Finding a secluded corner to sit in, Lucia enjoyed the comfort provided by the padded leather chair and waited for her shy companion to sit down as well before signaling the waiter to order. "Not bad, I think I like this place, although the name is somewhat misleading."
Kath seemed confused for a second before looking around and understanding what the other part meant, seeing that all the people working in the place were considerably young, with the bartender being the only one over thirty years old. "It can't be helped, Old Tom died a few years ago when the old pub burned down. His son Thomas rebuilt the place, trying to make it look exactly as it did before, and named it in honor of his father."
That response allowed Lucia to understand a few things and cross off some points on her list of oddities, not that it made a big difference to her since the pub was ultimately just a spur-of-the-moment occurrence and had little to do with her. "I see. Five minutes in town, and I'm already hearing depressing stories, this really is England."
"I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that; I should have kept my mouth shut."
Lucia raised an eyebrow, her intrigue growing along with a hint of exasperation, not expecting the other part to grow increasingly submissive and nervous, to the point of not even catching the hint of humor that had come with her previous comment. "You seem nervous, is everything alright?"
Kath was, of course, not alright. Leaving aside her social anxiety and complete lack of any skill to interact with an attractive girl or guy like Lucia, the fact was that the other part still had her very scared since she saw the enormous knife she carried hidden with her.
"Why did you invite me to dinner with you?" That was probably the question she most longed for an answer to, regardless of the other doubts dwelling in her mind. She simply didn't understand the other part's interest in her.
"Do I really need a reason?" Lucia was puzzled by the nature of the question, though feeling that the other part probably needed a real answer, she decided to elaborate. "Well, although I'm new around here, I have some personal business to resolve in this town, so I plan to stay for a couple of weeks, and I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to make friends with someone who could show me around. Since I met you and you're from here, I thought you were as good a candidate as anyone else."
Lucia had been patient in explaining, making sure to keep her voice as soft and clear as possible, something that greatly calmed the nervous Kath, who felt her insecurities being soothed with velvet, making them tickle for a moment before finally calming down. "Can I ask you a question?"
Noticing a hint of confidence returning to Kath's voice, Lucia smiled mischievously. "Only if we make it an equivalent exchange, one question for one question."
Kath hesitated for a second, the cold claws of her weak personality squeezing her heart tightly, but she gathered her courage before swallowing hard and nodding. "Why do you carry a knife with you?"
Lucia raised her eyebrows, a slight combination of surprise and intrigue coloring her sharp features. "Oh, don't tell me that's what had you nervous all this time?"
Seeing Kath nod after a slight pause, Lucia let out a small chuckle. "That explains a lot. It must have given you quite a scare to get on the bike with me after seeing what I carry with me; no wonder you're a bundle of nerves."
Of course, Kath didn't want to explain that even without the knife, she would still be a nervous girl who could barely hold a decent conversation with someone so intimidating. Unaware of such thoughts, Lucia explained. "As intimidating as it looks, that knife is more of a useful tool than anything else. Believe me, when you travel on the road and enjoy camping in nature from time to time like I do, you need one of these; they're great for cutting brush and other things."
There was a slight strangeness in the way that the last part was pronounced, but Kath didn't have the kind of insight necessary to catch it, something Lucia probably knew given the small playful smile on her lips.
For her part, Kath let out a somewhat exaggerated sigh of relief when she heard and accepted the explanation, completely forgetting that she couldn't simply take a stranger's word as truth.
"Don't get me wrong, I still use it to scare off a drunk or two who think they can take advantage of a girl traveling alone."
Hearing that last part, Kath felt even more comfortable with Lucia's presence, something in the fact that the other girl showed that she was indeed as vulnerable as her, but unlike her cowardly self, had the skills to defend herself, inspired something within her.
Unknowingly, Kath indeed had a faint smile for a second; unfortunately, it turned somewhat stiff when she saw the smile the other part was giving her. "So, what was a small and adorable girl like you doing in the woods in the middle of the night?"
And there was the question Kath didn't want to be asked. She had somehow gotten used to no one questioning her activities or oddities, given that the townspeople had long taken her eccentricities for granted, but she hadn't forgotten that their indifference didn't translate into acceptance of her oddness.
Lucia could see the struggle in the other girl's green eyes and was in no hurry to get an answer. Once the waiter arrived with their dinner and drink, she indulged in taking a bite of the pasty in her hand, enjoying the savory flavor of the beef that combined perfectly with the potatoes and stewed onions inside.
Lucia took a couple of seconds to savor her food, almost purring at how delicious it was. "Now I understand why this place is so crowded; the food is to die for, thanks for bringing me here."
Without waiting for a response, Lucia continued to enjoy her food, occasionally taking sips of the coffee they had served her. The coffee, with lots of cream and sugar, was just how Lucia liked it. Its slightly bitter sweetness helped her forget the horrible memories of a past filled with cheap American coffees that always tortured her taste buds.
On the other side of the table, Kath was far from feeling as comfortable as her companion, whose fatigue seemed to be expelled from her body with every bite of food or sip of coffee. Instead, her own food was getting colder by the minute as she still debated whether to answer the question honestly or not.