Sparks and Flames by CS Patra Page A

would often work the front desk when no one else was available. He knew plenty about the motel business. However, he never wanted to go into it. He had seen all kinds of people come in and stay at the motel. A good chunk of them were usually drunk or high. At times, he had to be the one to throw them out if they caused too much trouble.
     
    “How about your mother? Does she work?”
     
    “She helps my father run the hotel.”
     
    “You must be rolling in money then,” Midori said.
     
    Kian smiled so tightly that it was making his face hurt. “We do fine on our own.”
     
    “Guys, stop grilling him. I think he answered as much as he needs to. He’s a good person,” Rukia said. “What else do you want from him, a blood test?”
     
    “That’s not a bad idea,” Midori joked. “Does anyone have a needle?”
     
    “Midori!”
     
    “I’m kidding, I’m kidding!”
     
    Kian laughed. “It’s okay. I wouldn’t mind giving you a blood test. A urine test would have been another story though.”
     
    Mr. Benton let out a booming laugh. “I like this kid a lot. You did a good job, Rukia. He’s well-dressed, works hard, and has a great sense of humor. I’d say he’s a keeper!”
 
    “Father, we’re not a couple!”
     
    “Well, you should be!”
 
    Kian blushed when he heard that. Rukia had just found out his secret, but he didn’t know if they could be a couple. He never wanted to put her in danger because of his line of work. He knew that the enemy could easily find out about her and do something if they knew she was tied to him. At the same time, being a couple wasn’t such a bad idea. They were already going places together and talking about their dreams. If they weren’t a couple yet, they certainly felt like one.
     
    “Don’t you think they should be together?” Mr. Benton asked. “You two look perfect together.”
     
    “Dear, please don’t force them into anything,” Mrs. Benton said. “It’s true though. You both do look good together.”
     
    “Great. My parents are playing matchmaker with us,” Rukia gave Kian an apologetic smile. “Please forgive them.”
     
    “We just think you look nice together, Rukia. That is it!”
     
    “Mom’s right. You guys do look nice together. You’ve got to do something about your hair though. You’ve got all that blue in it for some reason. No one has blue-streaked hair anymore, Rukia.” Midori pointed out.
     
    “I’ll do something about it when I’m ready to do something about it,” she turned to Kian. “You don’t mind that I have the blue in my hair, do you?”
     
    “Not at all. Your hair is very lovely,” Kian said. “I’ve always wanted to dye my hair but I don’t think my mother would be fond of it.”
     
    “No, your hair is lovely as it is,” Mrs. Benton said. “Rukia wanted to do this so badly. She refused to do anything until we allowed her to dye her hair. It turns out she just wanted the streaks. I have to admit that I’m now used to them.”
     
    “You love them and you know it,” Rukia teased. “It took me so long to convince them.”
     
    “She wasn’t going to give up until we said yes,” Mr. Benton said. “Well, here we are. Rukia is now happy because she has those blue streaks.”
     
    “I promise I will dye them back when I’m tired of them,” she said. “If you want, Kian, we can get some matching blue streaks. Then we can really look like a couple.”
     
    “Not right now. I can’t imagine my father and mother being too thrilled if I came home with blue streaks,” Kian said. “Anyway, dinner was fantastic. You did a great job, Mrs. Benton.”
     
    “Oh, you are welcome, dear. I tried my best,” she said. “I know it’s not exactly the Indian cuisine that you are used to but I hope it came close.”
     
    “It was delicious,” he assured her. “I can’t remember the last time that I had Indian food that tasted so good. That’s the thing about it; when it’s done well, Indian food