Page 97 of Dark Rover's Gift

"I was just realizing that this place feels like home now, and that's new for me."

"New in a good way or a bad way?"

"Jury's still out," she said, but squeezed his hand to take the sting out of the words.

When they reached the house, Shira yanked the door open before they could knock. "Finally! Come in."

"Does this gossip require wine or hard liqueur?" Fenella asked. "Because if I'm working tonight, I should probably stick to coffee or tea."

"Coffee it is," Shira declared, dragging them toward the kitchen. "Sit. I'll make it while I talk."

"Not for me," Din said. "I'm all coffeed out."

"Tea, then?" Shira asked.

"Sure. Whatever tea you have is fine."

As Shira bustled around the kitchen, she launched into her tale. Apparently, Ruvon had spent his entire afternoon in the library, checking out books on Persian history and poetry and asking Shira for advice about romantic gestures that a young, shy woman might find acceptable.

"He actually asked if I thought roses were nice or too cliché," Shira said, setting mugs in front of them. "I told him yes, obviously they were overdone, but he looked so crestfallen that I had to suggest alternatives."

"Let me guess," Fenella said. "You told him to write her a poem."

"I told him to be himself," Shira corrected. "And just to be on the safe side, I told him to get chocolates. I don't know any woman who doesn't appreciate a box of quality chocolate."

Din shifted beside Fenella. "Isn't Arezoo a bit young for him?"

"She's nineteen," Fenella said. "That's adult by any standard. And honestly? They might be good for each other. He needs someone to draw him out of his shell, and she needs someonewho's very patient. I can't see Arezoo with any of the overconfident immortal males with all their swagger. A shy guy is perfect for her. He would bring out her maternal instinct."

"Listen to you, playing matchmaker," Shira teased. "Next, you'll be hosting dinner parties and setting up blind dates."

"People like to talk to bartenders, and I have a good eye for people. I'm uniquely qualified to do just that."

Shira pursed her lips. "And you really think that a geeky former Doomer and a sheltered Iranian young woman are a good match?"

Fenella shrugged. "Sometimes the unlikely pairings are the ones that work best."

She felt Din's eyes on her, but didn't look at him. They were certainly an unlikely pairing—the quiet, studious professor and the skittish bartender. But somehow, against all odds and her self-destructive tendencies, they worked.

"Speaking of work," Shira said, "I saw on the bulletin board that you'll be at the bar every night until you need to leave for your trip."

"News does travel fast here," Fenella muttered. "Atzil just asked me less than half an hour ago."

"He posted it on the bulletin board the second you hung up. The guy knows how to capitalize on a good thing."

She laughed. "I have to admit that I enjoy the attention, but all I do is pour drinks and make up ridiculous stories about people's belongings. It's hardly a transformative experience."

"It's entertainment," Din said. "And connection. People come to see you because you make them laugh, and for a few minutes, they get to be part of something fun and light. That's important. I bet that for some it's better than therapy."

Fenella looked at him, startled by the insight. Maybe there was real value in bringing levity to immortal lives that could become weighted down by centuries.

"Thank you. That was a very nice thing for you to say, and very smart."

"Must be all that time I spent with artifacts," he said with a perfectly straight face. "Wisdom through osmosis."

Shira snorted. "More like you've been reading my self-help books. That sounded like something fromUnderstanding your Emotionally Unavailable Partner."

Fenella's mouth dropped open. "You didn't."

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