Read Online Lawked Flame by Erosa Knowles - Free Book Online Page A

in her mind, she squelched it. This would be
her secret sanctuary.
    After drying off, she dressed in
the long tee and looked in the mirror. Pushing her hair back from
her face, she stared through lowered lids at her flushed skin. It
glowed. A few swipes with her brush formed her hair into a ponytail
and she was done. Another glance in mirror showed a confident woman
pleased with herself.
    After bundling her clothes, she left the bathroom
and almost howled in delight at the scents wafting through the
hall. Someone was baking something with chocolate and vanilla. Her
stomach growled in recognition as she headed for her room.
Depositing her clothes in a bag, she put on a pair of socks and
followed her nose to the dining area.
    As Alayna turned the corner she saw Lorenzo and Olga
sitting at the table, sipping some sort of tea. “Something smells
good.”
    “ I have made some baked goods.
Thought you might like a snack a ‘fore you went to bed.” Olga
pushed a tray of muffins toward her.
    Alayna reached for the small pot on the table and
poured the rest out in a cup.“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
    “ Uh...” Lorenzo's eyes widened as
she sniffed the hot beverage.
    “ How do you like your tea,
dearie?” Olga asked, watching her take a sip.
    The beverage was different. Neither sweet nor sour.
She took another sip, and then another, until the cup was drained.
She smiled at the old woman who stared at her. “I take my tea, like
my men, strong and straight.”
    Lorenzo turned red but remained silent. Olga tilted
her head as though trying to figure out something and then walked
off muttering.
    Alayna pointed to her empty cup. “That was good.
What was it?”
    “ Fre tea. I am surprised and
pleased you like it. It is an acquired taste and many do not care
for its bite.”
    She frowned at him and then the cup. “Bite? I must
have missed that. It was smooth and satisfying.” She looked up as
Olga walked in with a platter of cookies, biscuits, danishes, and
crullers. “Ohmigod, I am definitely coming back here next weekend.”
She beamed at Olga. “I need to make a reservation for two days.”
She thought of the bathroom upstairs. “No, make that four days. I
love this place,” she said, excited at the thought of her return
trip, grabbing two cookies that looked like oatmeal.
    “ Will your brother allow you to
return?” Lorenzo asked.
    “ Pfft,” she said. Her mouth was
stuffed with something so light and tasty, it melted on her tongue.
Eyes closed, she savored the flavors, oatmeal and something else.
“Umm, that’s good. My brother has nothing to do with me coming back
next week. I borrowed his Land Rover this weekend, it’s an
expensive truck and I’ve got to get it back to him. Next weekend,
I’ll drive my car. I just need the directions, no more wandering in
the woods.”
    Sitting slowly into her chair, Olga glanced at
Alayna. “You will bring your family? Your husband? Children?”
    “ No,” she
snapped, immediately contrite at the shock on Olga’s face. Her face
burned as she swallowed hard around the lump in her throat. “I’m
sorry. No husband. I’m divorced. We couldn’t, or at least I couldn’t, have any
children.” The last of her sentence tasted bitter, she had hoped
she was over her ex-husband’s betrayal.
    Olga patted her hand; her taupe
eyes gleamed in the dimness of the room. “It is okay. With the
right man, you have many babies.” She pointed at Alayna and smiled,
her face sun-bright with her conviction. “You see, Olga tell you
the truth.”
    Alayna’s mouth dried and her lips tightened as old
hurts surfaced. It must’ve been something in the tea she decided as
her tongue loosened and she talked about her disappointing
marriage.
    “ We tried. For years, my husband
and I tried to have children. The doctor couldn’t understand why I
didn’t get pregnant. There’s nothing wrong with my...” She searched
for the right word and came up short.
    “ Plumbing,” Olga said with