Page 79 of Enthrall Shadows
The Enthrall crowd proved how close they were, being the best of friends. They’d all gone out of their way to make me feel welcome.
Being that close to someone as bewitching as Lotte was the only reason I’d left the table. I’d struggled not to stare at her alluring beauty. I’d walked to the bar to cool my head and had struck up a conversation with a blonde stranger—all the while resisting the urge to glance back at Lotte, who was licking chocolate off her spoon.
Yet fate had brought us together again in the Shutters bathroom later that evening.
And once again at Charlie’s.
The memory of our kiss caused me to brush my fingers over my mouth, as though that would allow me to relive that exquisite encounter and somehow conjure her up.
Lotte had this uncanny way of soothing my melancholy.
“Ready?” Cameron asked, shaking me from my daydream.
Dad entered and turned to shut the airtight door.
After some light banter where we all caught up, Dad gestured to my phone.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Yes.” I gave a nod, tucking my phone away. “Just checking on something important.”
Thankfully, Cameron turned his back on me to prepare the sample. He did the honors, pouring boiled water over a sieve filled with tealeaves, filling a China cup.
Over the years, we’d observed Dad conduct this same formality in what was essentially a tea ceremony.
We’d both mastered the art early on, having fallen in love with its refined simplicity, the serenity of this sacrament.
Cameron set the teacup before our dad. The scent of honey, walnuts, and nutmeg wafted over us.
After a few minutes of breathing in the aroma while waiting for the liquid to cool, Dad tipped a small amount of the tea into a porcelain saucer, his keen eye examining its consistency and appearance.
Then he lifted the teacup and took a sip.
I studied his reaction.
“Tell me about this,” he said.
“It’s caffeine-free,” I said. “And eco-conscious.”
“Cameron, what are your thoughts?” he said.
“It tastes great.”
“Maybe caffeine isn’t such a villain?” Dad suggested.
I agreed with a nod. “We could add that back, yes.”
“This could be an excellent brand to compete with Dandelion Diva,” he reasoned, having read the literature we’d sent ahead. “What did you discover about them?”
“They’re a start-up,” I said. “Funded out of Silicon Valley. Two guys with a lot of ambition. They appear to be growing fast.”
“We’re watching them carefully,” said Cameron.
I studied Dad’s face. “What do you think about the tea?” I’d pondered how he might react since this journey began.
Dad seemed to mull it over.
I sensed what he was about to say.
