by Nadia Heaton
“Well, now you’ve got me in your corner. Don’t really think you’ll have too much to worry about from here on in,” Cedric replied. Marianne looked away shyly at his comment, and even under the low light of the bar in which they sat, he could see her reddening cheeks.
This was comfortable. Cedric, over the last few weeks, had gone on a good few dates, all set up in similar fashion as Marianne’s through Beth, but none proved as easy flourishing as this one had. Maybe it was because there were many who didn’t know his secret; that he was a vampire, and if they found out there was no way to tell their reactions. To the average person, it would have sounded crazy. Vampires, were real? What about werewolves then? A world of myth and lore all built in reality?
No, impossible.
“So what does having you in my corner all entail then, Handsome?” Marianne asked, her eyes lazily drifting back to Cedric.
“I can beat up the bad guys,” Cedric said, “I suppose that’s the main thing. But I’m also a damn fine cook and know how to really give some good cuddles. And let’s not even talk about how good I am in bed.”
“Is that so?” the same rosy cheeks graced Marianne’s face again.
“Yes, I can really sleep all day without a problem,” Cedric laughed and Marianne followed.
This really was what he wanted from the woman he could fall in love with. Banter and fun that extended beyond just what and who he was. Not that she knew more than the story he fed her, even with it being true. He felt like one of the many characters that he’d seen on all those romantic comedies, chatting the girl up at the bar and getting her prepared for a night on the town. Perhaps a night she would remember fondly in her old age; be it with him or another.
It didn’t matter much to him. As long as he was there, giving her the best he could before she made her decision.
Cedric raised a hand, gesturing to the waitress that she brings their bill with a single flourish of two fingers. The waitress nodded in acknowledgement and went about to get all in order.
“I’ve got this one,” Marianne said suddenly.
“What?” Cedric replied, brow furrowed.
“The check, I’ll sort it out,” she smiled, ruffling in her bag and pulling out a sleek black purse.
“You’re definitely not going to be paying for my drinks. Don’t be silly,” Cedric replied, gently tapping Marianne on the nose before taking his own wallet out. It was nothing special, not the same way hers seemed to be crafted from real leather. It was just a standard wallet that you could pick up at any market stall for a couple of bucks.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
“But I feel bad…” Marianne bowed her head again, sliding her wallet into her handbag.
“Why? I brought you out for a good night not the other way around.”
“Then the next thing’s on me,” Marianne replied. Cedric ignored it, taking the holder in which the check came and placing his platinum card inside.
“Add twenty percent for the tip.” He smiled at the waitress who took the holder back and added the numbers together on the calculator on her phone before handing the pay point to Cedric. He put in his pin and sent her on her way.
“So apart from our walk about the park, what would you like to do this evening? It’s my first free night in a very long time; I do believe we should have some fun.”
“You mean apart from going back to my place, that is?” Marianne gave Cedric a cheeky wink.
“That’s exactly what I mean,” he replied with the now trademark grin that came with all his more cheeky comments.
“I don’t really know what you can do out. I mean, we can just walk and talk and enjoy each other’s company beneath the star-spangled sky,” Marianne replied.
“Then let’s do that,” Cedric replied, having his last swallow with Marianne close behind.
“Then let’s get out of here.” Cedric hopped to his feet, helping Marianne out of her seat before tucking both of them beneath the bar table.
“Why thank you, good sir.”
“Of course, Madam.” Cedric bowed with a flourish, allowing Marianne to take the lead and walk them out the building. Eyes from all around caught the pair, and Cedric couldn’t help but look back at them. They were jealous, not because they knew much more than he was a lucky man that night. With a woman like her on his arm, no matter what happened for the rest of their evening they were going to have a great time.
It was a strange point of pride to have her at his side like this. Having the jaws of the Apple Jack patrons drop as they looked on, taking her in from head to toe in strange primal need. And yet they would never have her. She was slowly becoming his, and she would remain so until she chose to leave.
He slipped a hand into hers and she took it, giddily. There was a spring to her step, her body moving to the music as they stepped out, and everything in that second felt beautiful. Each passing moment gave the impression that this had been his life for longer than that evening alone. He felt so comfortable with Marianne at his side that it was as though they were distant lovers, throughout his life and not only for a fleeting evening.
And Cedric was comfortable in this state. He wanted this to be his life, he wanted her to love him the way he knew he could love her if he had been given the chance. He wanted them to have children, he wanted them to see the world together, he wanted so much more than she could ever know.
When they finally stepped outside, Cedric replaced the hand holding with interlocking arms at the elbows.
“So that guy you were talking to,” Marianne finally broke the silence as they walked arm in arm in the direction of central park. Both knew that walking it was probably easier than bothering with a cab; it was just down the road after all. “He’s not going to be a problem is he?”
“No, of course not. I think he knows that backing off would be in his best interests now.” Cedric turned to her. “Are you worried?”
“Not with you at my side,” she replied.
4
Marianne
But Marianne knew she was lying and hoped her face wouldn’t give it away. She was worried, she was terrified. If what Cedric had told her was true, if these men were monsters and wouldn’t treat her in kindness the same way he did, what if they happened to find her alone one night?
Was it like some kind of demonic structure? If you opened yourself up to it, were they welcome to just come in?
That was foolish, she knew, but what if it wasn’t?
“I wouldn’t promise you safety if I didn’t think I could keep you safe,” Cedric said, their eyes locked. “In fact, I wouldn’t promise you anything without being able to give it to you.”
“That’s all I wanted to hear,” she replied, looking back down the street where a few faces walked by, going about their business. The bustling street around them growing less noisy with each passing second, as evening turned to later night.
The rest of their walk was fairly quiet. Again, Marianne grew nervous that she ruined the moment, or ruined this potential thing by having concerns about other vampires. But as she thought about it all, she knew that this couldn’t be what kept him quiet. She was a woman in a newly found strange world. Cedric had to know that this was hard for her to take in. Vampires were at the ready to take her hand, and some would do it by force. So why wouldn’t she be scared?
“What’s on your mind?” she asked, hoping that it would bring him back to the real world from wherever he went off to.
“Just how lucky I am to be here now,” Cedric replied.
“What?” Butterflies exploded in Marianne’s belly.
“Yeah, I mean, isn’t this the life? A calm night’s walk with a beautiful woman at my side who’s busy turning heads with every step she takes? Look at that guy,” Cedric said, gesturing inconspicuously with his head towards a portly, short man with a vendor street hotdog in his hand with onions falling from the bun as he looked on at her wide-eyed and drop-jawed. “You really think I could be think
ing about anything else but how precious this time we’re spending together is?”
“You’re way too charming for your own good, Cedric.”
“Is that really a bad thing?”
“Not at all and I’m definitely not complaining. Please, continue to throw whatever compliments you have my way.”
“I plan on.” Cedric nudged Marianne softly. “These are all only the starts.”
“Then I guess I’m in for a good night.”
“You don’t know the half of it.”
They walked on the rest half block in silence again, but this time Marianne felt more comfortable with it. The reassurance that he gave her in knowing that whatever was on his mind wasn’t about them being uncomfortable together – but she wasn’t naïve enough to believe that it was just about him feeling lucky – was enough to keep her going on.
And she could go on. She didn’t know what she was expecting for the future, but she knew what she wanted right then. She wanted Cedric, she wanted to be with him in that moment and could see him in her immediate future. Life was funny, she knew, and with a mortal coil that was forever dwindling, there may not have been much in her way of time to experience more if he couldn’t fulfil her needs.
But maybe he’d already taken that into consideration. Maybe he was already thinking about their future. Of course, maybe he was having a good time now and was only in the mood for a quick fuck before he backed out completely. She would never know what went on in his mind. Hell, with all the years he’s walked this earth there was a chance he was completely insane and could hold it together for a few nights before crumbling completely.
Only time would tell.
“Well, here we are,” Marianne said suddenly. The quiet streets which they walked down to get here were once again brought to life now in Central Park where a vast majority of residents still came either for late night runs or clinging to their lover, arm in arm, just as Cedric and Marianne were.
She couldn’t really fault anyone. This place was beautiful at night, with a dark ominous feel hiding behind the treeline, but the visually beautiful and stunning surrounds as they walked into the more well-lit areas keeping them safe.
Cedric led the way, talking Marianne deeper into central park. They walked through the more populated areas, both knowing they wanted to get away from the people that were going about their business. And for good reason too.
Marianne and Cedric wanted their privacy, they wanted to talk and laugh and regale in their lives and their enjoyment of one another’s company. They wanted to spend time together, get to know one another and see if they could make this work. That would have been difficult, sitting on a bench with multiple people yelling and screaming, or going for their run and passing by.
The pair took the bow bridge across the lake and into a more secluded part of the park. This late at night there were very few people who wandered out this far, with fewer still going towards the rambles where both inevitably wanted to end up. Alone in the darkness with nothing and no one bothering them.
“It’s remarkable, isn’t it?” Cedric said, looking around.
The pair immediately ducked off the beaten path towards the rambles. A lesser populated avenue where there were still enough lights for Marianne to feel comfortable, but far fewer people so that they could spend one on one time together.
“It is,” Marianne replied. “I just love nature man, and being in the concrete jungle doesn’t really give you much opportunity to see it.”
“I’ll be honest with you, as a man who’s seen and done it all, I would much rather be in the concrete jungle, that in nature the way I once was. Those were some of the most terrifying years of my early life,” Cedric couldn’t help but laugh.
“Oh, really?” Marianne replied.
“Yes, I mean, our homes were made of wood and straw. There were also very little means to protect our animals from predators that hopped the fences. So when the big bad wolf snuck around, we had to make our way out into the pitch black night, trying to stop them.”
“Okay, sure enough, that doesn’t really seem like the right kind of nature to be in. I meant this kind. More man-made, with less interruptions from things that could literally kill you,” she knew how silly that statement sounded. Humans were probably the biggest animals of all. They would kill you for a pair of shoes, rather than to feed for survival. Vampires, whom she was only just learning about, on paper, were even worse.
“At least we won’t have to deal with any wolves here,” Cedric laughed, leading her onward towards a bench that sat underneath a lamppost. The light itself was out, but there was another a few meters away.
“Some naughty kids probably knocked that light out so that they could have their make-out sessions here,” Marianne teased, taking a seat at Cedric’s gesturing command.
Cedric fell down beside her, looking up at the light sheepishly. “I didn’t come here earlier tonight to knock that light out. That was definitely not my intentions for bringing you out into the rambles.”
“Is that so?” Marianne nudged closer to Cedric, with him immediately throwing his arm around her shoulders. They were close now, and Marianne knew she was giving him the come hither look, that would have most men falling in love and immediately falling into her as quickly as possible.
But Cedric ignored the advances.
Ever the gentleman, she thought glumly.
“What are your thoughts on smoking?” Cedric asked suddenly, almost as if to break the moment away from them sharing their first kiss.
“Smoking? Cigarettes are fine and who hasn’t enjoyed a couple drags of the devil's lettuce?” She chuckled. “Why?”
Cedric slipped his hand into his breast pocket, pulling from it a crafted golden cigarette holder. It was sleek and flat, not big enough to house a normal cigarette, but not small enough to go for those ultra-thin ones either.
“I spent a few years in crafting tobacco when I was younger. It was never an easy task but it was one that I enjoyed.” He snaked his hand out from behind Marianne’s neck. “I picked up a habit in that time. I know that it’s harmful to you and if you’re not interested, I wouldn’t force one on you, but would you like to try one of my homemade, hand-rolled cigarillos?”
“You never struck me as a smoker,” Marianne said, watching as he unveiled the thin cigarillos, unable to actually see them behind the darkness of the out lamp. Still, she happily pulled one from the container, bringing it to her nose and sniffing the sweet cherry smell.
“I’m not really one. It’s more just a bad habit and hobby that I like to explore,” he took one himself, sliding the holder back into his pocket and drawing a lighter in its place. “There’s not really much to these, they’re cherry and nice. I guess there’s little more to say.”
Cedric lit both cigarillos up, puffing three times to make sure that his was well lit and slid the lighter back into his pocket.
“I thought it fitting that if we were to be naughty kids, we might roleplay the whole experience. Cigars and bootleg whiskey.” He brought from the opposite breast pocket a flask out, handing it to Marianne first.
“You do come prepared, don’t you?”
“How am I going to get to first base without getting you a little drunk?”
“A handsome man like you? I don’t really think I’d need to be drunk to feel those hands on my body,” the pair laughed together. Marianne took a big swig from the canteen and where she somehow expected the liquid to burn, the same as it had when she was a young girl raiding a friends parent’s liquor cabinet, whatever was in here was smooth.
“That’s really nice,” she said, returning the flask.
“Hibiki Harmony,” Cedric said, taking a sip of his own. “A Japanese whiskey and one of my favourites.”
“So you’re a whiskey man then?”
“I believe all men should be whiskey men, with a beer as a chaser. But you know, the modern generation want their lady drinks because their taste buds haven’t been sculpted to e
njoy the truest pleasures in life.”
“You’re an odd one.” Marianne snickered. “But I really do like that about you.”
She put the cigarillo in her mouth, puffing on it once. She was enjoying the naughty experience but didn’t know how to smoke all that well. She sucked in, the same way he did, but it hurt her lungs and made her cough. So just puffing and blowing out was going to have to be her way of smoking. Not that she thought she would do it all that often, but who knew? Maybe she could get behind the idea of Cedric’s artisanal cigarettes from time to time.
Cedric took another swig from the flask before handing it back. Marianne sipped at it too, this time taking a smaller sip. She felt the light head rush from her first swallow and didn’t want to go too far further. She needed to keep her wits about her. She wanted to get to know this man properly, both as a man and a monster.
“Are you ready to go for a walk?” Cedric asked, sliding the flask back into his pocket.
“Definitely,” Marianne replied, dropping the cigarillo on the floor and stepping it out. Cedric did the same, standing up and extending a hand to her to lift her up.
“Where do you want to go?” Marianne asked, taking his hand and being helped to her feet.
“I want to go sit under the star-spangled sky,” Cedric replied, turning in the direction that they came through.
“And where are we going to do that with all this light pollution exactly?” she asked, walking at his side, snaking her arm in his the same way they were earlier that night.
“I’ve got a nifty little place I think we will be able to make them out.” Cedric led her onward, back towards the bow bridge and over.
“The bridal path,” he said, walking onto a breakaway from the path they walked on, onto what looked like a main road that must have been busy by day but was fairly dark here at night. With long, wide open fields all around the pathways on which they walked; Marianne understood why he thought that this would be the best place. Out there in the darkness, under the shadow of the city, the stars had to be visible.
