Routledge
Chapter XXII
M.J. Weitzmann
Raven seemed quite pleased when we showed up at his door.
“I brought reinforcements” I said to him.
“Oh my, it’s so good to see everyone.” Raven said as he welcomed everyone into his home. He called to his house staff and asked that rooms be prepared for the guests. “Everyone should stay here, don’t you think? James’ place is so small.” He was insistent.
Marta gave him a long hug, and kisses on both cheeks. “I hear you have your hands full. What is it that has brought me to a country I nearly despise Raven?” she asked.
We all sat in the formal living room and shared what we knew.
The tone was very dark and serious. I could see the stress and dark circles under everyone’s eyes.
Marcus arrived shortly after we began. He took a seat quietly, and no one stopped to acknowledge him.
When Raven had spoken his piece, we all sat in silence for what seemed hours, pondering.
I could feel nothing but sullen and sick when I thought of what had to be done. Except when I thought of the creator, and then it was rage.
Finally Raven stood, his head low towards the ground, and silently walked away. It was only then that the rest of us felt easy to move. Like as though Raven had come to terms with it, the rest of us should quickly follow suit.
Marta’s family departed, I assume heading for their rooms.
Marcus and I both stood at the same time, walking towards each other. Our firm handshake turned into a brotherly hug.
“Don’t suppose you’d give me a ride home?” I asked him “I rode over in the limo from the airport with Marta.”
“Nah, man, I can’t do that. I have this hot date, and… well you know how it goes.” I could see him trying to force back the smirk. Leave it to Marcus to try and interject some humor to lighten the mood.
I just raised one eyebrow and cocked my head. “Just kidding” he said.
I was almost beginning to wonder though. I could pluck out the faint smell on him. A feminine smell. A human feminine smell. And it was definitely not Eve. I would know that smell a mile away.
In the safety of his car, I asked him “So… are you going to tell me or do I have to dig it out of you?”
He looked at me trying to pinpoint exactly what I meant.
“The girl.” I said blankly.
“Oh- I guess you probably would smell her.” His eyes sank, and he looked out the windshield intently.
“I really am keeping you from your hot date then?” There was no humor in my voice. Because it was not funny. He shook his head ‘no’. But it was too late. I already knew. I would not be able to pick out her smell had he not been so close to her. They must have been physically touching for her to linger so long.
“A human, really? Marcus, you know better than to-”
His voice raised just an octave, “I… she….” he growled low “She is not a threat. She knows, and well-”
I could tell the difficulty he was having explaining it, which, in itself, meant it was serious.
“How long?” I asked dryly.
“I don’t know… months.” I had never seen someone concentrate on driving so hard.
I tried to be calm, but I was about to loose that battle. “Why?” I half growled.
“Because James, I was lonely. My human nature was a lover, and well, I guess it hasn’t faded much. But I have not come across another vampire that turned my head. Surely you would understand.
“Vanessa-that’s her name-is patient and understanding. I have never come across someone who seemed worth the risk until her.”
“Tell me then, if I would be so understanding, why am I just learning about this now?”
“I don’t know? Lack of balls I guess. I was just trying to push it until later. You wouldn’t know now, except I had to rush over here when you called from the car on your way here.”
We sat in silence again, for a long time. Surely he could see how angry I was.
Finally he said “Why do you think I have been so encouraging of you and Eve?”
I glared at him, while he stared out the windshield. “Because I have some school boy crush on a bartender… that makes this OK? It sure as hell does not! Why do you think I want to Milan? It wasn’t to sight see. Because we break these human connections. We don’t let them bloom. How do you think this is going to end?”
“I haven’t gotten that far. We don’t talk about the dark aspects of my life much. After the initial reveal, it’s been like water under the bridge. She accepts that I won’t try to hurt her. She has never asked to be changed. What else is there?”
I could have gone into any of a hundred things that could, that would, go wrong. But we were just pulling up to the front of my building then.
“Mr. Collins?” I asked him.
“Oh, I almost forgot. He cleans up pretty good. He’s been staying in your loft, like you asked. I think he is terrified to leave.”
I did the best I could not to slam his car door. I don’t know how much I succeeded.
When I got up to my floor, I could smell human food. Hanging in the hallway like fog. I opened my door and it hit me in the face. Urh, I never expected to smell garlic coming from my kitchen.
I dropped my keys in the bowl next to the door and headed to find the stench. I realized instantly, when I saw Mr. Collins carefully tending a pan over my stove. Of course my loft would smell like human food. Because that’s what they eat.
It was a struggle not to cover my nose and mouth, standing that close. But I resisted, and instead greeted him. “Mr. Collins?”
He jolted and dropped the wooden spoon. “Holy Shit!” he yelped.
He recognized me immediately, but I almost did not recognize him. Marcus was right, he cleaned up well.
“Mr. Sheffield. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“Call me James, please.” I requested.
“Oh, right, OK. And I’m not ‘Mr. Collins’. Haven’t been in years anyway. Just Henry.”
“Alright then. It’s nice to see you again, Henry. I tried to call and let you know I was back in town?”
He looked a little puzzled. “I didn’t answer your phone, sorry. It’s just that-” he put the wooden spoon to rest on the counter “Do you want me to leave? Is that why you were calling?”
“No, No Henry. I only wanted to warn you that I was on the way. You know, so as not to give you a heart attack.” I chuckled. “Actually I think I may have to add you to my payroll. I have important issues to attend to now, and it would be very helpful if someone else could keep an eye on things for me.”
He look surprised and studied my face for a moment.
“What do ya say Henry? Wanna job?”
“I guess any job is better than no job.” He paused “Why are you being so nice to me?”
“Well, what have you ever done to hurt anyone?”
“Um, nothing Sir.”
I rolled my eyes, “Don’t call me ‘Sir’. I am young enough to be your son. I should call you ‘Sir’. So it’s settled then. You’ll work for me. Oversee my security business. The day to day stuff. I am sure Marcus will be thrilled to turn over the reins.”
He smiled wide and went back to stirring his pan.
I turned to walk out of the kitchen and suddenly halted. “One request though Henry… could you tone down the garlic in the future? No offense but it’s not a smell that I find thrilling.”
He was still grinning. “Sure thing. Anything else?”
“Yeah, actually. I expect my bags from Milan to arrive at the airport tomorrow afternoon. Do you think you could run out and pick them up for me?”
“I don’t think that will be a problem.”
“Don’t suppose you have a drivers license?”
“Nah. Haven’t needed one of those in a while.”
I pulled a bill out of my clip and set it on the counter. “Cab it is then.”
I surveyed the loft on the way to my room. Sheet and blanket, folded neatly at the end of the couch. Not a spot of dust or damage anywhere. Humn… Responsible and clean. If I was in the market for a roommate, he would make a nice fit. Unfortunately, my lifestyle demands isolation. I could just see it now. Henry coming out for a midnight snack, catches me rinsing out my glass of red in the sink. I laughed out loud. Yeah, I was going to have to find Henry a place to stay eventually.
I showered and threw on my old gray sweatpants. I didn’t even bother to pull the covers back on my bed. I just lay across it and flipped through the channels until sleep found me.
