sight, but for that she would have to open the window and stick her head out.
“Aren't you going to open the door?”
“Do I have to?” She tiptoed through the door into the hallway to gaze at the outline of a body through the turbid glass framing the entrance door.
“I have food.”
“What?”
“Something I made myself.”
“I'm having dinner at Tyler's later.”
“No, you aren’t, I cancelled it,” Ethan said. “Come on, let me in.”
He was taking too many liberties, she snapped at him as she opened the door.
He pushed his way past her, ignoring her protests, and with a sure step strode into the yellow kitchen he shouldn’t have even known how to get to.
Kate rushed after him. “What do you think you are doing?”
“Feeding you.” Ethan opened the bag and pulled out three rounded lacquer boxes, stacked on top of each other, a plastic frame with a handle holding them.
“I'm not hungry.”
“You are always hungry.” He took off his snugly fitted black jacket and threw it across a stool, one of three around the half-circle counter that they used as a breakfast corner. He opened the frame and pulled the boxes out.
“What if my dad was home?”
“You mean Mr. M? I have enough food for him, too.” He opened the lids of the boxes and then lined them up across the small table.
“That's not what I meant.” Kate felt the need to stomp her feet, but then the aroma drifting out from the boxes tempted her to step closer and look at what was inside. She knew what sushi rolls were, so she recognised the rice with filling rolled into a black ribbon of seaweed, but what were those yellow things with vegetables? And there was broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, some minced meat... Her gaze slid to the last box that contained white dumplings with something brown-red sticking out of them here and there, pieces of pineapple, and strawberries.
“I hope you know how to eat with chopsticks?” Ethan pulled two sets of chopsticks out of the bag and offered her one. “I don't think I need to worry about Mr. M. He's a nice guy, like me.” He grinned at her.
Kate stared at the paper-wrapped chopsticks. She should get rid of him, shove him toward the door and insist that he leave... but instead she accepted the chopsticks. “And how would you know that?”
“Oh, I met him a while ago at Tyler’s, when he stopped by to thank Nan for feeding you.”
“You are at Tyler’s quite a lot lately, aren't you?” She grabbed the yellow thing more clumsily than she intended, deciding that for now she would go with the flow and direct him toward the door at the first opportunity. “What's this, an omelette?” She bit into it.
“There's no flour in it, only eggs. It's called tamagoyaki in Japan.” Ethan sat on the chair. “And there's no need for you to be jealous.” He winked her. “I'm all yours, you just have to say the word. No need to be shy.”
Kate swallowed her mouthful, surprised at how good the ta -- omelette tasted. “I'm not shy.” And she wasn't. Well... she couldn't look him directly in the eye and her retorts to him still lacked barbs; she just couldn't handle him.
“Then stop avoiding me. I mean, how do expect me to train you? Via text message?”
“I don't need your training. If I wanted to, I could reap souls on my own quite easily, thank you very much.”
“Reaping souls isn’t all that the Soul Reaper does. Haven’t you been listening to me?” Ethan popped a piece of broccoli into his mouth.
Yes, she had heard him the first time, but what else was there? “Well, it should be, according to the name.”
“But it isn't, unfortunately.” Ethan rested his elbows on the table and leaned closer to her. “One of the Soul Reaper's job requirements is to obliterate Soul Eaters, and for that you are far, far from being ready.”
“Soul Eaters?” The wrinkles marring Kate's forehead deepened as she tried to decide if Ethan was trying to trick her and frighten her with the
“Aren't you going to open the door?”
“Do I have to?” She tiptoed through the door into the hallway to gaze at the outline of a body through the turbid glass framing the entrance door.
“I have food.”
“What?”
“Something I made myself.”
“I'm having dinner at Tyler's later.”
“No, you aren’t, I cancelled it,” Ethan said. “Come on, let me in.”
He was taking too many liberties, she snapped at him as she opened the door.
He pushed his way past her, ignoring her protests, and with a sure step strode into the yellow kitchen he shouldn’t have even known how to get to.
Kate rushed after him. “What do you think you are doing?”
“Feeding you.” Ethan opened the bag and pulled out three rounded lacquer boxes, stacked on top of each other, a plastic frame with a handle holding them.
“I'm not hungry.”
“You are always hungry.” He took off his snugly fitted black jacket and threw it across a stool, one of three around the half-circle counter that they used as a breakfast corner. He opened the frame and pulled the boxes out.
“What if my dad was home?”
“You mean Mr. M? I have enough food for him, too.” He opened the lids of the boxes and then lined them up across the small table.
“That's not what I meant.” Kate felt the need to stomp her feet, but then the aroma drifting out from the boxes tempted her to step closer and look at what was inside. She knew what sushi rolls were, so she recognised the rice with filling rolled into a black ribbon of seaweed, but what were those yellow things with vegetables? And there was broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, some minced meat... Her gaze slid to the last box that contained white dumplings with something brown-red sticking out of them here and there, pieces of pineapple, and strawberries.
“I hope you know how to eat with chopsticks?” Ethan pulled two sets of chopsticks out of the bag and offered her one. “I don't think I need to worry about Mr. M. He's a nice guy, like me.” He grinned at her.
Kate stared at the paper-wrapped chopsticks. She should get rid of him, shove him toward the door and insist that he leave... but instead she accepted the chopsticks. “And how would you know that?”
“Oh, I met him a while ago at Tyler’s, when he stopped by to thank Nan for feeding you.”
“You are at Tyler’s quite a lot lately, aren't you?” She grabbed the yellow thing more clumsily than she intended, deciding that for now she would go with the flow and direct him toward the door at the first opportunity. “What's this, an omelette?” She bit into it.
“There's no flour in it, only eggs. It's called tamagoyaki in Japan.” Ethan sat on the chair. “And there's no need for you to be jealous.” He winked her. “I'm all yours, you just have to say the word. No need to be shy.”
Kate swallowed her mouthful, surprised at how good the ta -- omelette tasted. “I'm not shy.” And she wasn't. Well... she couldn't look him directly in the eye and her retorts to him still lacked barbs; she just couldn't handle him.
“Then stop avoiding me. I mean, how do expect me to train you? Via text message?”
“I don't need your training. If I wanted to, I could reap souls on my own quite easily, thank you very much.”
“Reaping souls isn’t all that the Soul Reaper does. Haven’t you been listening to me?” Ethan popped a piece of broccoli into his mouth.
Yes, she had heard him the first time, but what else was there? “Well, it should be, according to the name.”
“But it isn't, unfortunately.” Ethan rested his elbows on the table and leaned closer to her. “One of the Soul Reaper's job requirements is to obliterate Soul Eaters, and for that you are far, far from being ready.”
“Soul Eaters?” The wrinkles marring Kate's forehead deepened as she tried to decide if Ethan was trying to trick her and frighten her with the
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