Edward showed up at TeaTime promptly at 5:55. He didn't think of it as early. In fact, he would consider 5:56 to be late. He had been brought up to believe that 5 minutes early showed respect to everyone else that was showing up and that any later was disrespectful. He did not hold others to the same standard. This was good as Melody didn't show up until 6:15. The delay gave him time to enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the small, tea themed restaurant. He was on his second cup of black tea when she arrived. He was still wondering what was in the box from Grandpa Ray. He'd dropped it off in his room before coming here. It was made of wood and fairly light. It was also screwed securely shut. He hadn't had time to open it yet.

  “I see you made it!” Melody said as she slid into the chair opposite him. He wondered why her greeting made it sound like HE was the one who wasn't on time. “I had some trouble getting away from family. I figure you would have too. So I wasn't too worried about the time.” She continued. “Have you ordered yet?”

  “No, just got here and I was waiting for you.” He smoothly replied. “Well, and ordered a tea.” He took a sip and mentally congratulated himself for not making a fool of himself yet. “Shall we order?”

  “Definitely, I'm starved!” Moments later, they had flagged down a member of the wait staff and started ordering.

  “I'll take two scones please: cheese and onion for my main and a blueberry with chocolate chip for dessert.” Edward smiled thinking of the flavors. Scones with tea was a favorite of his.

  “And I'll take the Kung Pao chicken, no celery. But if you could put in some green squash or broccoli instead that would be great. And for a drink, I'll take some of your pu'er tea. Thanks!” The waiter left for the kitchen to place their order while Edward stared in shock.

  “Seriously? Pu'er?” She looked at him and raised one eyebrow. He could feel the judgment rolling off of her. He did sort of start it but..“ It tastes like the bottom of a slow moving stream in a swamp!”

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  “No. It's nutty, with a sweet aftertaste. And I like it.” She stated. Her eyes squinted a little bit, as if to see him better. “And how can you, a necromancer of all people, complain about a fermentation process that makes tea more flavorful?”

  Edward opened his mouth and took a breath to rebut her defense of her beverage. He savored the flavor and scent of the air he had just breathed in. It smelled of tea, good food, and a slight perfume that might be coming from the other side of the table. Quickly, he contemplated the aroma of even a small group of undead and realized that his entire argument was flawed. “My mistake. You are quite right.” Just then her tea and his scones arrived at the table. “Would you care for a taste?” He offered his plate to her. “I find a good scone to be one of the best things in life. This place seldom gets them wrong”

  Melody felt cheated. She had been ready to unload all the reasons that her tea choice was the BEST and his tea was only fit for children or old men. And he had folded before she had properly gotten going. Not only that, he'd offered her some of his dinner. She blinked. “Thanks.” And broke off a corner of each of his scones, putting them on a napkin in front of her. She nibbled on the cheese and onion scone as he watched her for a reaction. It was surprisingly delicious. “Shall we talk about the project?”

  “Sure.” He said. “I've got 15 or 16 undead. They usually carry my stuff when I go traveling. But I pack fairly light compared to everyone else on the field trips we took.”

  “Wait, you don't know how many undead you have?”

  Edward closed his eyes and thought about his ghoul and it's look alike, Grandpa Ray. “I'm just bad at counting.” He sighed, not sure where his life had taken a turn toward the surreal. Math and music had been his loves. Now he was officially a necromancer and was telling his new partner that he was bad at counting.

  “Well,” she said, “I have exactly ten undead. And having spent half an hour in your company, I can say that I will have less luggage than you. Also, I don't know if you have taken the time to look at a map, but walking to Sterling would take somewhere around a month. So I was thinking we'd use the train.” Her food had arrived and she took a large bite, wondering how he would respond.

  Edward took a bite of his buttery, crumbly scone. There were two blueberries in the bite and they popped comfortingly in his mouth as he chewed. He really could adult. He would not embarrass himself here, tonight. “Yes, train to Sterling. I have a mix of corporeal and incorporeal undead. They have a Rail Box that they all fit into comfortably. But, as we trace the source of the infestation, I expect that they will carry my luggage without difficulty.”

  “That works. Leave tomorrow around noon?

  “Sure.”

  They finished their dinner in quiet harmony. He had forgotten the unopened present back in his room. He closed his eyes and took another deep breath. He could smell the different teas, the good food, and yes. That slight perfume that might be coming from the other side of the table was still there.