by C. G. Powell
“I see you are familiar with one of our local whiskeys,” Aidan smiled, seemingly pleased as he turned to our waitress. “I’ll have the same,” and he directed his gaze back to Mae continuing, “Gemma tells me you’re a computer programmer. It just so happens that Beck is also in the business of technology.”
“Oh great!” Mae thought to herself, it’s bad enough he’s the sexiest beast she’d ever laid eyes on. Now Fabio’s better looking brother and she had something in common. Looking at Beck, she asked, “What type of technology do you work in?” She inquired, attempting to make small talk, just so she didn’t look like she was trying to bail out on the date. It helped that the outfit she was wearing gave her the confidence she needed to get this far.
Shifting in his seat, Beck stretched his long legs and leaned back in his chair. “Developmental space technology,” he said, his gaze intensely focused on Mae, leaving her with the uncomfortable feeling of being under a microscope as a chill went up her spine.
Aidan and Gemma were completely engrossed in their own conversation when the waitress brought the drinks to the table. Mae quickly downed hers and ordered another before the waitress had a chance to put the rest of the drinks down on the table. All three turned to look at her, their expressions a mixture of puzzlement and concern. “Please excuse us, gentlemen,” Gemma said as she rose from her chair. “We need a moment to freshen up.” Grabbing Mae’s hand, she practically dragged her to the ladies’ room.
When the door shut behind them, Gemma let loose with a shriek. “What has gotten into you? Beck is far from Fabio’s ugly cousin and it seems like you might have something in common with him. Why in the hell are you slammin’ down whiskey like there’s no tomorrow? This is so not like you.” Gemma stood back, tapping her shoe as she waited for Mae’s explanation.
“I’m sorry Gemma. There is just something about him that sends chills down my spine.” Mae started to pace the bathroom floor with an edginess that made her unable to stand in one place for any length of time. It didn’t help that since leaving the airport earlier, Mae’s thoughts had been centered on Aidan—her best friend’s date for the evening. She didn’t have the heart to tell Gemma that she couldn’t keep her thoughts off Aidan since he walked into the bar. He was the one that made her heart race like a school girl with a wicked crush. Beck? Not so much.
~~~***~~~
As soon as Gemma and Maelin excused themselves, Beck let out a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "What the hell is going on here? I tried to charm Helen back to consciousness and nothing happened." Beck asked Aidan, searching for answers.
"I hate to tell you this, old friend, but it seems your lady has come back as a witch," Aidan said grinning.
"That's impossible! I can smell a witch’s blood a mile away," Beck snapped, not wanting to believe what his friend was suggesting.
"I am more than aware how well you can sense my kind, but that doesn't change the fact that Maelin is a witch and a strong one to boot. The amount of energy coursing through her is incredible! What I want to know is why the Witch’s Council doesn't have her on their radar?" Aidan questioned.
Beck stood up and grabbed his jacket, "I have to get out of here and think." The whole situation was too much for him to handle at the moment.
"Old friend, I have never seen you run away from anything."
"You have also never seen me heartbroken. The last time, I wanted to die and take the rest of the world with me…and I almost did." Beck had to get out of there before she came back.
Aidan considered the weight of Beck’s words as he left. Although they had been friends ever since he first helped Beck steal Helen, which precipitated the Trojan War, he had only heard stories of Beck’s true destructive nature. It was something he never cared to witness. Since then, Helen had always been able to keep Beck’s rage in check.
After a few minutes, Gemma and Mae returned to the table. Noticing Beck was no longer there, before she sat down Mae inquired as to his whereabouts. “Where’s your friend?”
“It seems my friend had an emergency to attend to at work, and will be unable to join us the rest of the evening.” Aidan said, covering for Beck’s abrupt departure.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she lied. Mae was completely relieved he was gone and now it was time to execute her own exit strategy. “I’m feeling a bit jet-lagged anyway, so if you will excuse me, I hear a hot bath and warm bed calling my name,” she said upon rising.
“Well I guess that just leaves us. I know a quaint little restaurant just around the corner if you are up to it after we finish our drinks,” Aidan said to Gemma, gesturing towards the door.
“That sounds good. I just need to go back to my room, freshen up and get my coat.” Gemma smiled, hoping for Mae to have fun too, but knowing she could not force her.
~~~***~~~
As Mae walked back to their hotel room, she removed Gemma’s heels, being unaccustomed to such footwear, not to mention, they were killing her feet. She started to think, “Beck sure did leave in a hurry.” Then it hit her, “Maybe he thought I was Fabio’s ugly, alcoholic sister and couldn’t wait to leave at the first opportunity! So much for stroking my self-confidence, but what should I have expected after being set up on a date with a god?”
Mae opened the door to their room, walked in and threw her purse on the bed. Rummaging through her luggage, she pulled out a pair of sweats and a t-shirt looking forward to their relaxed comfort. She then realized she could not reach the laces in the back of Gemma’s dress. She was completely stuck!
Mae stood there in the middle of the bedroom feeling like a complete idiot. She was just about to call the front desk to see if the concierge could help her out when Gemma opened the door. Mae was relieved to see her, but before she could ask for help. Gemma stepped into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and leaving Aidan standing there. Refusing to wait any longer to get out of the Victorian torture device disguised as a dress, and against her better judgment, she turned her back to Aidan and asked. “Can you please undo the laces in back? I can’t reach them.”
“Are you sure you would not rather wait for Gemma?”
“Just get me out of this damned thing,” she said as her frustration level hit an all-time high. Her panic of being stuck in the dress one second longer over-ruled any nervousness she may have had about Aidan earlier.
He untied the knot and started to loosen the laces from the bottom up. As the dress started to come undone, she moved her arm across the front to hold it up. When he got to the top he stepped closer, placing his fingers on her shoulders, lightly bringing them down the sides of her arms. Just like before, Mae could feel the electricity flow between them. They heard the bathroom doorknob turn, and like two kids about to get caught with their hands in the cookie jar, they moved away from each other quickly.
“Aidan and I are going to dinner. Are you going to be okay by yourself?” Gemma asked, entirely oblivious to what just transpired.
“I’m fine. In fact I was just about to call room service when you walked in,” which was not far from the truth. She hurried into the bathroom with her clothes and shut the door. “Have fun!” Mae shouted through the door as she let out a deep breath, waiting for them to leave before running the hot water in the bathtub. “A good soak is just what I need to clear my brain,” she said aloud.
Mae eased herself into the hot water and lay back trying to empty her mind of all thoughts, but it kept wandering back to Aidan. Unlike the accidental touch at the bar, this time it was intentional and completely sexual. “Thank God he was not Gemma’s boyfriend and only a vacation fling. Otherwise, I would not be able to look myself in the mirror,” she thought.
Gemma and Mae’s friendship had begun way back in middle school. To Mae, Gemma’s friendship was far more valuable than any man and she would never intentionally do anything to call their friendship into question. Yet, she knew if Gemma had not been in the room, things with Aidan would have gone a lot further than jus
t a quick, arousing touch. Something about him kept drawing her, like a vortex. It was far more than physical attraction. Not to say that his physique was not god-like, but there was more to this than Mae could explain. “I just need to keep my distance. One more day in Dublin, then the tour moves to our next location in Kinsale, and I won’t have to worry about Aidan or his friend any longer,” she thought before the water got cold.
She climbed out of the tub, dressed herself, and as promised, called room service to order some dinner. Afterwards, she tried to watch TV but fell into a deep, dreamless slumber, not even waking when Gemma returned from her date.
~~~***~~~
It was just past midnight when Aidan let himself into Beck’s apartment. Beck was sitting in a low, white upholstered chair opposite a large modern fireplace, brooding at his rejection earlier that evening. Aidan always admired Beck’s taste. His apartment was very modern, like a high-end yuppie’s apartment in New York, not the eighteenth century Georgian townhouse that it really was. Aidan placed a glass wrapped in a napkin on the end table next to Beck. “I took this after she left.”
Beck looked at the glass debating whether or not he was ready for the answers it could possibly provide. He picked it up with the napkin and handed it back to Aidan. “Bring this to Howard tonight. Tell him I want a full DNA scan ASAP and make sure he knows no one else is privy to this information.” Howard worked for Beck and like Aidan, was a warlock who owed no allegiance to the Witch’s Council, but sometimes Howard (who had a big mouth) was far from discreet.
Aidan slipped the still-wrapped glass back in his pocket. He looked at Beck saying what he felt he had to, “Regardless of the DNA results, you still need to talk to her before she leaves town. You know as well as I do, if you don’t, it will just eat away at you. Helen is still there, Beck.” Aidan waited for what was sure to be an explosive response. He knew Beck would not appreciate his interference in this matter.
“What the hell am I supposed to tell her?” Beck demanded. “Hello, Maelin, sorry about last night’s abrupt exit but I really wasn’t prepared for my soul mate to be reincarnated as a witch, especially since witches and Vampires don’t get along very well, so they say. But that’s okay because Aidan, my warlock friend, believes this will all workout if only we could all just get along.” Beck ended his tirade with an overused witch’s phrase just to drive his point home.
“Only if you want her to think you’re riding the crazy train,” Aidan laughed, trying to lighten his friend’s mood. “I just mean, don’t be so quick to burn bridges. Look, I have a date with her friend tomorrow night at Café en Seine. I’ll just invite Mae to go with us and you can meet us there,” Aidan suggested.
Beck calmed himself as he looked at Aidan saying, “I waited two hundred years for her to return. She promised this time it would be forever.” For as many times as Beck had offered Helen the chance of eternal life as a vampire, she had always refused. He would inevitably charm his skin to grow old with her and watch her die, only to be reincarnated thirty to forty years later and start life with her anew. “Which brings me back to the current conversation, what if Maelin doesn’t want to go to dinner with you and Gemma?”
“Then I’ll bewitch her. Besides, I know how much you like the Parisian atmosphere at Café en Seine,” Aidan said as he made his way to the front door.
“I know you are right Aidan. This whole situation is just leaving me a bit distressed.” He stood up and let out a deep breath.
“Then it’s settled, meet us there at six.” Aidan shouted on his way out the door. It was late and he still had to bring the glass to Howard.
~~~***~~~
Howard answered the door. He was an older man in his sixties and resented Aidan’s youthful appearance despite being over three thousand years old. Aidan was glad he called en route. It was one a.m. and Howard looked less than thrilled to have him on his doorstep. Getting right to the point, Aidan handed the wrapped glass to Howard. “Mr. Worthington wants a full DNA scan…and keep it hush-hush.”
“Tell him I’ll get to it first thing in the morning.” Howard mumbled as he started to close the door on Aidan.
Aidan blocked the door with his foot and pushed it back open. “You must have misunderstood me on the phone. He wants you to get started on it now. So get dressed and I’ll take you to the lab.”
“That won’t be necessary. I can find the lab without your help,” Howard grumbled.
“I insist.” Aidan smiled. He wanted to ensure Beck’s orders would be carried out promptly and he was prepared to do whatever that required. Even if it meant giving up a couple hours of sleep to listen to Howard complain.
Chapter 2
The phone started ringing, Mae half fell out of bed as she fumbled to pick up the phone, realizing it was just the wakeup call. Gemma peeked out of the bathroom and laughed at her for being such a dork. “Good morning sleepy head, you might want to hurry up. Breakfast starts in forty minutes.” Gemma started to get dressed; her hair was already fixed and her makeup on.
“Well you seem awfully happy today.” Mae said, letting out a big yawn and dragging herself to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
“What’s not to be happy about?” she chirped. “I’m in Ireland with my best friend, I’ve met the most handsome man here and I have another date tonight,” Gemma grinned as she touched up her hair in the mirror after putting her shirt on.
“So, how did your date go last night? I’m assuming quite well since you have another one tonight,” Mae replied, answering her own question, while she tied her hair in a loose pony tail.
Gemma looked at Mae in the mirror and smiled, “Last night was so much fun. I wish you would have gone with us.”
“And ruin any chance you might have had for a one night stand? I wouldn’t think of it,” Mae interjected, as she smiled at the prospect of it.
“Aidan was every bit the gentleman last night, almost too much for my taste. I think I would have preferred a good tumble instead,” Gemma laughed.
Shaking her head, “You’re such a slut,” Mae teased. “Today is day one of the tour. What’s on the itinerary?” She was dressing and looking for her walking shoes at the same time, nearly falling over.
Gemma grabbed the brochure from the small table by the window, sat in the chair next to it and started reading the itinerary aloud. “Let’s see, day one…..The Guinness Brewery, Dublin Castle, Grafton Street for lunch and shopping and our last stop of the day is the Jameson Distillery before we head back here this evening.”
Mae took one last look in the mirror before they left the room for breakfast. She let out a disappointing sigh as she realized, despite her extra attempts to look nice, she still looked a mess.
Breakfast was a large buffet setup in the conference room for the tour group. Standing by a large brick fireplace, was their driver/tour guide, a middle-aged-happy-go-lucky fellow named Paddy. He was answering what seemed like a barrage of questions from the passengers, excited to start the day. Mae looked around the room and noticed that their group consisted of what were mostly older couples. It seemed like Gemma and herself were the babies of the bunch and probably the only ones single. It made her wonder why the travel agent recommended this trip to Gemma in the first place.
Unexpectedly, the day turned out to be fun and went by fast. The view of Dublin from the Guinness Tower was so phenomenal that Mae could have spent hours there dissecting the city. Dublin Castle was not only beautiful, but its rich history made it even more intriguing. She and Gemma could have spent a week on Grafton Street shopping, but time was too short. Somehow, Mae knew that one day she’d come back and have a chance to see Grafton Street at her leisure. Mae also learned why she preferred Irish whiskey. The kegs used to age Irish whiskey were old winery kegs, which give the whiskey a smoother taste, unlike in America where they use new oak kegs, leaving a more “oak-ey” taste, not nearly as smooth.
Mae sat down in one of the chairs by the window and removed her shoes from her aching feet.
“That was fun, but I’m glad to be back at the hotel. Paddy threw so much information at us, I thought my brain would melt,” she said to Gemma. “What time is your date with Aidan?”
Gemma rummaged through her suitcase, trying to pick out an outfit for her date. “He said he would be by at five-thirty. Something about wanting to spend as much time as possible together. It’s already four, so I hope you don’t mind if I jump in the shower first.”
“No, go ahead. The only thing I have planned is to go to the bar later and have drinks with some of the people from our group.” In a way, Mae was glad to have the evening to herself.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” Gemma yelled from the bathroom.
“Two is company and three’s a crowd. Besides, he drives a Roadster. Where would I sit?” she asked, listing her valid excuses as to why she should not go with them.
Gemma peeked out the bathroom door and let out a sigh. “I just want you to have fun too, and we can always catch a cab. Will you at least think about it?” she said before shutting the door again.
Mae sat quietly by the window doing a Sudoku puzzle, thinking of reasons to stay in for the evening; she knew Gemma would make another attempt before she left. It was five-thirty and Aidan was already at the door. Gemma was not ready, so Mae let him in. He sat on one of the two chairs by the window. “How was your tour today?” he asked her.
“We had a good time,” she said, sitting in the other chair. “I wish we could stay in Dublin longer. There’s so much to see of the city and today went by way too fast.”