment was interrupted by Sia’s dramatic gasp. “Oh my god, this dessert just made me relive my first kiss! It was... wait, no, I don’t want to relive that. Ugh, Brandon Miller, you need kissing lessons.”

The table erupted in laughter, and Tiffany found herself relaxing in the warm, humorous atmosphere. She discovered that Zak possessed a dry wit that played beautifully off her own sarcastic humor. His subtle jokes and clever observations had her in stitches more than once.

“I must say,” Zak commented after a particularly spirited debate about the merits of various Earth historical figures, “your knowledge of history is quite impressive. Though I’m not entirely convinced this Napoleon wasn’t just overcompensating for something with all those conquests.”

Tiffany grinned, leaning in slightly. “Oh? And what would you say he was compensating for, Zak?”

Zak’s eyes glinted with mischief. “Well, I’ve heard he was rather... short. Unlike some of us.”

“Modest too, I see,” Tiffany shot back, earning a deep, rumbling laugh from Zak that sent pleasant shivers down her spine.

“So, how is Alyx king of the planet and you are king of Larkana? I’m confused,” Sia asked Bella.

“Well, it’s a little tricky. We have several royal families on the planet. But each one oversees their own kingdom or territory. However, Alyx’s family has always been the one who helps govern the planet by communicating between the families and by addressing any concerns they might have with each other.”

“Sort of like a president?” Sia asked.

“Yes!” Bella exclaimed. “Exactly. So even though Alyx and Zak are both royals with the same nobility and one is not more powerful than the other, Alyx has the added role of ‘Nova Aurora President/Planet King.’”

“Wow. Sounds like a lot of work.”

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