The family welcomes Diana.

Diana had dinner with us, of course. A late dinner that I had the important task of making myself. Mom, Isabelle and Diana were still talking in the kitchen while I cooked. Too many cooks spoil the broth, I know, but I wouldn’t have minded if Isabelle at least offered to peel some vegetables. She was too busy asking Diana odd questions to help me make the stew.

“How do you keep your hair so shiny?” my sister asked. “I have to use like four hair products to even get close to how yours is.” I suppose that since the three women at the table had black hair, it was easier to compare.

“Um…” I had my back turned, but I noticed the wavering in Diana’s voice. “I also have to use too many things. Or at least… I did. Recently my hair is a lot less of a hassle to keep.”

“Is that so?” I also felt mom’s eyes on my back, but I did the wisest thing I could think of and kept working on the food.

I grabbed the bowl with chopped beef and threw in some salt, ground pepper and some flour. That would thicken the stew a bit. Then I began to mix it by hand.

Diana sighed softly. “Well, yes, it’s been this way since Oliver and I started dating,” she admitted. “And it’s not just my hair.”

“Ah, Alice and the others said the same, too. Smoother skin, good night rest, healthier overall,” Isabelle said. “Does it feel weird?”

“It took me a while to notice, actually.”

Mom sighed, too, though hers was heavier. “So you really do have the abilities you said, huh?” she said to me.

“Did you think I was lying?” I asked her, throwing the chopped beef on the pot with hot oil. I would let it cook for a bit before taking it out.

“No. It’s just… starting to settle. I’m sorry, I should’ve asked sooner. How did your business with Mr. Allen go?”

“O-Oh, I forgot to ask, too,” Diana said, grimacing. “I’m sorry.”

I chuckled and shook my head. “It went well. At least, I can do what he wanted me to do. He says that whether or not the experiments are successful, he’ll still pay me for my contribution.”

“As he should,” Mom said, approving.

“It’s better if it does work, right?” Isabelle asked. “That means more work for you.”

“Yeah. He wants to make enough for personal use and to sell the thing.” And now it was time to bring up an important subject. “And speaking of work, um… Diana?”

“Yes?”

“I asked Luke to…”

“Wait, you’re on a first name basis with him?” Diana asked, shocked.

“Ah, yes, he insisted. Anyway, I asked him if he could give me a proper, normal job. You know, mostly to use as cover but also to keep myself working on something.”

“Which is dumb,” Isabelle said. “If it were me, I’d take the money and laze around all day.”

“Oh? Would you now?” mom asked dangerously.

“I’m kidding! I’m kidding!”

“And what did he say?” Diana asked. “I told you he’s very picky with personnel, right?”

I took out the beef from the pot and left it in a separate bowl. I did this to leave a fair bit of fond at the bottom of the pot to give the vegetables a lot more flavor. At least, that’s what I had read. This was my first time trying it.

“Yep, he is. It’s kind of funny that he agreed to everything else I asked more easily than this. He did offer something, though.”

“And that was…?”

“He offered to have you train me in bartending so I could work there.”

“Are you kidding me? Let’s do it.” Diana said resolutely, which honestly took me by surprise.

“R-Really? I thought you’d be against it. I mean, I know nothing about bartending.”

“But I know through a reliable first-hand account how good you’ve gotten at customer service. Or did you forget already that your current boss at the coffee shop is my best friend? She’s been bragging about you for months.”

“That’s… a bar in a love hotel, is it not?” mom asked.

I winced, stopping in the middle of stirring the chopped onions I had thrown into the pot. “...It is. Is that a problem?”

“Work is work, Oliver. I’m not about to judge anyone for the place they work at.” Diana kept quiet, but I felt a wave of relief wash over her. “And besides, with the nature of your abilities, acting all prude will make things awkward forever. Better to just accept it.”

“Just take care not to overshare, you hear?” Isabelle warned.

“Oh, don’t worry, I won’t.”

“Still, bartending…” Mom hummed. “Somehow I can see you doing it.”

“Right?” Diana asked. “I can see it, too. A soft spoken, handsome and sharply dressed man who only talks when asked is ideal for the kind of atmosphere I have in mind for the bar.”

“Yes, that’s what I had in mind, too,” mom said. “Learning to bartend won’t be easy, though. It’s not just about mixing drinks, you know?”

I blinked. “It’s not?” Isabelle and I asked simultaneously.

“She’s correct,” Diana said. “Of course you need to know how to mix a wide variety of drinks, but that’s the minimum you have to learn. You also need to know the history of the **** you’re using and the cocktails you’re mixing. It’s… a bit snobby that way. Plenty of customers want to know about the drinks they’re having, and the more experienced ones will ask questions to test you. The art of mixing drinks is in the details, from the brand of liquor you’re using to the type of ice you’re putting in it. But there’s one skill that goes underappreciated, and that’s actually dealing with customers and having a good eye. You’re serving something that will get people drunk, after all. You’ll end up having to deal with all sorts of people, some funny and some potentially dangerous. I…” Diana groaned. “There were times when customers attempted to pay me to put **** into women’s drinks, even. Other times I caught them doing it themselves. That’s the kind of good eye I’m mostly talking about.”

I swallowed. “That’s… a lot of pressure.”

“It is, and that’s why I’d rather have someone like you working with us over some stranger, Oliver. Yes, you won’t be the only one there, but I’d feel a lot better knowing you’re keeping a sharp eye out.”

“How do you know I have a sharp eye?”

“Because you do. Well… Mostly so when it comes to women, I suppose.”

I didn’t think much of it then, but it turns out that Diana had brought up a really good point. Not about me and women, but about me having a sharp eye. It was working with her that I started to really sharpen it, though.

Still, that was a matter for later. I finished the stew after having added carrots, potatoes and crushed tomatoes and, of course, the beef. We ate it and I got a lot of praise for it. It was a very simple thing to make, but I did try a few little things here and there to make it better. I guess that was what Diana meant about the details.

It also felt pretty damn good to see them all clean their plates, and it felt even better to see my family welcoming Diana.

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