Maya takes a step back and flips the light switch. Thankfully, everybody is clothed.

''Oooh, you must be Truman!'' Felicity leaps from her chair, her hand-embroidered silk kimono swishing as she waltzes forward. "Enchantée,'' she croons, holding her hand out for him to kiss. ''I am Felicity.''

Truman has been grinning into his own fist. Now, instead of taking Felicity's to kiss, he grips it hand-shake style and pumps it up and down like mechanical lever.

''My goodness, is that basil seed sharbat you have there?'' She glances down at the bottle under his arm. ''I haven't had that for years. Can I open it?'' she whips the bottle off to the kitchen and begins dishing it into cut-glass champagne saucers.

''Hello, Truman,'' Honora rises from the table and Maya is acutely aware of how frumpy she looks in contrast to Truman's mother. She strides over in her rubber clogs, worn jeans, and loud floral shirt. ''Welcome to our home.'' Then she calls over her shoulder to Berenice, ''Berry, Truman is Mr. Jahanpour the pharmacist's nephew, isn't that right, Truman?'' She gives a meaningful look that is mirrored by Berenice. ''How is your uncle doing?''

''Um, he is really well thanks Mrs. Winthrop. He has a new girlfriend actually. My mum says she hasn't seen him so happy in years.''

"Aha! I knew it!'' Honora looks triumphant and Truman looks confused.

''Mum, why are you wearing crocs?'' Maya asks, trying to disguise the fact that Honora wears them most of the time when she is at home.

"What? Well, I wasn't expecting company, now was I?'' She looks surprised.

''So, are we done with the séance then?'' Carmen calls from the table. ''Pity. I was lookin' forward to contactin' Freddy Mercury.'' She gets up and flounces over to the couch. Overnight, she appears to have dyed her hair deep crimson. Truman takes a seat next to her.

''Hey Carmen,'' he says with a little wave. ''Your hair looks nice.'' Carmen looks completely bashful. She fingers the ends of her short, spiky cut. Maya swears she would be twirling the locks flirtatiously if she had locks.

''I figured since me name is Carmen I should do it, ye know. Carmen by name, Carmen by nature.''

''Don't you mean Carmine?'' Maya asks.

''Heh?'' She looks confused, but Maya drops it and goes to help her gran at the kitchen counter. The red hair really does suit her anyway and she doesn't want Carmen to feel discouraged.

''Why are you two back so early?'' Honora asks. ''Was the party no good?''

''You could say that, yeh.'' Maya leans on the kitchen counter where Felicity is quietly pouring sharbat. She eyeballs her grandmother who looks very purposefully down at what she is doing. ''Gran? Anything you want to tell me?''

"What?'' Felicity snaps under pressure. "So, sue me! I just wanted everyone to have a good time, that's all. Goddess knows, you could use a bit of fun and cut loose for once.''

''How interesting that you think you need to create an orgy in order for people to be cutting loose and having fun?'' Maya's tone is dry.

''Oh no, mum! You didn't,'' Honora glares at Felicity, disapproval dripping from her expression. ''And you know it's illegal to use Kava Kava. I thought my stash was looking a little low. What do you think will happen if someone finds out? You can be so irresponsible!''

''Oh, relax darling,'' Felicity draws out her words, handing everyone a glass of sharbat. ''Honestly, you should take a dose of your own limited Kava Kava.'' She rolls her eyes.

''We had a kava bar near our house back in the states,'' interjects Truman. "Although I gotta say, I never saw anyone there behaving like... like what was going on at the party this evening.''

Felicity looks terribly pleased with herself. She fishes a tiny dark brown bottle out of the pocket of her gown and waves it in the air. ''That's because it wasn't just kava in there, was it? My own secret blend of eleven herbs and spices, see? Or twelve? Or sixteen? I'm not telling. It's that secret.''

Even Maya can't help chuckling at her. She takes a tiny sip of the strange-looking frogspawn drink.

''Ye Gods, this is delicious!'' She is assaulted by sweetness cut through by lime and a rosy, minty flavor.

''That's why I wasn't going to leave it in the bushes!'' Truman looks smug. There is a moment of silence while everyone drinks their sharbat in quiet appreciation, until Carmen's stomach makes the most alarming gurgle.

''Oops! Sorry all,'' she places a consolatory hand on her belly. ''I rushed over so fast tonight I forgot to eat anyfing.''

''I have the munchies too dear,'' Felicity winks at her.

Honora sighs and putting her hands on her thighs she pushes herself into a standing position. Berenice, who has been sitting beside her, reaches up and rubs her back. ''I suppose we could all use a snack. How about I make some pancakes?'' Honora offers stoically. ''I need a couple more eggs though. Maya, would you go and get some from the henhouse? Just, it's dark so please go quietly and don't upset Florence. She will punish me no end tomorrow if she is offended.''

Maya is just wondering whether she should ask Truman to come with her to collect eggs. Leaving him alone in the lounge with the other women seems like it would be asking for trouble, but he has already risen from his seat to follow her.

The henhouse is not far from the kitchen, and she keeps her head down as they walk, avoiding meeting his eye. If she looks at him now, she will be able to tell exactly how put off he is by her family.

Opening the large, walk-in aviary and the couple tiptoe inside. The birds stir only slightly in their slumber, a quiet cluck and purr in the darkness. They stand beneath the shadowy roosting posts and shelves of laying boxes, the scent of fresh straw and warm feathers pungent around them. Finally, she raises her face to his. ''I am sorry about my family,'' she whispers.

They are packed together in the small space. Is Truman looking at her strangely? His expression is laser-focused, but his gaze is flicking from her eyes to her mouth and back again. Everything feels suddenly stark in its clarity, sounds and shapes illuminated at their edges against the darkness of night. Insects call out beyond the hutch and here inside there is silence beyond the occasional rustle of a bird's body in a nest.

''Your family are a laugh,'' he says. His voice is low and quiet, but he doesn't take his eyes off her face. He reaches over Maya's shoulders with one hand, hooking his fingers through the chicken wire behind her head. A lock of dark hair blows against her cheek in the evening breeze, and she shivers. Must be from the cold of her wet clothes in the night.

His other hand reaches out and brushes lightly across her cheek. She stands absolutely still: eyes wide and lips slightly parted. As he leans forward, their lips touch and Maya gives a tiny gasp that sets a few of the chickens flapping their wings and squawking sleepily.

His mouth is soft and firm, and it is Maya's turn now to claw her fingers into the wire behind her as her back pushes into the fencing. Truman's hands wrap around her waist, then her back and Maya's eyelids flutter closed as he envelops her in his warmth.

She isn't sure how long he kisses her for. It might be seconds, might be hours. It's a feeling that she could curl into for as long as it exists. When it is over, he leans his forehead against hers. His fingers are still stroking at the waistband of her dress, and he bites his lower lip. They smile into each other like fools.

''I am much less interested in your family than I am in you,'' he says.

"That's just as well,'' she teases, slipping out of his grasp before she can spontaneously combust. ''You aren't really my mum's type, and my gran has rather a lot of guys she is juggling at the moment. Carmen though? She will have to fight me for you.'' She grins at him flirtatiously, feeling like the cat who ate the cream.

He snorts with laughter and shakes his head.

''You really are something else.'''

''My mum will be something else if I don't get her the eggs.'' Maya crouches on the ground and digs through the straw nesting boxes, unearthing a small clutch of smooth eggs in the palest pink. She creates a pouch in her mesh shirt and piles them in, and then they slip out of the hen house together in silence.

A scuffle in the illuminated kitchen window grabs their attention. An arrangement of four faces, crowded awkwardly into the small space, disassembles hastily. By the time Maya enters the kitchen the women are all spread distantly about the room, heavily engaged in other activities, all looking as innocent as humanly possible.

Berenice coughs awkwardly.

''Did you get the eggs, darling?'' Honora looks particularly guilty.

''Were you all spying on us while we were out there?'' Maya asks, standing on tiptoes to pour the eggs out from her shirt onto the kitchen counter. They all answer simultaneously.

"Nohhhh,'' says Honora.

"Yesss!" says Felicity

"Mebbee,'' says Carmen.

''Woot! Woot!'' says Berenice, unexpectedly, from over the rim of her glass of sharbat.

Truman just chuckles and looks up at the ceiling.

https://youtu.be/13IB8Vc-VMY