Page 15 of Alexis

And there did seem to be an attraction.

It wasn’t the agony his last couple had faced trying to keep their hands off each other, so he did not think it was the Maltaffian true mate bond.

Not yet, anyway.

Instead, he read what appeared to be enhanced pleasure readings each time the two touched or their eyes met.

Though the Center’s programs didn’t track such things, Oberon did. Simple glances and touches were at the heart of a great romance, if all he had read was correct.

As the two stepped into the farmhouse, he searched his back-up for a second evening activity to help them break the ice, since they had arrived so quickly for dinner.

It gave him a response that he catalogued for later exploration, but for now, classified as what he understood to befun.

7

ALEXIS

Alexis watched Tiago open the farmhouse door with a big smile on her face.

It was low-ceilinged and lovely, just like in the storybooks. Tiago had to duck a little to step inside.

Once he cleared the threshold, she could see the wooden floors with rag rugs at intervals, and the fire crackling in the brick fireplace. Lumpy plaster walls and blackened metal knobs and fixtures all fit the theme so perfectly that if she didn’t know she was at the Midsummer Center, she would swear she was on Old Earth.

“It smells amazing,” Tiago growled, sounding like he was ready to tear the walls down to get to the food.

He stalked through the living room to get to the big kitchen beyond, where a massive, wood-plank table practically groaned under a sumptuous feast.

Alexis felt her tummy rumble, and then an unwelcome thought entered her mind before she could stop it.

Don’t go crazy, piglet. You’ll never dance again.

She wasn’t a pig, of course. She knew she was a healthy young woman, on the thin side. Eating was essential to maintain her muscles and keep dancing.

Old thought patterns just died hard.

“Outstanding,” Tiago breathed, his eyes caressing the meal with a fond carelessness she could only envy. “I’ll fix us some hot apple drink.”

He turned to the stove, where a pot of steaming cider was simmering, sending up the delicious scent of cinnamon.

She decided to take advantage of him being distracted to do a quick scan of the food for her bracelet.

As she walked closer, she was happily surprised to see that most of what was on the table was vegetables. But they glistened seductively in a way that made her pretty certain they were cooked in obscene amount of butter and cream.

She tapped the bracelet and glanced over at Tiago.

He was rummaging around in the cupboards, most likely looking for mugs.

She scanned the table slowly from one end to the other and waited for an image to pop up with a rundown on each dish and a plan of attack that met her nutritional needs and ensured that she consumed enough calories for the day.

A loud chime dinged on her bracelet.

“Any two green dishes, one white dish and one meat or cheese dish on this table and your choice of one additional white dish, sweet drink, or cup of fruit will complete your daily food scaffold. Congratulations,” it chirped at her before she could silence it.

She could feel her face turning red with shame.

“Sorry,” she murmured, belatedly sliding her nutrition helper to silent mode.

“Hey, wow, that’s awesome. I have that same app,” Tiago yelled excitedly, striding over to the table to join her. “I’m a fighter, so I always have to make weight. But I also need a lot of nutrition to keep me going. It’s kind of a pain to keep track, but this makes it way easier.”

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