Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Everyone was completely captivated by the discussion.

"Nola, the instructor you've got this time is pretty impressive. Where did you find her? Why have we only had old guys before?"

The book club had seen several meetings, each orchestrated by a different lady of the group.

This time, it was Nola's turn, and just as luck would have it, the usual instructor had suddenly fallen ill, prompting her to call in Roseanne as a last-minute replacement. The previous meetings had never seen such a "mishap."

Upon hearing this, another lady eagerly agreed, "Exactly! Why haven't we had such a charming young woman before, instead of always having old men? This session is so much better!" "She's a feast for the eyes and the ears."

"This lady really is something. Her voice is so soothing."

The moment Millie and Beverley laid eyes on Roseanne, they were gobsmacked.

Then, watching her comfortably take the stage, eloquently speaking about the art of tea, citing references with such ease, they were floored.

Millie took in all the compliments being showered on Roseanne-how wonderful, how beautiful, how elegant she was-all praise!

Why? Why did everyone like her so much?

right to stand up there, acting all knowledgeable

rampant, flickered in

a second." Standing up, she interrupted Roseanne, instantly drawing all eyes to

the chance to stop

Nola frowned.

calmly asked, "Do you have a

Millie smirked, "Instructor, you're

tea sommelier? Aren't you'a bit young? And why does everything you say sound

unprofessional? You're ing

from documentaries."

remark sparked murmurs among the

why did we switch

usual instructor was an older gentleman

the shift in mood,

explain, "Here's the thing, the original instructor fell ill the day before yesterday, so I arranged for a new instructor

an eyebrow, "Then may I ask, what level of

to say Millie hadn't done her homework. She had spent the previous night diving into the subject, fiercely cramming the

different levels, each with a certificate recognized and issued by the national board, and that passing an