Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Now that she and Solon had decided to Bond, she was definitely going, she told herself. She wanted to show off the big Monstrum and remember the good times she’d had while trying to forget the bad times.
For so long, the memory of the attack had hung over that part of her life. Abbey wanted to reclaim her high school experience and brush away the cobwebs of fear and hurt. Since Solon had come into her life, she’d found real joy again and she wanted to shine that light into even the darkest corners of her past.
She tucked the menu card beside her plate and then reached for the big Monstrum’s hand. Bringing it to her lips, she kissed it.
“What is that sweet gesture for?” Solon growled softly.
“It’s just a thank you,” Abbey told him. “I can’t remember a time when I was happier than I have been since you came for me.”
“I feel the same way about you, lelka.” He raised her hand and Abbey felt him kiss it, just as she had kissed his.
“Oh, Pretty Abbey, the fur-man is giving you love-looks again!” Spex squeaked in her ear, making her laugh. “And the server-man is bringing food too,” he added.
Sure enough, the food was arriving. Abbey could hear the clinking of plates as dishes were set before her. As he placed the dishes, the server spoke in her ear.
“Lady Abbey, there are three round dishes placed before you in a triangular pattern,” he murmured. “At the top of the triangle, furthest from you, is your chud-wump sando. To the right and slightly below it is the molly-golly-gooten-tot. And to the left and below is the gargen-heimer you ordered. Everything has been cut into bite-sized pieces for your convenience and all can be eaten with your fingers. Please enjoy your food.”
“Thank you,” Abbey told him. She liked that he had given her such a good explanation of exactly what was in front of her and where everything was located. It was nice that everything was cut up as well. She could use utensils, of course, but it could be difficult cutting food she couldn’t see into bite-sized pieces. She was pleasantly surprised that it had already been taken care of for her.
The blurs she could see when she looked down were indeed arranged in a triangle pattern. The top one was brown and white, the right one was tannish-pink, and the one on the left was bright green.
Cautiously, Abbey tried a bite of the chud-wump sando. Just as she had hoped, it tasted a lot like a roast beef sandwich with crusty bread, juicy meat, and some kind of spicy but delicious alien herb that enhanced the meat’s flavor.
The gargen-heimer had a mushy texture, almost like extremely stiff mashed potatoes. Its flavor reminded Abbey of the one time she’d tried poutine—it was quite delicious. The molly-golly-gooten-tot was kind of like crunchy croutons which melted on her tongue after she bit into them. It tasted like French onion soup would if someone had decided to add a lot of extra cheese, Abbey decided. She really liked it. In fact, everything was delicious and she wound up cleaning her plate.
Of course she had to try some of Solon’s food as well. He had chosen the chud-wump sando and two other dishes—one of which tasted like spicy tomato sauce and came in gel-like cubes. Abbey didn’t care for that much—the texture felt wrong.
Like eating pizza sauce gummies, she thought.
The other dish the big Monstrum had ordered was better. It was a pile of crispy flakes, like cereal, that had a savory, spicy flavor that made Abbey think of snack food.
What she liked best about the meal was the fact that nothing had any kind of sauce or gravy on it. She could eat without fear of dripping anything on herself and wipe her fingers on the richly embroidered napkin she’d been given at the beginning of the meal. Every bite she took was neat and self-contained—she didn’t even get any crumbs on herself.
At last, it was time for dessert. New menu cards were given out—much smaller than the first. Abbey was wary at first, but she found, to her delight, that she liked the scent and taste of every single bump she pressed.
“My, my—we certainly have some lovely selections for sweet treats tonight,” she heard the Empress say to her. “What catches your fancy, my dear?”
“I don’t know,” Abbey said honestly. “They all smell so good I can’t decide. Maybe Your Majesty could recommend something for me?”
“I most certainly can!” the Empress declared. She called the server over. “Lady Abbey will have the sweet tasting platter,” she instructed him. “A little bit of everything on the Sweet Treats menu. Oh, and I almost forgot—she didn’t get to try the chomble-hopper cheese! Do be sure to bring that along with the rest.”