"So this is the infamous Jay's Place," Leah said, looking at what appeared to be a renovated 1950s gas station. Under a bright awning, where gas pump bays had been, a few cast iron tables and chairs were scattered among large concrete planters with beautiful arrangements. Music played through hidden speakers, providing an oasis in the city. But what caught Leah's attention the most were the large glass windows along the front of the station. Someone had cleaned them to crystal clear perfection and they provided the best possible display case for a sumptuous array of cakes.
"Yeah," Seth murmured reverently as the two stood before a divine devil's food cake. "Just makes you want to dive in and narf the whole thing down with a gallon of milk."
"And Alice would have your head if you did."
Both siblings turned around to find a tall, lanky man in chef whites standing behind them. Leah took in his appearance from head to toe and took a subconscious step back. The man's forearms, beautifully framed by folded-up sleeves, were covered in half-moon arcs that shone a silvery white in the overcast daylight. She noticed his hair was the most perfect dirty blonde and hung in loose curls to just below his shoulders. And then she saw his eyes—his perfectly golden eyes that peered out through sooty eyelashes.
"You're one, also," Leah murmured, tilting her head and looking at her brother curiously. Were there no all-human places Seth frequented?
"Ah, you took her to Em's?"
"Body conditioning and now soul repair," Seth replied smugly.
The man turned his head and gave a small nod before turning back to the pair.
"Sun's about to come out. Let's go inside for a moment."
He lead the way and Seth happily followed, leaving Leah standing alone, wondering just what was going on.
"You coming, Lee?" Seth called, holding the door open.
"In for a penny, in for a pound," she murmured to herself, scampering up to join the men.
A wonderful aroma surrounded her when Leah closed the door.
"Steak sandwiches on fresh baked, crusty rolls, salad with fresh Meyer lemon vinaigrette, and for dessert, we have a selection of cakes to chose from," a petite woman with short, cropped black hair and golden eyes announced as she rounded the display case and lay two plates on a high-top table. "I'm Alice, by the way. And that is Jasper, also known as Jay as in Jay's Place."
Leah nodded as she made the connections and took her place at the table. Seth sat next to her and Jasper took the third seat across from them while Alice headed back into the kitchen.
"Y'all go ahead and eat while it's fresh, and I'll lay out my offer," Jasper said, leaning back in his seat.
"I'm leaving now, Jas," Alice called from the door. "Rose and I are heading off for the week."
"Alright, darlin'. Y'all stay safe."
Alice giggled wickedly before winking and opening an old-fashioned parasol before departing.
"So, she and Rose are back together?" Seth asked around a large bite of sandwich.
Leah rolled her eyes as she delicately opened her napkin and lay it over her lap. Some things did not change, no matter how old the man-cub became.
"This week," Jasper murmured. "Doesn't bother me none. She does her thing, I do mine. It works."
He turned toward Leah and watched her take her first bite. Normally, she would have felt self-conscious at the action, but she had the distinct feeling he was proud of his restaurant and wanted to take in her reaction.
"This is fabulous!" she exclaimed after carefully chewing and swallowing. "Is that a green peppercorn aioli?"
"It is." Jasper smiled, motioning for her to continue eating, which she did with relish.
When the meal was finished, Jasper leaned toward Leah.
"Seth says you once upon a time wanted to be a chef."
"Well, that was once upon a time," she replied, flushing pink.
Looking back, her job aspirations had been one of the many points of contention between her and Sam. Why would she need employment? Her job was going to be to provide comfort for the next leader of the tribe, and once they had children, it would have been her responsibility to raise them. She would be prized and cherished, but fully expected to remain home. Not that it would not have been rewarding, oh, no. She loved children and the idea of surrounding herself with them and their care was absolutely wonderful, but to be told that is what she was going to do, with no choice in the matter—no thank you.
And then the damned imprint, oh so closely followed by her phasing. Then began the whispers. Only males phased. At least until that point in history. Survival of the tribe relied upon women bearing children. If a woman phased, could she be a fruitful member of the nation? Was she really a woman? Or had she been compromised? Or worse.
She heard the words. She tried to ignore them, but they cut so deep, tearing and breaking her down. Then Leah's cycles stopped completely. Sure, it was not common knowledge, and she was not about to share that information with anyone. Who could she talk to about such a private thing? Her closest friends and even family followed the tribal ways. Because Sam had imprinted on someone else, she lost her position and was swept aside. One more part of her inner most self shattered into tiny pieces.
"The wonderful thing about fairy tales is you can get a different lesson from them depending upon where you are when you read them," Jasper replied gently, interrupting Leah from her thoughts.
Leah paused, mentally chewing on that nugget of wisdom.
"Jasper is my yoga instructor, by the way," Seth interjected before sliding off his seat and sauntering over to the cake displays.
She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Quite the renaissance man."
Jasper shrugged. "I try to find a balance between my past," he motioned towards the silvery marks on his arms before nodding toward the shop, "and where I want to be."
He stood and offered his hand. "Come. Let me show you my kitchen, and we'll talk about the job you're going to take."
Leah snorted delicately before accepting his hand. "Are you a fortune teller?"
"No, but Alice is."
