Valerius forced his thoughts away from that. He didn't need anyone, not even a friend. His life was best spent alone, far away from other people.
Getting up, he dressed and left her room to go downstairs.
He met Marla in the dining room.
"Ooo, shug, I don't know what you did to Tabby, but you have her panties in a tight wad. She said to tell you to eat before she poisoned your food or did something worse to it."
Valerius was surprised to see veal marsala and an Italian salad with garlic bread waiting for him. "Where did that come from?" he asked Marla.
"Tony's from down the street. Tabitha sent me over there to get it. She and Tony aren't on speaking terms at the moment. God love her, she tends to make everyone irritated with her. But he'll get over it. He always does."
Valerius took a seat and then bit into heaven. He'd never tasted anything better. Why would Tabitha have gone to such trouble for him?
He was halfway through the meal before Tabitha came out of the door that led to her shop.
"I hope you choke on it," she snarled as she headed toward the kitchen.
Valerius swallowed his bite of food, wiped his mouth, then slid out of his chair to go after her.
"Tabitha?" He pulled her to a stop. "I'm sorry for what I said. It's just..."
"Just what?"
"People are never nice for no reason." And they were never nice to him.
Tabitha paused at that. Was he serious? "Was dinner okay?"
"It was delicious. Thank you."
"No problem." She pulled her hand away. "You probably know that it's already dark. I can get you home whenever you're ready."
"I just need to stop and pick up some lamp oil."
"Lamp oil? Don't you have electricity?"
"I do, but it's imperative that I get some tonight and get home."
"Okay. The chariot awaits four blocks over at my sister Tia's. We can grab the oil at her shop."
"She has lamp oil?"
"Yeah. She's a voodoo priestess. You probably saw the altar upstairs that she made for me. She's a bit offbeat, but we love her anyway."
Valerius inclined his head respectfully to her, then returned upstairs for his coat.
Tabitha was about to pick up his dishes when Marla shooed her away.
"I'll take care of that for you."
"Thanks, sweetie."
Marla wrinkled her nose. "Anytime. You two go and have a wild time for me. I want all the details."
Tabitha laughed as she tried to imagine what a "wild" time with Valerius might entail. It would probably be nothing more miraculous than getting him to wear a pair of tennis shoes and drink out of a paper cup.
Valerius rejoined her. She quickly ushered him out the shop door before Marla saw his coat and confiscated it.
He stopped so short inside her store that she actually ran into him. His jaw slack, he scanned the shop with a look of complete horror on his face. "Where are we?"