Page 17 of On A Rift's Edge
Speaking of obsessions, Kat had to stop tormenting himself about the conversation with Lyall. They had agreed to be friends and were even going on a hike tomorrow. Kaveh had examined the trash scorpion and determined the animal was in good condition and that Kat and Lyall should consult the guardians on the best way to return it home.
Kat had a nice day to look forward to. He would enjoy the outdoors with a friend and help a Riftworld animal as well.
He only had to get through tonight’s date with Paul.
The dinner date felt more like a chore than a fun time, but Kat couldn’t face Lyall tomorrow and lie about being in a relationship if he hadn’t even taken Paul up on his offer of dinner. A planned meal at a nice restaurant was more than any of his previous boyfriends had set up, so going out tonight did count as dating.
Sort of.
Hopefully Paul wasn’t too upset by the mysterious disappearance of the trash scorpion and didn’t suspect Kat had been part of the creature’s great escape. That would make for an awkward first date. But that was silly because he would have cancelled their plans if he knew.
Or called the police.
Kat wished the sinking feeling of making a bad mistake would go away.
Two hours later, after showering, making himself presentable, and finding the steak restaurant Paul had made reservations at, the bad feeling hadn’t gone anywhere. He walked inside, and the hostess ushered him to a table where the venture capitalist was sitting, a drink already in front of him.
“I’m so glad you accepted my invitation.” Paul stood up and shook Kat’s hand, which made the whole thing feel more like a job interview than a meet-cute. “Have a seat. What can I get you to drink? I’m told they have a great collection of sake here.”
Kat tried not to be annoyed. He didn’t dislike sake; he just preferred beer. Tonight, though, he had decided no alcohol at all would be a good idea. “Water’s fine.”
“I’d imagine you get up early to work at the ranch.” Paul, having made the dubious leap that since Kat came from a Japanese background he’d prefer sake, now dove into a host of cliches about where Kat worked. “Cows to milk, chickens to feed, that sort of thing?”
“Moon Star Ranch is a working cattle ranch, in addition to taking in rescue horses and training them to work with guests.” Kat drew in a breath to say more, but a waiter swooped in. Paul ordered a bottle of wine and several appetizers without even asking Kat what he wanted. “There aren’t any dairy cows, and we don’t raise poultry.”
“But monsters are the draw.” Paul leaned back in his chair. He wore a three-piece suit with a dark-blue tie that matched his pale eyes perfectly, and Kat felt badly underdressed. “People go there to gawk at the rift and get a chance to see monsters close up. It’s a fantastic marketing plan; don’t get me wrong. But I wonder if there could be financial opportunities in diversifying beyond high-end tourism. After all, there’s a whole universe next to the ranch. Literally.”
“Garreth and Chrissie are great employers and dedicated to taking care of both the Earth animals and the Riftworld species at the ranch.” Kat again paused, since the server had deposited a three-tier seafood platter on the table, with an assortment of shells and claws that looked like they might crawl off and bite him if he didn’t keep his guard up. “I think that’s a pretty good business plan.”
His date blinked a few times, as if Kat had switched to an unfamiliar language, then moved on to another topic.
“I understand that Riftworld species walk around in human form there.” Paul selected an enormous crab leg from the platter and pulled the meat out from the pre-cracked shell. It reminded Kat so much of the trash scorpion that he had to choke back the bile that rose up. “The newsfeeds ran stories for weeks featuring Moon Star Ranch. Dragons in disguise fighting over their mates in a gladiator-style arena—wild stuff. Was it true?”
“I had issues with the more sensationalized coverage.” Kat took a sip of his water and regretted not ordering a few shots before this conversation. “Yes, there was a conflict between two riftpeople that was settled through an aggressive interaction.”
It had been a duel to the death between Kaveh and his clan mate Rhys, and Kat had been his mentor’s second. In retrospect, it did sound pretty cool, but at the time it had been horrifying.
“Then the winner dragged his mate back to his lair.” Paul offered Kat an entire lobster tail, frowning as Kat shook his head. “I should have asked, of course, but are you not a seafood fan?”
“I’m a lab vegan.” Kat glanced around the table for something to shove into his mouth so he wouldn’t scream. Nori maki would be great right now. “I only eat manufactured animal products. But I’m a huge fan of sea vegetables.”
Paul considered this for a minute, then picked up a raw oyster, the gelatinous body of the mollusk gleaming in the restaurant’s subdued lighting. “These things have less of a nervous system than a tree. Plus, the aquaculture that produces them is climate beneficial. Excellent investment if you need tax write-offs.”
Since saying they looked like snot would be rude, Kat nodded and slurped the oyster into his mouth. It had been topped with a vinaigrette sauce, but the briny flavor came through. “Interesting texture.” He choked that out and took a gulp of water to wash things down before returning to the topic at hand. “Kaveh didn’t drag Remi anywhere. They made a mutual decision to start dating for real, and their relationship is going well.”
“Kaveh’s the dragon guy, right?” Paul nodded. “I suppose you could call it dating, but since the Matchmaker was involved it was more like a monster abduction. I’m surprised you’re not worried it could happen to you.”
“I’m not worried that a riftperson might kidnap me at work.” Kat, of course,hadbeen kidnapped by Lyall at the ranch, but this wasn’t the time to bring that up. Nonetheless, the thought led a traitorous part of his brain to start fantasizing about Lyall in his tight leather fighting outfit. He also remembered how safe he had felt with Lyall, even given the far-from-optimal way they had met. “I talked with Remi yesterday. He’s not anyone’s prisoner.”
An expression passed over Paul’s face, so fast Kat couldn’t be sure it was anger. Then he remembered that he, Remi, and Lyall had been discussing Kat helping the trash scorpion escape and wished he hadn’t brought that particular conversation up.
Mercifully, the waiter came up to recite a long list of tonight’s menu specials. Paul plunged ahead with ordering for both Kat and himself, and the odd moment passed. He moved on to more questions about Moon Star Ranch, riftpeople, and veterinary medicine that were so strange and ill-informed Kat wondered if the venture capitalist had ever met an animal other than a cat or a dog.
This wasn’t the worst three hours Kat had spent with a prospective boyfriend. But it was awfully close. The endless questioning went on through the main course and would have stretched out through dessert, if Kat hadn’t lied and told Paul he had cows to milk in the early morning after all.
That only led to Paul insisting that he drive Kat home so he could get back to his apartment sooner. After more painful chitchat during the drive, Paul got out of the car to walk him to the front door of the apartment complex.
Kat faced the awkward final moments of the date.
