Arezoo shook her head. "You are worse than the men."
"I'm better, you meant to say." Drova pushed away from the bar. "So much better." She waved goodbye to Wonder. "See you tomorrow, ladies."
After she was done wiping down all the vacant tables and lifting the rest of the chairs, Arezoo headed to the employee bathroom. She washed her hands, smoothed her hair, and even applied the lip gloss Laleh had given her.
Some inner sense told her that Ruvon was out there even before she opened the bathroom door, and when she saw him, her breath caught.
Ruvon looked different. No, that wasn't quite right—he looked like himself, but more. His posture was straighter, with hisshoulders back and chin up. The usual button-down shirt had been replaced by a well-fitted Henley that emphasized broader shoulders than she'd noticed before, and his hair, usually somewhat unruly, had been styled with deliberate care.
But it was his smile that stopped her in her tracks. Gone was the uncertain, hopeful expression she'd grown accustomed to. This smile was confident, warm, and directed entirely at her.
What was responsible for the transformation? Had Ruvon spoken with the clan's psychologist and gotten advice on how to project confidence?
"Hello, Arezoo," he said, and even his voice sounded different. Deeper. More assured.
"Hi," she managed, acutely aware that she was staring.
Behind her, she heard the shutters closing and turned around. "Don't worry." Wonder smiled at her. "Your coffees and pastries are on the counter." She pointed to where she'd left them.
"Thank you," Ruvon said. "But don't close yet. I need to pay you."
"It's on the house." Wonder winked at him. "Have a lovely evening, you two." She pulled down the shutters.
"You look different," Arezoo said. "I mean good."
"Thank you." He took the plates to their usual table, put them down, and pulled out a chair for her. "You look beautiful. But then, you always do."
The compliment, delivered without his usual stammering uncertainty, sent warmth spreading through her chest. She puttheir coffees down and sat, hyperaware of his presence as he took his seat across from her.
"Drova mentioned she saw you at the gym," she said, needing to fill the silence that suddenly felt charged.
"Ah." A slight flush colored his cheeks, the first crack in his newfound confidence. "I'm starting to train tomorrow. Kalugal has been complaining about many of us being out of shape, and he's right. We may not be soldiers anymore, but if the call comes, we are expected to mobilize to defend the village. I don't want to be the weak link."
She chuckled. "I doubt you would be defending the village with a rifle in your hands. Your job would be monitoring security screens and activating whatever booby traps are hidden around the perimeter."
He shrugged. "You are probably right, but in case I'm needed with a rifle in my hands or just my bare fangs, I want to be ready."
"Why now?" The question burst out of her before she could think it through.
His eyes met hers, direct and honest. "Because I want to be able to defend you. It's no longer hypothetical for me. Someone I care for needs my protection, and I would never forgive myself if I couldn't provide it."
That was sweet, but the village was far from defenseless, and Arezoo doubted she would ever need Ruvon to fight for her.
"Ruvon—"
"I know what you're going to say," he interrupted gently. "You are going to tell me that you don't need my protection becausethe village is full of protectors, but I need to do this for me. I need to know that I'm capable of defending you. You were the catalyst."
She didn't know what to say to that, so she reached for the poetry book in her apron pocket and pulled it out. "Should we read?"
"If you'd like." But something in his tone suggested poetry was the last thing on his mind.
Nevertheless, she opened the book at random, finding a verse about transformation. How appropriate. As she began to read, her voice shook slightly.
"In the garden of becoming, where souls shed their winter skins..."
The words flowed between them, but for the first time, Arezoo found herself distracted by the man across from her. The way his dark eyes shone whenever he looked at her, glowing from the inside, and when he reached for his coffee and took a sip, she couldn't help but notice how perfectly shaped his lips were.
How come she'd never noticed that before?
