* * *
Jason and I stayed by the river, but it wasn't long after sunset that Jason began to complain about the bugs—apparently they were biting. We thought about going into town, but decided to just spend the evening in. I really expected Elizabeth—or at least Tink—to be waiting for us at the house, but they were mysteriously absent. As a matter of fact, I got the impression we were alone—which totally made no sense. Maybe a little test…
"How about I tuck you in?" I said to Jason with a wink.
"Really, you shouldn't provoke—"
"Come on." I grabbed his hand and we raced up the stairs.
"Which way? " Jason said when we reached the archway at the top.
And there he was, at the far end of the hallway to our right. "Hey Tink."
He chuckled.
"You want to play cards with us?" I said.
"Sure."
We played for several hours. Tink had to leave the room a few times—being around Jason was a little too much for him. The conversation was mostly about the game and a bit of small talk here and there. Nothing was ever said about my leaving or return—or their move south.
"Are Melanie and Nathan here, I haven't seen them?"
"They're in North Carolina."
"Why North Carolina?"
Tink's gaze fell to the floor. He spoke so quietly that only I could hear. "Melanie was very upset when you ran away. She felt like it was Elizabeth's fault and that we should have done more to find you."
"It wasn't Elizabeth's fault. It's what I planned all along."
Tink shrugged.
"Can you give me directions? We'll stop on our way back."
"I thought you were going to stay," Tink said.
"We've got school," Jason interjected.
Tink scratched his head. "Why?" He addressed the question to me.
"I want to be with Jason."
"But you told Elizabeth—"
"That you wanted to be part of our family." Elizabeth finished from the archway.
Jason and Tink stood as Elizabeth entered the room. I didn't like the fact that Benjamin wasn't with her—I could count on Benjamin to keep a cool head. Jason looked on edge like he sensed this was an ambush.
"Your evening gown is beautiful," I said to Elizabeth.
"Which is it?"
Jason broke the momentary silence. "So Tink, how about a game of chess?"
"How about checkers? More to my liking."
"Done. You got anything in the kitchen, I'm dying here?"
Tink chuckled.
"Well, you know what I mean."
"You're leaving me?" I complained.
"We'll just be in the way," Jason said. As he walked across the room, Tink joined him. And they were gone, leaving me to face Elizabeth alone.
"Coward," I mumbled.
Elizabeth hadn't moved since entering the room. Her icy stare was unrelenting.
"So, are you saying it's one or the other?" I asked.
She didn't answer—which I assumed meant it did.
I tried to focus on what Jason had told me—don't lose your cool. "Let me ask you something. Before Benjamin changed you, could you have loved him?"
"I did."
"Do you think he loved you even though you were human?"
"He did."
"Then following your logic Jason and I can be in love."
"No."
"What!" I jumped up from the sofa. "That doesn't make any sense."
Elizabeth stepped back, which surprised me.
Calm, I reminded myself. "I want to be part of this family, that's why I'm here—you're all I know, but—"
"But?"
"But Jason is part of me. I can't understand how or why you would make me choose. He's part of me, isn't that answer enough?"
"Do you intend to change him?"
"No, never."
"His knowledge violates our most basic law of secrecy. Would you put the entire family at risk?"
I knew of the vampire royal family—but I hadn't considered the danger they posed. "He's only one human, how would they ever know?"
She walked slowly to the far end of the couch and then gracefully settled onto the cushion, folding her hands in her lap. "First he feels he has to explain to his mother, then it slips out at school, or to one of his friends. Oh sure, he discounts it, but little by little the rumor spreads. One day a nomadic vampire's victim screams, "He was right." And the story eventually makes its way to our royalty."
I began to unconsciously shake my head. "I can't leave him—I'm staring over that's true, but I love him."
Elizabeth sighed as though she understood.
"You're right though, it isn't fair for me to put the family at risk." I stood. "Jason!" I called down the hallway.
"What?" He sounded annoyed as he stepped into the hallway. "Already?" He shook his head and added under his breath, "That can't be good."
"How about a burger? I think I saw a place on the way here."
"Sure, burger sounds great. Hey Tink, we'll have to finish later. Sorry man."
I didn't look back in the room as Jason and I strolled past the doorway. Jason seemed to sense I needed a moment and didn't say a thing until I squealed the car off the dirt drive onto the pavement of the main road. I'd just slammed it into third gear when he spoke.
"Eighty miles per hour—on this road? I take it things didn't go all that well with Elizabeth."
"You could say that." I let off the gas and eased it into fourth gear. "Ahhh," I huffed in frustration.
"You really that upset about the sleeping arrangements? Seriously? I mean no way my mom would let us shack up."
"Shack up! Is that what you think we're doing?"
"Hey, don't bite my head off—I'm just the human—"
I burst out laughing and when he realized what he'd said, Jason did too. We'd only gone a few miles when the soft neon glow of a red beer sign lit the street up ahead. I turned into the gravel parking lot and parked next to a row of motorcycles.
"Uh," Jason groaned, "this is a bar."
"What, now you're not hungry?" I got out and slammed the door.
Jason climbed out of the other side. "Okay, I guess it's not like I have anything to worry about—not with my superhero girlfriend by my side."
"Funny. Very funny." I waited for him at the front of the car and let him lead me toward the front door. Jason was drooling over the motorcycles as we walked past them. I have to admit, they were beautiful. Hmmmm, maybe a bike would be fun. The stench of stale beer choked me as Jason opened the front door.
"Told you," Jason said, leading me into the dark, smoke filled room. "Looks like we're in luck." He steered me into the vacant booth just inside the door. Even so, our entrance caused a slight catch in the conversations around the room.
The place looked like something out of the movies. Men with long hair, bandanas and leather—I'd never seen so much leather—were leaned up against the bar. There were two pool tables in the back surrounded by female spectators which except for being thinner, didn't look much different than the guys. No doubt this was a rough crowd and it couldn't be more obvious that Jason and I didn't belong.
"You got I.D.s?" Came a gruff, female voice from the edge of our booth.
"We just wanted something to eat," Jason said.
"Hey Bart!" she yelled toward the bar. "Is it alright if these kids eat here?"
Naturally everyone looked our way. Hello—attention—not good.
"They got cash?" A fat man from behind the bar—presumably Bart—yelled back.
"Sure, no problem," Jason said to the waitress.
"Yeah!" she yelled back to Bart.
Bart just waved his hand at her without looking up.
"What can I get you?"
"You okay?" Jason whispered apparently noticing I wasn't breathing.
I rolled my eyes up toward the waitress.
"Oh, right. I'll have a cheeseburger, fries and a soda."
"Cheese is ten cents extra."
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"I think I'll splurge—oh—and no onions." He winked at me, his pearly white teeth glistening in a smile.
"And for you," the waitress said, eyeing me suspiciously.
"Ah, she doesn't eat," Jason said. "I mean she's not hungry right now."
"Figures," the waitress said.
"Hey!" one of the bikers at the pool tables yelled. "We need another round."
"Yeah, yeah, keep your britches on." She smiled at me—missing at least two teeth. "For your sake not mine." On her way to the bar she called out Jason's order and added, "Hold the onions, boy's hopin' to get lucky."
That brought a roar from the guys at the bar.
I risked a slight breath. The atmosphere was thick with a foul human stench. It reminded me of the smell that came out of the boy's locker room at school. On top of that, there was cigar and cigarette smoke, something else—probably marijuana, and a vile chemical odor. The women's perfumes were no better and really did nothing to mask the other smells as a matter of fact, their sick sweetness probably made the others worse.
The waitress banged Jason's plate on the table and then slid it to him with her hip. Her other hand balanced a tray filled with beer bottles. "I'll be back with your soda."
Jason was almost finished the burger by the time she brought the soda.
"Hungry much?" I teased.
"I haven't eaten since breakfast." He dipped a fry in ketchup and stuffed it in his mouth. "Listen, sorry about the slip."
"No big deal," I said, but I couldn't help remember what Elizabeth said, 'he'll make a slip and eventually it will get out'. It really wasn't a big deal—the waitress had taken one look at my slender figure and discounted the comment as fact, or if I did eat, I'd be in the bathroom puking afterwards. I scanned the crowded room. Everyone was busy with whatever they were doing—except, there were three guys in the back, near the pool tables, that kept looking our way. One of them caught me staring and raised his beer bottle toward me. I looked away. Had the waitress said something to them? What if she did, what would it matter? It's not like I was the only slim girl in the world. The guy to his left was another story—the expression on his face was almost frightening, even to me. I tried to listen in on their conversation, but I couldn't isolate it out of all the other conversations in the room.
"What is it?" Jason said, leaning forward.
"I don't like the way those guys are staring at us. We should go."
"Now? I'm not finished and who knows when I'll get to eat again."
Just then, the three bikers in the back of the room started toward us—or at least toward the front of the room. "Now, Jason."
"I don't have the bill."
I glanced toward the bar and saw our waitress. "Come on, we'll pay on our way out." I grabbed his hand and made for the bar.
"Hey," Jason said as we approached her, "what do we owe you?"
Behind us, the three men rounded the corner. It wasn't until then that I realized there was no other exit from the bar. Deep down, I could sense my instincts starting to ramp up.
"Hey, take it easy," Jason said, apparently recognizing my expression. "Here you go," he said to the waitress handing her a twenty-dollar bill. "Keep the change."
We turned to face the three, muscular bikers.
The huge one in the middle—the one with the shaved head and some sort of confederate bandanna tied around his forehead—motioned us forward with his finger. Jason slid his hand into mine.
"Aw, ain't that sweet," the biker on the left crooned.
"We were just leaving," Jason said.
The bald one in the middle replied. "Don't be like that, I just wanna dance."
Jason's hand tightened on mine.
"She's spoken for," Jason said.
The three bikers laughed.
"By you?" The bald one pointed at Jason.
"Yeah, by me."
"Jason…" I warned.
"Come on." Jason tugged me toward the door, but the bikers side stepped in front of us. His hand tightened more.
"I don't dance with just anybody," I said, stepping forward to confront them.
"That so," the bald one grunted.
"You fancy yourself as a pool player do you?" I challenged.
"Sure do."
"Tell you what. I'll play you for it."
"For it?"
"Sure, I win, we walk out of here. You win, I'll dance with you and your friends."
The scrawny guy on his right punched him in the shoulder.
"All night."
Jason squeezed my hand again. I could see the concern in his eyes.
'It's okay,' I mouthed silently toward him so the bikers couldn't see. "Lead the way."
Jason and I followed them back to the pool tables, which were both occupied, but when they saw us coming, the guys at the left table stepped aside.
I looked around at the curious onlookers. We were in the back of the bar now, and a quick exit would be difficult. Down the hall toward the bathrooms, there was a partially lit exit sign—Plan B.
"Names Duke," the bald biker said as he racked the balls. "Spect we're gonna get to know each other."
"You think he's any good?" Jason whispered in my ear.
"Does it matter?"
"I guess not, but take it easy, we don't want to make a scene."
"Here ya go little lady," Duke said, handing me a pool stick.
I tried to look bewildered. "Which end do I use?"
The scrawny biker spewed a mouthful of beer across the corner of the table.
"Ladies first," Duke said.
"We're playing eight ball I presume," I said to surprised faces. "I'll take solids."
I ran the table being sure to make some of the shots look more like luck than skill. Duke was none to amused, grunting each time a ball dropped in the pocket. Finally I was down to just the eight ball.
"I think I've been hustled," Duke complained. "Where'd a pretty little thing like you learn to shoot pool like that?"
"Geometry class."
Jason nudged me, but I ignored him.
"Obviously, the easy shot is eight ball in the corner pocket, but how about I put it in this one?" I said, patting the center pocket by my hip.
"Why not?" Duke said. He laughed as the ball trickled into the pocket. "I'd say double or nothin', but I don't think it'd make much difference."
"You gonna let her whoop ya like that there?" the scrawny biker taunted.
"Yep, beat me fair and square—nice game—real exhibition." Duke put out his hand.
Now what? No way I could let him touch my ice-cold skin.
I extended my pool stick across the table and tapped his. "Pleasure."
"You live around here?" Duke inquired.
"No, just visiting family. We're from—"
"Up north," Jason interrupted. "We should get going." He tugged me toward the door.
"What was that all about?" I said as he led me rapidly toward the exit. "We weren't in any danger."
"Maybe not from them," Jason shot back.
"What does that mean?"
As soon as we were out front, Jason pushed me off to the side, into the shadows. "Sure, turned out Duke seemed like a decent guy, but there was a couple of guys in the booth closest to the pool table that were way to interested in your game."
"Interested?"
"I think they knew your shots were more than luck."
"But—"
"Exactly, nobody is supposed to know, but I'm telling you there was something about these two. After you made that last shot—I looked back and the one guy was gone."
"Seriously?"
Jason nodded. "I mean how'd he move that fast? Lets just get out of here." The ride home was uneventful although we both kept glancing in the rearview mirrors.
The house seemed empty again, but neither of us felt much like taunting Elizabeth so instead we went to the parlor and just talked. I suppose if I'd been human I would have been frightened about what Jason said, but it just seemed absurd to
be afraid.