Gold Blooded

10 | Plump, Pink, Kissable

Before I take Asher's arm, I quickly slip off the magical shoes and put my old black converse on.

I don't want Asher to take me on a date just because the shoes I wear make me look better in his eyes. But Asher stays exactly the same, as if I still have the magical shoes on and I actually aloof pretty in the overpriced clothes.

I smile. Asher likes me no matter what shoes I wear. Maybe I was right to hope before, maybe he really does love me...

***

Asher pulls out my chair and tucks me in just as he did in the dinning room.

We are in a packed restaurant. Everyone is dressed as if they are going to a ball or to meet the queen. I feel out of place, but Asher is rubbing small circles on my hand, and the feeling is soon forgotten.

"Sorry, but are you... a cupid?" A man stands in front of me with ginger hair and pink eyes, he looks about twenty but his eyes look accent. He's bent down slightly so his face is right next to mine.

"Erm..." I look at Asher unsure of what to say. We hadn't discussed whether to keep my species a secret or not. The people here were all magical and knew cupids once roamed the land. I had had several curious looks but no one had came forward and said anything – not until now that is.

Asher doesn't know what to say either by the look on his face.

"She's... erm..." He scratches his head and bites his lips... his lips. So plump, so pink, so... kissable.

"How about we talk about it another time, yeah? Over tea perhaps?" Asher says. Tea?

It's then that I notice what the man is wearing. He is wearing brown trousers with vibrant green polkadots on them, and instead of a belt, he wears a pink ribbon tied into a symmetrically perfect bow. His shirt looks like it was once white but is now a pale yellow with brown stains on it here and there. Tea stains, maybe? 

He wears a blue pettycoat over it, this one covered in yellow stripes and in the pocket instead of a hanky-chief there is a tea bag half hanging out, half hanging in. In his hand he holds a overly tall top hat, the same colour as Thea's hair.

"Oooooooo, tea!" The man starts hopping on one foot around our table like a five year old at midnight having given too much fizz. It's a funny sight.

Asher leans across the table and whispers; "He's a descendant of the mad hatter."

Then the man stops and looks Asher in the eyes. "Oh no! I'm all booked for the next century! How about in the next hundred years?" Huh?

Asher grins at the mad hatter descendant as if they were old friends. "Sure." And with that, the man hops out of sight.

Then Asher smiles at me. "What do you want to eat then?"

***

I moan as I shove another piece of shepard's pie in my mouth. The mash feels like it's melting on my tongue and the pieces of mince are full of flavour as I chew.

Asher chuckles but I'm too hung up over the food to care. I moan again. "This is so good!"

People around us are starting to give me weird looks, but again, I'm in a completely different world while eating my pie.