Paul sat alone at a patio table at Chez Orleans. An understanding with his cousin Louis had gotten him a prime spot in the restaurant...and a significant discount. Katianna was overdue by twenty minutes. The waiter brought him another cup of coffee.
"Merci beaucoup," he told the waiter as the rich dark coffee was decanted into his cup. Paul was feeling edgy. He couldn't tell whether it was his agitation over Katianna's tardiness or the fact that he'd had four cups of the coffee so far...on top of the three he'd had at breakfast.
Ten more minutes passed. It was unusual for Kat to be this late! Paul summoned Louis. "Ah'm going to find out what eez wrong. Could you 'old ze table for me?"
"That is against our policy, as you know. But for family, I will make an exception just this once," Louis told him, keeping up his properly rude French air.
"Merci!" With that, Paul left the restaurant and searched out Katianna. A few inquiries revealed her to be at Holo Pursuits. Of course. Where else? he thought as he entered the establishment. An attendant led him to Katianna's holosuite. Katianna had apparently leased the holosuite for the next month--something Holo Pursuits rarely allowed, and only upon payment of a substantial deposit.
The door slid open. Paul found Katianna in the same glen they'd fought in earlier, defending King Arthur's realm against attacking Saxon. This time the simulation was much more elaborate, and deadlier--the Saxon were using fire arrows, crossbows, a huge crew-operated ballista, and a trebuchet against the works of Arthur's fortress. All of these things were obvious anachronisms for 10th-century Britain, but Katianna didn't seem to care. In fact, she was enjoying the challenge.
A stone missile from the trebuchet smashed the wall of the castle, and Arthur's men could be heard dying as the ramparts collapsed. Katianna responded by rushing the war machine headlong and dispatching its crew with her twin swords. Heads, arms, and legs went flying as she butchered the Saxon serving the weapon.
Paul very cautiously moved toward Katianna, picking up an axe from a fallen Saxon to defend himself against the onrush. He shouted to her. "Katianna! What are you doing?" He had to duck as the ballista fired, sending a gigantic crossbow bolt past him and into a file of Arthur's troops, taking down five with a single shot.
"Computer, freeze program!" she yelled over the din as she saw Paul. As everything froze around them, she was genuinely surprised. "What are you doing here?" she asked, the hint of a smile pulling at her lips.
"Wondering what you are doing 'ere, when we were supposed to meet for dinner 45 minutes ago!"
"It's that's late?" she asked with surprise filling her green eyes.
"Yes, eet eez zhat late!" Paul said indignantly. "'Ow could you forget?"
She sighed. "I'm so sorry," she replied as she went to him. "I guess I just got lost in the program. This one's new. A different take on my last one . . . One I can actually train with," she replied. "I can't believe I lost track of the time!" She rubbed her face as she turned away rolling her head around her shoulders. "Again, I'm so sorry . . ."
"Do you 'ave zhat little respect for me? For our friendship?" Paul stormed, throwing the axe to the ground.
"This has nothing to do with how much you mean to me! In fact, you mean quite a bit to me," she replied turning back to him. "This is all in training for when I have to go up against Kalimar and the Kosst Amojen. This isn't a lack of respect, Paul . . . This is . . . trying to be prepared for what's to come. But I understand if you want to cancel dinner," she replied.
"But 'ow eez cutting off yourself from ze world supposed to 'elp you defend eet?" Paul asked. "What good eez your preparation eef you drive away ze tings you are fighting for?"
She walked up to him and tenderly caressed his face. "I wasn't trying to," she replied softly.
"Eet zeems zhat way!"
"Perhaps I was a bit more than a little over focused on my task this evening when I shouldn't have been," she said, as she met his eyes. "Can't you forgive me?" she asked gently.
Paul softened. "Of course Ah can!" he said. "Jes' don' let eet 'appen again!"
She smiled and bit her lower lip. "Perhaps I can offer you something for your forgiveness as well, to help apologize for my blunder." With the grace of a cat and the deliberateness of a panther, she leaned in and kissed him.
Paul blushed deeply--the first time in years he could recall blushing. "What eez zhere to forgive?" he asked. "Louis will 'old ze table for another 20 minutes. Shall we go?"
"I suppose I'm pretty hungry," she replied with a devilish hint in her eyes, something else on her mind. "Of course, what should we do after dinner?"
"Zhat, my dear, eez entirely up to you!" Paul said with an evil grin of his own.
Her green eyes sparkled. "Then maybe we should take dessert in your quarters," she replied, watching him carefully and sensing his response to her words.
"Zhat sounds like a good idea to me!"
Paul took her hand and squeezed it with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.
"I have a feeling tonight will be another night to remember," she smiled as she caressed his face and kissed him again.
Paul said nothing. He just smiled.