by M. J. Parker
Kenneth waited in his Mustang convertible, with the top down and the radio blasting loudly, vibrating the streets. Natalie smiled and jumped in the passenger Side, and I got in the back. He tapped the side of his car and looked at both of us.
“Ladies Ready?”
“Ready,” Natalie said. Before I could say anything, he put the car in drive, and sped off to the club.
__
Tonic was filled with a sea of people, considering that it was Saturday and a college town – it was going to be. Natalie and Kenneth and I all sat in the VIP section, somehow Kenneth scored the VIP tickets in Tonic lounge.
As we walked in, Kenneth walked up to a man with shaggy brown hair, his eyes were the perfect shade of blue, his skin a beautiful ivory, and every bone in his body was muscle. I stopped looking at him breathlessly, knowing who the man Kenneth had just talked to was.
“Thanks again, for the VIP tickets,” Kenneth wrapped her arms around Natalie. “This is my girlfriend Natalie,”
Natalie shook Derek Haven’s hand, and he smiled at her shaking it.
I walked up behind Natalie and Kenneth, and Derek’s eyes caught mine. “Who’s this?” He asked.
I was speechless as he looked at me, I felt Natalie’s arm go around me, as she looked at Derek.
“This is my best friend Zena,” Natalie said.
He spoke my name, and it sounded like music. “Zena,” He took my hand into his shaking it. “It’s a beautiful name, I’m –“Before he could speak I interrupted him.
“Derek Haven,” I said. “Self-made Billionaire of Benton, New Hampshire – the only reason why Benton is even known,”
“I see you’ve done your research,”
“Research,” I reply. “No, just hear a lot about you,” My hand let go of him, and I heard a small chuckle.
“Mr. Haven is my –“
Derek put his hand up towards Kenneth. “Just call me Derek outside of work,”
Kenneth smiled. “Derek, is my new official boss,”
“Kenneth here is one of my best employees,” Derek raved on, “But anyways, since you three are my guest tonight all drinks are on me,” He smiled.
___
As the hours had passed, I watched Natalie and Kenneth drink – I wasn’t much of a drinker, but if I didn’t go out and have fun with her, Natalie would find a way to use it against me later. Sometimes I don’t understand why I even put up with her, but I know that if it wasn’t for her – I wouldn’t be where I am after Jude’s death.
I sat on one of the couches in the lounge as Derek had come up to me, with his crooked smile that I couldn’t help seem to love, his eyes stared into mine and I could feel my heart skip a few beats.
“Anything to drink?” He asks. In the lounge at Tonic the music had been playing soft enough so people could talk, however, you could still here the music coming from the dancefloor.
“Just a Pepsi,” I replied with a light smile.
He stopped a waiter as he was walking by and ordered him and myself a drink. The waiter nodded as he did what he was asked to do.
“Natalie tells me you’re stubborn,”
I smile, and about five minutes later the water came back with our drinks. “What else did my dear friend Natalie tell you?”
“That you’re smart, you dropped out of Harvard when your dad died, and you lost your boyfriend five years ago due to a car accident,”
I took a sip of my Pepsi before I answered then set it down. “So she pretty much told you my life story in one nut shell,”
“I’m sorry,” He said. “For both losses,”
My smile faded. “Don’t be,” I replied. “Both losses made me who I am today,” Derek placed his hand on my knee with a tight squeeze, I let him.
I took another sip of my drink – I couldn’t help but stare into his eyes, there was just something about him that had seemed so familiar and I just didn’t know what it was.
“Are you doing anything tomorrow?” He asked out of know where.
My mind froze, and I couldn’t remember if I was or not – but I spoke anyway. “Not that I can think of,” I say.
His eyes lit up with excitement as he grabbed something out of his pocket and handed it to me. “My cell number is on my card, call me tomorrow when you wake up,”
“For?” I asked.
“Well, Natalie told me how much you hate surprises,” He raised his eye brows with a smirk, and took another sip of his drink.
“So a surprise, is what I’m going to give you,”
My mind was officially in a haze with his words.
Chapter Two
Morning had come faster than I had anticipated it to be, I turned and looked at the clock as the sun had peaked through my bedroom window, and it was already ten in the morning. I ran my hands through my hair with a deep sigh.
I got up out of bed, my daily routine was simple, shower, get dressed, brush hair and teeth, fix hair, put a little bit of make up on and call it a day.
I didn’t do anything to extensive, and work I didn’t really have to do – my father made descent money when I was younger and had a trust fund set up for me when I was born, by the time I was twenty one, I had enough to live off of for a long time.
I looked in the shower and I couldn’t find anything to wear, even though I had a million clothes hanging in my closet, clothes were my therapy for when I was sad or depressed or thought about my dad and Jude. Natalie thought at one point that I had a shopping problem and told me I should go to shoppers anonyms – now thinking about it, maybe I do have a point, but either way its whatever. I put on my favorite pair of faded blue jeans and a blue tank top with a flannel shirt, I put on my flats that I wore last night out to the bar – down stairs I could smell coffee brewing, which made my stomach turn.
Coffee reminded me of my father too much, but it was Natalie’s favorite thing in the world – she and I had been roommates for three years now.
I walked down stairs and to the kitchen, as Natalie poured her coffee into a mug, she looked at me with a smile as Kenneth had come out with his shirt off – I rolled my eyes as he kissed Natalie’s neck.
“That smells good,” Kenneth replied. Natalie chuckled, probably from the stubs of his beard.
“Get a mug and I’ll pour you some,” Natalie said. He walked over to the cabinet and poured grabbed a mug, putting it on the counter for Natalie as I grabbed a Pepsi out of the fridge – that was my coffee in the morning.
I tapped the can twice – it was a weird ritual I did with each pop – I then opened it up and heard the fizz coming from the can, a smile appeared on my face as I took a sip. Pepsi was my guilty pleasure.
I turned and looked at Kenneth and Natalie – as Kenneth wiped off the counter – he was a little OCD with certain things.
“So, I hear Derek is taking you out tonight,” Kenneth smiles. “It’s about time you go out,”
“Well,” I say. “Considering your girlfriend told him my entire life in a nutshell may have been the trick,”
Kenneth couldn’t help but laugh as Natalie looked at me in defense.
“Hey now,” She said. “You need to get out, sitting here in the house, crocheting like an old grandma and creating crafts is not exactly a life style a girl like you should be living,”
“A girl like me?” I raised an eye brow, as I pulled up a stool to the island that we had in our kitchen, placing the Pepsi down in front of me.
“Yes, a girl like you, your smart, funny, kind and you need a boyfriend, Jude wouldn’t want you sitting around here all day every day,”
I scoff a little at her. “If Jude was here, do you think I would be?” I reminded her kindly.
She shrugged her shoulder and shut up after that – she knew I had a point and kept quiet. “I’ll go out,” I replied. “But it’s only because I’m making you happy,”
She smiled at me as she took a sip of her coffee and Kenneth took a drink of his watching us. He loved the fact that he lived with two women – the
cattiness is what turned him on.
“Thank you,” Natalie said. “I love you too,” She laughed.
I sighed deeply as I took another sip of my Pepsi.
Chapter Three
It was time for my date with Derek.
He picked me up in his white Limo, and got out of the car greeting me at my door – by this time, Natalie and Kenneth had already been gone for the last three hours doing who knows what. Derek took my hand and kissed the back of it.
“You look amazing,” He says.
I watch his eyes look at me with content at how I looked, I couldn’t help but stare into him – as I watched his eyes – I had sworn they changed shape on me, almost…cat like.
“Thank you, you clean up well,” He chuckled as he walked me to the car and let me slide in first, as he closed the door as he got in. He tapped on the glass that was in front of us and I felt the Limo move.
“Showing up at a girls house in a Limo – Classy,” I smile jokingly.
“Well,” He started to say. “It’s just one of the many perks of being me,”
I couldn’t help but laugh as he grabbed a bottle of champagne out of the mini fridge that he had in the Limo.
“Do you at least drink champagne?”
“Surprisingly yes,” I reply.
He grabbed two glasses that were sitting in a small container and poured us some champagne in the glass, He clinked our glasses together and took a sip, and then I spoke.
“Now can I ask where you’re taking me?”
A smirk had appeared on Derek’s and he took another sip of his champagne finishing it. I watched him, impressed at how fast someone can drink Champagne.
“Not yet,” He said. There was something about his voice that had changed drastically. It almost frightened me in away.
Chapter Four
It felt like we were in the Limo for hours.
Until it finally stopped, the same smirk that had been On Derek’s face appeared again, as he looked at me.
“Where here,” He said. I looked at him a little confused as he took my hand the driver opened up the door.
“Where’s here?” I ask, getting out of the car with him – the driver closed the door behind me, and as I got out – a beautiful mansion had appeared right in front of me.
I gasped at the beauty, and he turned to me.
“It is beautiful isn’t it,” He walked up the marble stair case and in through the glass doors that opened.
“So where are we?” I asked. As I walked in there was a beautiful foyer in front of us, and a chandelier on the celling draping beautifully.
His hand touched my back, it was cold – I felt a shiver, but he didn’t seem to mind.
“This is one of my many homes,” He said.
“I had this built personally for me,”
“Its breath taking,” I say.
___
He showed me around the house, and I was amazed at the architecture, and the structure it took to build it, he walked me to the living room and we sat on the couch, I couldn’t help but keep watching his eyes – there was something about his eyes that just… seemed different to me.
“What?” He asked. He had caught me looking at him.
“It’s just your eyes,” I say. Knowing how stupid that truly sounded. “There’s something different about them,”
He blinked once, and then looked at me. I shook my head with a deep sigh and my back pressed against the couch.
“I think you had a little too much champagne,” He chuckled.
I nodded my head in agreement. “I think you might be right,”
Silence had come between us for a few minutes.
Then I broke it.
“Why did you invite me here?” I ask. I placed my legs up on the couch, letting them rest. He leaned in close to me, I could practically feel his breathe on my skin.
The champagne was defiantly in him.
“You Intrigue me,”
Oh.
I raise an eye brow and looked at him. “How do I intrigue you?” Now this made me wonder – no one had ever said I intrigued him – I couldn’t help admit that I wanted him right now with the way he looked, his truly mysterious eyes, his beautiful crooked smile that made my heart melt.
I felt like Jude had sent him to me, like he wanted this to happen.
“From what Natalie tells me you’re not like many girls, and I’m not like many guys,”
I laugh a little. “Not many guys are self-made Billionaires,”
“This is true,” He leaned in closer to me.
I swallowed, seeing his lips so close to mine. My world was changing too fast for my mind or body to handle – right now I had no idea what I was doing, and I didn’t know if I had even wanted to be here, in his house with him, but like Jude had always told me.
“Live in the moment,”
Without hesitation or seeming so desperate – I kissed him.
Chapter Five
The florescent lights had blurred my eyes as I woke up – I looked around and didn’t recognize the room I was in, I look at myself, and I was covered in a sheet. My mind was going crazy, I couldn’t remember last night or how I ended up like this.
I remember Derek though.
Very much so.
I heard the door open and I covered myself up more quickly with the sheets.
Derek walked in, he was wearing pants and no shirt.
“How you feeling?” He asked. As he leaned up against the door – I watched his muscles flex as he moved.
“Confused,” I reply quickly. Unsure if we did anything.
He chuckled.
“Well you had a little bit too much to drink last night,”
I drank?
I look at him with curiosity, I don’t remember drinking. “We didn’t have -” I couldn’t continue on the sentence.
“Yes. We did,” He replied honestly.
I ran my hand through my hair and sighed deeply. “I’m sorry, I don’t ever do this,”
“You kept saying that last night,” He said.
He started walking towards me, and I couldn’t help but stare at his flexing muscles.
“Do you remember anything about last night?” He asked. As If I were supposed to remember about something.
How can I remember if I drank?
I shook my head no. He sat down next to me on the bed, and there was something about him that had changed overnight – I don’t know what it was that changed in him.
I stand up, with the sheets draping over me like a dress and I look at him. His hand cupped my cheek and I stop what I was doing.
“I don’t want to lie to you,” He says suddenly. Now I was confused.
I ask. “Lie to me?”
“About me, I really, really like you Zena and I know we just meet but I feel something between us, I don’t know if you can feel it – but I do feel something that I have never felt with any other girl,”
I weakly smile. Unsure on how I should take that.
How many girls has he actually been with?
I still didn’t understand how I wasn’t like any other girl he had been with, that statement taunted my mind more than anything.
I just had sex with a man that I just meet yesterday, what was happening to me?
He was changing me.
Chapter Six
I was dressed a few moments later, and we were still in the bedroom – I put my hair in a ponytail and then spoke, it had been silent between us for about five minutes, and for once the silence was nice.
“You’re really freaking me out right now Derek, I don’t understand what the hell is going on, what don’t you want to lie to me about?”
“What I am,” He said. As I started to head out of the room, we headed down the spiral stair case.
“What you are is human, and a part of me thinks a bit of a psycho,” I lie, except for the human part. He was starting to scare me however.
“Let me show you,” He said. He grabbed the upper part of my
arm turning me around as we entered the living room. I could hear my own heart beating faster than it should be – I heard his sounding a little off. I look at him with hard eyes, now starting to get annoyed, he didn’t let go of my arm, though he did pull me closer to him.
My heart sank as I felt his touch.
“Show me what?” I ask. My voice had cracked with a little fear, and I knew he could tell, as he let go of my arm and placed his hands on my waist – what was I doing, why was I doing this?
Jude. What were you doing to me?
I wish Jude would answer my questions when I talk to him, I wish he would give me sign about why he was sending me on this path.
“What I am, I am human,” He replied. “Yes, but I have a secret that you can’t tell anyone,”
I sighed frustrated, wanting to leave this place, I scratched the top of my forehead as he looked at me with hopeful eyes.
“Okay,” I say.
He kissed my forehead.
I could tell he really had cared about me, and surprisingly for someone I just meet, I cared about him. I wasn’t one for letting people in my life so easily.
I was starting to have a headache.
He took my hand, and we headed out to the back.
___
The back yard was a forest, an actual forest.
I was amazed at how beautiful an old it looked. He stood me right on the porch and walked on the dirt path about twenty feet away from me, then turned and looked at me.
“Honestly Derek, Just tell me,”
As I said that. His eyes changed shape, there very same cat like shape eyes that I have seen since yesterday, I knew I wasn’t going crazy and I knew I wasn’t seeing things.
His eyes were real.
As I kept watching his whole body shifted into a tiger.
A tiger…
My heart skipped many times, more times than I could count and I walked back towards the door, unsure if I should run,
If I run was he going to come after me, or was he going to attack me.
This wasn’t real, this was a dream, I’m dreaming.
I closed my eyes and opened them again, he was still a tiger. He shifted back again, and he was naked.
