Page 12 of Beneath the Flames
While everyone at the table was laughing, the host escorted an elderly man to their table, filling the last seat.
“James, how lovely it is to see you again,” Ivetta gushed. “How long has it been?”
He took her hand and kissed it courteously. “Far too long, Ivetta.”
“It certainly has,” she agreed, smiling as they both sat down.
“How has Canada been treating you?” he asked her.
“It’s been frightfully cold,” she said, laughing. “Which is the whole reason I’m here.”
James grinned. “You need to move to Texas like Besse kept telling you to.”
Giggling, she answered, “I know, I know…”
“How do you two know each other?” Brie asked with interest.
James answered with fondness, “My wife and I were seasoned travelers and we’d had the pleasure of Ivetta’s company on numerous occasions.”
Brie picked up on the fact he said “were” and wondered what had happened to his wife but she felt uncomfortable asking.
After Lea finished introducing James to everyone, he immediately said, “So, I just gotta ask. How did the six of you meet? You seem like a mighty diverse group.”
Brie saw the twinkle in Lea’s eyes when she answered, “Well, I had an interest in higher education and took a course where I ended up meeting Brie. We became best friends and she fell in love with Mr. Davis, who was once a student of Mr. Nosh, who also instructed my boyfriend, Hunter, years later.”
James leaned in, asking Lea, “What did you get your degree in, Ms. Taylor?”
Lea, as cool as a cucumber, was quick to answer, “Interdisciplinarystudies.” She made sure to emphasize “disciplinary” when she said it. “One thing led to another, and here we all are together on this ship.”
“Well, ain’t that somethin’!” James exclaimed, sitting back in his chair. He looked at the six of them in amazement.
Brie fought hard not to burst out laughing and was saved when their server came to the table with chilled dishes containing pats of butter in the shape of flowers and baskets of fresh rolls.
While Brie broke off small pieces of the roll and fed them to Hope, the others at the table started sharing what they did for a living. While Brie listened, she suddenly understood why Lea had said dinners on the ship were such an adventure. Due to the unique setting and the diversity of the travelers gathered at each table, people seemed to be more open and asked questions of each other.
“May I ask what you do for a living, Mrs. Nosh?” Ivetta asked Nenove.
Through Ivetta’s simple question, Brie learned that Nenove oversaw several important programs for the Cheyenne people. She was part of a council that aided impoverished families struggling to care for their children. But, in doing so, she’d become acutely aware of the needs of their Elders. She now spearheaded a program to not only ensure their health and wellbeing but to actively help the Elders to carry on their traditions and teachthem to the younger generations.
“I am driven to work hard every day, and must often travel back to the reservation.” Nenove informed Ivetta, “There are only eleven thousand of us left. We cannot ignore the needs of our youth, and wemustnot lose the wisdom of our Elders.”
Her mission reminded Brie of Tatianna’s passion for the native languages of Russia.
Master Nosh stated with pride. “Nenove is a warrior in her own right. She is living proof that a steadfast vision can change a nation.”
Nenove placed her hand on his and looked at him with equal admiration. “I am grateful to be partnered with a great man who shares the same vision and is willing to make sacrifices for his people.”
All this time, Brie had assumed Nenove’s absence at the Training Center was due to her being too reserved and private, but the opposite was actually true. She was a warm person involved in important humanitarian efforts.
Brie admired Nenove—and Master Nosh as well! He fully supported his wife’s work and accepted the sacrifices that work entailed. They were both extraordinary people in their own right but, together, they were truly a magnificent force in the world.
After enjoying a dinner of cocktail shrimp, chicken cordon bleu, and deliciously seasoned new potatoes, in the company of such a fine group of people, Brie wasfeeling good. The conversation remained lively throughout the dinner, giving Lea the opportunity to throw in a couple of her jokes, while Nenove kept Hope entertained by teaching her simple words in Cheyenne.
But the evening wasn’t over.
Dessert was a decadent cake layered with chocolate mousse and covered in a rich ganache. Sir picked up his fork and cut a slice of Brie’s cake, slowly bringing it to her lips. Whispering in her ear, he told her, “After I feed you this bite, I want you to get up and go to the restroom. Take off your panties and hand them to me once you return.”
Brie’s eyes widened when she heard his command. With a racing heart, she opened her mouth and took the bite he offered.
