Amazonia - The Athenaeum

Bebo pulled the coat open just a little and the blonde mistook the action for her wanting it back.
"No keep it before you catch something in this weather." The tall woman just wanted to find the
hand she'd seen earlier. When she did, Bebo leaned over it and kissed the fingers gently. "I
would love nothing better than to see you again."
Annie pulled back in a panic. "I'm not…it's only lunch."
"I'm not going to attack you, calm down. I could say it's just an old Amazon custom when
accepting an invitation, the kissing of a woman's hand."
"It is?"
"I said I could've said that, not that it's true."
"Then why did you do it?" Annie felt a small dose of her courage come back when Bebo moved
further away from her.
"Because I wanted to. I don't consider myself shallow, but spoiled, there you've got me pegged."
Bebo put about four feet between them and started toward the stairs. "Please keep the coat and
I'll send one of my guards with you to the street. I'm thinking it'll make you more comfortable if
it's not me, and me more comfortable that you're not alone. Good night, Miss Paddio."
"What happened to Annie?"
"The world awaits us out there, my lady." Bebo stopped at the top step and smiled at her. "I see
that it provides the gulf between us that makes you the most comfortable, and it will always be
there to separate us I'm afraid. I thought we were done with apologies, but I was wrong. I'm sorry
for my actions in there, I really didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It will never happen
again."
Annie looked on as Bebo took the steps down at a rate that looked unsafe, her heart torn between
anger and sadness. She was angry at herself for acting the way she did and making the princess
think she was some prude, and sad that she believed what Bebo had said last. Anyone who spoke
with such conviction actually had some and Bebo's honor wouldn't allow anything to happen
between them again.
She turned to the statue in the building. "What are my chances here, Abe?" Trying to stay warm,
Annie pulled the coat around her tighter, catching the slight aroma of what she assumed was
Bebo's perfume. It smelled like the clean scent of rain after a summer shower. "Well, old buddy,
you don't have to be that honest about it." The fingers of the hand the princess had kissed were
still tingling making Annie feel light despite what had just happened.
Continued in Chapter 2
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