Here we are on the eve of a blog party for Skewered Halo and I am about to share with you the beginning of chapter four of Ferry Tails.....
Hope you are enjoying the book thus far....
The burning liquid warmed her inside all the way to her
stomach. She wasn’t sure if that feeling was the hot liquor or the company. She
hadn’t been on a date in over fifteen years and she was enjoying adult
conversation. The waitress came by and Scott ordered a variety of items,
speaking fluent Japanese.
“You don’t mind that I just ordered everything, do you?”
Shaking her head she said, “Not at all. I love this food but
have no idea what to order.” She smiled at him and asked, “Do I want to know
what you just ordered?”
He smiled back crookedly and replied, “Octopus, eel, sashimi
and a few rolls.”
Diane tried not to look horrified. “Sounds great!” The
extent of her experience with Japanese food included tempura, California rolls and
teriyaki. She was much too embarrassed to mention that…especially now.
Scott poured them both another cup of sake, “We need to
drink it while it’s hot. It really doesn’t taste that great when it cools down.”
“Okay,” she complied and drank the second cup. The warm
burning sensation didn’t catch her off guard this time, but it still felt
strangely warm winding its way through her body.
The waitress brought over a pot and two bowls. As she
started to scoop the grayish goop into the bowls Scott said, “This is octopus
soup. I have to say it is one of my favorite dishes here.”
Diane swallowed and asked, “Do you come here often?”
“Not as often as I’d like, but often enough to know what’s
good.”
She looked into her bowl and tried to identify the contents.
There were what appeared to be scallions, seaweed, peas and some sort of gray
matter. Deciding that bravery was in order she placed her spoon in and scooped
some into her mouth. The flavor exploded in her mouth! It was not like anything
she’d ever experienced before. Her eyes widened in satisfaction.
“I take the look on your face to mean you like it?”
She nodded in acquiescence. The effect of the sake had begun
to fuzzy up her brain. Words managed to escape her as she took another scoop.
This time she bit into something rubbery. Not sure what it was she swallowed
without thinking about it.
“So Robin, what do you do?” Scott asked as she was trying to
eradicate the feeling of slimy going down her throat.
She looked at him and replied, “I’m a mom. I work as an
office manager in an insurance office. I spend most of my time between work and
home.”
He nodded and politely asked, “How old are your kids?”
“My daughter is nine and a half and my son is six.”
“Oh! Little ones.” He said.
“Is that bad?” She asked as she watched him pour another cup
of sake.
He smiled at her and replied, “There is no bad age for kids.
I have a son myself and I really miss the days when he was little.”
She heaved a huge sigh of relief when she heard that. “Everyone
tells me to enjoy this time with them while they are young because it will pass
by so quickly.”
“They’re right!”
The waitress brought out two more dishes. One was raw fish
and the other was what appeared to be fried worms. Diane looked up at Scott
expectantly.
He chuckled. “This one,” pointing to the fried worms, “is Anago,
it is eel. And this is sashimi.” He said pointing to the slices of raw fish. “There
is ahi, awabi, fugu and hamachi.”
“Okay,” she politely said.
“How spicy do you want your wasabi?” He asked.
Diane giggled. Now the effects of the sake had definitely
removed her inhibitions. “I have to be honest with you Scott. I have no idea
what you just asked me.”
He nodded and smiled. “You mean you agreed to Japanese food
but haven’t really had it before?”
Links to other portions of the book:
Chapter 3.5 
