1/31/2021 0 Comments Chapter FourWednesday June 21, 2017 It had only been three days since Aiden had met Eric, but he already had a serious crush on him. During their first date, the two had stayed at the bar until two in the morning, which was when Armstrong had kicked them out so he could close up. Eric, being the gentleman that he was, had walked Aiden home. When Aiden had finally collapsed into bed around three that night (or rather, that morning), he knew he was crazy about him. For the past two days, the two men had texted constantly. They chatted about anything and everything, from their favorite candy bars to the worst teacher they’d experienced in high school. Aiden woke up each morning to an enthusiastic greeting and fell asleep each night after receiving a wish for sweet dreams. This morning, however, had been a little different. When he woke up, he glanced at his phone to discover Eric was inquiring about his plans for the day. This was the reason why he was now seated across from him at a comfortable booth on their second date. He’d been a bundle of nerves as he’d walked through the city to Jolene’s, a local sandwich shop, and he wasn’t any less calm sitting across from Eric. He was trying his best to appear casual and cool even though he was anything but. Should he have worn something nicer than a basic black t-shirt and jeans? Did his hair look okay? What if he looked like a slob when he was eating? What if he said something stupid? “Aiden, take a deep breath,” Eric said gently. “I’m not going to bite you. Which is a little more reassuring from me than it would be from anyone else, I think.” “Sorry,” he mumbled sheepishly. It was easy to forget Eric could read him like a book. He decided to distract himself by looking around the restaurant. It wasn’t particularly fancy, but it was simple and charming in its own way. The owner worked as the only server, taking and preparing the orders herself, though he suspected there was at least one other employee in the kitchen based on how she ran back and forth with meals so quickly. She practically floated around the restaurant with a confident smile, chatting with several of the customers who were likely regulars. “So,” Eric began with a smile, “things have been hectic at home, what with us preparing a party and some, uh, other major things.” His eyes darted across the restaurant to a young Asian woman sipping a drink a few tables away. She had dark hair, but the tips were dyed a brilliant neon blue. “I just had to see you again. I really, really wanted to. I hope that doesn’t sound too intense.” “No,” he answered. He tried to seem nonchalant about it, but on the inside, he was beaming with excitement. He felt the same way. Texting for the past two days was great, but seeing him in person again was even better. Eric smiled in relief. “Good! Ugh, I wish you could come to the party we’re having, it’s going to be a big feast. There’s not really a party like a vampire party, or so I’ve been told.” “You can always text me, right?” he offered. Truthfully, he was glad he couldn’t go, though not because he didn’t want to. He’d feel awkward and out of place around so many people, particularly because he was not a vampire himself. Eric shrugged with a smile. “Of course. Though, I am polite, and I’m very interested in seeing what Dracula’s other daughter is like, so I may be a bit slow in my replies. All the more reason to see you today then, right?” Aiden nodded in agreement, then paused. “Wait, did you say Dracula?” “Yes, yes I did.” He lifted a brow suspiciously. This was obviously a joke, right? Eric snorted. “Yes, it sounds unbelievable, but so did vampires before a couple of nights ago, right? Would you like me to rip the bandaid right off, or do you want me to just slowly drip feed you these shocking revelations once per date?” He considered this for a short moment before answering, “Maybe just one at a time.” Eric winked. “Fine by me! I’ll have to plan this out; make a whole calendar and decide what days I’ll tell you what things… Look at that, we’ve known each other such a short time and you’re already brightening my whole life up!” Aiden gave him a small smile. If Eric only knew how much better he was making his life. Eric snapped his fingers. “I should tell you one other thing, though. See that girl over there?” He tilted his head towards the woman he’d glanced at earlier, who was looking through a magazine now as she continued to sip her drink. Aiden followed his gaze and nodded. “Ok, so. Have you ever seen the Will Smith movie Men in Black?” “No,” he admitted with a slight frown. He’d seen a number of movies, but they were either cartoons from when he was a kid or odd, unpopular ones the local tv stations were able to buy the rights to play. “Ok, well, it’s a movie about these secret agents who protect aliens who live on Earth and who stop bad aliens and stuff like that. Marina over there is basically Will Smith, but for vampires. Sadly, unlike Will Smith, she doesn’t have a rap career. Or, wait.” He turned and called out to her, “Do you have a rap album yet, Marina?” “I’m working on it,” the woman replied without looking up from her magazine. “Check the charts next year.” “Oh. So, is she always going to be around?” he frowned. “If I’m out and about on the town? Probably,” Eric sighed. “If I’m at the manor or the karaoke bar, though? Probably not. Those are safe places. Which brings me to the big order of business!” He clapped his hands together. “How would you like to meet my friends or, well, family I guess I should say?” “Would you like me to?” If it would make Eric happy, he’d do it without hesitation, no matter how anxious it might make him. “Only if you want to! I just, well, I thought it might be nice to get them all out of the house, and it might be nice for you to meet them. You know, ease you into all this with the friendly, relaxed folk. I certainly would like this to be a long-term thing, if… if that’s ok with you, I mean.” Even in the short time Aiden had known him, the nervousness that flashed through his bespectacled dark green eyes seemed really uncharacteristic. Aiden felt his pulse quicken. “You do?” Eric nodded. “Yes. Yes, I think I do. I’ve… spent years having nothing but casual encounters. That’s not what I want anymore; it never made me happy. But meeting you—texting you these past few days—I think it’s safe to say I’m very smitten, and I’d… Well, if you’re willing, I’d like to be your boyfriend.” He fought back the urge to give Eric a dorky grin. He was more than willing. This is exactly what he wanted. “I’d really like that.” Eric breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, that’s settled then! Now I definitely want you to meet my friends! I think you’d like some of them, especially my best friend, Prim. She’s been waiting for me to find a steady partner for forever.” He was so distracted by the realization that Eric was his boyfriend now that it took him a few long seconds to realize what he’d said. “She has?” “Well, yes,” Eric frowned. “She… still remembers how my last serious relationship went. I think she’d like me to give dating another go instead of just sleeping around.” He wasn’t entirely sure what was an appropriate response to this, so he simply nodded and hoped it came off as supportive. Eric beamed at him. “So then, how about in a couple of days we go hang out at Rhyme or Reason again, and I invite the members of the coven? Then you can meet all the weirdos I’ve been boarding with in Hawthorne Manor for the past couple decades.” Butterflies took flight in his stomach. “How many are there?” he asked nervously. “Just eighteen, not counting Victoria. Though I guess it’s nineteen now because of the new girl, Rose. Or, well, I guess she’s an old, returning member… And then there’s Mara, but she’s an unofficial member.” The number of butterflies doubled. Twenty people? He winced, silently praying Eric didn’t pick up on how anxious he felt. “Are they all going to be there?” “I doubt it,” Eric shrugged. “I can tell you who probably would come, though.” Relief spread throughout his body and the majority of the fluttering insects disappeared. “Oh, yeah, that, um, might help.” “Well, let’s see…” Eric tapped his chin. “Prim would definitely be there. We’ve been best friends since we went to college together, and she wouldn’t miss this for anything. Yuriko and Sakura would come. They both love me. Be mindful of Sakura though. Don’t talk shit about samurai around her, and keep in mind that she’s blind. She’s totally going to fuck with you, but she means well. She’s not going to be genuinely mean to anyone I’m with.” He nodded, trying to keep these names in mind as well as who they were. “I think you’ll like Yuriko a lot. She’s a real sweetheart. She’s the one who told me about this place. She apparently frequents here… mainly to check out the manager. She does have a nice ass.” He smirked, but once again there was something uncharacteristic in his eyes, something nervous and anxious. Aiden wondered what was bothering him. Did he have a history with the owner? He wanted to ask, but the fawn-haired woman was making her way towards their table with a friendly smile. “You two ready to order, or do you need a few more minutes?” she asked in a light Southern accent. “If you have any questions about anythin’, don’t hesitate to ask.” “I’m ready if you are, Aiden,” Eric said, the nervous look vanishing in an instant. He wasn’t, particularly since he had barely glanced at the menu, but he didn’t want to be an inconvenience. Deciding in the spur of the moment to order whatever Eric got, he nodded. “Alright!” Eric exclaimed. “I’ll have the Greek gyro, please!” The owner glanced at Aiden. “What about you, darlin’?” He politely ordered, “I’ll have the same.” “That’s easy enough!” She took their menus and, with a smile, wandered off, presumably to begin cooking. Aiden was amazed she didn’t need to write anything down. “I ought to tell Mack about this place,” Eric noted. “They love gyros. And that brings me back to what we were talking about! Mack will definitely be there! They’re not going to miss a chance to put on a tight dress and flaunt themselves for Armstrong!” At least there would be someone he knew. Mack was patient and understanding, and they were probably the reason Aiden was sitting here now with Eric. He’d been so freaked out that night at the bar. If Mack hadn’t been there, would he have left? Would he have ever seen Eric again? He didn’t really want to think about that possibility, so he shoved it out of his mind. Eric rattled off a few more names: A guy named Bach would probably come; a man named Matt may or may not; a girl named Farrah might not show up due to having broken up with Yuriko a few months ago; two others named Charlene and Carlos might show up… “...and Roarke. I’m not sure about him,” Eric sighed. “I don’t think he’s a bad guy, but he has a reputation as a womanizer and a loner, so I’m not entirely sure whether he’d come or not.” “He’s the one who was at the bar the other night, right?” Aiden hadn’t gotten a good look at the man, but he did seem like a bit of a playboy. Eric nodded. “I can tell he’s hurting. He hides it well, but, you know, I can see those tiny moments when the truth shines through the cracks.” He looked down at the table’s red laminated surface. “I wonder what happened to him. I wonder if…” He trailed off, tilting his head back up and sighing. “If what?” Aiden pressed curiously. Eric shook his head. “Not yet. It’s too soon. I’m going to need some time to work up the courage to tell you my story. But…” The nervous look returned to his eyes. “Can I ask you something?” “Yeah, of course.” He couldn’t help but wonder what Eric had been through. What kind of pain had he experienced in his life? “Would it… Would it bother you if I told you I like women too? That’s not a dealbreaker, is it?” “Why would it be?” “Some people have very misguided ideas of what it means to be bisexual. They think I’ll cheat, or that I’m just unfaithful, or that any man or woman could just steal me away,” Eric said with a bitterness that indicated this was something that had indeed happened to him. Aiden frowned. Those thoughts hadn’t even entered his mind as possibilities. “It doesn’t make a difference to me,” he shrugged. “You like who you like, right? I trust you.” Which he did. He wasn’t just saying that. Eric looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders and the nervousness completely vanished from his eyes as he smiled, his fangs peeking out a bit. “Thank you, Aiden.” A warm shiver ran through his body. Eric’s smile was captivating. “Well then, is that all settled? We’ll have a big old party at the karaoke bar where I can show you off to all my friends? Maybe even sing you a song or two, or twenty?” “Okay,” he nodded. “Well then, I’ll let you know who all is coming as soon as I know!” Aiden couldn’t ignore how nervous he was about this, but he could tell it was really important to Eric. He wanted this relationship to work, which meant he’d have to step outside of his comfort zone. “If it makes you feel better, Marina, Armstrong, and about a dozen other mortals will be there, and they’re all trained to kick our asses if we misbehave!” Eric gave him a cheerful, confident wink. He felt his muscles relax in relief, and he gave him another small smile. Once again, Eric had picked up on what Aiden didn’t say. Before their conversation could continue, Jolene returned with their meals. The large sandwiches were nearly overflowing on their warm white glass plates, barely leaving any room for the kettle chips that were included. “Here you two are!” Jolene smiled. “Let me know if you boys need anything else.” She smiled and wandered away to greet another table. With minor difficulty, Aiden managed to pick up his gyro and take a bite. He was surprised by how great it tasted, particularly the meat. Though it was a challenge to eat with how enormous it was, he nodded in approval. Eric was working on his as well and gave a nod in return as he finished chewing a bite. “It’s delicious, isn’t it?” Aiden swallowed and answered with an enthusiastic, “Yeah!” “Mack is going to love this place. These are the best gyros I’ve had since I visited that fair in Iowa.” “You’ve been to Iowa?” he asked in surprise. He felt a small twinge of jealousy. He’d never even been out of the city before. “Yes! I go traveling with my parents once a year. I’ve seen quite a lot of America and some of Europe that way!” “You’re so lucky,” he sighed. He didn’t mean to bring down the mood, but it was hard not to. His life was so dull and uneventful, especially compared to Eric’s. “You have no idea how lucky, sweetie,” he said before he took a quick sip of his drink. “But if things work out, my parents would probably be ecstatic if you came along.” His eyes lit up. “Really? They’d be okay with that?” He wasn’t sure what he’d do about his mom if he was able to go with them during one of these trips, but he’d worry about that later. “Are you kidding? I haven’t dated anyone steadily since the early 90’s. If we can make it to a year, I think they’d buy us a trip round the world.” He took another bite of his gyro while he pondered this. Would they make it to a year? Would they even make it past a month? He didn’t know the first thing about dating, but he was more than willing to learn. He wanted this to work. But he knew he’d have to tell Eric the truth eventually if that was going to happen. It was something he was scared to face. What if Eric didn’t want to be with him anymore once he knew? What if he got mad at him for lying? Aiden didn’t know if he could handle losing him. “You know,” Eric said, piercing through his thoughts, “I honestly didn’t know if I’d ever date again. I’ve, uh, had a few bar dates here and there. But I never found anyone who I just felt… so comfortable with. Until I met you, Aiden. It’s so strange. I feel like I’ve been reborn again!” He smiled shyly, but guilt was quickly seeping into the pit of his stomach thick as molasses. His good mood was almost entirely eradicated, though he fought to keep the smile on his face. He felt certain that once Eric knew, he’d change his mind. “Maybe it’s meant to be,” he murmured quietly. He wanted to believe that, but knowing what he’d eventually have to confess made him unsure about their future. He wanted it to work out, but he felt it was inevitable he’d lose his first (and probably only) boyfriend. ****** Gabby was used to traveling all over the world, so Rhine City was just another temporary home for her. She and the other coven members in their small group (along with the vampire killers) had arrived in the city the day before. Despite leaving Germany in the morning, their plane had touched down in the city late that same morning all thanks to the magic of time zones. She’d been so exhausted from the lack of sleep that once they’d arrived at their new headquarters, she’d picked out a bedroom and fell asleep almost immediately. It wasn’t until she’d woken up later that night that she’d explored the house. It was more of a mansion considering how massive it was, with three floors, more bedrooms than she cared to count, an enormous kitchen, a gorgeous dining room, and an inground pool in the backyard. Flynn had picked the room to her right so he could be nearby if she needed anything. He was rather sweet, even discarding his armor completely so she would be more comfortable around him as it was laced with silver. The two had become fast friends overnight. When he’d realized she had woken up the previous night, he’d helped her set up her room and had kept her company by watching movies with her. She was used to watching them alone, so it was really nice to have a companion. They were so comfortable with each other, in fact, that neither were particularly bothered when she’d decided to set a pillow on his lap and lay on it during a viewing of Ladyhawke. It was a movie she’d seen many times, which was probably why her mind was wandering instead of staying focused despite how much she genuinely enjoyed it. She’d spent the whole flight from Germany to the United States talking to Jojo. She’d learned so much about him, like how he’d been turned in 1921, and how he’d wanted to be an author when he was young. She’d told him about how she didn’t know who her birth parents were, and how she’d hated school when she was a kid. She’d hoped to see him again when she’d woken up last night, but he wasn’t anywhere to be found. What if he didn’t want to talk to her again? What if he was avoiding her because he thought she was boring? “You doing okay down there, Gabby?” Flynn asked, peering down at her curiously. “Yeah,” she answered. “You sure? You’ve been awfully quiet. Though I guess most people don’t talk through movies, huh?” “Nope,” she laughed softly. “But we can talk if you want to.” “Nah, it’s fine. It’s just what I’m used to. My mom, god, she just would never shut up when we watched movies, always telling me about every detail and all the little tricks the actors did…” He sighed. “The last movie I remember watching with her was this movie called Clash of the Titans. It’s a movie about this Greek hero who goes on a quest to fight all these monsters, and they’re all done in stop motion animation. My mom just loved that stuff, and…” He trailed off and went quiet for a few moments. “...Sorry. I didn’t mean to start rambling.” “It’s okay. I don’t mind.” She rolled onto her back so she could smile up at him. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that movie.” “Maybe I can find a VHS of it somewhere…” he mumbled, turning his head nervously to the side. He seemed upset about something, which worried her, so she asked, “Are you okay?” “Oh, yeah, I just…” He ran a hand across the scar on his face. “I’m kind of self-conscious about… this. I guess talking about Mom kinda just made it harder to pretend it doesn’t bother me.” Gabby’s eyes widened. “Did your mom give it to you?” “What?! No!” Flynn exclaimed. “It was my dad.” “Oh… But why does talking about your mom remind you about it?” “Because I know every time she saw it, it hurt her, because she couldn’t protect me from him.” “I’m so sorry,” she frowned. “I can’t imagine why someone would do that to their own child.” “Because my dad wanted me to uphold the ‘proud family name!’” Flynn spit out sarcastically. “We’re such a great family! Our claim to fame is helping your mom murder a guy for cash. Gotta uphold that pristine legacy by making your seven year old son go through a brutal obstacle course and take a saw blade to the face!” Gabby sat up, horrified. “You were seven?” she whispered. “Dad wanted me to start young,” Flynn muttered. She was quiet for a moment. She couldn’t even imagine the terror he’d experienced. Seven years old. What if he’d been killed? Without thinking, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. “I’m glad you’re okay.” For a moment he stiffened, but he eased up rather quickly. “Thanks, Gabby.” She pulled back and gave him a bright smile. “I think it makes you look unique, at least.” His face turned red, and he looked away before mumbling, “Thank you.” After a few moments he cleared his throat and said, “Do you maybe wanna grab something to eat? I’m kinda hungry now. Getting emotional wears me out.” She nodded, excitement bubbling within her. “We could have a pizza party! I bet there’s frozen pizza in the freezer. Maybe there’s ice cream, too?” It thrilled her that she finally had someone to hang out with. Her previous irritation with having a “bodyguard” had completely disappeared. Flynn laughed. “I’d love some ice cream! We inviting anyone else to this party?” He gave her a knowing smile. Now it was her turn to blush. “Maybe,” she admitted quietly. “Well let’s hope we run into him!” Flynn got up off of the bed, her pillow falling off of his lap onto the floor below. He gently took her hand to pull her up, too. Once she was standing, she paused the movie. Even if she had been distracted for most of it, she at least wanted to see the end. She loved happy endings. The two of them made their way through the second floor hallway and down the grand staircase, which looked like it belonged more in a movie about a princess making her royal debut than in a crime-ridden city. Voices could be heard from downstairs, which gave her hope. Maybe Jojo was among them! As they landed on the first floor and approached the kitchen, she could make out the voice of Hannah berating someone. “Really?! Must you stand around without a shirt on?! It seems rather disrespectful to your superiors!” “Great! Fuck that snake, I’ll take my pants off next and disrespect her twice as much!” That was most definitely Rex. “Hannah,” came the yawning voice of Vincent, “it’s really not worth it. Just let it go.” After a few more seconds of huffing and annoyed exchanges, the door to the kitchen burst open to reveal Rex, who was indeed wearing nothing but a pair of pink pajama pants decorated with red hearts. He was carrying a twelve pack of beer under his arm, one of which was open in his hand. He gave them a nod. “‘Sup?” Gabby rolled her eyes. Typical. Still, she promised Jojo she’d at least give him a chance (albeit a small one). “We’re going to make pizza.” “Well, you’re in luck! Picked up a fuckload of frozen pizzas last night so help yourself. But if you eat all my cheeseburger pizzas, we’re gonna have a fucking problem.” He chugged the rest of his beer, then crushed the can in his hand. “I promise we won’t,” she replied, glancing at Flynn. Flynn’s face was a bit flushed, and he looked peculiarly uncomfortable. “Alright, I’m pretty sure I can trust you. Guess I’d better fuck off now; I’m making your little buddy uncomfortable,” Rex snorted. Before Gabby could reply, Rex turned and walked away quickly down the hall, whistling something to himself. “I’m not sure if I like him or not,” she admitted as they continued into the kitchen. He was obnoxious and loud. What was there to like? “I wonder why Amon chose him instead of… I dunno, that cowboy guy?” Flynn sighed. She sighed as well. “I don’t know.” She wanted to know that herself. She’d much rather have Dallas around than Rex. Inside the kitchen were Hannah and Vincent, as Gabby had expected. Hannah was rummaging about in the cabinets while Vincent was leaning against the counter by the microwave with his eyes closed. Gabby quietly crossed the large pristine room, which looked like it had hardly been used at all, to look through the fridge. Rex hadn’t been kidding; there were probably at least 15 frozen pizzas crammed inside. “What kind do you want, Flynn?” “What kinds are there?” Flynn asked. She pulled out some of the boxes and read off the topping choices. “Rex’s cheeseburger, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, cheese, and supreme.” “Wow,” came Vincent’s voice, “you guys aren’t even gonna say hi? I’m so hurt.” Gabby turned in his direction, immediately feeling guilty. “I’m sorry,” she apologized with a polite smile. “I didn’t want to interrupt.” Hannah pulled her head out of the cabinet and bowed deeply. “Forgive our rudeness, Miss Cross. We meant no disrespect.” Vincent’s eyes were still closed, but he was smiling. “I’m just teasing, don’t worry,” he yawned as he pushed off the counter and stretched. “I’m sure you have more exciting things to do than talk to me or Little Miss Perfect over there.” “We’re just making a pizza before we watch another movie.” She paused before asking, “Would you like one? But you can’t have the cheeseburger ones. Those are Rex’s.” “Thanks for the warning. I really don’t want to go around pissing off the Suicide King,” Vincent said, yawning yet again. “But sure, why not, pizza’s great. What’re you watching anyway?” “Ladyhawke. It’s almost over, though.” She glanced hesitantly at Flynn. She wasn’t sure if she should ask them to join. The room was certainly big enough for all of them to sit comfortably (especially if Flynn sat on her bed like he had been). Would they even want to join them? “Ladyhawke? Is that about… a bird woman, or something?” Hannah said, crossing her arms over her chest. “And more importantly, are you going to invite us, and also maybe my brother?” Vincent asked. Hannah whirled to him. “Vincent! You can’t impose on Bloody Mary’s daughter like that! You aren’t even supposed to be here to begin with!” Gabby frowned. She neither cared for that nickname for her mother—she’d only heard Jack use it before once or twice—nor did she appreciate being treated like someone of high importance. “I would like the company if you’d like to join us,” she informed Vincent. “If Flynn doesn’t mind, I mean.” “No, yeah, that’s great!” Flynn said. “I’d like to get to know you guys.” Vincent shrugged and gave a tired smile. “I’d love to join you, then. Might as well make my time here fun. Like Hannah said, I’m not even supposed to be here.” “You’re not?” she asked, completely confused. “Randall was the one who was requested for this, but Vincent insisted on coming,” Hannah sighed. “Are you trying to steal your brother’s glory? Or what?” “I have my own reasons for coming,” Vincent mumbled as he stared down at the floor. “Well, I’m glad you’re here,” Gabby offered, hoping to cheer him up. “I’m usually really lonely.” “Well, I’m certainly happy to help solve that problem,” Vincent yawned again. “And my brother… I think he needs a friend. And Hannah here desperately needs another girl to talk to.” “Vincent, I can’t just… galavant around with the daughter of one of the greatest vampires of the past two hundred years!” Hannah huffed. “It’s not becoming of someone of my family’s status! I need to put my best foot forward here, although…” She turned away from Gabby. “…considering I wasn’t chosen as a bodyguard, that might have already failed.” Hannah must have, indeed, had great magical talent because in the blink of an eye, she made Gabby feel very small. She fell completely silent and tried to focus all of her attention on making one of the pizzas. She had, at random, picked out a pepperoni one and put the rest back in the freezer. She walked across the kitchen to the island counters in the middle and set the box on top. Her vision blurred with tears she hadn’t realized had surfaced as she set the oven’s temperature to 400 degrees. She hadn’t meant to offend Hannah by choosing Flynn instead. She was just trying to be nice since he looked so miserable. Did that really mean they couldn’t spend time together? And why did she keep insisting Gabby was someone extraordinary just because her mom was one of the head members of the coven? All her thoughts were interrupted by someone crashing through the kitchen door and collapsing on the floor. “Jojo?!” Flynn exclaimed. Gabby whirled around with excitement. Her spirits had lifted as soon as she heard his name, but they shattered into a million pieces as soon as she saw him. He was shaking and appeared beaten and bruised. His eyes were dead, and though his injuries were quickly healing, he was gritting his teeth. Panicked, she rushed over and crouched on the floor next to him. “Jojo? Are you okay?” “Gabby?” he managed to gasp out. “Ugh. I… No. But it’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before.” “Sweet fuck, what happened, man?” Vincent shouted, the sleepiness in his voice entirely gone, replaced by worry instead. “Can I help?” she offered quietly. “Do you need water or, um… pizza? We’re making some right now.” “Water… Yes, please, water…” Hannah looked absolutely shocked and appalled. “Who did this to you?” “Moore,” he coughed. Gabby stood up and rushed to grab a glass. While it filled up with cold tap water, she muttered, “Why did he beat you up? I’m gonna tell Mom about this.” Didn’t he realize Jojo was part of the coven and not one of their enemies? “I… Yes. Let your mother know. Let Amon know. I can’t imagine they’d want a man like him in the house with you.” “I knew I hated that Moore guy,” Hannah scoffed. “That family has always been trash. Riding on the coattails of the other families and mopping up their success. My parents told me the last they’d heard, one of theirs had been in jail for sexual assault so… it…” She trailed off, something seeming to dawn over her before she let out a meek, “Oh no.” “Hannah. Please tell me the one who was in jail was anyone but Anthony Moore,” Flynn pleaded. Hannah didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to. A wave of nausea washed over Gabby. As she slowly carried the glass of water back across the kitchen to give to Jojo, she asked him, “Did… Did he do that to you?” Jojo looked away, his hand reaching up to his neck where a black studded collar, decorated with butterfly motifs, was fastened around his throat. It was something she had only noticed once they were on the plane, where the lighting was better than in the deep, dark forest. “Must I say it? I think you can guess.” “I’m… I’m going to get someone,” Vincent said before rushing out of the room. What could she say? What could she do? She had no idea how to console someone who had been through something so disgusting and vile. She handed him the cup of water, then did what felt right and wrapped her arms around him tightly, holding him close in what she hoped was a comforting hug. She ignored how nervous she was to be touching him and focused entirely on trying to help him forget what he’d just been through (if that was at all possible). When she first touched him, he seemed to flinch a little, but soon enough he slowly wrapped his arms around her in turn. A few moments later, Amon burst into the kitchen with Gabby’s mother in tow right behind him. “Amon, what the hell is going on here?!” Flynn shouted. “You let a rapist onto this team?!” “I assure you boy, had I known I would not have allowed this man in the house.” He stared at Jojo, the hardness in his eyes softening. “He told him, didn’t he? I knew I should have paid more attention to him back in the forest. I cannot take my eyes off that man for more than a moment…” “I imagine so, sir,” Jojo muttered. “Amon,” her mother said, “we have to tell Mother. We have to tell her we can’t have this… this monster in the house with Gabby.” “I assure you Miss Cross, Gabby is in no danger from him,” Jojo remarked bitterly. “He told me himself, he only likes skinny, pretty little boys like me.” Gabby glared at her mom and, feeling more courageous than she normally did, countered, “We can’t have this monster in the house with Jojo.” “I agree,” Amon said, folding his arms. “When I heard Johan was coming with us, I had hoped this would be a pleasant vacation for him, not more of the usual.” Johan… Of course. Jojo was just a nickname. Still, she liked it. Her mother shrunk back. “I… I’ll tell Mother. I’ll call her in. But,” she gave Amon a small, sly smile, “before that, I think I’ll tell Rex what happened.” Amon chuckled. “Excellent idea. Now, off Marianna.” Her mother darted out of the room and then Amon turned his gaze to Gabby. “Gabriella. Did you have any plans for this evening?” “We were going to watch movies,” she answered politely. She supposed it made sense Rex would want to know what happened since he and Jojo were friends, but the odd smile her mom gave Amon confused her. What was that about? “Then I suggest you do just that,” Amon noted. “Take Johan and Flynn with your pizza and keep to your room for now. I’ll let you know when it’s safe to come out. I have already had Mr. Quincey retreat to his room with his brother and Rhapsody while we sort this out. Ah, and if you hear any screaming, don’t worry. That will likely be Mr. Moore.” He turned to Hannah. “Ms. Starr, you will come with me.” Hannah deflated a bit. “Oh, uh. Alright, sir.” She looked sadly at Gabby. “I’m so sorry, Gabby, Jojo… I. Um. I’ll… I hope we can…” She shook her head and turned away as Amon gently ushered her out of the room. Gabby stayed on the floor with Jojo while Flynn finished cooking their pizzas. She tried to keep Jojo’s mind off of what happened by telling him about some of her favorite movies, but she wasn’t sure it was working. Jojo was rather quiet, his eyes filled with tears as he politely nodded along to what Gabby was saying. “I really hoped… this would be different,” he eventually cried out softly. She was taken aback by this, but calmly asked, “What do you mean?” “It is as Amon said: I hoped this would be a reprieve from this sort of treatment…” He hugged his knees to his chest. “But it seems no matter where I go, Jack finds new ways to make me miserable. Or I suppose old ways.” “But he’s not here,” she reminded him. “He is always with me,” Jojo said, tapping his collar. She peered at it closely. Something about it seemed familiar, but she couldn’t place what or why. “What does it do?” “If you say a certain phrase, I become like a dog. Obedient. Pliable. Passive. I will do whatever I am asked.” Anger filled Gabby and, without thinking, her small fingers reached around his neck. “Can I take it off?” she whispered. The question wasn’t one of permission; it was inquiring about its strength. Was it an enchanted item? Did it have a secret key? He shook his head sadly. “I don’t think so. I’ve tried, but it cannot be removed by any means I’m aware of. Not even silver seems to be able to do anything.” “God, that’s just unbelievably fucked up,” Flynn growled as he pulled out the pizza. “What kind of sick fuck would even make something like that?” With a sigh, she removed her hands from around his neck. “Who put it on you?” “Jack did, back when I first joined the coven. To think, for a moment I was so happy. I thought after the years of drinking, loneliness… giving myself away to others… I might have found friends who could heal my aching heart. And then Jack put this on me, and try as your mother and Amon protested, the snake woman said I was his reward for his successes and his loyalty.” “You have friends,” she insisted. “You have me and Flynn now. And…” She took a deep breath. “...I’m going to find a way to take it off. I promise.” His eyes widened. “Gabby… I… But why?” “I’m guessing it’s because she’d be a pretty shitty person to leave you with some freaky magic rape collar on,” Flynn added. “I promise, I’m gonna help too. There’s no way I could let anyone suffer like that with a clear conscience.” Jojo bit his lip as he teared up again. “You… You both are far too kind to me. I don’t know if I’d believe it if anyone else said it, but something tells me you’ll find a way.” “We will,” she vowed. Even though she didn’t know where to even begin, she would find a way to free Jojo. He wasn’t a slave. He was a person, and he deserved freedom just as much as anyone else in the coven. I will find a way, Jojo. Even if I have to disobey my mom to do it. ****** Everyone in Dracula’s coven was busy preparing for the arrival of Victoria’s daughter and the grand feast that would follow in celebration. Everyone, that is, except Roarke. Victoria had tasked him with cleaning the bathroom, but he’d barely made any progress. It was hard to focus when he couldn’t get Antoinette out of his mind. That blue-eyed blonde beauty had been lingering in his thoughts since he’d arrived home that morning. He wanted to be near her again to kiss those soft, sweet lips and caress her smooth cheeks. No woman had ever plagued his thoughts like this. Why couldn’t he get that damn girl out of his mind? With a sigh, he sprayed down the inside of the shower with tub cleaner. Of course Victoria had given him one of the worst rooms in the house to clean. He sincerely doubted it was accidental considering how much she hated him. “I don’t even want to go to this stupid thing,” he grumbled to himself. He’d much rather sneak out and spend another night with Antoinette. He wondered if that was possible. Would Victoria notice if he left? “Have you even done anything you were asked to do?” Speak of the devil. With an internal sigh, he turned towards the doorway to find the coven leader glaring at him with her arms crossed over her chest. “I’m still working on it, aren’t I?” he retorted. “You were given this simple task an hour ago. Do you mean to tell me you’ve been cleaning for an hour, yet there is no obvious progress?” “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I’m working on it.” She narrowed her brown eyes at him. “I want it spotless in an hour, Roarke.” With that, she turned on her heel and stormed away. He desperately wanted to mutter an insult under his breath, but with his luck, she’d actually hear him. Instead, he sighed again and continued spraying down the bathtub. If he didn’t need the safety, he’d have left the coven years ago. It was too risky for him (or any vampire, really) to be covenless. His sire may not have taught him much, but he at least taught him that. “Oooh, Vicky’s mad, mad, mad,” came a voice from the doorway behind him. Roarke turned back around towards the doorway slightly irritated. He didn’t recognize the woman standing there. A black top hat sat on her head, and she wore a t-shirt with a guy named Charlie Anders on it and a short black and white checkered skirt. What was most puzzling to him was his disinterest in pursuing her. Was it because he wasn’t attracted to her, or was it something else (something he didn’t really want to think about)? Regardless, he shrugged in response. “I’m used to it.” “She wasn’t always so cranky, but I guess it’s cuz she hasn’t seen Nadia in a long, long time.” She surveyed the room. “You need some help?” He was going to say no, but the sooner he got this done, the sooner he could (maybe) see Antoinette. “Yeah, sure.” “Whatcha still need to clean in here?” He sighed, feeling defeated. “Everything, apparently. I’m working on the shower now. I’ll, uh, clean the toilet, too.” It was a gross job, but he wanted to be a gentleman, at least. “Nah, we gotta get you out right quick, we do! Line up all the rags and cleaning supplies on the sink, alright?” He set the tub spray on the sink’s counter and asked, “We do?” “We do! Now, let me show you a magic trick!” She waited until he’d set the other supplies out, then held out her hand and the cleaning supplies began flying about the room, spraying and scrubbing down everything in record time. “Ta-da! I made the grime in this bathroom disappear!” She took her hat off and bowed. Roarke’s jaw dropped. “How the fuck did you do that? Like, I get it’s probably your power and all, but how?” “Tel-e-kin-e-sis!” she chirped, wagging her finger at each syllable. “Not hard to focus on moving about things so simple, right?” “Damn…” It was hard not to be jealous, but he was. Her power seemed both unique and fun, unlike his. “Well, thanks for the help. Seriously, I was going to be in here for hours.” Her smile faltered slightly for a moment, but then she perked right back up. “Gotta get you outta here, I do! You’ve got places to be, people to see, etcetera!” He lifted an eyebrow curiously. “I do?” "Yeah? You’ve been thinking it real, real, real loud this whole time you were in here.” “I… have?” She nodded. “Could hear you right down the hall, I could. Want me to help you bust out and find her?” “If I leave, Victoria will literally kill me.” Not that he didn’t want to. God, did he want to. “Vicky isn’t that mean,” the woman said with nervous uncertainty, which once again vanished quickly. “And besides, that’s why we sneak out!” “She’s going to find out,” he sighed. She probably had a list full of shit she wanted him to do, and when she couldn’t find him to give him the next task, she’d know. “So you’d rather stay here and work, work, work than go and see this lady who’s making your mind into a tree full of cicadas to me?” She shook her head. “Come on, I’m busting you free! She might be less mad if I told her I need you, I’m the one who brought the ring back, I am!” “The… ring?” He frowned, completely confused. “Wait, who are you, anyway? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before.” She flipped her hat back onto her head and winked. “I’m Rosemary Lavender Milliner! But call me Rose, okay?” Realization hit him, and he exclaimed in near disbelief, “You’re the one we’re having this big celebration for?” “One of them, yeah! Nadia too! Vicky’s daughter! So if I say I need you for something, Vicky can’t stop me!” “If you’re really sure… But why are you helping me?” “I’ll tell you later. Now come, come, come on! We’ve gotta go, we do!” She turned and zipped out of the room. “Wait, hold on!” Roarke raced after her. He didn’t even get a chance to change into something better, though he supposed it didn’t matter. He could probably encounter a woman in his pajama pants and nothing else and still be able to charm the hell out of them. By the time he caught up with her, Rose was waiting down by the back door, rocking back and forth on her heels. “So, where exactly are we going, then? I didn’t hear that.” “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Where do you want to go?” “Where’s this girl of yours at? We should go there!” Truthfully, he wasn’t entirely sure. “I, uh, could call her, I guess. She’s kind of like my bodyguard now, so I probably should if we’re going somewhere anyway.” “Well, do it then!” Thankfully, he’d thought to ask for her number that morning. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he found Antoinette’s name in his contacts and called her. The phone rang a few times before she answered. “Hello, hun! How’re you doin’? Miss me that much already?” She giggled sweetly. “Oh, uh…” He didn’t really want to admit out loud that he did, so instead, he asked, “You busy right now?” “Just a bit! A member of your coven stopped by and is buyin’ some cupcakes before I close up for the night! How come, you wanted to head somewhere tonight and need lil’ ol’ Antoinette to keep you safe?” “Uh… Yeah, that’s it.” His mind raced, trying to come up with an excuse. “I was… going out to get drinks with another coven member, and I thought you should come with. You know, for safety and all.” “Well that sounds fun! I’d be happy to! Lemme just finish up this batch of cupcakes for Carlos, and I’ll meet you at the manor in a bit!” Shit. If they didn’t leave now, Victoria might catch them. “Think we can meet you somewhere instead?” he asked as innocently as possible. “Hm, well, there’s always Armstrong’s bar. Ain’t too far from me and I’m sure you can get there safe!” “Oh, yeah, sure.” He glanced at Rose. “You okay with going to a bar?” “Course I am!” she chirped. “Who’s that, hun? You makin’ friends? Am I that good of an influence already?” She giggled again. “Uh… Something like that, sure.” He would have said Rose wasn’t a friend, but he didn’t want to offend her. “So, meet you there, right?” “Sure thing! I better get goin’ though, Carlos is callin’! See you soon, hun!” She hung up, leaving Roarke standing there with Rose, who was now biting her lower lip nervously. “So, should we get going?” he asked while he slipped his phone into his pocket. She jumped a bit. “Oh! Yeah, go on, lead the way, lead the way! I’ll keep you safe, don’t worry, I will!” “That’s what Antoinette’s for,” he laughed. They made their great escape by simply walking out the back door and heading through the yard and the wooden gate surrounding it. “Damn, I guess she really is busy if she didn’t even notice us leaving.” “Think she’s trying to talk to Teach, so she’s real distracted!” He had no idea what she meant by that, but decided not to ask. The less he knew, the better. They walked side-by-side down the alley behind the manor as they started for Armstrong’s place. The bar wasn’t too far, just a few blocks away, which made it a popular place for the coven members. With it being closer to a residential area and not downtown, like most of the bars and clubs in the city, it was less popular with the mortals, another bonus for the vampires who frequented it. “So where have you been all this time?” he asked. “You’re one of the older members, right? I gathered that much at least. How come you haven’t been with the rest of them?” Rose went quiet. “I, um. I did something bad. And I was afraid to come back cuz I thought Vicky would hate me. Not to mention I had to find my brother.” “What did you do?” He seriously doubted Victoria hated her. He was number one on that list for sure. She shook her head. “I don’t wanna talk about it. Why don’t we talk about your girl instead! Antoinette, right? Ooh, or we should talk about Charlie Anders!” She gestured at her shirt. “He’s a hypnotist and bloody dreamy, he is! Or we can talk about the funny show I saw with the talking hands and the flying cat! Or the news story about the serial killer who leaves lipstick on their victims! Or—“ She continued to rattle off topics of conversation. Roarke felt a metaphorical headache coming on, so he interrupted her nearly incoherent babbling. “Whoa, hold on, slow down!” She had way too much energy for him. Either that, or she really didn’t want to talk about what she did. He was okay with that considering how it was none of his business anyway (no matter how curious he was). “One thing at a time, okay?” “Sorry, sorry, sorry!” Rose chirped. “I’m just excited and all, coming back is a fresh start for me, and I want to meet all the nice people Vicky took in!” She beamed at him. He didn’t know if he’d classify any of them as nice, but he nodded regardless. “Just don’t, you know, talk that fast. You’re going to scare everyone away doing that.” Once again her smile faltered. “Oh. Okay.” Rose went completely silent as they continued walking. It was peaceful now, at least, but it was really weird. Was it something he’d said? He wasn’t sure what was worse: Rose talking at a hundred miles per hour or not talking at all. “So, uh…” He searched his mind, trying to remember one of the things she’d said. “Who’s that guy you mentioned? Charlie something?” She nodded. “Charlie Anders. He’s the world’s greatest hypnotist, he is. I love stage performers and he might just be the most handsome I’ve ever seen. Way handsomer than Houdini!” “Houdini isn’t handsome?” Not that he’d really know. “Wasn’t handsome,” Rose corrected. “He died in 1926. But yeah! He wasn’t as hot as Charlie Anders, that’s certain, it is!” “Oh, so you’ve got a celebrity crush, huh?” he laughed. “I sure do! I wish I could meet him, but I don’t know why he’d ever come to Rhine City, and this is my home now,” she sighed. “Maybe someday I’ll find a way to meet him.” “You’ll probably have to travel somewhere else. I mean, why would he want to come here? This city is a damn dump.” He honestly hated it, especially with how crime-filled it was, but it was the safest place for a vampire to be. “I remember hearing stories about Rhine City, way back when,” Rose said, “all ‘bout how the founder made some deal with dark forces, and that’s why the city’s so shit.” Rose nodded for a few moments, then added, “But maybe this city just attracts shitty people. Still, don’t think everyone here is shitty! Met some nice ones so far!” “Like who?” he scoffed, ignoring the fact that Antoinette was most definitely one of the good ones. “Well, I got to see Dahlia and Mack again! I missed them lots! I met this guy named Eric, he’s sweet as anything, and there was Farrah, and Bach, aaaaaaaaand you!” “I’m anything but nice,” he mumbled. “Just ask Victoria.” “I don’t need to,” she muttered sheepishly, “I heard what she was thinking.” Her earlier comments about busting him out to see Antoinette suddenly made perfect sense. “You can read minds too?” Damn, she had such a cool power. His was even more lame in comparison. “It’s not cool, I hate it,” she whimpered as she put her hands up to her head. “I can’t stop hearing things unless I really, really, really focus. I hear things without trying and it’s not fun, it’s not.” “It’s better than what I can do,” he sighed. “You probably hear lots of juicy gossip.” Glancing at her from the corner of his eye, he inquired, “What exactly did Victoria say… er, think about me?” She shook her head. “Not nice things. Mean things. Cranky things. I gotta get Teach back so he can cheer her up.” Roarke scoffed. “Is that even possible?” “Yep! Rasputin told me how to do it!” He stared at her blankly. “Rasputin told you how to cheer up Victoria?” “He told me how to bring back Dracula, ye—“ She immediately put her hands to her mouth in shock. “Oh! I spoiled it!” Roarke stopped in his tracks in shock. “Wait, what? How is that possible?” Everyone in the coven, even him, knew Dracula died in the late 1800’s. How in the world was it possible to bring someone back who had been dead for over 100 years? “Magic,” Rose said, wiggling her fingers mysteriously. “Vicky will explain once Nadia is here, I’m sure!” He started walking again. “Is that the whole point of this dinner thing?” It made more sense now why she wanted everyone, him included, to be there. “Yep!” she chirped. “Hasn’t seen her in over a century, so no wonder she’s so snippy…” She sighed sadly. “They were so, so, so close… Do you know what that’s like? Being apart from someone you love so long and never knowing if you’ll ever get to see them again? I hope you don’t.” “Yeah, I do,” he replied softly. He knew that pain all too well. But what right did that give Victoria to treat him like shit? It certainly wasn’t his fault Dracula was dead. What did he do to deserve that kind of treatment? Rose stopped in her tracks as they approached the front of the bar and pointed ahead. “I think that’s her!” Roarke looked ahead and there, indeed, coming their way was Antoinette, wearing a pretty pink dress, laughing along with the people walking with her. He recognized Carlos, another member of the coven he’d seen around, but he didn’t know who the scowling, athletic-looking Egyptian woman with them was. “Wonder who that is,” he said quietly, eyeing Carlos suspiciously. The two were oddly similar with their habit of being a womanizer, yet Carlos didn’t seem to get as much shit as Roarke did from Victoria. He better not be trying anything, he growled mentally. Antoinette deserved better than that. Rose leaned over and whispered, “He’s trying. He’s trying really hard, he is.” As the group got closer to them, Antoinette waved cheerfully. “Hey, hun! You got here safe! Ooh, who’s that with you?” “I’m Rose!” Rose chirped. “Ah, hello Roarke!” Carlos said, arcing his eyebrow. “You are quite lucky to have the lovely Miss LeBlanc as your bodyguard! She has been a delight to talk to, and…” He held up a box, “…I am certain her cupcakes will be delicious as well.” Carlos turned back to Antoinette. “So, shall I be seeing you at the big mansion party tomorrow?” Antoinette shrugged. “I’d like to, but…” She glanced slyly at Roarke. “That’s all up to the man I’m bodyguardin’, I think.” “Wait, you’re allowed to come?” A grin spread across his face. Suddenly, this agonizing obligation seemed less painful than before. “Yep! So long as our charges want us there, we can!” Antoinette said. “Yeah, Carlos,” the Egyptian woman muttered, “maybe there’s someone else you could be inviting to meet Ms. Shibani?” Carlos turned to her, perplexed. “Who?” He paused. “Oh, duh. Would you like to come, Talia?” “Sure,” the woman, Talia, said through gritted teeth. “Really would love to.” “Well, anyway, have fun Roarke, Rose, and Antoinette!” Carlos laughed. “It seems I’ve made Talia angry, and I’m bound on my honor to make it up to her. So, I take my leave of you! See you tomorrow, Antoinette,” Carlos winked before grabbing Talia’s hand and walking off with her. Her irritated expression melted a little as they walked away. When they were out of earshot, Rose said, “He’s a bit of a twit, yeah?” Under his breath, Roarke mumbled, “He’s no worse than me.” No matter how irritated he was that another member of the coven was hitting on Antoinette, he had no room to talk badly about him when he’d done the exact same thing the second he’d laid eyes on her. Antoinette cocked her head at him. “Hey hun, you doin’ okay? You seem a bit down.” She reached out and took his hand. “Come on, let’s head on in! Have a few drinks, maybe you can sing me a song or somethin’!” His palm tingled at her touch. “Drinks sound great, but you won’t catch me singing.” “Awww, but I bet you’d sing good, you would,” Rose moped. “I definitely don’t,” he countered. There was no way they were going to get him on the karaoke stage. “You won’t even do it for lil’ ol’ Antoinette? How ‘bout if I bat my eyelashes at you real nice?” she asked, doing just that as they stepped inside. Roarke felt his stomach flip, but that steeled his resolve even more. He was not going to embarrass himself in front of her. “Nope.” He was surprised to see the bar was completely empty. Even the woman who usually spent the full night drinking and chatting with Armstrong was absent. He guessed it was still a little too early for most people to be out drinking yet. Armstrong glanced over at them as they entered, immediately doing a double take and nudging Mack. “Rose?” both of them said in unison. “Hi Mack! Hi Armstrong!” Rose waved. Mack narrowed his eyes. “Roarke, what, pray tell, are your intentions for Rose?” Roarke could feel his shoulders slumping, and his good mood plummeting. It was a fair question. He never brought anyone in just to hang out, but it didn’t make him feel any less shitty. Anotinette squeezed his hand. “Come on hun, cheer up! We’re gonna have a good night! Mack, Armstrong, I’m thinkin’ Roarke ain’t got those sort of plans with Rose! She doesn’t seem his type.” Rose put a hand over her heart in mock offense. “Ouch! You’ve wounded me, you have!” She dramatically slumped into the nearest chair, her arm against her forehead. Roarke rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t stop himself from smirking in amusement. So maybe she wasn’t all that bad, just a little eccentric sometimes. The three were soon seated at a table, and after Mack took their orders, Antoinette asked, “So Roarke, you been havin’ a good day?” “Not at all,” he groaned. “Victoria had me cleaning the toilet today.” Antoinette wrinkled her nose. “Ugh. Well, guess someone has to, doubt she wants her daughter seein’ a bathroom full of cobwebs. I doubt it means much comin’ from me, but I’m proud of you for steppin’ up to that nasty job!” He felt bad taking the credit when Rose had technically cleaned it, so he just shrugged. “You should’ve seen it, Antoinette!” Rose chimed in. “He was cleaning faster than I ever saw anyone clean before! He was like a blur, he was!” Antoinette laughed. “Well color me impressed!” Roarke glanced at Rose in surprise. She knew as well as he did that it was her telekinesis that had cleaned the bathroom, yet she was helping him look good in front of the blonde. He shot her a grateful grin before turning his attention back to Antoinette. “It’s a one time thing, though. Cleaning is too much work!” She sighed. “Darn, and here I was gonna hire you to clean my bathroom. Oh well! I’d still love to see you work at my bakery, though.” “You were really serious about that?” he asked cautiously. He’d love any excuse to be close to her, but what did that mean? He didn’t want a relationship. He wasn’t ready for something like that. But at the same time, he also wasn’t entirely satisfied with the thought of being a casual fling. The confusion was making his head feel heavy. “One hundred and ten percent, hun!” she beamed. “I’ll, uh… think about it, okay?” He probably should talk to her about what exactly they were first. Rose cast him a sidelong look, then bounced up out of her seat. “I want to sing!” Before either of them could reply, she skipped on up to the bar and started perusing the song list. “I guess we’re getting some entertainment after all,” he laughed, though he had a feeling she did this so he could talk to Antoinette alone. He wasn’t crazy about his thoughts being heard, but maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing. “So, uh… How… was work?” Small talk probably wasn’t the best way to go, but how did one start a conversation like this? She gave a small shrug. “Same as usual, honestly: slow and borin’. Least until Carlos showed up, anyway. I don’t get too much business ‘sides from my coworkers and now the coven, but that’s probably cuz I ain’t good at advertisin’.” She sighed. “Been open three months now, and I’m just realizin’ I forgot to announce the grand openin’. I’m a dang fool.” “It’s never too late to,” he offered. “No one will know the difference, right? Maybe I could come on the big day and help out.” He offered a smile. He didn’t know the first thing about baking, but he could at least man the register or something. “That’s awful sweet of you, hun,” she grinned. “Just tell me when and I’ll be there to… do something.” He shrugged and admitted, “I can’t bake for shit, so I’m not sure what you’d want me to do.” “There’s more to a bakery than just bakin’, hun!” she said with another wink. “There’s plenty you could do!” “Well, then that’s what I’ll do. Just don’t make me wear an apron.” He nearly cringed at the thought. No woman would want to sleep with him if they saw him like that. “I think you’d be darn cute in an apron,” she replied, easing his worries. “Nothin’ but an apron,” she added teasingly. He raised both of his eyebrows. “Oh, really?” He supposed he could make an exception if that’s what she really wanted to see. And then he remembered why he wanted to talk to her. He had no idea what they were or what they were going to be. Since he’d been turned, he hadn’t spent more than one night with a woman. It was weird and anxiety-inducing. He didn’t know how to feel about it. How did he even have this conversation with her? She tilted her head curiously at him. “You okay, hun? You look like you just found a worm in your apple and are tryin’ to figure out what it is by chewin’ it some more.” She giggled. “My cousin Levi did that once when we were little. Oh, shoot, I’m digressin’! What’s on your mind?” “Oh, it’s nothing.” He glanced at the bar. What was taking Armstrong so long to make their drinks? The cause was soon apparent: Rose had distracted him and Mack, talking their ears off about the song choices. “I’m just, you know, trying to… figure out, uh, what’s going on with us, I guess.” She raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” “Well, uh…” Heat crawled up his neck. “You know, is it just a one time thing or…?” She smirked. “What, you mean what we got up to? Hoo boy, don’t think I could say no, honestly. Guess as long as you don’t find your ‘one,’ I don’t mind you keepin’ me up at night.” “My what?” He had a feeling it was another vampire thing he should have already known about. Thanks, sire, he grumbled. Her eyes widened. “You don’t know ‘bout that either? Basically it’s like a vampire’s soulmate; a person that’s their perfect match; a person that makes their skin tingle whenever they touch and leaves ‘em achin’ when they ain’t around.” She giggled. “It’s so silly, but I kinda wish I could be a vampire’s ‘one.’ Especially now that I know vampires really are better than any mortal man.” His stomach flipped. No, it’s not like that, he immediately told himself, but that didn’t stop a little voice in his head from grinning masochistically. He tried distracting himself by jokingly saying, “Who knows, maybe you’re Carlos’s, uh, ‘one’.” She laughed. “What? Nah, no way. He’s a sweetheart, but I dunno, he ain’t the kinda guy I’m into.” He wasn’t able to stop himself from asking, “What kind of guy are you into, then?” “Hmmm… Handsome, strong enough to pick me up, knows how to have a good time, has a sensitive side and ain’t afraid to talk about things…” She rattled off a few more qualities, qualities that sounded dangerously on the nose. “Sounds, uh, pretty reasonable.” He glanced towards the bar again. He could really use a drink right now. Rose gestured towards him with her head and Mack practically jumped, scrambling to get their order ready. They made their way over a short time later, drinks in hand. “Here you two are, sorry about that, uh… Rose is very excited. We have a lot of Misfits songs on the list; she’s a big fan apparently, telling us about all the movies the songs are based on. My apologies, Roarke, Antoinette.” Roarke grabbed his drink and took a long gulp. “It’s not a problem. Tell her to hurry up and start singing so she can come back here and drink with us.” And to save him from the awkwardness of his interactions with his “bodyguard”. “Right, right,” Mack nodded. “Uh, enjoy your drinks, you two.” They retreated back behind the bar, and Rose finally skipped on up to the stage. “Wonder what she’s gonna sing?” Antoinette asked. “What kinda music do you think she likes?” “I have no idea,” Roarke admitted. “She’s kind of an oddball, so I’d believe anything. Maybe German polka?” “‘Ello!” Rose chirped into the microphone. “Rose here! I’m gonna be singing ‘Helena’ by the Misfits!” The song began, and both he and Antoinette were taken aback not only by how well Rose could sing, but by how the song was about bodily mutilation (and it wasn’t even particularly subtle). “Um… well, certainly wasn’t expectin’ punk rock, that’s for sure,” Antoinette admitted. “You know what?” he laughed. “I’m not even surprised.” He sipped his drink while they listened to the oddly morbid song. “You sure you ain’t gonna sing, hun?” Antoinette asked, once again batting her eyelashes seductively. He was almost convinced (damn woman), but he shook his head stubbornly. “Not happening. Sorry, sweet thing.” “Someday I’ll convince you,” Antoinette sighed as Rose finished her song, bowed, and skipped back over to the table. “How’d you like it?” Rose beamed. Roarke grinned at her. “You did great!” She wagged her finger. “I’ve had a lot of time to practice, so I better be! Over 250 years now!” “Damn,” he whistled. In vampire years, she was at least 6 times older than he was. “You must have a lot of interestin’ stories to tell!” Antoiennete said. “I’ve heard a few things, like how you used to go to Dracula’s school, and you sometimes send in pictures to the Silverwings.” “Yep!” Rose beamed. “I take good pictures, I do!” “Oh, you’re a photographer, huh?” Roarke asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise. “That’s actually really cool.” “Oh, it’s just a hobby and all that,” she admitted sheepishly. “Got a few I’m really proud of though!” She pulled off her hat and reached inside, producing a small pile of photos. A good number of them were of Rose with a handsome man in a red leather jacket with slicked-back black hair and a rather manic expression. “Who’s that?” Roarke asked, looking at the unfamiliar man. “Your boyfriend?” “That’s my brother, Rex!” Rose laughed. “Don’t you see the resemblance? What kind of weirdo dates their own brother?” “Oh, shit, I’m sorry!” He cringed at his assumption. “It’s okay!” Rose giggled. “Here, look, here’s something else!” She produced a picture of an extremely tall man in a long, dark coat with a scarf wrapped around his face. What little could be seen of him was his bald head, pointed ears, and pure white skin. “Took this one a few years ago on a visit!” “Who is that?” he asked, peering at the photograph in confusion. “That’s Mr. Orlok! He took care of me after I was turned!” Antoinette peered at it as well. “Orlok? Like the vampire in Nosferatu?” Rose nodded, her smile growing a bit tight. “Mhmm. That movie is bad, bad, bad, though. He’s a nice man, he is. Speaking of!” She pulled out two more photos that looked very old. “These are the only two photos I have of Dracula himself!” She placed the two photos down on the table and they peered over them. The first was a photo of a group of people. It was pretty evident that the tall, imposing man with dark hair in the center was Dracula, but there were a few other people he didn’t recognize, such as a man wearing glasses with a long ponytail, a bored-looking Asian woman, a man and a woman who looked rather stuffy and aristocratic, a guy who looked absolutely miserable, a thin man with an impressive beard, a mysterious dark-skinned man, and a tall, imposing woman with a smile that seemed pleasant but gave Roarke a sense of unease. The other picture showed Dracula standing behind Victoria, who was noticeably shorter, with his hands on her shoulders. The two of them were smiling while a group of people stood in the foreground. He recognized Rose among them, as well as her brother and the man with the ponytail from the other photo. Perhaps the most noticeable thing was that one person’s face had been pierced through and was now unrecognizable. “So, uh, are we allowed to ask who this is?” he cautiously inquired, pointing to the unknown person. “Jack,” Rose whispered. “He… He’s my ex.” Roarke nodded in understanding. It made sense now, and if he had to guess, they had a bad past. She smiled sadly. “You’ve no idea.” She tapped on Victoria in the picture. “I’m going to make sure she’s happy like this again. Nadia coming back, that’ll help! But I’m going to help her get Dracula back, cuz everyone deserves to be with the one they love!” Antoinette nodded in agreement. “You’re a real sweetheart, Rose.” Roarke frowned slightly, and his mind began to wander. He didn’t know if he agreed with that entirely. He’d been in love once, but life had other plans for him. He’d never even had a chance to at least tell her goodbye first. Linda Davis was her name. He could still remember how she smiled when she talked about how she wanted to work as an electrical engineer at her grandfather’s electric company, which serviced power to the whole town. He never understood why she had such a passion for it, but he loved how motivated and determined she was. He missed the gentle floral scent the shampoo she used left in her hair and how soft her hands were when he held them. She was happily married to someone else now, likely believing he had died the night he disappeared. And that was exactly why he wouldn’t allow himself to be with somebody else again. In the blink of an eye, he lost her completely from his life. He didn’t want to go through that pain again. He didn’t want to go through that pain again; it was better to be alone. “That’s the great thing about vampires,” Rose continued. “No matter what we ourselves think, we always have a chance to find happiness! We just gotta seize it when we come across it!” “So I should seize another drink, right?” he joked. “Oh, def-in-ite-ly!” Rose held out her hand right as Mack came over and handed her a fruity drink, complete with a little umbrella in it. “I can already tell the drinks here are good, good, good.” “We try our best, Rose,” Mack smiled. The three continued drinking and talking for the next two hours. Antoinette tried again to ask him to sing, but he again refused (though it was getting harder to say no with those beautiful blue puppy dog eyes). At one point, Rose left for the bathroom and was gone for nearly twenty minutes, giving him plenty of time to get to know Antoinette more. He was certain she had done it on purpose, especially since he knew she was listening to his thoughts by how she occasionally piped up to answer an unspoken question or thought he had. Eventually, Roarke sighed and announced that he should return back to the manor before Victoria sharpened the axe to slice off his head with. “I’d like to stay, but she hates me enough as it is.” Antoinette sighed. “Darn. And here I wanted to spend some more time with you. But I ain’t out to get you in trouble.” He smirked at her. “Well, you are supposed to make sure I get from place-to-place safely, right?” “That is true,” she admitted. He turned to his new companion and asked, “Are you okay with that, Rose?” He was surprised by how much he genuinely enjoyed her company. Sure, she was a bit energetic and quirky, but she was fun in her own way. Plus, she didn’t seem to mind that at least half of his thoughts were about Antoinette and the things he wanted to do with her. Rose nodded with a big smile. “”Course I am! I like Antoinette, she’s very, very sweet.” “Yeah, that she is,” he murmured before pulling out his wallet. “Drinks are on me, ladies.” “What a gentleman,” smiled Antoinette. “And here I thought I’d have to pay!” Rose laughed. “I’ll leave a nice tip though, I will! Nice to see Armstrong again, and nice to see Mack in their element!” Roarke pulled out two twenties and a ten and tossed them on the table. “Maybe we’ll come back sometime. Like, preferably when my life isn’t in danger.” “Would be nice,” Antoinette sighed. “Dang it, why couldn’t we have met a few months ago?” Roarke frowned in confusion. “Victoria hated me then, too. I don’t think there’s been a single moment when she really liked me. Well, actually, she might have when I first joined.” “Why does she hate you, really?” Antoinette asked sadly. “I mean, you ain’t much worse than Carlos or Eric, why’d she single you out?” “It’s cuz he was all lonely-like,” Rose chimed in. He turned to look at her with stunned confusion. “What do you mean?” “You kept to yourself, and you had no friends, and you didn’t spend time with anyone. Probably gave her bad memories, it did. I could tell, listening in. It reminded me a lot of what people used to say about me, it did,” she bowed her head. “It’s why I decided to drag you out and all. I didn’t want you to be so lonesome anymore.” He was surprised by this. He hadn’t really thought about why she’d wanted to go out and about with him, but it made sense. “Oh, well, um, thanks.” He wasn’t used to anyone in the coven being nice to him for the sake of being nice (not that any of them were nice to him, really, but that was besides the point). Rose skipped over, slapped a sizable tip on the table, and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re welcome, puppy. Best be off now, give you two some quality time, yeah?” She skipped over to the door and waved. “See you at the big dinner tomorrow!” Before either of them could respond, Rose was out the door. “And she’s gone,” he said, staring at the door as it swung shut behind her. She certainly didn’t have to go, but he’d barely had time to react before she was speeding out of the bar. Why’d she call me “puppy”, though? he wondered. Did he act like a dog? With a sigh, he turned his attention to Antoinette. “I guess it’s just the two of us, now.” “Well, that doesn’t have to be so bad, now does it?” Antoinette smiled. “Now you got me all to yourself. Though, I really wish she was still here to sing for us, since someone doesn’t wanna serenade me.” She gave him yet another one of her adorable pouts. That was his cue to leave before he actually agreed to embarrass himself. He pushed his chair back and stood up. “There’s about a dozen things I’d rather be doing than singing, sweet thing,” he laughed. “Oh, I bet you would, Mister Roarke,” she giggled. “So, I guess I’m stayin’ the night at the manor? Gonna be a bit too late for me to walk home all by myself, right? Plus then I get front row seats to Ms. Shibani arrivin’.” Anxiety hit him like a truck. He’d never had a woman in his room before; it was always the other way around. “Are you sure you can with the bakery and all? Don’t you have to open it in the morning?” “Normally, yes, but Silverwing businesses are all takin’ a day off for this big event. We don’t gotta do anythin’ dirty if you don’t want to, hun. I’d be happy just layin’ in your arms, talkin’ to you all night about whatever…” Her face flushed pink, and she fanned herself with her hand. “Dang it, I sound real corny, don’t I? Like some silly schoolgirl. I dunno what’s comin’ over me.” Maybe a little, but what made him feel even more panicked was how he would mind that at all. What the hell is wrong with you, Roarke? Get it together! You don’t do relationships anymore, remember? Not that he needed to remind himself. He’d gone through intense heartbreak when he’d lost Linda back in the 70’s. He wasn’t ready to go through that again. Dating anyone again would be putting his heart at risk. He wasn’t ready for a relationship, no matter how sexy Antoinette might be. “I mean, otherwise I suppose I could just walk you home, and head home myself. It ain’t any bother to me if you’ve had your fill of me for the night.” She laughed but he could tell it really would bother her. Against his better judgment, he blurted out, “I never said I was tired of you.” He didn’t know if he could get tired of her. She was like a delicious poison. He knew it was dangerous to spend so much time around her, but he found it increasingly harder to say no. “Well, that’s a relief!” she said, her face flushing even more as a big smile spread across her face. “I, uh. I don’t know. Feel relieved to hear that and all. Guess I really made the right choice pickin’ you, huh?” “I don’t know about that,” he replied with a frown. He was still pretty sure she’d regret it eventually. “Hey you, turn that frown upside down!” She reached over and pushed the edges of his mouth up, beaming at him. “We’re havin’ a fun night, right? You got a new friend, we had a few drinks, and who knows what else is in store for us!” He lifted a brow. “Is it sex?” She smirked. “Maybe.” Roarke grinned. He offered his hand to help her up out of her seat. “Then what are we waiting for?” “You tell me, handsome.” She put her hand in his and let him help her up onto her feet. With a wave in Armstrong’s direction, he led her out of the bar. By this time, it was dark outside. He could hear the familiar sounds of crime coming from several directions. It served as a harsh reminder that Rhine City was a safe place for vampires, but not so much for mortals. Who cared about rumors of creatures of the night when thugs were running around beating up innocents and breaking into homes? Maybe the crime was partially why he felt obligated to protect Antoinette as much as she was protecting him. She might be able to fight off a vampire killer, but he could fight off criminals. There was no way he was going to let anyone hurt her. Again, the voice in the back of his mind was giving him a knowing look, and again, he ignored it. It didn’t mean anything. He was just being nice. But even he knew this was bullshit. He had a feeling the more time he spent with Antoinette, the worse things were going to get for him, but how could he turn her away when she so clearly wanted him as much as he wanted her? Those gorgeous blue eyes and those soft, kissable lips were going to get him in major trouble, but he had a feeling that, in about twenty-five minutes, once they were back at the house and in his room, he wasn’t going to care. ****** Akina drummed on the wheel of her car while she sat in the parking lot of Brightside’s waiting for Rita to be done with work. She’d been asked to pick up the new recruit to bring her safely back to the Inn for a small team meeting later that night. Minerva had warned her that there was a chance she may not get out on time—something about side work, whatever that was—and to bring something to do in case it took awhile. Akina wished she’d taken her boss seriously as it had been at least twenty-five minutes since she’d arrived, and she was beyond bored. She glanced into her rearview mirror. The bags under her eyes, one brown and one hazel (thanks to heterochromia), looked more defined than they had when she was in high school. She sighed and made a mental note to find a way to lessen them. There was no way Debra would think she was hot with those. She sighed and ran her fingers through her short dark hair. One of her cousins, who was attending a local school for cosmetology, had cut it at home for practice. She called it an edgy pixie cut which, of course, went completely over Akina’s head, but she loved it regardless of its technical name But did Debra? Try as she might to get the woman’s attention, it didn’t seem like it was enough. What did she have to do to get noticed? With another sigh, she leaned her head back against her seat. The woman vexed her to no end. She soon heard Rita ‘s laughter outside. Sitting back up, she saw the young woman leaving the restaurant alongside a very pale, dark-haired young man dressed in clothing that seemed way too fancy for the restaurant he was in. He looked like he’d fit in more at some sort of upper class restaurant. He was smiling and laughing alongside her, and he cheerily waved goodbye to Rita as she skipped over to the car before he went back inside. Rita slipped into the passenger seat beside her. “Howdy! Sorry I took so long, had to do some last minute work, then Allen wanted to chat with me for a bit.” “It’s okay,” she shrugged. “I’m used to, you know, sitting outside somewhere and waiting. Part of my job and all.” “Well, alright.” She pulled out her phone and tapped on it a few times. “So, let me ask you something: do you know anything about cryptids?” “Like Bigfoot?” She turned her key in the ignition, and her car delightfully rumbled to life. “Yeah! Like good ol’ Bigfoot! But he’s entry-level stuff, everyone knows about him! Here!” She lifted up her phone and showed a picture of a dolphin with very prominent fangs. “This one’s pretty obscure! The vampire dolphin! There’ve been sightings of it for over a hundred years, and one of the cryptid blogs I follow posted a sighting of it a few weeks ago!” She lifted an eyebrow curiously as she peered at the image. It looked real, but so did the pictures of the Loch Ness Monster. “That’s so fake.” Rita laughed. “You think so, huh? It does seem a little too good to be true, doesn’t it? But that’s the fun of these blogs! I like trying to figure out if it’s fake or if maybe, maybe there’s something to it!” “If there is,” she started as she backed out of her parking spot, “then it’s just a weird mutation.” “Oh man, my uncle would be all over that,” Rita nodded. “He’s an evolutionary biologist.” “He should go find this weird dolphin, if it even exists, and see what the deal is. Solve the big mystery.” She shifted the car from reverse to drive and started making her way out of the parking lot and onto the street. “So, you ready for this meeting?” “I sure am! Real excited to be part of this, let me tell you!” “I bet you’ll get to something more exciting than drive around.” She laughed for good measure, but it did slightly irritate her that she was basically a glorified errand girl. Rita snorted. “Doubt it. The Ravencrofts don’t want me getting hurt and I bet Minerva doesn’t want that either. Pretty sure I’m just gonna be delivering messages back and forth with your help.” She gave a sidelong glance and a smile. “Hopefully I’m not gonna be a burden on you like I was yesterday, hun.” “What do you mean? You weren’t a burden.” Though, admittedly, it would be nice to have someone to talk to when she drove around town to grab food or drop something off somewhere (usually a confidential letter or package of some kind). “You sure didn’t seem very enthused about me being around yesterday, y’know,” Rita said teasingly. “Oh, that…” She could feel her cheeks growing warm, and she was immediately thankful her dark skin eliminated any chance of a visible blush on her face. “It really wasn’t you. I promise. Like I said yesterday, I, um… Just was hoping to chat a little bit with Debra, that’s all.” She had apologized to Rita the day before, but she still felt bad about being so rude to her. It wasn’t her fault Debra was impossible to impress. “She don’t much seem like a chatting type. But don’t worry, I forgive you. Try and treat every day like a brand new beginning, y’know? My other uncle taught me that. He’s just a real bundle of sunshine.” “Is that where you get it from?” she joked. Rita was rather energetic, almost too much. “Yep! My uncles pretty much raised me, so I’m more like them than anyone else!” “That makes sense, I guess.” She slowed as they reached a red light. “Damnit, it’s like these stupid lights know when I’m coming, and they turn red just to piss me off!” “You sound like my mom did,” Rita laughed. “She’d usually just run the lights, though. She didn’t care.” “It’s tempting,” she admitted, “but I can’t really risk getting a ticket.” Her family couldn’t afford another financial burden. They were struggling to get by as it was. “That’s fair,” Rita sighed. “I guess it’s different when you’re the police chief, right?” “Wait, what?” She was so shocked by this that she completely missed the light turning green. The car behind her honked, and she slammed the gas pedal to zoom forward. “Shit, sorry!” “Might as well get this outta the way as early as possible: I’m Rita Rigby, daughter of the famous former police chief Ellen Rigby,” Rita grumbled. The way Rita said it, Akina knew she meant ‘infamous,’ and that certainly is what Ellen Rigby had been. She was known as bumbling, incompetent, lazy, and corrupt among those affected by crime in the city, and she’d allowed so many cases to get utterly botched. It was to the point where, when she vanished eight years ago and turned up dead a few months later, not many people were particularly unhappy to hear it. “Shit, I never would have guessed that. You’re, like, the exact opposite of her. Or, well, you seem to be, anyway.” She took a sharp left, narrowly missing the car next to them. “Oops, sorry!” “Well, like I said, it’s cuz my uncles raised me,” replied Rita. “Mom wasn’t exactly there for me much to shape my personality. Probably a good thing, huh?” “Yeah, probably,” Akina agreed. She took another left. “What would your uncles think about you joining Minerva’s group and all?” “I’m sure they’d be worried knowing I was in it, but I like to think they’d understand. Especially Uncle Matt. I don’t think they’d want to get involved themselves though, as much as they want this city to be a better place.” “That makes sense,” she nodded. Her family all wanted better living conditions, but they didn’t want to take a stand for fear of being punished as a result. She was the only one bold enough to actually do something about it. Sort of, anyway. She wasn’t exactly making the kind of money that would pay off all and any debt, but it was better than sitting around doing nothing. “Hey, you know what?” Rita said suddenly. “I think we should go get a coffee.” Well, that was entirely random. “What, right now? What about the meeting?” “What, you’re gonna sit through a meeting without coffee?” “Um… Well, I was, yeah.” But she knew Debra wouldn’t. Akina fought back a smile. It was a genius idea! Debra would, for sure, notice her now. “But coffee sounds good! Where do you want to go?” “I know a great little place, and I’m friends with the barista there! It’s actually not too far, so if we get our orders in quick and all, we won’t miss out on this meeting!” “Sounds like a plan to me.” With Rita acting as a GPS, she started driving to the coffee shop. It was in a quieter part of town. The exterior looked like an average cafe, much to Akina’s amusement. She parked along the curb not two feet from the building, making sure to lock the doors before they walked inside. Standing behind the counter in an apron was a skinny, freckled young woman with poofy hair that was dyed a light purple who looked unbelievably bored. She perked up slightly as Rita approached and gave a small, tired smile. “Heya, Rita,” the woman yawned. “What’s up?” “Nothing much Rue!” Rita chirped. “Just here to get some coffees!” The woman, Rue, looked over Akina. “Got a new girlfriend?” Rita giggled. “I just met her yesterday, Rue! What do you take me for? She’s just a coworker from my new side job!” Akina stared at Rita in astonishment. She was gay? Damnit, is my gaydar broken or something? she thought in embarrassment. “Uh oh, I think I scared her,” Rue said. “Huh?” Rita whirled towards her. “You alright, Akina?” “Yeah, I’m fine.” She immediately glanced at the menu hanging on the wall above the register. What would Debra like? Probably something loaded with caffeine. “Well, you know what I like!” Rita grinned, leaning onto the counter. “Yep, java chip frappuccino, add a shot of hazelnut, don’t skimp on the whipped cream, blah blah blah,” Rue yawned. Akina lifted a dark brow. “I’m guessing you come here quite a bit.” “Gotta make sure my BFF’s tip jar is nice and full!” Rita said as she stuffed a few bills into the tip jar on the counter. She nodded understandingly. If one of her family members worked here, she’d want to do the same. “So, uh, what’s the strongest drink you’ve got?” Rue yawned. “That would probably be the Atomic Bomb. Extra espresso, whatever flavors you want, all that good stuff. They really should make you sign a waiver before you drink it.” That sounded perfect for Debra. With a big grin, she said, “I’ll take one of those, please. And, um, just a mocha latte, too.” “Somebody’s thirsty,” Rue said as she tapped the order in. “I’ve got this covered, don’t worry,” Rita winked as she pulled her credit card out. Guilt hit Akina since one of the coffees wasn’t exactly for her, and she immediately piped up, “It’s okay! I can pay for it!” Rita held up a finger. “No way. I want you to know there’s no hard feelings about yesterday. I treat every day like a new, fresh start. So,” she said as she slid her card through the reader and gave Akina a bright smile. “I’m paying.” She forced a smile and managed to say, “Thanks, Rita.” But that didn’t help ease the guilt weighing heavily in her stomach. Would it be better to be honest about the other coffee? Would she be upset about it? “Your coworker here really has no idea what she’s in for,” Rue snorted. “Alright, it’ll just be a minute for those drinks.” Rita stepped to the side and began scrolling furiously on her phone, a determined look on her face. Akina cleared her throat. She didn’t want to interrupt, but she decided it was better to be honest with Rita. “Um, so, I need to confess something.” She looked up from her phone and gave her a curious look. “Oh? What’s up?” “So, uh, one of those coffees isn’t exactly for me. You remember Debra, right?” “Don’t worry, I figured one of them was for someone else! You do not strike me as the espresso type at all,” laughed Rita. “My uncle Matt says you can tell a lot about the kind of person someone is from what kind of drink they order at a coffee shop. Uncle Itsuki, his husband, always orders a hazelnut latte, and be it iced or hot, he always goes for skim milk if he can. Uncle Matt says that means he likes to stay refreshed but focused and at least attempts to make healthy choices.” She put her hands up and framed them around Akina’s face. “You are most definitely not the kind of person who would drink some super-caffeinated coffee. But that grouchy, tired-looking lady who looks like she could probably snap someone’s neck if she wanted? Heck yeah, she’s gonna chug down that espresso! You, though, you definitely seem the mocha latte type.” “I do?” she asked in surprise. She hadn’t predicted Rita would be okay with the extra coffee being for someone else. “Why’s that?” She wagged her finger. “I can’t tell you yet! Maybe if we become really good friends I will!” Rue came over with the drinks loaded carefully into a carrier. “Uh oh, is she going on about the coffee thing?” Akina pouted. “Yeah, but she won’t tell me what she thinks mine means.” “Don’t you dare spoil it, Rue!” Rita warned. The barista shook her head with amusement. “Oh, you’re really in for it, miss. Anyway, hope you enjoy the drinks. Hope you don’t have any heart problems if you’re drinking that Atomic Bomb.” “Wait, is that a possibility?” she asked, hating how her voice squeaked with overwhelming concern. What if giving this to Debra killed her? Rue held up a hand to her mouth to suppress an oncoming fit of giggles. “Yeah. Totally. We serve drinks that can kill people here.” “Come on Rue, don’t tease her! It’s for one of our bosses!” Rita whined. Her eyes darted between them. “So it’s safe… right?” Rue took a deep breath to calm her snickering. “If your boss can handle caffeine well, yes, they’ll be fine.” Her entire body sagged in relief. “Oh, good. She can definitely handle caffeine!” “Well there we go!” Rita exclaimed. Akina sheepishly grinned. “Thanks. I, uh, I guess we better get going, huh?” Rita nodded, then waved to Rue. “See you later, hun! We still on for movies Friday?” “Duh,” Rue snorted. “I don’t wanna miss whatever B-grade monster movie you’ve dug up this time.” Akina was burning with curiosity, but she waited until they left the coffee shop and were in her car before asking, “So, you like monster movies?” “I sure do!” Rita exclaimed. “I’ve been watching monster movies my whole life! And ever since I got Rue into them way back when, we’ve had a ritual: every Friday night I dig up some cheesy old movie, and we watch it! Just a couple of gals, having a night to ourselves!” Rita gave Akina a sly look. “Do you like monster movies?” As she started up the car, she admitted, “I’ve never really seen any.” Going to the movie theater or building up a collection of movies was impossible when your family was barely scraping by most days. “Hm, well, you’re in luck, because it just so happens there’s an opening for me and Rue’s party on Friday. If you’re interested, of course.” “Wait, really?” She was glad she hadn’t pulled out of the parking spot yet because she was staring at Rita in astonishment. “I wouldn’t be crashing or anything?” “Nah, the more the merrier!” Rita winked. “Besides, you gotta be my friend if you wanna know what your coffee order means! And what better way to become friends than by watching a giant turtle monster fight a big bat from outer space?” Figuring she couldn’t argue with that logic, Akina nodded before pulling onto the street to begin heading to the Inn. “Alright, I guess just tell me when and where, and I’ll be there!” “It’ll be at my uncle’s house, I’ll give you the address and my contact info when you’re safely parked again!” “That’s fair,” she laughed. She was pleasantly surprised by how excited she was for the movie night, both because she’d get to watch a movie and because she’d get to spend time with Rita and her friend. As she sped off towards the Inn, trying to reach their destination in time, she wondered if she and Rita would become close. It seemed like the woman was quite open to this idea, and Akina couldn’t deny that it would be nice to, once again, have a friend in her life. ****** Aiden was stressed out. He knew he should be happy because Eric was finally his boyfriend, but he was sure it would crumble into a million pieces of fragile ash once he found out the truth. It was for this reason that he opted to walk around his neighborhood instead of at the park once his mom was fed, showered, and tucked into bed.
Cardinal Lane, the street he and his mother lived on, was rather quiet, though that wasn’t surprising considering it was past 10:30 P.M. Very few people dared to step outside their doors if they could avoid it once the sun dipped below the horizon. This made it significantly safer than the park, though he knew he was still at risk just by being outside. Rhine City wasn’t dubbed “Crime City” without reason. Even the people living in neighboring cities were hesitant about coming to Rhine. But this was at the very back of his mind. The anxiety caused by knowing he would need to confess his secret to Eric soon before they got too serious was distracting Aiden. How was he supposed to tell him? Was he just supposed to blurt it out? Should he ease into it? Should it be in person, over the phone, or through a text? These loud, muddled thoughts were so overwhelming in his mind that he didn’t notice a man with large, bulging muscles and a deep grimace coming his way. His attention was brought back to the present, however, when the man shouted at Aiden, making him flinch in surprise. “Did you hear me?” the thug sneered, standing just inches away. He cracked his fingers menacingly, each one making a loud, sickening pop. “I said move it, pipsqueak!” The last thing Aiden really wanted to do was to find himself in a similar situation as the one in the park. This time, he didn’t have Eric to save his ass, so he shifted to one side of the sidewalk to let the guy pass. This, however, didn’t seem to satisfy him. As though he was intentionally looking for an excuse to start a fight, he scoffed and peered at him with disgust, his large moss green eyes glaring hard. “What’s your problem, girly boy?” This insult ignited pure anger within him. Suddenly, Aiden wasn’t so scared anymore. “What the fuck did you just call me?” The man almost appeared surprised, possibly not expecting a defensive reaction from him, but the grin that spread across his greasy face told Aiden he certainly wasn’t displeased. “What, you don’t like that, pretty boy? You think you can take me? You look like a skinny little girl ready to crawl back to mommy.” “Fuck you,” Aiden spat. “Ooh, a spicy little boy, huh?” The man pounded one large fist into the thick palm of his opposite hand. “You’re gonna regret not shutting that pretty little mouth.” He pulled back his arm, ready to punch him, and Aiden was pretty sure the next time he’d see Eric, he wouldn’t think he was so attractive. The sound of tires screeching against pavement gave the thug and Aiden pause. They both turned their heads to see a black car barreling towards them, skidding to a stop right across the street. The window rolled down a few seconds later and from inside, a female voice called out, “Yo, shrimp dick. Wanna have a fight with someone your own size?” The thug, forgetting about Aiden completely, turned his body towards the car. “What did you just call me?” he growled. “I called you a shrimp dick,” the voice shouted out. “That means I am saying that your dick is very small and unsatisfying, like a single shrimp is. I figure I need to spell this out for you, cuz you don’t look very bright. Want me to explain what shrimp are next?” The thug scowled and took a few steps towards the car. “Why don’t you get your ass out here and see how wrong you are, huh?” Aiden wasn’t sure what this meant, but he didn’t want to know. “Don’t mind if I do.” The car door swung open and the mysterious woman stepped out into the open, illuminated clearly by the streetlight. She was rather skinny and had bright white hair, which was odd because she didn’t look too much older than him. She was wearing black jean shorts, a black jacket vest over a white tank top, black and white checkerboard sneakers on her feet, and black driving gloves on her hands. There was also a silver necklace dangling around her neck; she was too far away for Aiden to see clearly, but the pendant on it almost looked like a skull. Perhaps the most striking thing about her, which was only visible in the darkness thanks to the light from above, was a scar trailing down her right eye, ending just beneath it. Whatever or whoever gave it to her had thankfully not damaged the eye itself, if her driving was any testament to her vision. “So,” the woman said, “got something to show me, tough guy?” Although he couldn’t see the thug’s face as his back was to Aiden, he could only imagine what sort of perverted grin was on it as he said, “Why don’t you come back to my place and I’ll show you all of it and more?” “I dunno dude, not sure I wanna go to the hospital to see some dick, y’know?” “What?” The man sounded extremely confused. “I don’t live in a hospital!” The woman smirked. “That’s all about to change, buddy boy.” With startling speed, she whipped out a crowbar from behind her back, ran forward, and smashed the thug in the legs. She followed this up with a whack upside the head. Aiden stared wide-eyed as this young woman, who looked like she could easily be broken in half, turned the confident, menacing man into a screaming ball of flesh on the ground. As freaked out as he was, he had to admit it was pretty badass. She tapped the man’s crotch with the crowbar. “Yeah, there’s no way you’d be impressing anyone with that.” She turned towards Aiden and gave him a big smile. “You okay there, bucko? That meathead almost fucked you up! Maybe. I dunno, do you know some secret kung fu moves? You know dim mak? Got a spring-loaded gun like Travis Bickle? Ooh, are you a vampire with funky vampire powers?” He stared at her in utter confusion. “Uh, n-no.” He wasn’t sure if it was just a coincidence that she mentioned vampires, or if she actually knew any. Was she a vampire? “Well hey! No matter! You’re safe now, buddy boy!” She glanced down at the writhing, groaning man. “So, uh, you wanna get outta here with me? Like, not that I particularly care what happens to Mr. Shrimp Dick, but I’m guessing you don’t wanna have to explain this to the cops, if they ever show up anyway.” “Hold on,” he interjected. “I don’t even know who you are.” “Fuck, where are my manners?” She roughly strolled over the thug, causing him to cry out in pain, her hand extended towards Aiden. “Lilith A. Crowley, twin sister of stuntwoman Scarlet Love, fastest driver in Rhine City, and nicest ass on the East coast. And I doubt they have a nicer ass out West, if I’m being honest, which means I have the nicest ass in America. Need a business card too?” He wasn’t entirely sure if she was joking or not, so he simply replied, “No, thank you.” “Cool, cool. So, you gonna shake my hand and tell me your name or am I just gonna stand here looking like a jackass?” “Oh, um, I’m Aiden,” he quickly said before shaking her hand. This woman was quite brash, but she at least seemed like she meant well. How could she not be when she just saved him from getting a black eye? “Aiden? That’s sick. Well now that that’s out of the way, wanna go get a burger?” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder back at the car. “I was just heading to my favorite burger place.” He had already eaten dinner about an hour earlier with his mom, so he was hesitant. “I don’t know. I don’t really have any money with me…” He shoved his hands in his pockets nervously. What was with his life, lately? Suddenly, he was meeting strangers and hanging out with them. He never did this before. “Don’t even worry, I’ve got you covered, it’s my treat! Nothing like some fries and a shake to help you out after a near-death experience, after all! But, y’know, you don’t have to, I can just give you a ride home or whatever.” “Near-death experience…?” He peered at her curiously. Was that guy actually going to kill him? She shrugged. “Probably being hyperbolic but you never know in Rhine City!” She spun on her heel and stomped back over the thug, sliding back into her front seat. “You coming, buddy?” He was about to ask how he knew he could trust her, but considering she’d pulled up at random to save him, he figured she was probably safe. He shrugged and followed her, making sure to walk around the man still whimpering on the ground (though it was tempting to walk over him like a rug). As he slid into the passenger seat, she passed him a phone and the crowbar. “That’s collateral. You can kick my ass if you think I’m suspicious or whatever, but honestly I think you get I’m nice to people who aren’t dickheads. Oh yeah, just a warning, you’d better buckle up because I am totally flooring it the whole way there.” He didn’t hesitate in doing just that, gripping the phone tightly in one hand and the crowbar in the other. Her self-awareness of his hesitation made him wonder how many times she did stuff like this. Was she like Eric, wandering the streets to save those in need? “Alright, let’s goooooooooooooooooo!” She slammed her foot on the gas, and Aiden braced himself as Lilith zoomed her way through the city. The entire neighborhood seemed a blur as she sped by, and it almost seemed like no time at all had passed when they finally arrived at their destination: a burger joint called Vinny’s. “Woo!” Lilith cheered. “Record time, baby!” Aiden’s legs shook as he stepped out of the car. How did she still have a license? Or, more importantly, how did she get one in the first place? She got out of the car and stretched. “Alright, let’s get a move on! Going on a drive like that always works up my appetite! What’re you getting? I already know what I’m getting. You ever had the BBQ onion ring burger here? It’s so good. Wait, shit, have you ever even been here? It might be out of your way, I dunno. Come on, come on, let’s go!” She skipped on over to the door before he could even reply. She had so much energy that Aiden was certain he would be exhausted by the end of the night. He was already starting to get worn out by the sheer amount of anxiety he was under. Still, he couldn’t help but smile in amusement as he followed her inside. The interior of the burger joint was almost stereotypical. There were colorful designs on the wall, a black and white checkered pattern on the linoleum floor, cozy red booths with faux leather cushions, and a beige counter that gave a view to a bustling kitchen. It almost seemed as though it had been frozen in time as it was quite reminiscent of a 50’s diner, or at least based on the few Aiden had seen in period movies. Leaning against the counter by the door to the back was a very small, well-dressed man with neatly combed hair and a tidy beard and mustache. Lilith approached him with a big smile on her face. “Heya, Vinny! How’s it hanging?” The man, Vinny, looked up at her and gave her a polite nod. “Well, if it ain’t the Speed Demon herself. You come to eat me outta house and home? Or you just here for the goods I promised you?” He gave Aiden a once-over and raised an eyebrow at Lilith. “This your… partner?” Lilith put her hands on her hips. “I literally just met the guy, Vinny. Now before we get down to business, let’s… get down to business. I want—” Vinny held his hand up and cut her off. “Don’t say it. I know exactly what you want. And what about you, skinny guy? What am I getting you?” “Oh, uh…” He internally winced self-consciously. Was he really that thin? He tried to shove his thoughts to the back of his mind to focus on the task at-hand. He picked up a menu that was conveniently laying on the counter next to them and quickly scanned it. Despite the fact that he’d had dinner already, his mouth was nearly watering in response to the delicious descriptions of the entrees. Still, though, he didn’t want to seem greedy, so he picked one that was cheap, yet seemed big enough that he could take home half of it to his mom. “I guess the swiss portobello mushroom burger sounds good.” “Ha! You know what, I like this guy! He eats mushrooms, unlike some people I know,” Vinny said while giving Lilith pointed look. “Sorry that I don’t like slimy fungus on my burgers, Vinny,” Lilith snorted. “Yeah, yeah, whatever Speed Demon. I’ll go let the kitchen know what you’re getting, and then I’ll head to the back and get that stuff for you and your boss, alright?” Lilith gave him a thumbs up and then the short man turned and pushed his way through the door next to him, which presumably led to the kitchen. Lilith nudged Aiden gently with her shoulder and smiled a few moments after Vinny disappeared into the back. “What a character, am I right?” Aiden smiled back and shrugged. The man seemed alright, though he’d only known him for two minutes. Lilith gingerly grabbed his arm and dragged him to a seat over in one of the corners of the restaurant. It was up against a portion of the wall that was stark white, with a picture of Vinny opening the restaurant hanging over the table. “I call this booth the Big White Box cuz the wall is big and white, and it’s a booth. Not the most creative name, but still! It’s my favorite seat in the house!” She plopped down into one of the seats and gestured to the seat on the opposite side. “Come on! Sit down, dude! Vinny’ll bring the food right to us! And if you’re lucky, he’ll only spit in mine!” Aiden slid into the booth across from Lilith and assumed she was just joking. He hoped. “So Aiden, why the hell were you strutting about in the dark of the night? You’ve either got a death wish or are really hoping some sexy vampire comes and whisks you off your feet. Dying is way more likely, honestly.” “A vampire?” he asked cautiously, silently hoping it would distract her from the question she’d posed to him as he wasn’t sure he wanted to talk about it with a stranger. This was the second time she’d mentioned vampires, and Aiden had a feeling it wasn’t a coincidence. “Yeah,” Lilith said, leaning onto the table, “Vampires! They’re real, I swear! It sounds crazy, I know, but I met one in a bar once. And,” she gave him a very smug, confident look. “I fucked him. Proudest accomplishment of my whole life! Sure, my sister is a successful stunt woman and has a cool motorcycle, but did she bang a vampire? Nope.” She shrugged. “Oh yeah, and there’s another one I know personally. I know I absolutely sound like a lunatic, but trust me on this, dude.” He nodded slowly. “I trust you.” Mostly because he was dating one, not that he was going to mention that. He’d promised not to tell anyone, and he was pretty sure Lilith counted (even if she already knew about them). She raised her hands up. “Finally! Someone who believes me! Hallelujah!” She closed her scarred eye and pointed at Aiden. “But enough dodging the question, bucko. What the fuck-o were you doing out and about?” Well, it was worth a shot. With a sigh, he quietly admitted, “I was just thinking.” “About what? Dying?” “No, just…” He stared down at his hands, which he’d set in his lap. “There’s just something I need to tell someone, and I don’t know if I’m ready to.” It probably made zero sense to her, but if he wasn’t ready to tell Eric, how could he be ready to tell a complete stranger? She nodded. “I totally understand. Everyone has things like that, right? Things they want to say but just have a hard time finding the strength to? Like, especially when it comes to telling friends or loved ones, that’s always hard, when you’ve got something big… Trust me, I know,” she said softly as she absentmindedly ran a finger down her scar. He felt himself relax. She understood completely what he was dealing with. “Have you, um… told anyone?” He was certain her secret was related to her scar, but he didn’t want to directly ask about it, especially since it seemed like it was a sore spot for her. She nodded. “My grandpa knows. My sister knows. My friends know. It’s not really a huge secret. But it’s not something I can really tell anyone until I know I can trust them. It’s personal shit, y’know? I’m guessing that’s what you’re dealing with too, huh?” He nodded. “Yeah, basically.” Though he felt like he could trust Eric, and he was still petrified at the thought of telling him. “Well, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” Vinny approached their table with a young man who was carrying the trays with their food. The employee placed their burgers in front of them, then Vinny slipped a few manila folders onto the table. “This oughta help out your boss. You’d better be here Saturday, though. Gotta get some stuff down to the docks for my boss.” “Yeah, yeah,” Lilith said as she stared hungrily at her burger. “Don’t worry man, I’ll be here.” Vinny shook his head with amusement, gave another polite nod in their direction, and headed back to the kitchen. Lilith almost immediately started scarfing down her fries. “I always eat the fries first, cuz I want the taste of the burger to be what lingers in my mouth,” she said matter-of-factly in between bites. “But see, with a regular sandwich, I’d eat that first, then chips. I want the chip taste to be the lingering flavor. You get me?” He squirted ketchup on his plate and nodded. It was an odd philosophy, but it made sense. He decided to do the same to let the meat on his burger cool off. He popped a salty fry into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. Lilith grabbed her drink and took a sip. “So, back to your issue… you got any family you can talk to? Like, your parents, maybe a sibling?” He slowly shook his head. “My mom already knows. She’s, um, the only one who knows, actually.” “She might be able to give you better advice than I can, then.” She absentmindedly opened one of the folders, and her eyes widened. “No fucking way. Oh man, this guy is going down.” Sensing the conversation was over, Aiden continued to eat his fries. Unfortunately, his mom wasn’t much of an option for advice. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to, though. If she was mentally and emotionally healthy, she’d probably be his biggest supporter. Eventually, after a moment of silence, Lilith spoke up again. “So, what do you do? Like, for work?” “I take care of my mom,” he answered sheepishly. “That’s so sweet!” Lilith said without a hint of irony or mockery, much to his relief. “Do you get by okay? Because I don’t wanna offer you a job if you don’t really need it.” “A… A job?” Admittedly, they could use the extra money. They were just barely getting by on food stamps and his mom’s disability checks each month. But how would his mom react? Would she be supportive? “Yeah! A job working with me!” He cautiously inquired, “What would I have to do?” “Let’s see… sit in the car with me, talk to me, listen to whatever I put on the radio, maybe come in and meet my friends sometime…” She shrugged. “Nothing super hard.” He stared at her in disbelief. “You would pay me to keep you company in your car?” It sounded too good to be true. “Fuck yeah!” she said with a big grin. “No one else is brave enough to ride shotgun with me.” He didn’t know if he would call himself brave, especially not when it came to her driving. “What’s the catch?” “The catch is that I drive fast. Really fast. Vroom vroom, motherfucker!” She laughed. “All the time?” he asked nervously. “Not all the time, just a non-insignificant percentage of the time.” “Don’t you ever get caught?” he asked before eating another fry. They were crunchy and salty, a perfect recipe for fine greasy food dining. “Aiden, Aiden, Aiden,” she said, shaking her head. “I have my ways. Also the police in this city suck ass, they couldn’t catch me if they tried.” He frowned, but he couldn’t disagree. He knew firsthand how bad they were at their job. “Look, you don’t gotta worry. Maybe what I do is not one hundred percent legal all the time, but I’m doing it to make Rhine City a better place. I’ve been through enough shit to know I don’t want anyone else to go through what I’ve been through.” Once again, she traced a finger down her scar. “You get me? I’m sure you’ve been through shit too. Everyone in this city has.” She was right again. He and his mom both had been through hell, and they were still trying to recover from it. “Yeah,” he murmured softly in reply. “Well, that’s why I do what I do. That’s why I drive. I mean, that and the fat stacks of cash I get, but like I promise I’m mostly trying to help the city. Fuck, I donate a lot of what I get from racing to the homeless shelter that helped my girl Rika anyway.” His eyes widened in surprise. “You do?” “Do what?” she said as she sipped her drink. “Donate money? Of fucking course. My friend Rika used to be homeless and it took her like fifteen seconds into her tragic backstory to convince me to dump all this spare change into the shelter. My parents are pretty successful, I’m not starving, and I’ve got no reason to sit on this money so, you know, might as well do something useful with it.” He nodded in agreement. He would love to help people in need, but he wasn’t in a position to do so. Even as hard as things were for him and his mom, he knew other people were struggling even more than they were. “See, I like you! Even though you’re stressing out about… Shit, you didn’t even say, but whatever is bugging you, you still get it!” He nodded again, though his mind wandered back to the problem at hand almost immediately. He’d been distracted enough by their conversation and his meal that he’d forgotten about it entirely until Lilith had mentioned it again. He still had no idea how or when to tell Eric, and he didn’t know how to handle it if it ruined their new relationship. “Bro, you doing okay?” Lilith asked, worry in her voice. “You look out of it again.” He blinked, her voice bringing him back to reality. “Yeah, sorry.” “Look, I don’t want to pry or anything, but you seriously seem like you need some advice. So, I mean, if you’re okay with it, lay it on me. I can maybe help you out, I’ve got life experience!” He stared down at his fries. If he could tell a stranger, then surely he could tell Eric, right? “I… I don’t know.” It seemed easier than it actually was. “Well hey, like I said, I’m not gonna pressure you,” she shrugged. “But you almost got mashed like potatoes by someone cuz of this, so I can’t deny I’m curious.” Aiden closed his eyes. Why was it so hard to admit it out loud? “I’m… I’m not who you think I am,” he started slowly. “Uh… I’m sorry, what?” she said, confusion evident in her voice. “I just met you, dude, I dunno if I’ve formed an opinion beyond ‘you’re cute and nice,’ so… Uh. What do you mean?” He felt entirely embarrassed. That was such a stupid thing to say. Of course she was confused. On top of that, he felt sheepish as she apparently thought he was attractive (accepting that was still new for him, even with Eric). “I mean… I’m… I’m not…” He took a deep breath. Just say it, Aiden. You can do this. Could he? As much as he wanted to, he found it incredibly hard to voice those two simple words. Frustration bubbled within him, and he felt wetness from behind his eyelids. He took another deep breath and, forcing himself to finally say it out loud, he whispered, “I’m transgender.” “Oh, cool,” Lilith replied with a reassuring friendliness. His eyes shot open and he was shocked to see she was smiling. It didn’t seem to bother her at all. He had expected the same disdain people in the grocery store tended to give him, or did when he still looked more feminine than masculine. He was so shocked that he didn’t even know how to respond as relief washed over him. Lilith nodded, understanding dawning on her. “So you’re worried about the reaction someone might give you, huh? You sound like my ex-girlfriend; she was trans too. Let me tell you what I told her: If someone can’t love you—all of you—for what you are, fuck ‘em.” She paused and tapped her chin. “Shit. That advice isn’t always applicable, huh? Different experiences and all that… No wonder she dumped me. My advice sucked.” She laughed. “I don’t know if I could handle it if he couldn’t accept me for this,” he murmured quietly, lowering his head in shame. “Oh boy, so it is a romance thing, huh? Well, do you know how he feels about gay stuff?” He lifted his head again and frowned in confusion. “Well, um, he’s bisexual?” She nodded. “Ah, the very best sexuality, because that’s what I am, and obviously I’m the best. So, that’s good for a start! Doesn’t instantly mean he’s okay with trans people, but, you know, usually my fellow bis are pretty accepting.” “But what if he hates me?” He’d lost his appetite, which made him feel bad since he hadn’t even touched his burger, but at least his mom could have the whole thing now and not just half. “I mean, does he seem to like you as you are, right now?” He nodded. “We, um, just made it official today.” “Oh shit! Congrats!” She raised her drink cup in a toast. “Well, I don’t know this guy personally, but I have a feeling that he’ll still like you even when you tell him the truth. I dunno. It’s just a hunch. My hunches are usually right. Like this one time my sister asked me if it was a good idea to take her date out to go see this movie called Lucy, right? And I just got this overwhelming feeling of dread, and I told her, ‘Fuck no, go see that weird superhero movie Guardians of the Galaxy instead,’ and so she did and she had a great time. Then a while later, we saw Lucy on TV, and the movie was fucking godawful! Like, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a worse sci-fi movie in my entire life! So yeah, my hunches are usually right.” Aiden let out a nervous laugh, glad to feel anything but overwhelming fear. He wanted to believe Lilith. Most of him did, but there was still a small part of him that couldn’t help but feel like he might lose Eric. But, though he was scared, he felt more determined than ever. He wanted to feel that same euphoric relief that he did after realizing Lilith wasn’t put off by his gender identity. He wanted and needed to know that Eric accepted him no matter what. “See? That’s the spirit! Laughter is the best medicine! I believe in you, bucko, you got this! Just gotta hype yourself up and tell this guy, and if it all goes south, me and the gang will come and beat the shit out of him and then, I dunno, maybe we can go find a gay bar and find some male model or something for you to hook up with.” She gave him two thumbs up and an extremely confident grin. He didn’t know if that was exactly his thing, but appreciated her enthusiasm all the same. “Thanks.” He gave her a small smile. At least he wouldn’t be entirely alone if things went poorly. “You’re welcome, dude!” She sucked down the last of her drink and slammed her cup down on the table. “Oh yeah, you never answered me! You in on the job or what?” He’d never had a job before, but he wasn’t opposed to the idea. He wasn’t sure how his mom would fare if he was gone for several hours each day, though. Would she even notice? Still, he wanted to take precautions. “When would the shifts be?” She shrugged. “I’ll text you. It honestly depends.” “Depends on what?” “On when I get a job, silly! But don’t worry, work will be steady, and you’ll get paid well! And if you want, you can meet my boss! I think my pal Rika is bringing in a friend of hers to help us with a mission tomorrow, so you can get to know everyone on the team!” Feeling like a broken record at this point, he sheepishly asked, “What time is that?” “Uhhhh… Shit, can I have my phone back real quick? Oh, wait! Put your contact info in it first!” Aiden was confused for a second before remembering he’d slipped her phone into his pocket when they’d walked into the restaurant. He quickly retrieved it and held it in front of him. It looked new, a stark contrast to his six year old phone that had been discontinued at least three years prior. He rarely had to contact anyone anyway, so it wasn’t a priority for him to get a new one (not that there was any spare money for that). He found the contacts app and programmed his name and number as a new entry before handing Lilith’s phone back to her. She quickly tapped through her phone and then nodded. “Okay, okay, can you be ready by, like… 11:30 A.M. tomorrow? The meeting is at noon.” He slipped a fry into his mouth to chew on while he quickly figured out the plan for the next morning. He could get his mom up and ready for the day just fine. He’d have time to get her breakfast, but he’d have to plan ahead and get her lunch early. He wasn’t sure what he was going to tell her, as he rarely left the house during the day unless it was to grab groceries or run a quick errand. It was difficult enough when he’d left earlier for his date, though he’d simply told her he needed to see if the store had more hair dye in stock yet. It wasn’t completely a lie; his roots were starting to show, and he’d need to dye it black again soon. He might have to be honest with her. She couldn’t be that upset, could she? They really could use the money. He was pretty sure it wouldn’t go well, but he’d deal with that tomorrow. He swallowed the fry and nodded. “Yeah, that works.” She gave him a thumbs up. “Great! Oh man, Loveless is gonna be fucking ecstatic! This is like, three new people in a week! What the fuck! Winds of fortune really are blowing in our direction! Maybe I should go to the Den with my sister and see if I can ask that stripper out…” She trailed off, once again having her train of thought taken over. It sounded like an interesting story that he was positive he’d hear about eventually, especially if this new job meant he was going to spend a ton of time with her. A small smile crept on his face as he continued eating his fries. Winds of fortune… Maybe that’s what had come his way. A boyfriend and a new job all in the same week. He was still extremely nervous about telling Eric the truth, but the way Lilith reacted to it gave him hope. Maybe Eric would take it in stride as well, and they’d be okay after all. Lilith finding him about to get his ass beat was exactly what he’d needed, amusingly enough. Not only had it given him a job opportunity, but she’d also helped him out with a crisis and had unknowingly given him the courage he needed to tell Eric. Thanks, Lilith, he thought as his smile grew bigger. I owe you one.
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AuthorsMichael & Tierney Ford Archives
July 2023
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