JenEric Designs

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Sitting down onto the low cushion hurt Rachel’s healing side. The cut hadn’t been as deep as she’d thought, but it was at an awkward angle and hurt if she moved wrong.

“Your side still hurt?” asked Ronny.

“It’s only been a few days, we can’t all heal after a meal,” Rachel snipped. She was more annoyed that he’d noticed, she thought she’d done a good job at hiding her feelings.

“Sorry.” He lifted his hands in the air and looked like a whipped puppy.

“It’s ok, Ronny. What do you have planned for tonight?” After his show of bravery, or stupidity, she’d agreed to a date. It also gave her a chance to ask him questions and make sure he wasn’t the one who took the picture of her in the cafeteria.

They were at a restaurant she didn’t recognize, which was decorated in bright orange and red with short tables that had cushions instead of chairs. Each eating area had a thin curved fish tank around it for privacy.

“First dinner, then we’ll be trying something that I think you’ll love.”

“Mysterious, I wouldn’t have thought that of you.” She smiled at him. He was cute, his pale skin nearly glowed in this lighting and instead of making him look evil or monstrous it gave him an ethereal quality. Combined with his looks, that would make a super hero jealous; she liked the look of him. More than that, she liked who he was when he was alone with her. He was equal parts shy gentlemen and eager puppy, a surprisingly sexy combination.

“So what kind of food do they serve here?” she asked, trying not to stare at his well defined arms.

“Atlantean.” When he saw her surprised look he added, “Yes that Atlantis. It’s one of the only authentic restaurants in North America.”

The waiter arrived before she could ask any further questions. There wasn’t a written menu. Instead they had four authentic dishes. Two were sea food, one of chicken, and a last was blood based.

When the waiter left Ronny said, “Atlantis was a mixed colony of Vampires and Humans.” As an afterthought he added, “And they lived in harmony. Not slavery like the late Egyptian pharaohs.”

Ronny told her about Atlantis and the ancient world, he was a history major, and they talked about everything but what was going on. It was a wonderful break from her semi-obsessive mission to find out who’d sent the huntress after her.

The waiter came back after they’d finished and asked if they wanted any dessert. Rachel was going to say yes but Ronny shook his head as the waiter looked at her.

On the way out she asked, “I kinda wanted dessert.” She comically pouted like the girls on television and they both burst out laughing.

Taking her hand in his, which was as cold as ice, he started walking away from the restaurant and where they’d parked. “Atlantean food is great, but their dessert is lackluster. There were no bees, sugar cane, or chocolate on Atlantis. They only had sour and bitter dessert. There’s a story in one of my books where they complained that rhubarb was too sweet.” She made a face and again they laughed. It was easy to laugh around him.

They were so deep into conversation that they passed the place he’d been planning on taking her and had to double back. The small shop he brought her to was called, “Chocolate Bars by You!”

“How did you know I love chocolate?” she asked genuinely surprised.

“I’ve seen you orgasm over the cafeteria’s chocolate pudding and you live with my sister.”

Inside looked like it was decorated by five year olds with a love of colour. They must have looked odd both in dark clothes. It certainly wasn’t a place she’d expect to see Ronny the vampire and football star. He didn’t try to hide his excitement; he had a childlike joy in his undead eyes.

Walking in, they were given a tray with two compartments, one for chocolate and one for everything else. The walls were covered in candies, nuts, cereals, chocolate and other wonderful things.

What happened was you chose your chocolate and what to go inside and they made you a giant personalized chocolate bar which was flash frozen so you could eat it right away.

Ronny made a semi-sweet chocolate bar with peanut butter and rice crispy cereal. Rachel made a dark chocolate bar with chunks of caramel and gummy worms. The bars were the size of a piece of paper and they nibbled on them as they drank a coffee in the coffee shop next door.

In a lull in the conversation she asked, “Why do you do the macho crap when other people around?”

He frowned, creating lines in his smooth forehead. “People expect it and it’s easy. The jerk me doesn’t get hurt.”

Surprised at his honesty, she leaned forward and watched as he did the same. With eyes open she kissed him. It was a soft but passionate kiss that sent pleasurable shivers up and down her spine.

Pulling away she teased, “That makes sense. Plus if you show your sensitive brooding side they’ll compare you to Edward or Angel.”

He made a face and stuck out his tongue. “I’m totally team Spike,” he said, surprising a giggle out of her.

They left with less chocolate than she’d expected. As they walked away from the store, she could tell they were being followed. She took Ronny’s hand and pulled him down a side street. She hoped the person wouldn’t follow them.

The dark shadow turned into the same street and she whispered to him, “We’re being followed. Trust me.”

Leading the mysterious shadow down alleys and other streets, Rachel hoped to lose them. She could fight, but with her side still healing, she’d rather avoid it.

After multiple twists and turns she brought them back to the car. It was the only one left in the parking lot. Checking her watch she saw that it was much later than she’d expected.

Ronny got into the car and Rachel pulled out a pair of throwing knives. When she saw the shadow she threw a knife at it and it gave a high pitched scream followed by, “Rachel, it’s me!” Ginny came out of the shadows with her arms raised and said, “Don’t kill me!”

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