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follow through on the impulse, which was probably better for Emmanuel. Lucy turned back to the rest of the small gathering, though she did not leave Danny's side. "White tea is one of the finer teas, and because it is so delicate, few companies in the world are comfortable with the process needed to produce it. The beauty of this tea is in its refinement, in its fragility, in its—"
    Danny coughed from beside her, and Lucy looked down to see her hastily putting the cup back down on the coffee table in front of her. "Too hot for you still?" Lucy asked her.
    Danny quickly shook her head. "Sorry, not a fan of grapefruit at all."
    "Is that what the citrus flavor in it is? I'd have never guessed," Leia said to Danny. Lucy was intrigued, wondering how someone with no tea experience to speak of noticed such a delicate flavor. Perhaps she'd been learning about more than just the tea ceremony. Lucy decided to reward her insight, however it came about, and stepped over to the door.
    "Dalton," she called out. He appeared a moment later. "Prepare a pot of the Earl Grey, please. The Ceylon and cornflower, not the Assam. And bring a full service for two." He left, and she turned back to her students. "As I was saying, white tea is a tea of great refinement, but it also carries great health benefits. It has the most antioxidants of any type of tea thanks to its minimal processing, and studies show that it can be an effective tonic against certain types of cancer, infections, and viruses. Next week, our first tea will be an exquisite Silver Needle tea from China, so be sure to arrive with your palate cleansed and ready.
    "We'll follow it with a sencha," she continued, watching Emmanuel perk up some at that, "for those of you who prefer something more robust. Enjoy your evening, ladies and gentlemen."
    "God, finally," the oaf muttered, standing up and cracking his back. "I'd kill for some coffee. No offense," he added in Lucy's direction. She ignored him completely and spoke to Andrea instead.
    "You have good instincts with your pairings," she told her. She looked like her face had caught fire with the heat of her blush. "Don't be afraid to follow them." Now, if only Andrea would get better instincts when it came to the men in her life. Her boyfriend was already walking out the door, his eyes glued to Stephani's rear as she left first.
    "Thank you, Miss Culpepper," Andrea said. She grabbed her bag and left the room, as did Leia after a polite goodbye. Only Danny and Emmanuel remained, and Lucy had to deal with one before she could devote her whole attention to the other.
    "Thank you for your participation tonight, Emmanuel," Lucy said with a smile. He smiled back, waiting for her to say the second part. As remarkable as the strides he was making were, he still did have his little habits that had to be followed in order for him to be comfortable. "I look forward to seeing you next week."
    "Thank you, Miss Culpepper," Emmanuel replied. He got to his feet and glanced at Danny, opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something, but then thought better of it and left instead.
    Lucy waited for the door to shut behind him before letting herself sigh a little. Sometimes these classes were rejuvenating, but other nights they were trying, and tonight was one of those nights. Hopefully Danny would reduce her stress instead of adding to it.
    "So," Danny broke the silence. "This is how you spend your Friday nights. Not quite what I pictured."
    "And what was it that you pictured?" Lucy asked as she moved Emmanuel's chair a bit closer to Danny's and sat down next to her.
    "Oh, I don't know. Maybe you, drinking tea in a dungeon while some leather-clad babe licked your boots."
    Lucy eyed Danny sharply, gauging just how serious she was being.
    Danny met her stoic gaze for a long moment before tilting her head back and laughing. "I'm kidding! I can't actually picture you in a dungeon, it isn't fancy enough, even though it is kind of British, isn't