“Don’t look so pleased with my humble beginnings.” He gave her shoulder a little nudge with his as their hips leaned against the low stone wall. “Is that really true? Or are you trying to make me feel better?” He nodded and took a sip of his tea. “Oh, yes, it’ true.” The softness in his mouth faded. No matter how fortunate his passage out of that world, it would have been hard. Perhaps a different woman would feel sorry for him. She didn’t; she admired him. Admired who he was and what he’d done even before she knew how high and steep that climb actually was. “Where? Which brothel?” “Curious?” He looked at her then; he’d be able to see that she wasn’t joking. That she genuinely wanted to know. Needed to know. She needed to find a bridge from her world, something that would make it feel like she could actually be here; that somewhere in this remarkable world, there might be a role or a place for her.
