We returned to eating our dinner. It was totally better than anything I could make. Maybe I could match the vegetable sides, but the main dish…not in this lifetime. Shadow had outdone herself.

  Dessert was available, but I wasn’t sure I wanted any. Still, it was tempting. The pie we’d had last time was good. I wondered if Shadow had something to match this. I almost hoped so.

  Hanna and I made small talk about things we knew were coming up, including my family visiting. She was anxious to meet them. I wouldn’t quite say I wanted to show her off to them, but meet her, absolutely. “I wondered what they’ll think of her? I hope they’ll like her. Most people do.”

  “Most people except criminals.”

  We both chose to leave game talk out of our conversation. The same with yesterday’s battle. Those were memories I didn’t wish to bring back.

  We talked about our past, what we were looking forward to in our future, and where the world was likely to go from here. Things we’d talked about before, but not really talked about in depth as it applied to us as a couple.

  After we finished, Sarah cleared the dishes and said she’d be back with dessert and more coffee.

  “More coffee is always good,” I said as she was leaving.

  “Will. You’re an addict. You know that?”

  “Of course I do. But I limit it outside of special occasions. Or very special coffee.”

  “All I’ve ever seen you drink is the stuff you buy at the store. What special coffee?” she asked, resting her elbows on the table and interlacing her fingers. She rested her chin on them, then added, “I want to know.”

  “When Victor was eleven or twelve, we took a summer trip to Hawaii. We only saw Oahu. The usual tourist attractions…Pearl Harbor, the museums, Diamond Head, Pele Overlook. We also drove around the island, stopped at some beaches, did some splashing in the ocean. That sort of thing.”

  “One of the restaurants near our hotel had Kona coffee as the house blend. Best coffee I’ve ever had. It’s grown on the Island of Kona, and some on the Big Island.

  “Nobody sells it around here,” I said. “Even the coffee shops. But they can order it. I used to do it once or twice a year as a treat. We liked it that much. It has a smooth, mellow flavor. I haven’t had it for a few years. It didn’t seem the same anymore without someone to share it with.”

  Leaning back brought happy and sad memories. More sad than happy at the moment. Blaze stretched her arm out to me and rested her hand on mine.

  “You’ll have an occasion to get more. Maybe I’ll get you some as a thank-you present for this wonderful dinner and killing me yesterday.” The last part she spoke quietly, so others wouldn’t hear it.

  I lost it for a moment. Sputtering, then laughing. Grabbing my napkin off the table, I stopped myself from spraying the room and especially Blaze.

  [Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [Gotcha!]

  That only made me laugh harder. I shook my head no…then yes, acknowledging her message. Holding up a finger, I made a mark in the air. “That’s one for you,” I said in a rush before I ran out of air and had to gulp for more.

  Of course, that drew people’s attention again. I hoped the people in the restaurant didn’t recognize us. I was certain a few did. If we’d been in our regular clothes, all of them would have. We’d been in the news too much, and our pictures were online.

  [Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [Look at the register. Carefully. We may have a problem.]

  That cut off my laughter like it had been done with a sharp knife. I stared at her for a moment, then shifted in my chair so I could see the manager and the register with a quick glance.

  There were three young men…mid-college age, I guessed…talking to the manager. They must have just come in. I hadn’t seen them before.

  Now that I could see them clearly, I caught a few words. “Heroes, Townsend, battle” Then “free food.” Then it became clear they were angling for free meals.

  [Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [Just told Shadow. She’ll game chat with the manager before he does anything.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [Thanks for spotting it. Sounds like they’re wanting free meals.]

  [Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [Already did DISPLAY STATS. Manager is Mohan-WE2. Two fighters and a mage. 1 level 4 and 2 level 5.]

  I cast my own REVEAL STATS. The one doing most of the talking called himself Mage Gary, Earth Mage, Level 5. He was in a guild called Gary’s Guys.

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  [William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [Sounds like they’re claiming to be heroes at Townsend. I’ll ask Guild Chat if anyone knows them or their guild. I don’t recall seeing them.]

  [Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [I told Viviane to call police to get them here. It’ll be over before she can get here from where she’s staying.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [I’m sure your badge and ID are in your purse. You’ve got the badge. How do we do this?]

  [Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [You’re the master at doing this. You do it this time. It’s your turn.]

  I looked at her and grinned, with a side order of leer.

  [William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [Lady’s choice. So mote it be.]

  [Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [Huh?]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [Ready your badge in your left hand so you can put it on. Staff, then robe from inventory. Shock and awe time.]

  I sent a Join Party to Blaze and Shadow.

  [William of Brinsford:] [PARTY] [Problems at register. Blaze and I will handle. Shadow, call police then backup. They’re college kids. Adventurers. No guns or weapons out that I see.]

  I finished explaining my plan in chat as I stood, put my hat back on, and tipped the brim down to shade my eyes. Then I offered my hand to help Blaze stand. She rose more gracefully than I did.

  With her on my left, we started walking toward the register, making no attempt to be quiet. One of the young men looked at us, then nudged the guy who was talking. He glanced over his shoulder at me, and his eyes went wide.

  [Urako Sarutobi:] [PARTY] [Already called cops. On their way.]

  [Urako Sarutobi:] [PARTY] [You bad luck for this place.]

  “Gentlemen,” I said, preempting whatever he was about to say. “You seem to be causing a disturbance and interrupting our dessert. That unbecoming behavior is not allowed, so please take it elsewhere. Or else.”

  I dropped Blaze’s hand.

  [William of Brinsford:] [PARTY] [All I wanted was a good meal and a quiet dinner. It was a great meal.]

  “Who do you think you are?” Mage Gary almost shouted. “We’re high-level adventurers, so don’t mess with us.”

  “Oh? Really?” I replied, hoping for an East Coast or New York… maybe New Jersey… accent, and failing. I dropped her arm.

  [William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [Staff.]

  We both pulled our staves from INVENTORY into our right hands and thumped them on the floor twice. We were mostly in sync.

  [William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [Robe.]

  Both of our robes appeared, cowls over our heads, shading our eyes. We finished almost at the same time.

  “Maybe we should practice this? I mused, watching the boys, no, young men in front of us.”

  Without looking back or around, I was certain every eye in the room was on us.

  Waving my left hand, I placed an invisible MANA SHIELD behind us, cutting off the rest of the patrons. Then a second, stronger one in front of us… then a third, smaller and thicker between them and the manager.

  [William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [Badge on.]

  She looped the lanyard over her head and settled it on her chest. I saw the badge, picture, and ID information. I wasn’t certain they could read it from this distance. The rest of the restaurant probably couldn’t see or read it.

  The two fighters pulled their armor and weapons from INVENTORY. Gary had robes and a staff as well…and a sword.

  “Gentlemen. Please put your weapons away. The police are on their way.”

  I wasn’t sure how the timing happened, but I could faintly hear a siren in the distance.

  “Cue the dramatic music and sound effects,” flickered through my mind. I managed to keep a straight face, but it wasn’t easy.

  “Not that we need them, except to transport you to jail should they decide you’ve committed a crime. Or several. My companion can arrest you if you decide to cause trouble. That assumes you survive. You won’t.”

  One of the fighters returned his gear to INVENTORY and knelt, placing his hands behind his head. “Gary. We ain’t got a chance against them. Give it up, man. She’s a level 10 Fire Mage. He’s the Mana Mage. Level 14. We don’t stand a fuckin’ chance.”

  The other fighter looked at him, stared at me for a moment, then copied his friend. Gary stared at both of his unarmed party members kneeling on the floor in shock.

  [Blaze:] [PARTY] [Now what?]

  [William of Brinsford:] [PARTY] [If Gary gives up, Blaze’s choice. Call it.]

  Blaze’s hand lit with a FIRE BOLT, ready to fire.

  “Gary,” Blaze said. Her voice was at a normal conversational level. Her stare wasn’t. The Irregulars and others didn’t recognize your guild name as being at Townsend…except one who said you showed up at the farm just before it was all over. Put your weapons away.”

  “Now!”

  His sword and staff disappeared. Blaze’s FIRE BOLT did as well. I heard a second siren in the distance, then a third. Blaze glanced toward the door, then back at Gary.

  “Thank you, Gary. You did the right thing.”

  He went to his knees as well. Hands on his head. We waited until the police arrived.

  The first officer came in without drawing his gun. He nodded at Blaze, then me, and silently watched the three until a second officer arrived. I suspected he wanted uniformed backup.

  We gave them a quick rundown of what happened…they gave up, no one was hurt, nothing was damaged. They knew how to reach us if needed.

  I readjusted my hat. Blaze and I linked arms again and returned to our table. We finished our meal without further discussion. Shadow complained to us in chat that she wanted to see how much usable meat was on them for all those “special meals” she was going to have to invent and cook. Outwardly we smiled. Inside, in chat, all three of us were laughing.

  We finished our desert. Hot apple pie with a thick slice of cheddar cheese melted on top and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

  I left a couple of twenties on the table for Sarah and told the manager to ring it up at the price I gave him. Linking arms again, we headed to the van and home. Blaze was mostly quiet.

  “Will?” she asked. “Think this will keep happening? I’m not sure we should go back if it happens every time we go there. Maybe Shadow should do takeout.”

  “I know. I had the same thought. I wish I could afford to splurge that way all the time. He was shocked when I told him what price to charge. I almost started laughing.”

  “So did I.” She laughed, then thanked me for a wonderful meal and evening.

  When we entered the house, I added the fedora and suit jacket to the coat rack and she locked the door behind us.

  She wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tight. Then her lips met mine, and they stayed locked together as our hands roamed each other’s bodies.

  “Meet me in my bedroom,” I finally got out when we came up for air.

  “Yes sir,” she answered, her grin spreading across her face.

  Smiling back, I hung my suit jacket up and headed for my bathroom and bed.