"Do I look okay?"
He felt sloppy as Victoria looked him up and down. A simple pair of jeans, sandals, a blue shirt. He knew Leese would look gorgeous, like she always did, and simply wanted her to find him as attractive as he did her. But he was a simple, homely witch.
"You look nice, don't worry," she said, studying him a moment longer. "You're nervous, aren't you?"
"Just a little."
"You have to relax. Leese is in to you. You know that, right? My phone's rang more this week than when Jack and I bought the first ones made."
He thought about Leese. Things were going well with her. Maybe a little too well, and he thought the bottom might fall out at any moment. They talked on the phone nearly every day, and had another date earlier in the week. They went to a movie, and held hands the entire time. They missed a few parts in the middle due to their kissing, which he had no complaints about.
One of the wonderful things about Leese was she didn't have the need to constantly talk about magic. There was the occasional question, but it wasn't the backbone of their conversations. It was just another quirk to her, and she accepted him, magic and all. They spent their time talking about their day, each other, the people in their lives.
"It's not just Leese. I don't think I've ever really hung out with a group before. There was Rachel and her friends, but that was more just hiding in the corner."
She laughed and put a hand on his shoulder. "You're part of the group now, Kevin. Don't worry, you'll be fine. Leese will make sure of that. It's just movie night."
The strangeness wasn't lost on him as he followed Victoria up the stairs.
"A witch, vampire, demon, and a few mortal ladies, all getting ready to cozy up and watch movies."
"Don't forget pizza. We'll probably order a pizza later."
"But you can't eat pizza."
"True, but if the pizza guy is healthy, I can have my own food delivery."
He helped Victoria set up the living room. They wheeled a small table in and set it in the back of the room, loading it up with drinks and snacks. It was obvious Victoria had done this before. The vampire was an old pro.
"Do you guys hang out a lot?"
Victoria nodded. "I like my privacy, but I love spending time with Alex and everyone. Vampires are kind of solitary by nature. A lot of them only view mortals as food. But all of us, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, we can have lives. We don't have to hide. Look at Jack. Even he does something besides complain about mortals now. Hey, speaking of Jack—"
"No, I don't have his cure."
"Okay," she said, smiling a sheepish grin. "Just checking. We were talking on the phone last night, and he was wondering."
"Victoria, I can't control how things come to me." He thought about the most recent potion that trickled in his mind, ever so slowly. Strangely, most of it came in Leese's company. "There might not even be a cure. I just don't know."
She raised her hands in defense. "Hey, you're preaching to the choir, here. I just told Jack I'd ask."
Kevin and Victoria were watching TV when the front door opened, and heard the tail end of an argument.
"I'm just saying, you're not a very good driver. I can walk through walls, and I crap my pants every time I'm in the car with you."
"What are you talking about? I went out with Kevin twice this week and he didn't say one word about my driving."
"He's not going to. He probably doesn't care, anyway. He carries all that witch stuff in his coat."
The witch and vampire traded looks, both trying not to laugh.
"Cindy, come on, tell Alicia the truth."
"Hey, don't drag me into this."
"You're my wife. You're supposed to back me up."
"Yeah, but Leese and I talk about you behind your back."
The three walked into the living room, Alex leading the way. He waved and went directly to the snacks. He was obviously very comfortable in Victoria's home.
"Hey, guys," he said. "How's my favorite witch and vampire?"
Kevin shifted uncomfortably. Victoria had spent so much time and effort pounding secrecy and low profile into his head. Witches weren't like other supernatural beings. They were nearly universally disliked and feared. There were witch-hunters out there, both human and supernatural, that wouldn't hesitate at trying to end his life. The best defense was simply being anonymous. Yet he sat in a room where everyone knew what he was.
Everyone said their hellos as Kevin stood up to greet Leese. He still didn't know what they were officially, but he wasn't going to focus on official. She was officially beautiful, though, as she smiled at him.
Leese motioned for him to sit back down. "Don't get up."
He sat back in the chair adjacent to the couch, and Leese jumped in his lap. She hugged him around the neck and kicked her legs up in the air. She kissed him, not caring that everyone was watching, and he held her around her waist.
"Ugh," Alex said. "Will you be doing that all night?"
"Don't complain," Cindy said. "It saves a spot for us."
She leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "Is that okay? I'm not embarrassing you?"
He was mesmerized by her smile, and instantly relaxed. He couldn't imagine a world in which Leese sitting on his lap would be embarrassing.
"Sit here as long as you want."
They had a great time as they watched a movie, Victoria's choice. Kevin couldn't have asked for better company. Victoria sat with Alex and Cindy on the couch while Leese and Kevin continued to share the seat. Leese kissed him randomly through the movie, some quick pecks, other times not so quick. Every time they drew comments and laughs. The simple gesture made Kevin smile. Leese liked him, and wasn't afraid to show it.
He glanced around the living room as the credits played. It was a most unusual group, and he was still getting to know everyone, finding his way. But he'd have fun doing it.
Alex was browsing through Victoria's movie collection as Cindy blew kisses at him from the snack table. Kevin and Leese still sat in the chair, their arms around each other, listening to Victoria reminiscence about some of the famous actors she'd met in the past. Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Mae West, Gary Cooper. The list went on and on.
"Hey, Victoria," Alex said. "You ever have sex with anyone famous?"
Leese's jaw dropped. "Alex! What kind of question is that?"
"A good one," Cindy said. "I've wondered that, too."
"Guys, I will never start naming names. But…yeah, I have."
Everyone froze when they heard the front door open and close. The non-vampires traded confused looks, but Victoria merely sniffed the air and smiled.
Jack stepped into the doorway separating the living room and dining room, and Kevin quietly groaned. Leese looked at him, silently asking Are you okay? He nodded, and rested a hand on her leg.
The mood changed, and the laughing stopped. Only Victoria still wore a smile. Cindy and Leese were simply confused, while Kevin and Alex wondered what would come out of Jack's mouth.
"Jack!" Victoria said, standing to hug him. "You didn't tell me you were coming back today."
He shrugged. "You didn't ask."
"Where's Tiffany?"
"She wanted to stay in Paris one more night. She's made some new friends there, and I didn't want to just rip her away. I'm only in town tonight myself. Tomorrow night I'm driving up to Dulles to pick her up."
"Well, stay, have some fun."
"What's going on here? A little party? Looks pretty tame. New York, 1892, that was a party. Remember that?"
Victoria rolled her eyes, and gestured to Cindy and Leese. "I don't think you've been introduced. This is Cindy, Alex's wife."
"Yes, the woman who likes the wings. We met the other night, but didn't really get a chance to talk. Congratulations."
Cindy smiled, more amused than annoyed, and shook Jack's hand as Alex turned red.
"And this is Leese, Alex's sister."
Leese went to stand, but Jack waved her off.
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"Please, stay there. I don't want to see the erection you're covering up."
Kevin scowled at Jack, who simply stood there with his hands on his hips. He smiled slowly as he looked back and forth between Kevin and Leese.
"I've got to admit, Glinda, you've got yourself quite the beauty there. I really thought you'd screw that up. Now, remember what I showed you down in the basement—"
"Jack," Victoria said. "Stop talking. Get a snack, and watch a movie with us."
"Sure, why not? As long as it's not Spongebob. I've been watching Spongebob with Tiffany all week. And he was speaking French. I'm trying to get her to watch good, clean violence, but she won't budge."
They started another movie, and to Kevin's surprise, Jack was quiet. He sat next to Victoria, and they whispered to each other, but he wasn't loud or obnoxious. Leese leaned close to Kevin's ear. Her scent was lovely.
"This is so weird," she whispered.
"What's that?"
"Cindy and I are the only humans here. I mean…I'm just guessing, but Jack isn't human, right?"
"He's definitely something else."
During another slow part in the movie Leese shifted in Kevin's lap and kissed him. Everyone was used to the display of attraction, except Jack. He chuckled behind them.
"We've got two shows. This horror movie, and a porno in the making."
"Jealous?" Kevin asked.
"Hardly. My woman puts everyone here to shame." He nudged Victoria. "Pause this so I can take a piss."
Everyone stood to stretch their legs, and Jack stopped in the doorway.
"Oh, Glinda. Cure?"
He shook his head. "Nope. Nothing yet."
"Nice. You can cure werewolves, cure Victoria from the sun, but you don't have shit for me."
"Not at all. Not a single ingredient."
"At least you're honest."
Jack left, and Leese stared at Kevin with wide eyes as she grabbed a few pretzels from the table. He turned and looked behind him, but no, she was definitely staring at him.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
She gestured to the doorway with her head. "Come here."
They walked into the empty dining room. He wanted to remind Leese that Victoria could still hear them, but didn't say anything.
"It was you?" she asked. "Victoria can walk in the day because of you?"
He scrunched his face at the memory. "Yeah. It wasn't my cleanest potion. I thought for sure she'd catch me. I had to mix it in her blood."
"You really changed her life."
He smiled at the compliment. "Well, she changed mine. We're even."
She gave him a look of affection, mixed with something else. He couldn't place it. Awe, maybe. Or perhaps she was going through what he did before, when things felt just a little too big. Or maybe, he was afraid to think it, but like was turning into care.
*****
Jack watched the young couple from across the room, his arms folded across his chest. He read their lips easily, following their conversation. Anyone else might have felt guilty at eavesdropping on the witch and human, but he didn't care.
He was keenly aware of his own emotions. He'd been alive and self-absorbed so long that emotions didn't sneak up on him. As he watched the young couple, he felt the jealousy.
It wasn't the physical things they did, the touching and kissing. That was nothing. Erica and he did things that would boggle their tiny minds. Jack could write a book about the things Erica and he did in the bedroom, the car, the roof, on the desk late at night in her classroom.
It was the look Leese gave Kevin that made him green.
Jack had been gone the past week, but could clearly see some of the events that happened on the young couple's faces. They'd spent time together, were getting to know each other. They hadn't had sex, but she knew. She knew he was a witch, and still, gave him that look. The look of an attraction that was destined to become something more.
That made him jealous.
He did what he always did when life threatened to get him down. He thought of Tiffany. His daughter would be home where she belonged in another day. He'd send her back to school, she'd catch up and do her homework, they'd watch TV, play games, cook dinner for Erica. Life would get back to normal.
He walked across the empty dining room. Kevin and Leese paused their embrace and looked at him. Jack said nothing. He couldn't pull off a smile, but did manage a nod of the head that wasn't too impolite.
Victoria, Alex, and Cindy were engaged in conversation on the couch as he visited the snack tray. Pretzels, chips, dips, soda.
"Victoria, where's the food?" he asked. "Subs, pizza, the good stuff."
Kevin and Leese rejoined them, and Victoria searched everyone's faces. "What do you think? Time to order some pizza?"
"Too bad I didn't get here earlier," Jack said. "I could have cooked some food."
Kevin gave him a look. "You cook?"
"Yeah. That's what grown-ups do when they get hungry."
"You just don't look like someone who cooks."
"I cook food so delicious it would drop every pantie in this room. Well, except for Fangs over there."
Victoria laughed, and toasted Jack with her glass of blood. Kevin wasn't convinced.
"Do you cook, my magical friend?" Jack asked.
"I do okay. I've been cooking for my sister and me since we lost our parents."
"Holy shit, that's been…what, five years?" He held up five fingers. "Wow, that takes up a whole hand. And one of those years was a leap year, so that's an extra day. Yeah, you can definitely cook."
"Did you go to sarcasm school or something?"
Alex and Cindy finally decided what they were seeing wasn't exactly tension, and burst out laughing. He hugged her around the waist and whispered something in her ear.
"I see where this is going," Jack said. "You think you can actually cook better than me. Glinda, I've been cooking for centuries. I have my own garden."
"Still, I just don't see it."
Jack pointed at Victoria. "Is your kitchen stocked up?"
Victoria nodded. "It is. For visitors, my friends here, for the cleaning crew, the people that work for me—"
"Let's go," Jack said. "We've got three people here that can actually eat. We both cook something, and let them decide."
"You're serious?"
"Always. Unless you're a puss."
"I'm not a puss, Jack."
"Okay, then. That settles it."
The six of them marched to the kitchen. Victoria and Alex were laughing as they brought up the rear.
"We're gonna have a cooking contest," Alex said. "This is just weird."
"Yeah," Victoria said. "It actually is."
*****
Jack and Kevin worked around each other as they prepared food. The rest of them sat at the table in the center, laughing and talking, with Leese cheering Kevin on. Jack was surprised at the completeness of Victoria's kitchen. She had a little of everything, more than enough to humiliate the witch.
He was also surprised at the simple fact that he was having fun.
Victoria had steak in the fridge, and they each took one. Kevin grabbed a few heads of broccoli, and Jack was impressed the young witch actually ate vegetables.
"It's all about the seasoning," Jack said. They worked side by side at the stove, bumping elbows. "Even the best cut of cow will taste like shit if you don't season it right."
"I know that," Kevin said. "Did you forget what I am? I'm all about seasoning."
"Are you putting some magic bullshit in yours? That's cheating."
"I don't need to, Jack."
The group laughed, and Jack could sense someone sneaking up behind them. Leese hugged Kevin from behind and whispered in his ear.
"You cooking is kind of sexy."
Jack glanced to his left to see Kevin's face turning red. He tried not to laugh.
"Unfair advantage," he called. "The witch has tits rubbing up against his back."
Leese slinked away, her own face turning red, and Jack turned to watch the group. Everyone was having a good time. Victoria was laughing, Alex and Cindy holding hands, and he was actually glad to be a part of it.
Twenty minutes later they were done. They both set their dishes on the table. Kevin made a simple dish of steak and broccoli, while Jack slathered his with delicious sauteed mushrooms. He'd usually do more, but knew he didn't need to do much to beat Kevin.
"I'll go first," Cindy said, and grabbed a knife and fork.
"Alex, seriously," Jack said. "You'd better hold your wife's panties. They're gonna fly off."
Cindy tried a forkful of each plate, and dabbed her mouth with a napkin.
"Kevin, yours is great. But Jack's is just a little better."
Everyone laughed, and Kevin took the news well. He smiled and shook his head.
"But, Jack," Cindy said. "My panties are still on."
Jack pointed at Alex. "You owe me one. If she gets turned on tonight, it's because of me."
"Alright, alright," Kevin said, and grabbed a clean fork and knife for Leese. "Your turn."
Leese sampled a bite, and nodded at Kevin. "His is better."
The group oohed and awed as Kevin held his arms in the air victoriously. Jack wagged his finger.
"No, that's bullshit. She's only saying that because she wants to play hopscotch on his dick."
Victoria's eyes went wide. "Jack!"
"Well, it's true. Look at her. She's thinking about it right now."
Leese hid her face, embarrassed, as Cindy hugged her around the shoulders.
"Okay, Alex," Victoria said. "You're the tie-breaker."
"I wish I could, but I have to pass. There's a ghost in the dining room that needs to talk to me."
"What a cop-out," Jack said.
Cindy squeezed Alex's hand. "Seriously?"
"Yeah," he said. "So, the best cook contest will have to wait. I'll be right back."
Everyone groaned and argued about the rules as Alex left the kitchen.
*****
Alex crossed the dining room and headed for the front door, toward the foyer. It had been a great night, a lot of fun. He wasn't sure how the addition of Kevin would go, and he really feared the direction of the evening when Jack showed up. But it was exactly what they needed, much different than racing through the sky to help his friends or tearing into mercenaries on his wedding night. Cindy was having a good time, and Alicia was truly happy just being in the same room with Kevin.
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