Man, she was cute. There was a smile in my voice when I answered, “Sure, tea sounds perfect. I’m going to put my feet up in the living room for a while.”
“I’ll bring it in to you, then,” she said and turned back into the kitchen, her hand sliding along the wall as she felt her way about.
I turned on the television and flicked through the stations, listening to her potter with the kettle and cups. Half of me was waiting to hear something shatter as she dropped it, but that didn’t happen. A few minutes later, she entered the room holding a steaming mug in her hand and wearing a triumphant expression. Something in my chest stirred at seeing her so proud of making a simple cup of tea.
“Where are you?” she asked.
“Over here,” I said, and she followed the sound of my voice. When she was standing before me, I took the mug from her hand and sipped.
“Ah, powerful cup of tea, Goldy. Thanks.”
She tugged on the hem of her T-shirt and bit her full bottom lip. “Why do you call me that?”
“Goldy?” I questioned, and she nodded. “It’s because of your eyes.”
She wrinkled her nose. “They’re hazel.”
“They’re gold,” I disagreed. “And they’re fucking gorgeous.”
She blushed and hurried back out to the kitchen. I chuckled. A minute later, she came back in with her own cup and took a seat beside me on the couch. We drank in silence for a bit while a soap opera played on the television.
“How old are you?” I asked her. Despite the fact I’d invited her to stay at my house, I still knew next to nothing about her.
“Twenty-three,” she replied. “I was only twenty-one when Ridley abducted me.”
Just a kid, I thought to myself. I was practically a decade older than her. Given the amount of time I’d spent ogling her chest and arse, I felt like a bit of a dirty old bastard right then.
“Were you still at school?”
She nodded. “I was in my final year of college, studying for a degree in Biology. I also worked part-time at a bakery to pay for classes.”
“Biology, eh? Little brainiac.” I teased, nudging her with my elbow while she shook her head bashfully.
“I was far from the top of my class, but I did love the subject. Did you attend college?”
“Yeah, though it feels like another lifetime. I got a degree in computer programming back in Ireland. I’d just started a job with an IT firm when my mother and sister were murdered by a vampire.”
“Oh, my God, I’m so sorry,” she gasped. “Is that why you decided to become a slayer?”
“Yes. Back then, I lived for revenge. This vamp seduced my mother first, then moved onto my sister. I’d been so busy with college and then my new job that I didn’t even see it happening right under my nose. Not all vampires are psychotic, but this bloke, he fancied himself a bit of a serial killer. Long story short, I finally tracked him down and lodged a stake in his heart. I got my revenge, but it didn’t feel like enough. That was when I learned of the DOH and did everything in my power to get recruited. I left my comfortable computer job behind for a cause I felt was righteous.”
“And do you still feel that way?” Alora asked.
I blew out a breath. “Nothing is the same as it was. I’m not sure how I feel anymore.”
We fell into silence, and I took another sip of my tea, studying her for a moment.
“Are you looking at me?” she whispered.
“Yes,” I answered simply.
“Why?”
“Because I like your face.”
A red flush coloured her cheeks as she lifted her mug to her heart-shaped lips. “If I wasn’t blind, I’d say I’d have to keep my eyes on you. You’re a terrible flirt.”
I chuckled as some sort of affection for her grew and expanded inside me. She was so easy to be around. “You’re too clever, Goldy. You have my number already, so you do.” She blushed again as I went on, more serious now, “Listen, everything’s kind of been a crazy rush this last day or two, and we haven’t really had the chance to talk. Is there anything you need? Anything that will make staying here more comfortable for you? Name it, and I’ll do my best to get it. I want you to feel at home.”
“I can’t believe you’re helping me like this,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. “You hardly know me.”
“Well, I like to prove that the saying about relying on the kindness of strangers is true. I can also see that you’ve had a really tough time of it and you deserve to be protected. Given that the barrier is in place, Michael Ridley must still be in the city somewhere, and he could decide to come after you again at any time. I want to make sure you have someone looking out for you if that happens.”