by K. A. Poe
“Alex?” Desmond stared at me through concerned eyes, a frown marking his tanned face. “Are you all right?”
I shrugged and glanced around, feeling a wave of dizziness overcome me. “I-I think so,” I mumbled into my hands. “Just a little car sick. Never rode facing this way before. How close are we?”
Cassius knocked on the window that concealed us from the driver. I watched it slowly ease downward and the well-groomed man was revealed. “How far, Victor?”
Victor peered back at us, noting my condition, and turned his attention back to the road. “We will arrive in less than five minutes, sir.”
“Thank you,” Cassius replied and watched the window roll back up. Without consent, he leaned over and gripped my hand reassuringly. “Victor shall have us there promptly. Until then, may I offer you a glass of iced water?”
I eyed his hand awkwardly and nodded with as much of a smile as I could manage. “Yes, please.”
Salem feigned a cough and the man in the trench coat swiftly pulled his hand back, smiled apologetically and prepared the glass of water. I gulped down the contents of the glass quickly and shivered as the icy water inched its way down my esophagus. I immediately felt better and relaxed in my seat. Without warning the vehicle began to slow down, eventually coming to a full stop.
“We are here!” Cassius said with a wide smile as the driver exited the vehicle, then immediately came and opened our doors.
As soon as I exited the vehicle and gazed upon the restaurant before me, sneaking a glimpse through the rows of well-kept shrubbery and tall gate that blocked most of it from view, I felt I was in a trance. The building itself had to be at least as old as the cathedral we had visited earlier in our trip. And despite the obvious wear to the architecture, it still held onto its ancient beauty. In comparison to the restaurants I was used to, this place might as well have been the palace of eateries. My glimpse expanded into a full view of the front of the building as Victor unlocked the thick gates and we passed under a stone arch.
The exterior walls were thick gray stones with wide, arching windows toward the top giving it somewhat an air of mystery. Had this place once been another cathedral? Or the home to someone? Perhaps it still was. Vines twisted around the iron bars across the windows, and I was almost positive that someone was peeking out at me through a crack in the panes.
“You need not concern yourself with Frederick,” Cassius commented as he followed my stare. “He lives in the upper level of the restaurant. He’s the maintenance worker here, as well as the owner. You might say that he is a bit…edgy about newcomers. But, he without a doubt is familiar with yours truly.”
He shot a smile toward me and I felt reassured, despite the unwelcoming gaze Frederick sent in my direction. My eyes drifted away from the windows and fell back upon admiring the remainder of the building. The door arched just as the windows did, but it was much friendlier to glance at. A wobbly sign hung overheard with foreign words carved directly into the wood.
“Friedman Estates,” Cassius said as he noticed the source of my stare. “Frederick Friedman, our good friend up there. This estate used to belong to his relatives; he sort of inherited it, I guess you would say.” He then pointed behind the building, “If you notice, there are a few buildings beyond the restaurant that have since been rundown to the point of being deemed useless. The Friedman family had a lot of enemies in this town. Frederick though, he always kept to himself—a hermit, you might say. He stayed out of the conflict and once his relatives were long gone, he took over the place. There are some rumors that say he was in on it all. Secretly plotted to get rid of them so he could have the place to himself. Not sure I believe all that. He may come off as unfriendly, but once you get to know him your opinion of him will change. I can’t see him doing anything like that.”
“Why is this place for members only?” Salem asked, clearly noticing the overgrown foliage and lack of attention to the building itself. It was beautiful regardless of its state—all it needed was some care.
“That is something I cannot exactly explain just yet,” Cassius said with a mysterious gleam in his eye. “I will just say that despite Frederick’s friendly core, he is very specific on who he lets in.”
I could tell by the look on his face that Salem was becoming suspicious of the man in the trench coat, but he didn’t speak another word.
We finally approached the four slate gray steps that led to the arched doorway. Cassius’s pale fist rammed against the wooden entryway and soon after a tall dark-skinned man opened the door. He grinned wide as he acknowledged Cassius.
“Greetings, Mr. Arith,” he said and eyed the three of us behind Cassius. “Who are your guests, today?”
“Friends of mine, Derek. They won’t be any trouble,” he said assuredly. “We would just like a table for four…preferably someplace away from the rest of the crowd. And Derek.”
“Yes?”
“They are friends.”
“Well of course, sir,” Derek replied and led the four of us inside.
Immediately, I began admiring the interior of Friedman’s magnificent restaurant. Golden chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, each one holding dozens of lit candles. The room was warm and brightly illuminated. There were booths up against the walls, dark wood tables surrounded by chairs with burgundy cushions, and a bar toward the middle of the building. It felt like a cozy, casual place, and was certainly much more well-kept than the outside.
We followed Derek to a booth in the furthest corner of the room, nestled in a small nook with a black curtain that he gently pulled across our seating area to block our view and the other visitor’s from seeing us. Salem appeared cautious and uncertain, giving Cassius a curious look once more.
“Shall I start you four off with some water?” Derek asked, specifically looking in Cassius’s direction.
“Yes, please do,” Cassius replied. “Also, you know what I will be having.”
The waiter nodded and looked to the rest of us. “Three burgers should do them fine,” Cassius said, interrupting Desmond as he began to read off of the menu Derek offered to him. “And not too rare.”
Desmond looked dumbstruck for a moment and then shrugged. “That works, I suppose.”
“Right away,” Derek said, quickly pulled the menus away and left the table.
“I do hope you don’t mind that I ordered for you. The menu here is a little…unusual, perhaps not something of your taste.”
“I’ve eaten plenty of strange things in my journeys,” Desmond commented. “But, it’s not a problem. I was getting a little tired of the Romanian dishes we’ve been having the last few weeks anyway, to be honest. No disrespect to you and your country, of course.”
“Not at all.”
Derek returned promptly with the water, and I noted that all of ours came in clear glasses aside from Cassius’s…his was offered to him in a thick black mug.
Salem raised his eyes questioningly. “Do you have something against regular glasses?”
Cassius smirked. “It is a funny story, actually. When I first started coming here I broke more than my fair share of glasses. Maybe it was the condensation that tends to build on them, or perhaps I just did not know my own strength at the time. Whatever the reason may be, Frederick told me if I broke one more that he would kick me out for good. I jokingly asked if he rather I used a mug. To my surprise he went upstairs and found one. We still have a good laugh about that, and I still use the mug.”
“I see.” Salem sounded unconvinced.
There was scarce lighting in this portion of the restaurant, but I wasn’t about to complain. It gave it a sense of calm and the curtain helped dull out the sound of everyone else’s voices. I sipped my cold water and relaxed against the back of the booth. The setting may have been a little off, but the company was welcoming—definitely not the ancient, evil vampire I was expecting.
“Tell me a little about yourself, Alexis, if you do not mind,” Cassius requested.
I swallowed and felt sudd
enly self-conscious. All eyes were on me. “There isn’t much to say, really…I grew up in a really small town, and have always had a passion for music. That’s what you are interested in, right?”
Cassius pulled his lips away from the brim of his mug and nodded. “It is. I have a job opportunity for you in town, and after hearing so much splendid appraisal from your father, I knew I had to meet with you. I suppose it might seem awkward, having you come all of the way here, when I could have more easily had you send a recording of your music…but Desmond said he would be delighted to take you on a trip for the first time. So it all worked out perfectly. Now go on, tell me everything.”
“Well let’s see…what else is there to know. I took music lessons when I was really young. I would have kept going with them but…” I looked over at Desmond who suddenly had a sad look on his face. “But I didn’t. When I hit middle school though, there was the option of music class. To be honest, you don’t really learn much in there. I mainly did it so I could play the piano every day. I fell back in love with it. I’ve tried some other instruments but nothing else has ever felt right. So I hope you weren’t needing a flutist or something.”
“No, your father mentioned the piano specifically, and it just so happens you are exactly what I needed.”
“I am sorry to interrupt the conversation, however…this interest of yours, it sounds like it will complicate a lot of things,” Salem said, absentmindedly clicking his fingernails against the table surface.
“I, of course, would offer a lot for her services,” Cassius replied. “I can supply housing, vehicle, anything your heart’s desire.”
Salem looked at me pleadingly, clearly not liking the direction this was going.
“Are you offering me a job?” I asked.
The man shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “That all depends on just how magnificently you do play.”
A job was just what I needed—but not here, not away from home and my friends. Salem and I had expenses we would need to take care of back in Willowshire, and a job would come in handy back there…but how could I give up such an offer, when in Colorado I wouldn’t be able to get much beyond working at a place like Howard’s. Why hadn’t I thought that through when I decided to leave school?
“We’ll have to discuss this together, at a later time, Alex,” Salem interjected. “Please.”
“Oh, you will have plenty of time to discuss it. Why, I haven’t even heard her yet!”
Derek approached the table with three round silver plates topped with cheeseburgers on thick sesame seed buns, each with a side of steak fries. He served a bowl of unidentifiable liquid to Cassius and deserted the table.
“May I inquire as to what you are having?” Salem asked, staring suspiciously at the bowl of dark liquid.
“Soup,” the man said simply. “It’s one of Frederick’s specialties…only select customers are lucky enough to have a taste—and I am afraid that I may not share the name or ingredients with you. He is very cautious about this family recipe of his.”
“Where is this job opportunity?” Desmond asked while dipping a fry into ketchup.
“At the residency of whom you might call my boss. He had an exquisite pianist who played there regularly before—she unfortunately passed away, however.”
“That’s awful,” I gasped.
“And when will you be taking Alex to hear her play?” Desmond interrupted, showing little grief over the loss of the pianist.
“She can play here, actually,” Cassius answered with a grin. “Upstairs, Frederick has an old piano. Another one of his family’s leftover old relics…he would let you use it. He and my boss have an understanding. If I mention it is for him, he will know better than to say no.”
I gulped nervously. Desmond appeared perfectly content as he bit into his burger, whereas Salem was eying Cassius with a glint of distrust in his eyes.
“How long are you expecting Alexis to stay here?” he asked, arching a brow and pushing aside his food—clearly having lost his appetite.
“However long she desires to stay,” the man replied with a smile. “I will not take her away from her home and family, unless that is what she chooses to do. This is a grand opportunity for her, and for you. She will be paid for this, and as mentioned before, I can provide housing, as well.”
Salem glanced at me warily for a moment and I shrugged. It really seemed like a good choice, despite the idea that Malik was lurking around here somewhere. I reminded myself again that Malik wasn’t aware of my presence in Romania and he didn’t know what I looked like—I was perfectly safe.
“I think we can stay for a couple of weeks, at least.”
“Splendid!” Cassius grinned and eyed our plates. “Finish your meals and we can meet with Frederick about using that piano of his.”
I nodded and dug into my burger, it was far rarer than I would have liked.
3. BIZARRE BEHAVIOR
Cassius flinched as the music played, despite the pleased expression on his face moments sooner. He grabbed his head as if in pain and put a hand up, begging that I stop. His knees hit the ground and Desmond ran to his side. I lifted my fingers from the aged ivory keys, ending the harmonious tune completely.
“Are you all right?” Desmond asked, his hand resting on Cassius’s quavering shoulder.
The man nodded slowly as he regained composure. “N-nothing to worry about, my friend,” he replied through clenched teeth. “I have a tendency to get terrible migraines. Sometimes they are quite sudden and quite intense. She plays beautifully, however. Please, carry on.”
Salem watched Cassius from the back corner of the room. Cobwebs dangled overhead, wavering as a gentle gust of cool air blew through a nearby cracked window. Frederick had left the room promptly when we arrived, almost as though he was afraid to be in Cassius’ presence. I placed my fingers back on the keys and resumed my song, although slightly distracted by Salem’s intense staring at the man who was offering me a possible job. Was there something that I was not seeing? My eyes closed lightly as I let myself get carried away by the magnificent sound that reached my ears, streaming through my fingers into what I thought to be one of mankind’s greatest inventions. I only stopped playing when the sound of screaming echoed throughout the room. My eyes flew open and I turned to look behind me. Cassius was crouched over on the wooden floorboards, gripping his head with his hands. Desmond was once again at his side, offering to help him up.
“You’ll…have to excuse me,” the man stuttered and wobbled to his feet. A strained expression fluttered across his paled face briefly before he turned and exited the room.
After a moment’s consideration of what had just happened, Desmond turned to look at me—completely unfazed by Cassius’s abrupt exit.
“You play so beautifully, Alex!” my foster father exclaimed, pulling me up from the bench and wrapping his arms around me. “I am beyond proud of you.”
I mumbled my thanks against his chest and blushed lightly. It was strange to admit, but I felt an unusual comfort within the circle of Desmond’s embrace—I felt safe, secure and even loved. This was a huge shock as I had always thought of him as a man who resented my very existence. I would never forgive myself for the way that I once thought of him—he was my father, the only one I had now that Paul was gone.
Salem interrupted our brief moment with a cough. “Perhaps we ought to leave,” he said.
“He’s right…” I sighed and lowered my head. “I guess I won’t be getting the job then?” I more so wondered this to myself, it had not been my intention to speak it.
“Now, now,” Desmond shook his head and patted my arm, “The poor man was in pain, I’m sure he will be back in contact with you before you know it…just give it time. There’s no way he could resist having you play for him. Before his headache became too much for him he told you how beautiful your performance was.”
We exited the attic and were quickly met with the loud chattering of voices and the mixed aroma of cologne, perfume, a
le, and food. A conspicuous man in a thick brown coat eyed the three of us as we made our way to the doorway. His gaze didn’t falter as we pushed through the crowd and out the arched door. I glanced behind us quickly when our feet met the ground and was relieved to see that we were alone. Desmond stood aside to call the nearest cab service and I stared through the gaps in the wrought iron fence that caged us inside. Several cars swerved down the road as I watched in silence, blocking out my father’s voice and the quiet approach of Salem’s footfalls.
“You seem uneasy,” he said directly into my ear, pulling me up against his body in a tight embrace.
“Something just seems…off,” I replied and reclined my head, resting it against his chest. “You don’t think he faked the headache, do you? You think I caused it? I mean…do you think he hated it? It gave him a headache...?”
Salem turned me around to face him and tilted my head upward so that I was peering into his violet-tinted blue eyes. “Regardless if he did or not, you played beautifully and you know it. Besides, this isn’t exactly an ideal offer, anyway.”
I frowned and contemplated his words. “What do you mean?” my voice was colder than I had intended.
“We just started a new life in Willowshire, Alex. You can’t just take every offer on a whim—and I personally do not trust this man.”
“I’m not taking just any offer thrown at me! This is a huge opportunity, Salem. Doing something I love. And Cassius seemed perfectly nice to me!”
His lips curved downward at my comments and a gentle sigh passed through them. “I think the excitement is just blinding you.”
“What the hell are you getting at, Salem? There was nothing wrong with him! And if I want to stay here and play then I will!”
Before Salem had the opportunity to reply, Desmond approached us with a grimace. “We’ll be waiting here for a little while,” he said. “There aren’t any cabs available this far out right now.”
