hugetractsofland | Apartment Above Fina, Tuesday Evening

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Apartment Above Fina, Tuesday Evening

So.

There had been a ~~handwavy~~ invitation issued and accepted. Lulu was just pulling the pan of spicy roast potatoes out of the oven, one eye on the clock as the agreed-upon time approached.

Two minutes before her date was scheduled to arrive, she was giving the curry-lime chicken one last stir before pouring in some coconut milk, leaving it to simmer until it was time to serve.

[For one, please!]

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"Perhaps to make up for being twice the ponce this weekend," Price said. "Strange matter, that. Never before has the phrase 'not quite feeling myself' been so literal."

He stepped inside, a smile on his face. "Quite the flat, this."

"Thank you.' Lulu grinned as she took the wine. "I designed it myself; most of the renovations I made when I took over Fina were here, rather than downstairs.

"I think I'll put this on ice," she added. "And then I'll give you the three-dollar tour?"

"Sounds fair enough," Price said. "Though I don't believe I have 3 dollars on me. I'll have to give an IOU."

Lulu ducked back into the kitchen and placed the wine in the freezer. "You can pay in services," she said, her smile quirking at one side. "Well, this is the kitchen, obviously. I believe I spent about three times as much on this room as the rest of the flat combined."

And it shows, in every gleaming surface, each appliance simple but the highest quality -- not overladen with excess bobs and features that someone who knows what they're doing really doesn't need.

"It shows," Price said, not too surprisingly. "I don't even have my own kitchen. I'm more used to eating rations, anyway. Or... well, something worse, lately."

He looked about. "Very nice, though."

"Thank you," Lulu says, before leading him through the other exit. "The stairs here lead down to Fina," she explains. "The bedrooms are all off this central common area -- thus the dining table, television, and couches all being out here." She leads him across the room and opens one of the doors. "This is one of the spare bedrooms," she adds. "It shares a bathroom with the other spare; neither one has been rented yet, so they're both still empty."

"Seems like you need a lodger or two," Price said. "Perhaps you'll find some takers when the next school term arrives."

He wasn't about to venture about renting one himself.

"I expect so," Lulu agreed, leading Price back towards the kitchen. "Possibly before -- we do get new people in town periodically, obviously -- but I suspect it won't be until the new teachers arrive."

She gestured at the table. "Please, take a seat," she asked of Price. "I'll have dinner out in just a moment."

Price sat down. "Good. I was worried you were about to make me sing for my supper," he said. "After all that talk of services."

"Well." Lulu laughed as she came back in, a basket of rolls in one hand, the bottle of wine in the other. A quick, and tightly-controlled, Fire spell lit the candles -- showy, but effective. "I can't say that was the kind of service I had in mind.

"If you don't mind pouring?" she added over her shoulder, as she headed back into the kitchen.

Price's expression was suitably impressed. "I don't mind at all," he said, pouring two generous glasses of the wine. "I have to say, you don't do things by halves."

He liked that.

"I do try my best," Lulu agreed, coming back in with two heavily-laden plates. On a bed of spicy-roasted potatoes were generous helpings of sliced chicken breast, light grilled first, then simmered in a sauce of garam masala and lime juice until it reduced, then simmered a few minutes longer in a small amount of coconut milk until the coconut milk thickened a little and was warmed through.

On the side were slices of tomato, cucumber, and apple, drizzled with a mixture of balsamic vinegar and brown sugar.

Let's make one thing very clear.

Price had spent most of the previous five years to coming to the island in a Russian prison.

This was the fanciest meal he'd seen in a long, long time.

"You're spoiling me," he declared, picking up his fork. "This is a meal for a king. On a special occasion."

"This?" Lulu asked, laughing a bit as she sat down. "This is nothing. You should see what you get on birthdays."

The phrase 'four-course meal' comes to mind.

Lulu lifted her wine glass and said, "Is it bad form to toast 'to us'?"

"To life," Price replied, raising his own glass. "And what it brings." He thought that was good toast material.

He was also mildly scared of what a birthday meal would look like.

"To life," Lulu agrees, before taking a sip of her wine.

"I hope everything's all right," she adds. "It's been a little while since I've cooked for anyone like this. Mostly it's just for myself."

"Well, I'll be honest," Price said. "This is the finest meal I've laid eyes on in a long time. And compared to what I'm used to eating, I'm sure it will be nothing short of amazing."

"... Clearly," Lulu says, "I'll have to have you over for dinner more often.

"It's not often one has a guinea pig for new recipes. You can consider it payment for the tour."

"I think I could survive that," Price said. "After all, bullets haven't kept me down. Hearty meals are hardly a threat." He chuckled. "You drive a hard bargain."

"Comparing my cooking to bullets?" Lulu asked. "Hm. Losing points, Captain. Losing points indeed."

"You're the one who called me a guinea pig," Price retorted, smiling as he nibbled at the meal. "If I'm going to be experimented on, I deserve at least one quip forgiven."

Lulu laughed again. "Very well. One quip forgiven. You'll have to earn them the rest of the night."

"Fair enough," Price said. "And how exactly does one earn your favor, Lulu?"

"Now that, Captain Price, would be telling. Eat your curry."

"Yes'm," Price said, tucking into his meal. After a bit of thorough chewing and rather impressed noises, he spoke. "Now that is a meal."

"One does one's best," Lulu said, chuckling softly. "I'm glad you enjoy it.

"But do make certain to leave room for dessert?"

Price nodded, and ate from the meal quite modestly.

"If I might be bold for a moment," he said. "I'm going to find it very hard to top this for our next little rendezvous."

Lulu paused for a moment. Considered her next words very carefully.

"Oh," she said. "I'm sure you'll find some way to top me."

"And what, may I ask, is for dessert?" he asked, carefully wiping the corners of his mouth with his napkin.

"And spoil the surprise?" Lulu asked. "You'll just have to wait and see, Captain Price."

"You know, patience is one virtue I do have," Price said. "It's very important in my... well, former line of work, I suppose."

Lulu smirked as they continued eating. "I'd be interested in learning of what other virtues you possess," she said. "Perhaps later? Over... coffee?"

"A fine time to discuss the matter of virtue," Price said. "Perhaps we can go over a few of my vices before then."

"I find myself perhaps inordinately interested in your vices, yes," Lulu said. "We can certainly discuss those as well."

"Well, if you're looking for a demonstration," Price said, taking a sip of the wine. "I am quite trained in a lot of proper drills, as well."

Lulu had to take a moment to consider her response to that.

Briefly, she debated throwing him out for that horrible line.

"Perhaps a demonstration would be in order for later in the evening," she allowed, instead. "But first -- dessert? Are you finished with dinner?"

"I think I am," Price said, with a nod. And really, forgive him any terrible lines. He's very rusty at all this. He did spend five years in solitary confinement recently.

"You've given it quite a build up. I'm eager to see it."

"Just a moment, then," Lulu said, getting up and returning to the kitchen.

And returning with a double-size white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. "It's a new recipe, I admit," she explained. "Not one I've tried before. But it appears to have turned out... satisfactorily."

"My god," Price said. "I do hope it keeps well."

That was a lot of cheesecake.

"Actually," Lulu said, "I thought we might go through... rather a lot of it this evening." She smirked. "If we happen to run out of plates, we can always find... alternate things to eat it off of."

Price just sort of paused. "Well, I'll be," he said. "Well, it never hurts to indulge, on the right occasion."

"Shall we retire to more comfortable seating, then?" Lulu asked, angling her head towards her bedroom.

Yes, that was a pretty blatantly open invitation.

"I'd be happy to," Price said, standing up. "After all, I'd been so uncomfortable where I'd been."

"Just this way, then," Lulu said, leading the way to the bedroom, trusting Price to follow.

He was a soldier. And a good soldier knows when to follow.

Price smoothed out his beard with a hand as he followed, honestly a little nervous even if he wasn't about to let it show.

"A fully thorough tour, after all," he said.

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Apartment Above Fina, Tuesday Evening

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