Anya drove to a nearby shopping center and parked in front of a Jewish deli. Wearing a white caftan, jeweled sandals and delicate shawl, she walked inside and waved to the elderly proprietor.
"Hey Sal! Got any babka today?"
He smiled in delight at seeing her and nodded. "You know it cutie."
"Save one for me." She turned into an alcove and walked to a storage closet, where she inserted her own apartment key, identical to Kate's, into the lock. It opened smoothly and she disappeared within. Through a row of potted palms she walked into a bustling, aromatic restaurant where the hostess rushed to greet her.
"Miss Anya. Your table is waiting."
Anya followed the woman to a more quiet corner, where a low table sat surrounded by cushions. She arranged herself artfully and the hostess pulled a brocade panel to enclose her in the private nook.
"Your usual libation?" The woman, with meticulous makeup under her colorful head wrap, cocked a perfectly arched eyebrow.
"Yes Fatima. Thank you. I will have a gentleman friend joining me shortly."
"Of course." With a discreet nod of the head, she disappeared.
A waiter appeared a moment later with a heavy goblet of bluish glass. Anya instructed him to bring a tray of meze and a pitcher of raki. She raised her goblet and drank her elixir of an ancient concoction with lime and mint. Her mind wandered to the day's activities. If only this girl were the one. They had misjudged before, it was true. But she had a strong energy and a compassion and a curiosity... even if she was a bit raw. She could be taught. But did she have the essential chemistry? Deep in reverie, Anya jumped as the curtain was pulled back – not by the waiter but a handsome, bearded man in a long blue caftan threaded with gold.
"Selam," he gave her a brief bow and took her hand to kiss. "You look lovely as always Anya. It has been too long."
"Centuries, old friend, centuries. Sit, Ahmet and we shall catch up. Ah – just in time." Still attractive, she thought, surprised at the flutter her heart briefly gave.
The waiter arrived with their dishes, treats from Ahmet's native Turkey. Sardines, octopus, artichokes and sweet peppers, stuffed vine leaves, squash flowers and yogurt with herbs. They poured the thick, anise flavored liquor from the pitcher and toasted.
"To reconciliations," Ahmet grinned a flashing white smile.
"There is nothing to reconcile. Your gift tonight is more than enough payment." Anya looked at him appreciatively. They both drank and reclined, tasting one dish after another and recounting some of their favorite memories, from Turkey and Indonesia.
"You were living on a banket boat at the time," Ahmet laughed. "Poor as a pauper. I don't know why you wanted to live that way. You could have married the King."
"Kertanagara? He was always too busy fighting the Mongols for romance. And he drank too much – killed him in the end, in the middle of a tantric ritual. Poor fellow."
"Well, it worked out nicely for me anyway," Ahmet winked. "That banket boat was very private. Your brothers were always so protective of you."
Anya blushed, just a little. "Enough reminiscing friend. Where is my merchandise?"
Ahmet reached inside the neck of his caftan and pulled out a chain. On its end was an orb, glowing from within. He pulled it open like a locket and plucked out a luminous stone resembling an opal.
"I retrieved it from the mines myself, while I was briefly – ah – incarcerated."
"Ahmet! You were busted? For what this time?" Anya chuckled despite herself. She pocketed the stone deep inside her own caftan.
YOU ARE READING
An Unearthing of Goddesses
FantasyThere is a goddess within each of us - she just needs to be unearthed. And Kate McKinnon is about to discover hers... Overworked, underpaid, overlooked, slightly too curvy, slightly too introverted - Kate certainly never thought she was a goddess. B...
