Page 59 of Semblance

The entire ride over, we sat in comfortable silence. No words needed to be spoken; just sitting next to Shadow was more than enough to make me happy.

Eventually the tut-tut ride came to an end, stopping in front of a two-story restaurant. Instead of the typical four walls you’d see back home, this restaurant was completely open to the outside.

“Call me when finished,” Johnny said cheerfully before speeding off like the road runner.

We were greeted by friendly waiters in white dress shirts, who led us up the stairs and seated us close to the main street. With a roof over our heads and the open air, I felt as if I was eating on a veranda.

“You ate here before?” I asked.

Shadow nodded. “I recommend the Khmer curry. It’ll blow your mind.”

“Is that what you’re having?”

“There’s this baked fish I’ve been dying to try here. They wrap it in banana leaves and steam it,” Shadow said, glancing over the menu. “As much as I love the curry, I also enjoy a little variety here and there.”

The waiter returned with a bottle of chilled white wine and two wine glasses.

“The usual sir?” he asked as he set the glasses on the table and carefully poured the white into them.

Shadow nodded, pulling a twenty dollar bill out of his pocket and handing it over to the waiter as a tip. The waiter smiled graciously and then took our food order.

It had cooled down significantly, though the heat still radiated off my body from the intense afternoon sun. A gentle breeze glazed over my body and I closed my eyes, enjoying every second of it.

“It was a good day,” I said, my eyes still closed.

“I’m glad you had fun,” Shadow said. “This country has a way of mesmerizing a person’s heart.”

So do you,I thought.

I opened my eyes and reached for my glass, taking a polite sip from the sweet wine. “So do you think Abraham can succeed in stimulating Cambodia’s economy?”

“I hope so. He’s found the brightest minds in Cambodia already. While Siem Riep thrives on tourism, the other parts of Cambodia suffer from extreme poverty. They’re still trying to recover from Pol Pot’s madness.”

“All it takes is one person to lead a country into its destruction,” I sighed.

Shadow nodded. “Funny, I’ve heard some members of the Midnight Society say that of me.”

I saw the opening I needed to inquire more about the organization.

“Tell me more about the Midnight Society,” I said, more of a demand than a request.

“Curiosity killed the cat,” Shadow said, echoing Senator Donald Huff’s warning.

“You never heard that a cat has nine lives?” I replied.

Shadow laughed. “Touche.”

“Hey, if I’m supposed to be your Midnight Princess, the least you can do is tell me a little bit about your work.”

“You’re not my princess anymore after tonight,” Shadow said. “Your contract’s fulfilled.”

My heart sank from his statement, but I hid my disappointment. “I want to know,” I said. “I don’t like secrets.”

“I guess you don’t like me then,” Shadow said. “I’m full of secrets.”

“Let’s hear some.”

Shadow sighed. “You’re relentless.”

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