Page 25 of Demure
Sierra looked around the coffee shop, searching in her mind for a way to say it that wouldn’t sound mean. “I just feel forgotten sometimes. I feel like I came too late to set my own path in life,but too soon to reap the benefits and resources available to the last child.”
“Hm,” Aodhan replied, his mouth pulling into a frown. “I guess I wouldn’t know about that.”
“I think things are different for you as well, at least from what you told me. It sounds like the same issues large families have here wouldn’t affect people in your…home.”
“That’s true. Do you think things will be the same when you have children of your own?”
Sierra grimaced. This was the part of most relationships where she tended to scare men off. “No. I’ve never wanted children of my own. It’s not for me.”
To her surprise, Aodhan didn’t react shocked as most men would. Instead, he just nodded in apparent understanding. “I understand. I feel the same way.”
Wanting to change the subject to something more lighthearted, Sierra asked if he had any hobbies.
“Hobbies?” He tilted his head to the side. “Are those a type of animal?”
Sierra couldn’t help but chuckle, “No, hobbies are something you like to do in your free time. For example, my hobbies are watching movies, going for a walk, and exploring new places.”
“Oh.” Aodhan rubbed his chin for a moment. “I guess I like those things too, except instead of watching movies in the hills, we read.”
Sierra rolled her eyes. It was obvious she hadn’t done a good job of explaining hobbies, but she would circle back to the topic later.
They settled into a comfortable cadence, talking about their families as well as some of their likes and dislikes. There were so many differences between their upbringings that they never ran out of topics, as Sierra came up with new questions about everything from school in Sidhe, to the types of foods they had there. As it turned out, Aodhan had a private tutor growing up,something which was vastly different from Sierra’s own experience in the American public school system.
Sierra found Aodhan was much more talkative than when she first met him, and she wondered if it was because she now knew his secret and he could speak more freely, or if he was really putting in an effort because he liked her. Either way, it was hard to admit to herself that the man she had sworn to avoid just one week ago was now telling stories that pulled at her heartstrings and made her want to get to know him even better.
As afternoon turned to evening, Sierra decided to broach the question of their next meeting. “So, since this went well, maybe we should plan a more official date?”
Aodhan looked confused. “An official date? Was this not an official date?”
“Yes, but in…our culture, when two people are getting to know each other romantically, they set up multiple meetings, or dates, to spend time together. How does it work for your people?” Sierra tried her best to keep her questions vague since they were still in a public place.
Aodhan thought for a minute. “I’m not sure, to be honest. I haven’t really courted anyone.” Sierra giggled at his use of the word courting. “In my home, arranged marriages are still common, especially with the…bloodline…issue. And if you are lucky enough to choose your own partner, I think it is usually someone you knew before as a friend, so things just sort of…happen. But I’m not sure.”
“Ah, okay.” Sierra couldn’t imagine her parents picking a partner for her, and the thought alone made her grimace. “Well, what do you say we have dinner tomorrow? I can cook, or you can cook?”
He shook his head. “I can’t cook at all. But if you don’t want to cook, we can go somewhere for dinner.”
Sierra was surprised. “You can’t cook at all?”
“No. But in The Hills, it's common to live with your parents until marriage or until their death if you don’t marry, so mymother does all the arranging of meals, and we have servants that help with tasks that go into meals like cooking and cleaning.”
Sierra knew that things were different in his home, but the fact that they had servants meant he had some money. Well, the private tutor had been her first indication, but now she was certain he had a wealthy background. But that thought reminded her of something else: did they use the same money in his land?
“I just realized something. How do you, you know, pay for everything?” She motioned to their empty coffee cups on the table.
“We have our own currency in The Hills. And if we decide to come here for a visit, there is a service that will help you exchange your money. Many of my kind who have moved here maintain bank accounts in The Hills and here, and they will give you some of the money you need in exchange for currency back home.”
“That sounds a bit complicated.”
“It is,” he agreed. “But they don’t take my money here, so I don’t really have an option. Sometimes locals in The Hills will let you buy gold off them, which can be switched for money here, but that’s not always an option.”
Sierra understood. “Alright, well, since you can’t cook, you’ll be subjected to my subpar cooking skills then. I work tomorrow, but we could eat a late dinner after I get off?”
He nodded. “I’m working, too. We can leave the library together.”
Sierra smiled. “It’s a date.”
Chapter Fifteen
