Page 35 of Dark Awakening: New World

"Let's try the other stuff." She reached for the roasted vegetable medley on her tray and put it between them. "All I can say about this is that it is made from roasted vegetables." She stabbed a chunk of sweet potato.

In addition to the potatoes, the medley included zucchini, red onions, and Brussels sprouts, all roasted to caramelized perfection and lightly seasoned with olive oil, garlic, and a little salt.

"This service is a great find. I need to tell Margo and the girls about it. They keep ordering food from the Golden Dragon, and it's delicious, but this is healthy stuff. Not that they care about that. They are all immortals."

Ell-rom canted his head. "Do dragons make good food? And why is this one called golden?"

Jasmine laughed. "It's just a fancy name for a restaurant. We don't have dragons on Earth. Do you have them on Anumati?"

"I don't know, but I know what a dragon is, so maybe we do."

Next, they ate the chickpea and spinach curry and crispy tofu bites that were marinated in a soy-ginger glaze and garnished with sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onions.

The trays were a symphony of flavors and textures, each dish complementing the others to create a satisfying and nourishing meal.

They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, with only the sounds of chewing and her occasional moans of pleasure disturbing the silence.

When Jasmine was so full that she needed a break, she wiped her mouth with a napkin and leaned back. "So, any favorites so far?"

"Yes." He looked at her mouth. "I'm not sure which one I like better, though. The sounds that you make when you taste something you like and the way your lips move when you chew are both arousing."

Jasmine laughed. "It's amazing how all males think alike. I thought that it was a cultural thing and that they learned from one another, but it looks like it's innate."

He looked confused. "I don't know how to react. Is it a good thing or a bad thing that I find everything about you so attractive?"

She leaned forward. "It's a good thing. And the best part is that there is no artifice in it. You mean every word."

22

ELL-ROM

"All done." Jasmine returned to the room after disposing of the remnants of their meal. "I told Bridget that this service is a winner and that you ate your entire tray and a third of mine."

He frowned. "I'm sorry. We were sharing all the dishes, and I didn't realize that I ate more than my share."

"That's okay. You are bigger than me, and you need more food. The only reason I was even paying attention was to let Bridget know how much you ate. She was worried about you not eating enough."

Next time, he would be more mindful and make sure that he didn't eat more than his share.

Gripping the handles of his walker, he pulled himself up. "Are you ready to see Morelle?" He pushed one leg in front of the other, hating how weak his muscles still were.

He had accomplished many things today, so he should feel encouraged, but the road to recovery was still long.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Jasmine asked. "We can always visit Morelle tomorrow. Instead of going over to her room, we can lie together in your bed, and I can show you the wonders of television. Perhaps I can angle the teardrop in a way that it will translate for you."

The prospect of having Jasmine pressed against him was much more enticing than anything she could show him on the small screen hanging on the wall across from his bed, but they could do that after visiting Morelle. Hopefully, he would be able to keep awake long enough to enjoy it.

"As tempting as your offer sounds, I want to see my sister first."

Ell-rom wondered why Annani hadn't come to visit today, but when he tried to remember whether she had promised to return today or tomorrow, he couldn't. Was he having trouble retaining even his new memories?

There was another thing he had trouble with. He was almost sure that Jasmine had said something about shopping for clothing together, but she hadn't mentioned it, so maybe they had done it already, and he didn't remember. Or maybe he had dreamt it?

Was his brain damaged?

"What's the matter?" Jasmine put a hand on his arm. "Your face has suddenly lost color. Is the food not agreeing with you?"

Ell-rom paused, confused by the question. Given the context, he realized that, once again, this was a figure of speech like so many that Jasmine used to his great confusion. "It's not the food. I'm trying to remember if Annani promised to visit me today or some other time."

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