Seduced by Two Warriors Read Online Free Page B

through?
    “Tell
me about the restaurant you knew,” he said, closing his menu. He knew what he
wanted to eat.
    She
closed her menu as well, and gave him the most profound look of gratitude.
Hadn’t anyone ever asked her about her life back on Earth before? “I was only
there once even though we went to visit my mother’s family back in Labaro every
summer, before the invasions…” Her voice trailed off and she glanced around, as
if she was afraid to mention them.
    “ It’s okay, Gia. You can speak freely here.”
    “Well,
okay. Labaro is a small suburb, but it’s so close to Rome that you can do and
see everything there easily. My maternal grandparents were born in that city.
They met as children and married very young. My mother was also born there, but
came to the USA to attend college and met my father while in school.”
    “So
you enjoyed your visits, then.”
    She
nodded. “Yes. Very much. There’s so much to do and see
it would take a lifetime to experience all of it.”
    Their
server came over to take their orders, speaking their own language, but Gia was
able to order using it, and she sounded like she’d been born on Sera. Thane and
Rune exchanged an appreciative glance over her head. After their orders were
given, Thane asked her about the restaurant in Rome with the same name.
    “It
was frequented by celebrities back in the day. US Presidents ate there, as well
as royalty from other countries. It has a view from all sides across the
historical parts of the city, and it’s crazy
expensive. It looks like a palace inside with marble floors, antique wooden
inlay, and mirrored tables.”
    Thane
glanced around at the red and white checkered tablecloths and the empty wine
bottles with dried candle wax dripping over their sides on each table. He shook
his head. “No wonder you laughed. This place doesn’t look anything like that,
although I think you’ll enjoy the food. I wonder if they borrowed the name from Earth? ”
    “They
did,” said Arlo. “It’s the newest craze. Choose a place on Earth that likely no
longer exists, and slap its name on your business.” He leaned closer to the
center of the table. “I think they’re going for the empathy vote because there
are so many Earthlings living here now.”
    Fallon
shot Gia a sympathetic look, and then she raised her water glass. “But we’re
not here to talk about sad times. We’re here to celebrate three new employees
to our department branch, and we are so happy you’ve come to join us.”
    “Hear!
Hear!” said Gia, raising hers as well. “I’m very happy to be part of this.
Thank you for the opportunity.”
    “And
I’m thrilled to have another Earth woman to work with,” said Fallon. She and
Gia clinked glasses, and then the men awkwardly imitated them, nearly breaking
their glasses in the process. Gia and Fallon giggled through the entire uncomfortable
moment.
    “I
guess you all don’t do that here,” said Gia.
    “Not
very often,” said Thane. “But we are familiar with the custom.”
    “How
many Earth women have you had the chance to get to know?” she asked.
    He
couldn’t stop staring into her brown eyes. They were so dark, and full of
warmth and light. Whatever this girl had been through, it hadn’t dimmed her
spirit. Not entirely. It was there, deep down. He wanted desperately to help
her find it again. “Not too many. We spent some time with a woman named
Marianne Kowalski when she was living in Vaughn’s and River’s quarters on Addo,
but not enough to really have a chance to talk to her about her life before.”
    “You
can talk to me about it. It’s all right. What would you like to know?”
    He
hadn’t expected her to be so willing to talk, and had no idea where to start.
He wanted to know everything about her. “What sort of work did you do on
Earth?”
    “I
worked as a translator, the same as I do here. I worked for a company that did
more than eighty percent of its business overseas, and I was