by Shyla Colt
Tavel set the glass rectangle beneath the scope, and it whirled to life. It cast a projected rundown of all the elements and compounds found in Charlie's blood. His mind worked overtime as he digested the information and ran over scenarios. He didn't want to simply recreate the elixir that kept him from dying. He wanted to go one step further and achieve success. Summoning a recorder off one of the desks he hit play and began to talk. "Trial one…"
Twelve grueling hours later he held a murky blue liquid up to the light. To drink or not to drink. Always a risk-taker he lowered the bottle, removed the top, and tossed it back. The bitter flavor puckered his lips and dried out his mouth on contact. Sweat ran down his body in sheets. He quickly shed his sweater and jeans. Stripped down to a plain, white t-shirt and plaid boxers he was still on fire. Anxiety made him pace the floor as he came down with a case of the jitters. A sharp stab of pain struck his stomach.
"Ugh." He dropped to his knees, literally bowled over by the pain. Is this how my life ends? The writhing ended as he convulsed, and darkness engulfed him.
Chapter Sixteen
I'm nervous as hell. Bastien checked his appearance in the mirror. He wore a green and blue plaid sweater over a white t-shirt and a pair of dark denim pants, because Mars insisted slacks were too dressy for what he had planned. A pair of brown boots completed the ensemble. Rivka had begrudgingly agreed to leave the bedroom. He'd scoured the Internet for ideas before he gave in and asked Mars for some advice. In the end they'd come up with the idea of a mock five-course dinner that would take place at a number of restaurants. He was taking her to Newport on the Levy, which held a strip of restaurants of all shapes and sizes they could easily walk to. Best of all, they wouldn't have to talk much because their mouths would be busy. Naughty images flickered in his mind. Down boy, think of cold showers.
"This is as good as it gets." He turned away from the mirror and walked to the door. They'd agreed to drive separately and meet up. Now that the wedding excitement had died down, they weren't hiding things. He just had no desire to explain to others why they weren't ga-ga over each other and planning the mating ceremony of the year. Bastien rolled his eyes. There was no way in hell he'd be gussied up and put on display for everyone to see. It wasn't his style, and if he was judging correctly, it wasn't Rivka's either. You're getting ahead of yourself. She barely agreed to do on this date. One thing at a time. He drove away from the house in a black SUV, hoping this date would break the ice. It was almost painful having casual sex with someone you knew was the love of your life. There was no cuddling in the afterglow or sweet words whispered to temper the passion and make him feel like anything other than an able body. A pang of regret hit him as he thought of the nameless, faceless women he'd had sex with over the years. He'd always been up front about what he was looking for, but if they felt like this…
The ghosts of his past hounded him as he pulled into the parking lot. He'd never thought about the damage you could do to others without batting an eyelash. It simply didn’t compute when your emotions were frozen. Short of joining a volunteer group and shipping off to a third-world country to administer aid for a few years, he wasn't sure how he could make up for it all. Bastien placed the car in park. That was the past. Don't fuck up your future dwelling on it. Just like the battles you've fought, you do the best you can when you're in them and then move forward. With his pep talk to himself complete he exited the car and headed to Benita's Café where they'd agreed to meet for appetizers and a starter drink. The three-story, beige brick building had a historic look to it, like most buildings did in this area. Founded in the early nineteen hundreds most of the brick structures were original, though revamped on the inside. The glass-paned windows on the bottom row had black curtains, and the word Benita’s was etched on the door in swirly black letters. When he walked inside he was greeted by the glorious scent of spices that gave a nod to the Cajun-style food they specialized in cooking.
There were a few people in front of him at the hostess stand, so he took the time to study the layout. Square tables, which could seat two to four people, covered in white tables cloths sat on top of a hardwood floor. Signs that said New Orleans covered the wall along with red crawfish and a variety of paintings. Jazz music played over the speaker, but according to the website, they brought in live bands at night. The door opened behind him, and he smiled when he saw Rivka. Dressed in a pair of skinny blue jeans and knee high black boots, she had her hair pulled back into a high ponytail, classic beauty. She scanned the area, and her gaze stopped at him.
"Hi." He offered up a smile as she came to stand beside him.
"Hi." Her face was drawn as she remained standoffish.
"It smells great on here, doesn't it?" He’d keep the conversation flowing and light. She seemed to shut down at anything too serious.
"Amazing. Do you like spicy food?"
" I do."
"Nice."
"Hi, welcome to Benita's. Will there be two of you tonight?" the perky, blonde waitress asked.
"Yes," he said.
"Excellent." The waitress grabbed two menus off the counter and walked around to stand beside them. "If you'll follow me."
They trailed behind her to a spot next to a window in the middle of the restaurant. He pulled out a chair for Rivka, who sat down and mumbled “thank you,” as he pushed her seat in before taking his own.
"Your waitress will be Tracy. She'll be with you shortly."
"Thank you," he said. When she walked away he turned his attention to Rivka.
"How've you been? I haven't seen you since last week at the wedding extravaganza."
"I've been good, busy with ceremonies and a few births. How about you?"
"A lot better now that the three-ring circus is out of our house."
She snickered. "I bet. Are they still on their honeymoon?"
"For a whole other week. It's like we've gone back to being bachelors again."
"Ordering pizzas, drinking beer, and watching the games?"
"Exactly."
They both picked up their menus and for once, a comfortable silence fell between them as they browsed.
"What looks good to you?" she asked a few minutes later.
"I'm leaning toward the Carpaccio."
"Oooh, I've never tried that one." She browsed the piece of paper once more. "Raw beef tenderloin pounded thin with a marinade of garlic, black pepper, Parmesan, olive oil and lemon." She wrinkled her nose. "I don’t know about that one, General."
"It's really good. The meat melts in your mouth, and the flavors sort of explode on your palate before they meld together in one cohesive taste."
"Normally I'd just order my own, but we'd never make it to the fifth place if we did that. I'll go with your call this time, but I call dibs on the dessert."
"Done." A dark-haired waitress appeared dressed in a crisp white button up and a pair of black slacks. She smiled.
"Hi, I'm Tracy. I'll be your waitress tonight. Can I start you off with something to drink?"
"We're actually ready to order, I think?"
"Okay, what would you like?"
"I'd like a Manhattan."
"An Amaretto Sour, please."
"Can I see your IDs?"
They both pulled out the slips of plastic, and she smiled.
"Thanks. What can I get for you to eat?"
"We're just going to split the Carpaccio."
"I'll be right back with your drinks and place that order for you."
"Thanks, Tracy," he said.
"You're welcome."
"So tell me something about yourself," Bastien said.
"Like?"
"Anything." Please don't let this date die before it's even begun.
"My favorite color is black."
"Mine is blue."
"Dark blue or light blue?"
"Navy blue."
"Nice. What do you do when you're not doing General related things?"
"Up until recently not very much. Now I hang out w
ith my younger brothers pretty regularly, watch TV, play some video games. You?"
"Read, hike, travel when I can, watch television, mostly reality shows."
"Like Jersey Shore?"
She snorted. "No, like National Geographic specials. I like learning especially about Earth. There's a lot to take in still."
"Very true. Do you have any friends?"
"I'm a Priestess, not a human nun," she laughed. "We're allowed to do pretty much everything anyone else can.”
"You'll have to go easy on me. I'm a little out of the loop."
"I'll let it slide the first few times."
The waitress returned with their drinks, cutting off the conversation.
"Here you are." She set the drinks on the table in front of them. "Your Carpaccio will be out shortly."
Rivka took a sip of her drink, and he noticed her dark hair brightened to a medium brown.
"This is excellent!"
"Yeah, I figured that."
She placed a hand on her hair. "It turned."
"Yeah, it's a med brown." He took sip of his Manhattan. "Is the hair change connected to your mood?"
"Yes."
"Are you going to give me a color decoder?"
"That'd be like cheating. I think I'm going to let you figure that out on your own."
The plate of food arrived, and Bastien dished them each up a portion. He bit into his first, mindful of her reaction. She chewed her tiny, test bite gingerly, and sighed. She nodded her head, covering her mouth.
"Okay, you were right. This is delicious."
"I'm glad you like it."
They finished the rest of the Carpaccio and their drinks, and then he ordered the bill.
"What's next up on our list?" she asked.
"Corner Stone Bar and Grill for soup."
"That sounds heavenly on a day like this." It was in the high thirties and overcast.
"Agreed."
"Here you go. Thanks for coming in today," Tracy said. She deposited the black bill folder on the table and walked away with a smile. Bastien opened it, signed the piece of paper and left a generous tip.
"All set?" he asked.
"Yep, let's head out."
They stood, made for the door, and stepped out into the frigid air. It was about five o'clock, and the sun was beginning its descent, making the temperature dip even lower. They traded the three-story brick building for a two story done in a color that bordered on yellow and stood out from its neighboring dwellings. When they stepped into the door his eyes went directly to the stained glass artwork behind the bar and the beers they had on tap.
"Wow, it's beautiful in here. I love all this dark wood,” she said.
"I'm partial to it too." The dark brown tables and chairs stood out against the white and yellow striped wallpaper and black and white framed images that lined the walls. "Would you like to sit at the bar while we eat?" he asked.
"Yeah, that'd be great."
Once they were seated on two bar stools near the end of the bar furthest from the door, a bartender approached them.
"Hey guys, what can I get for you today?" the round faced man with graying brown hair cut close to his head and brown eyes asked.
"Can we get menus?"
"Sure thing." He handed them two from behind the bar. "What can I start you off with to drink?"
"I'll have the Winter Lager," he said.
"And I will have the British Pale Ale."
"Coming right up."
"I like the vibe of this place." Rivka studied their surroundings." It's really inviting and warm for a bar. It's a nice switch from the sleek and modern look, which can come off as cold."
"I might have to drag the boys down here one night."
"You guys seem really close."
"We are now, but it wasn't like that growing up. I was off in training from the time I was eleven, and Mars was sent down to Earth about the same time. Phelan and Kade were together, but Phelan was bogged down with training to be the next in line to take over."
"That's a lot of weight on tiny shoulders."
"It was, but we managed it best we could."
The bartender returned with their drinks. "Here you go." He set the glasses down in front of them.
"Thank you. What are your soups of the day?" Rivka asked.
"Vegetable and White Chicken Chili."
"I'll have a cup of potato soup," she said.
"Double that," Bastien said.
"Good choice. I eat a bowl almost every day in the winter." He took the menus from them, replaced them behind the bar, and hurried from to a set of swinging doors. She removed her jacket, revealing a v-neck, cream-colored, sweater. The color made her golden skin pop, and the design teased him with the hint of her cleavage.
"You look good today."
"Thanks. I like your sweater." Look at us, being civil.
"Thank you."
The potato soup arrived, steaming with cheese on top and bits of bacon. He took a spoonful, cooled the broth with his powers, and took his first bite. The creamy soup was packed with flavor. He hummed his appreciation as it slid down his throat.
"Okay, we're two for two in the amazing area," Rivka said.
They finished their beers and soup between bits of light conversation that allowed them to get to know one another better and moved on to the next restaurant for their main course.
****
Rivka glanced around. The Bistro had a completely different vibe from the previous places. With its crisp, white tablecloths, folded like a fan, there was a very modern feel to the building, with its black décor and white accents. This felt like a proper date. She placed her napkin in her lap and tried not to fidget. The first half of this outing felt like an adventure being had by two friends.
"Well, this place is swank," Bastien said.
"Mhmm. Not what I was expecting from the outside of the building."
"I like that they kept the historical building as is though. It's what gives this part of town so much character. One of the things I liked the most when we relocated to Earth was the different architecture."
"True, we didn't have building materials like these on Tagget." On her home planet they lived in dome-shaped buildings made of what would be considered a jelly-like substance here on Earth. The bright colored spheres decorated the landscape, pinks, oranges, and teals.
"Do you ever miss Tagget?" she asked.
"All the time. It seems like I never really got a chance to experience it as an adult."
"When did you end your training?" she asked.
"At nineteen and that was at an accelerated pace."
"And then you took over the military?"
"No, I studied under the current general for a few years after that. It was a tumultuous time with the death of my parents and Phelan stepping up. We didn’t want to change everything at once."
“It’s always hard taking over for someone who's been a fixture for years. Because you can’t be them and you have to find your own way to lead … fast."
He laughed.
"That's something you'd understand too, isn't it? When I spend time with you I often forget you're the Star Maiden."
"A lot of preconceived notions come with the title."
"Well, to be fair, you are cloaked in mystery."
She smirked. "Blessed with power from the stars, able to see the future, what's there to be confused about?" She winked.
"That's a very dumbed down version."
"Maybe just a little." She held her thumb and her pointer finger an inch apart. She took a sip of her water and browsed the menu they'd been brought.
"Are we splitting this one too?" she asked.
"I think we can pick our own with this."
"Good, ‘cause something caught my eye."
"Which one?"
"The filet mignon with marble potatoes, carrots and parsnip puree."
"That does sound good. I'm thinking about the roasted rack of lamb with garlic mashed potatoes and peas."
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They ordered their meals when their waiter, Todd, returned. The service was impeccable, and the food was divine. Still, this was her favorite portion of the day, dessert. She had a sweet tooth she often curbed, but today was about splurging. Seated across from Bastien with the remnants of a giant slice of Key Lime and a cup of Caramel Latte in front of her, she patted her belly.
"Okay, I'm stuffed."
"You sure? ‘Cause we can order you another slice."
She moaned. "No!"
He laughed. "You did good. I'm impressed with how much you packed away."
"I'll take that as a compliment, but for future reference a lady does not like to have her eating habits referred to as packed away."
"Got it." He pushed away his plate. "I had a good time to today."
"Me too." The awkwardness that had been lacking settled in, and she could practically see the smoke coming out of his ear as he tried to figure out what to say. Imaginary crickets played tiny violins as the silence stretched between them. She visualized them in her mind, the little insects playing their tiny violins and breaking the silence that stretched between them. It always came back to his decision to undergo The Purge and the hurt the thought caused. At least I'm making an effort to get over it now. That night at Zasha and Phelan's she'd gotten a glimpse of what her future could be. It was what they both deserved after a lifetime of serving their people. When she thought about all he'd sacrificed to keep his people safe it was humbling, admirable even. It just sucked being the one to suffer for the cause when it wasn't a decision you had a hand in making.
