Page 30 of Origins of Eternity

“High cholesterol? Diabetes? Heart problems?”

“Well, the food here is incredibly healthy, so I think we should be okay,” Iro said with a smile.

“What if I put on, like, eighty pounds because I eat everything on this menu?” she asked.

“More of you to go out with next time,” Iro said.

Arwen laughed and replied, “You really are good at this, aren’t you?”

“I’m not trying to be. I mean everything I say, Arwen.”

“I can tell you do,” she said, getting serious. “It’s a big change from what I’m used to, though, so bear with me while I try to adapt.”

“Good evening,” their waiter said, approaching. “My name is Jacob, and I’ll be your server tonight. I’d love to get you started with something to drink and review our specials, if you’re interested.”

“Do you serve vegan wine?” Iro asked.

“We do,” he said.

“Red. You can bring the bottle of whatever you have. And my date isn’t a big wine drinker, so whatever she’d like as well. Normally, I’m not a big wine drinker myself, but I thought I might like to try vegan wine for the first time,” Iro added that last part to Arwen.

“Actually, I’d love to try their wine,” Arwen said, surprised that Iro would even know that a lot of wines weren’t vegan. “Are you sure you don’t want bourbon?”

“Maybe. If the wine is horrid,” Iro teased her. “Your best red is fine,” she added to the waiter.

“Excellent,” he replied. “I’ll bring that right out. Would you like me to go over the specials?”

“I think we’re ready to order,” Arwen said. “Unless you want to hear them.”

She looked up at Iro to check.

“No, whatever you want is fine,” Iro replied.

“Can we start with roasted beet hummus and the avocado crispy rice?”

“Of course,” the waiter said.

“And the barbecue chicken pizza and the roasted tofu after that.”

“Sure. Let me go get your wine and some water for you as well,” the guy replied before walking off.

“I can’t believe I’m here. This place has been on my list of places to go since it opened,” she said. “How did you get them to give you a table on such short notice?”

“I think you’ll find, Arwen, that as disappointing as it is sometimes, money can get you just about anything, and I have a lot of it.”

Arwen leaned in and asked, “Your business isthatsuccessful?”

“I have made great investments over the years, yes, and I started young.”

“Your parents must be very proud,” she said, trying to learn more about this beautiful woman.

“My parents passed away when I was young. They don’t know about all this. But I’m sure, wherever she is, my mother is proud of me.”

“Not your father?”

“My father was a hard man. He was what we would call very blue-collar, and he wanted a boy. The last thing he wanted was another daughter.”

“Another? You have sisters?”