Seona was nervous. She hadn’t brought anyone back to her home. No one even knew where she lived. She made it a habit to ignore or avoid all questions about where she lived. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed about her home; it was more that she didn’t think people would understand why she wanted to live here.

The thing was, Seona lived in what was known as the gypsy quarter of Grenada. She lived in one of the cave homes, or cuevas, built into the side of the hills that surrounded the city. She often found herself at flamenco clubs on the weekends or in the streets between houses learning flamenco herself. Surprisingly, she loved it. Flamenco was a beautiful form of art and expression. The girls and women she learned from said she was a natural. They had even asked if she wanted to perform in one of the flamenco clubs during the week. Seona would have jumped at the chance if it weren’t for the fact that she had class the next day. She’d promised them all she’d perform during her holiday break from the university.

She led Loki through the twisted streets of the old city, the Alcazaba, and up to her home. Loki never took his eyes off of her and that made her even more nervous.

“Stop staring at me,” she told him. “I’m already nervous enough as it is.”

“Why are you nervous? It is your home,” he chuckled lowly causing Seona to blush.

She decided to let her home answer for her. She stepped from the alley into the street in front of her home. Loki came to a halt beside her.

“You live in one of the cuevas?” he asked.

Seona nodded.

“And you’re embarrassed about it?”

She shook her head.

“Then why are you so nervous about me seeing your home?”

“Do you know why I chose to live here instead of in the city proper?” she countered.

Loki shook his head.

“The cuevas are beautiful pieces of history and there is nowhere else in the city where the flamenco is better,” she began. “I prefer living here as opposed to the city. There is more culture here than in the city proper. That’s why I live here but I’m afraid people won’t understand that.”

She made her way into the cueva. Loki followed astounded by her once again.

“You continue to surprise me, Seona,” he murmured.

She huffed in reply.

“Now, where were we?”

He moved to corner her against one of the walls but Seona ducked under his arms.

“I thought this was supposed to be a serious conversation,” she scolded him over her shoulder as she made her way into the kitchen.

Loki followed her.

“Fine, have it your way,” he sighed leaning against the wall.

“Why won’t your father agree to break you betrothal?” she asked.

“Like I said earlier, I believe my father thinks me incapable of love and thus far I have done nothing to prove him wrong,” he began. “But every woman he presented to me was the same. They all were demure and easily capitulated to every request any male made. You aren’t like that. You’re smart and you don’t let me forget it. I have never met someone like you. And that is why I fell in love with you.”

“I sense a but coming,” Seona told him setting two mugs on the table.

“But my father is a stubborn bastard and won’t listen to me,” Loki sighed taking a seat at the table.

“Why?” Seona asked over the rim of her mug.

“I don’t know,” Loki took a sip of his drink. “Well that’s not true. I was quite the prankster and liar in my youth. I suppose it’s my fault that my father does not trust what I say to be the truth.”

He sighed and took another sip of his drink.

“What is this?” he asked gesturing to his mug.

“Tea,” she replied.

“I realize that,” he chuckled. “What kind of tea?”

“Puerin Gold,” she replied.

Loki nearly choked on his next sip. Seona raised a dark eyebrow at him.

“It’s just a very unusual tea for you to drink,” he coughed.

“Why is that?” she asked taking a long sip of her tea.

“Well, for one it is quite expensive since it’s not all that common,” Loki began. “For another, few people enjoy the taste of it. But you seem to enjoy it.”

Seona nodded, “My grandfather introduced me to this tea when I was very young. He brought it back from one of his many trips to London. I rarely drink anything else in the evening. It was a habit of his to always have a cuppa, as he told me the Brits called it, in the evening before bed. He said it helped him relax and unwind from the day. As a child, it taught me patience. Steep the leave too long and the tea becomes bitter. Don’t steep them long enough, and all you have is hot piss water that’s tinted brown.”

This time Loki did choke on his tea. As he was regaining his breath, there was a knock at the door. Seona rose gracefully and went to get it. The familiar sight of Carolina, Aurora, Silvana, Zilla and Alaia greeted her. All of them were her friends and flamenco teachers. They continued to encourage, more like persuade, her to perform at a local cueva de flamenco.

She greeted the girls but didn’t move to invite them in.

“Seona, did you forget?” Zilla asked eyeing her attire.

“Forget?” Seona answered confused.

“SEONA!” Alaia whined drawing out the o and a in her name. “You promised you’d perform with me for my birthday!”

Seona’s eyes widened in realization.

“Alaia, I’m so sorry I forgot about tonight,” she sighed. “School has really been kicking my ass this year.”

“Why are you even still studying?” Aurora asked not looking up from inspecting her nail polish.

“My studies are the only thing keeping me from my boring existence back home,” Seona sighed.

“Society’s expectations?” Silvana asked. Seona nodded sadly.

“All the more reason to flamenco,” Carolina asserted. “Come we still have time to get you ready.”

“Oh…um…I…”

“Seona, is everything ok?” Loki asked from the kitchen.

Seona sighed. She couldn’t hide him from the girls any longer.