Chapter Twenty-Five: Byron

“Excuse me, Morwenna?” Amelia approached the bar. “Is that not cheating that he’s getting help?”

Byron bristled, feeling Amelia, Jerome, and Morwenna watching him as he, Stan, Harry and Burt shuffled around the round table, each holding a corner of the white tablecloth as they tried to properly align it.

Morwenna leaned an elbow on the bar and rested her chin in her hand. “You know, I think it might. Besides, I thought I only allowed you three in here to talk about that burger stand of yours.”

“Well, yes, of course,” Stan said.

“Byron here is handicapped, so it’s not technically cheating in our eyes.” Harry glanced over toward the bar.

“Besides, we’ve already got the branding and product sorted.” Burt almost tripped up over the table leg.

“So I hear…unlicensed branding of The Lonely Tavern being used on products that aren’t affiliated with the business.” Morwenna tutted. “But I suppose Byron really does have a handicap right now…though, I’m not sure if a date being a no-show is grounds for disqualification.”

“She’s not a no-show,” Harry said confidently. More confidently than Byron felt.

“She’s just a little late.”

“She’ll come.” Stan placed a hand on Byron’s shoulder and nodded. “There we go, that’s centered.”

They gently laid down the cloth, which draped perfectly over the table.

Byron smiled wryly at him.

I think he’s being more than a little optimistic, his dragon said. And I don’t mean about the tablecloth being centered.

Me, too, Byron replied as he checked his phone for the thousandth time today. Still no reply from Cassie.

He had well and truly screwed this up.

You can’t blame yourself,his dragon said. You had to tell the truth, or we’d have been dumped out of the competition like Nancy and Stan. And the other two couples. Besides, if you had lied, she would have known. It was tough.

Tell the truth and lose your mate. Or tell a lie and lose the competition that your mate cares so much about. Byron shook his head.

However, if we had answered with a lie, Cassie would have known we didn’t want her to win, anyway.His dragon tried to console Byron. But how do you console the inconsolable? You can’t be blamed for loving our mate just as she is, and not wishing her to change.

“Now, about the food,” Stan said, drawing him back to the empty table before him.

“I think candles first.” Burt put his hands on his hips.

“Morwenna, this can’t be fair.” Amelia folded her arms and looked as if she were about to throw a tantrum.

“You’re right, I suppose it’s not. Pack it up, boys.”

“Not yet. We’ve just got a few more touches. It won’t take a moment,” Stan said as he looked over the list of ‘romantic meals’ he had been very excited about earlier. Stan appeared extremely enthusiastic about the mussels, while Byron failed to see any romance in them. They were incredibly messy to eat.

“I thought Morwenna had just ruled that you were not allowed to help Byron,” Amelia said, looking more than a little smug at the lack of Cassie at the final trial. She gave a small wave to Jerome as he lit the center candle and winked back.

“I’m not helping,” Stan said. “I am advising. There is a difference, isn’t there, Harry?”

“What?” Harry asked as he looked up from a tray of silverware. “I thought I was on cutlery duty.”

“Morwenna.” Amelia rolled her eyes and tapped her foot. Loudly.

Morwenna watched for a moment before she threw up her hands. “Okay, you’re right, but this is just so sad to watch. The Regulars can stay as a commiseration for Byron.”

“Really?” Amelia squeaked.

“Don’t ‘really?’ me.” Morwenna gestured with both her hands to Byron. “Just looked at him, moping around. Like a sad puppy. I can’t tell him no. I know people think I’m harsh, but I’m not going to go around kicking sad, dragon-shifting puppies when they’re down.”

Byron ground his teeth.

You are moping. In all fairness, his dragon grumbled.

It’s not moping, it’s brooding. And it’s hard not to when our mate has just left us, Byron retorted hotly.

Amelia huffed and headed back to her table, where Jerome was waiting for her. Byron seethed as he watched them. They laughed as they spoke to each other in low voices over their pristinely laid-out table. A white linen cloth patterned with silver was splayed beneath two intertwining candle sticks. Beside there was a single red rose, its crimson petals a poignant splash of color that demanded attention, exuded romance.

He turned to look back at his table as Harry placed the vase filled with a beautiful bouquet of roses, wrapped in a pretty cellophane. The trip to the florists had been painstaking as he agonized over what flowers he wanted to bring. After what Amelia had said about his dandelions, he knew it had to be roses, but there were so many variables—color, stem length, bloom stage, thorned or thornless. It had almost driven him to tears. Not to mention having to pick a menu and wine to go with it.

He didn’t even particularly like wine! But if that was what being a romantic demanded, he would endure it a thousand times over. At least he had the help from The Regulars to help ease his burden.

All this suffering will be moot anyway if Cassie doesn’t show up,his dragon spoke, dark smoke seeping from his lips.

“I’m thinking…stuffed mushrooms,” Stan announced.

“Stuffed mushrooms?” Burt shook his head. “No, I think that’s what your nephew had served here when the tavern nearly crumpled in on itself.”

“I’ll have you know that was not Calvin’s fault, not the mushrooms.” Stan wagged a finger. “It was that nasty woman, Demelza’s fault.”

“Did I hear someone say mushrooms?” Morwenna called out. “I already made it abundantly clear. The cooking equipment is highly allergic to mushrooms. If I so much as hear a mention of those caps ‘n’ stems, I’ll have you out of here faster than you can say ‘shiitake.’”

Stan and Burt shared a glance. “That rules that out, then.”

“What about that smoked salmon you’re always going on about?” Harry asked.

Stan put a palm to his forehead. “That’s what Nancy’s favorite dish was. I can’t believe I thought it was cucumber slices.”

Byron snorted. “It’s common to have cucumber slices with smoked salmon if that’s any consolation.”

Stan put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “Ah, so that’s why I got it wrong. The cucumber slices were my favorite part of her favorite dish. I was close, at least.”

“You still in the doghouse?” Burt asked.

“You got an important question wrong?” Byron asked as he fiddled with the delicate silverware Harry had placed on the table.

“Certainly did.” Stan rubbed the back of my neck. “I guess I just didn’t realize how important those little details were at the time. How about you?”

Byron sighed and looked down. “It wasn’t that I got anything wrong. It was that I told the truth.”

“Oof. The truth can hurt.” Burt nodded sagely.

Ask them what they think, his dragon nudged him.

I don’t know if I want them to know my business.

Well, it looks like you’re not getting any life-changing knowledge from the tavern, so maybe settle for some sage advice from these guys.

Bryon chewed his lip for a moment. “I told her that I didn’t want her to win the competition.”

He glanced up to see all three of the men’s eyes widen.

“I can see how that would upset her,” Harry commiserated.

“Cassie was very set on winning this whole thing,” Burt agreed.

“Yes, but…” Byron tapped his fingers on the table. “The prize is life-changing knowledge, right? That seems like a pretty big deal to me. But the thing is, Cassie’s just perfect as she is. I see it, Sophie sees it, her family sees it, but she can’t. I wish I had some time to show her how wonderful she is, but we’ve had so little time together, and if we won the competition, there’s a chance that the woman I just fell in love with would change fundamentally. I didn’t want to say anything because I knew how much this meant to her, but I was forced to tell the truth. I’m still willing to see this through to the end if that’s what she wants, but it’s not what I want, and I can’t change that.”

The Regulars all looked at him with blank expressions.

“What I just said is stupid, isn’t it?”

“No, son, not at all!” Stan waved his hand. “It turns out the boy does have a romantic bone in his body.”

“Did you tell her that?” Harry asked.

Byron shook his head. “No. At the time, I just couldn’t put it into words, and she didn’t give me much time to find them.”

“Then you need to find her and repeat what you just told us.” Burt poked his arm.

“I want to, but I can’t. She’s not answering the door, she’s not answering her calls.” He looked around the empty tavern. “I was hoping she’d have come here.”

“You’re a dragon shifter, Byron. Fly up to her window if you have to!” Stan gave him a toothy grin. “We’ll set this right, won’t we? You speak to Cassie, and I’ll find a way to make things up to Nancy.”

Byron felt the ghost of a smile on his face, something he hadn’t expected to happen ever again. “Yeah. You’re right. We can fix this.” He nodded. “I’m going to go and find Cassie.” He turned toward the door but paused. “Stan, since I won’t be using the table, did you want to have a make-up date with Nancy right here, right now? You could ask Flint to cook you that smoked salmon.”

Stan snapped his fingers. “Now there’s an idea. Look at the brains on him.” Stan stepped past him, reaching into his pocket for his phone. “I’ll call her now. With her magic, I’m sure she can make it down here at a moment’s notice.”

The door swung open as Stan stepped outside.

Byron turned back to the two remaining Regulars. “Thank you. I needed someone to help me get out of my…moping.”

They both broke into smiles.

“No problem, lad.”

“We’ll make sure this place is as romantic as ever for Nancy and we’ll do the same for Cassie.”

“I don’t think that’s her style, but thank you anyway.” Byron gave them a wave and headed for the door.

He almost walked into the door, expecting it to swing open just as it had for Byron, but it remained shut. He tried the handle. He pushed and shoved until he was pounding against the door.

He turned back to the room to see everyone staring at him.

“The, um…” He straightened his tie. “The door won’t open.”

“I think we can see that,” Morwenna said. “Now don’t go shifting or breathing fire or anything to get out, need I remind you about the nature of the fire service in here.”

“I won’t, but could you just open the door for me?”

“Mm-mm.” Morwenna shook her head. “Simply not possible.”

Byron placed his ear against the door. He could hear voices. Stan’s voice!

“Stan!” Byron called. “Stan, I can’t get out! Can you get to Cassie for me?” He then strained to listen.

“My, Stan. How did you get a table here today? I thought it would be closed for the finals.” Nancy was already here.

“Well, being a Regular here, I know certain people.” Stan chuckled. “Besides, I desperately wanted to make things up to you after the Ruins.”

“You truly are a sweetheart, under all that goofiness,” Nancy said.

“It would appear so.”

Byron could hear the smile in Stan’s voice.

“Now, the lads have set us up with a beautiful table. This will be the perfect date.”

“That does sound special. I can’t wait.”

Byron heard them approaching the door and took a step back, ready to dash through the door as soon as it opened. He coiled himself as he heard the door latch, but the door didn’t open.

“Oh! It appears to be…stuck.” Stan rattled the door harder before laughing nervously. “Just give it a minute.” There was a pause before there were several thumps on the door. “Byron! Boys? Let us in, will ya?”

Oh dear, his dragon grimaced.

Even through the walls of the tavern, Byron could hear Nancy sigh.

“Stan, you ninny, the tavern’s not going to let us in if we’re not competing.”

“But I was just…”

“I think I’m going to go home and have a nice cup of…”

As their voices faded away, Byron put his face into his hands.

“That doesn’t look good.” Harry stepped over and wrapped an arm around Byron’s shoulders.

“I haven’t just ruined my relationship.” Byron looked up, distraught. “I think I’ve just ruined Stan’s as well!”