by Claire Marta
“This is Lexi.” Turning slightly, he gave her a wink.
Chen’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re Twitch’s girl?” He asked incredulously, staring between them. “You’re welcome to eat here anytime too.” With that he gave a little bow.
“Thanks.” Lexi gave an awkward bow. Why did he look so surprised? Had Twitch never brought a date here before? The thought made her stomach clench with an emotion she was unfamiliar with.
“Come in! Come in!” Shuffling back, Chen motioned them to follow him.
Nudging his chin, Twitch gestured for her to proceed him. With a smile, Lexi followed the mage’s friend. In a narrow cream painted corridor, Chen ascended steep stairs ahead of her.
The air was fragrant with the smell of cooking food. Somewhere in the rest of the building the subdued sound of voices could be heard chatting. Careful not to trip, Lexi climbed after him.
Twitch was close behind her. She was aware of his proximity, leaving her breathless and excited. Focusing her attention in front of her, rather than the handsome man behind her, Lexi made it up the stairs in one piece.
Chen was waiting for them. Beckoning with a finger, he led them to a wooden screen that had been carved with fierce looking dragons. The craftsmanship was intricate and fine. Lexi had never seen anything so exquisite in her life. For a moment, she admired it.
“I hope you’re hungry?” Twitch asked beside her. He was watching as she traced a finger over the face of one of the creatures.
Tilting her head, she stared into his eyes. “I’m starving.”
Lips curving in a smile, he reached out to brush some stray pink hair over one of her ears. “Come on, Chen’s waiting to seat us.”
His touch made her heart beat faster. It had been such an affectionate gesture. One that she hoped he would repeat.
Stepping around the screen, they found themselves in an elegant private room. A table sat by the window. Red, cushioned chairs were position around it. The walls were covered in a tan wallpaper with dark red flowers and adorned with paintings of oriental scenes. It was intimate. Perfect.
She soaked in the ambience of the space. Music was playing softly. A dulcet female voice was singing to an oriental sounding tune. She wondered what the words meant. It sounded romantic.
“This is the best table in the house,” Chen told them, as he pulled out one of the chairs. “I will bring you some menus while you choose what to drink.”
Lexi slid into the offered seat. Propping her bag by her feet, she watched as Twitch sat down opposite. Tonight, he was without his backpack. It was something she had only just noticed, being so swept up in her own thoughts.
Chen hurried off through a door that looked like it led to the Kitchen. Boisterous voices rose in a chorus. The clatter of pots and pans joined them.
Lexi looked at Twitch. He released a long sigh and rolled his eyes as he slid a smart phone onto the table’s surface. Glancing back towards the door, she saw several faces squished up against the glass window and staring their way. They looked so much like Chen she knew they had to be his family. Grinning, they giggled and waved.
Lexi waved back. She clearly was the first date he had brought here. That knowledge warmed her. He’d done something special just for her.
Twitch raised his hand and wiggled his fingers in return at their audience.
“You seem to have some admirers,” Lexi pointed out as she twirled a pink lock of hair around a finger. “They’re not human, are they?”
The mage’s gaze locked with hers. Lexi could see approval and amusement in their depths. “No. Chen and his family are shifters.”
Lexi frowned. She had been around plenty of those in the club but these were something she hadn’t sensed before. Their energy was different. Unique.
“What kind?” She questioned.
Twitch made a humming sound in his throat before answering. “Can I trust you to keep a secret sugar pants?”
Intrigued, she nodded. “Whatever you tell me I promise I won’t tell another living soul.” Lexi meant every word. She already had enough of her own. One more wouldn’t hurt.
“Chen and his kin usually keep a low profile.” He explained quietly. “They can be wary of newcomers, but they seem to have taken a liking to you quite quickly.”
“And that’s a good thing, I’m guessing.” She smiled back.
“Always lucky to have a Dragon on your side.” Twitch answered as he waved at the faces still watching them from the kitchen window.
Lexi’s breath left her in a small whoosh of surprise. Dragons? They had Dragons in London? She had never met one of those before. Of course she had heard of them and their kind. Knew how dangerous they could be.
Turning her head, she observed Chen’s family again more closely.
Still grinning at her, they giggled and whispered among themselves. They looked happy and harmless. Nothing like the monstrous beasts she had heard about.
“Dragons get a bad rep.” Twitch purred across the table as he watched her. “They’re fun loving, loyal, and wiser than anyone you will ever know. Fear of what they are capable of keeps other magic wielders wary. All they want to do is live their lives in peace.”
“That has to be difficult.” Using her teeth to nibble on her lower lip, Lexi shifted around in her chair.
“Yeah. It’s easy to be stereotyped a certain way because of the type of supernatural you are. They have it harder than the rest.”
“I haven’t met one until now.” She admitted softly. “Usually we get wolves and feline shapeshifters visiting the club, but I am glad I’ve gotten to meet one now.”
Twitch studied Lexi as she looked around curiously. He was pleased she’d picked up on the other supernaturals. Mortals never did. But if you watched carefully enough, sometimes they could catch a flash of the dragons. For Lexi, it had been no chore.
Twitch had figured out she wasn’t human. It was something subtle that he couldn’t put his finger on. What she was though was still a mystery. Not that he cared right now. So far, his plan seemed to be working. She liked food. And that was one thing he was good at finding.
Chen appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. With a growl of exasperation, he shooed his nosy family back to work. Groaning and grumbling, they obeyed their matriarch. The dragons here were a close-knit unit. Chen’s family numbered ten. One of the more secretive varieties of shifters, they preferred not to announce their presence to the supernatural community unless they had to. They’d had bad reactions before. Others feared their power and strength. Also, their affinity for magic was stronger than other shapeshifters which caused distrust.
Twitch was more than happy to keep their secret. Like many outcasts he knew in the city they had created their own little tribe. They networked among each other. If you had a problem there was always a supernatural among them that could help you out. No one was left to fend for themselves. Everyone had a say. Had a voice.
It was the reason he had bought Lexi to their restaurant. It was somewhere he felt like he could be himself. They didn’t stare at the scars on his face and neck. Here he was accepted.
“I recommend the crispy pork belly. We make the best in town,” Chen told them, as he handed out the menus.
Lexi’s stomach rumbled loudly. Sucking her bottom lip into her mouth, she rubbed her belly. She couldn’t help it. The delicious aromas wafting in from the kitchen were incredible.
“How about we let Chen pick for us?” Twitch suggested, gazing at her over the top of his menu. “Shall we stick with the bottled water for drinks?”
“Fine by me,” Lexi agreed, handing her menu back to the dragon shifter. “I’m not really big on drinking alcohol anyway.”
Chen nodded in approval. “I’ll bring you the best in the house.”
Lexi quickly gripped the table as a quake shook the building. Across from her, Twitch swore quietly, his expression turning tense. This one was mild compared to a few they’d had.
A loud crash and a sharp fe
male voice shouting in Chinese echoed through the room. Throwing up his hands in a gesture of helplessness, Chen dashed towards the kitchen. As the mini earth tremor passed the shouting turned into arguing.
“It sounds like Chen and his family have their arms full tonight.” Lexi commented as she rescued her glass which had tipped over.
She and Twitch stared at each other, almost simultaneously they broke into nervous grins.
“Fucking quakes.” The mage muttered, adjusting the cutlery on the table. “I swear they’re happening to fuck with our heads.”
“I’m sure someone will figure out why they’re happening soon.”
“Yeah, it’s probably something dangerous that a team of dumb idiots will walk into blindly. But hey it’s their job and what they get paid for. So, life threatening situations have become the norm on an almost daily fucking basis.” He grumbled back.
Lexi blinked confused at his outburst. “Who are you talking about?”
Blowing out his cheeks, Twitch groaned. “No one. Forget I said anything.”
Chen appeared from the kitchen with an arm full of plates. With a practised ease, he juggled them, sliding plate after plate of steaming hot food onto the table.
Rice, ribs, noodles, meats, you name it, they had it. Lexi stared at the feast, her mouth gaping. It was enough to feed an army.
“Enjoy,” Chen told them as he placed the last plate down with a flourish. Without waiting for a reply, he vanished.
“Do they normally serve this much?” Lexi enquired faintly.
Twitch made a little humming sound. “It’s more than usual. I think Chen went over the top.” Grabbing a spoon, he ladled some of the mixed rice onto his plate.
Lexi took a long gulp of water from her glass as she watched him. With quiet politeness, he scooped some onto her own. Although most of the awkwardness between them had melted away, some still lingered. Maybe in time they would both relax. It was, after all, only the beginning of the evening she told herself.
“How did you find this place?” Lexi asked, pouring water into a glass from the bottle that had been left. Hands shaking, she tried not to spill it.
“Hey, are you ok?” The mage’s voice held a note of concern.
“Yes, just a little shaky, that’s all,” she assured him.
“Chen heard I was good at fixing computers and came to me for help. He invited me here as a thanks and I’ve been coming ever since.” Twitch accepted the glass she filled for him.
“I guess as a techno mage that comes natural.”
“How did you know I was a techno mage?” His brow puckered in a frown.
Lexi paused to think. Her father had been the one to tell her, but that was something she could not admit. “Someone mentioned it at the club.”
Features relaxing, it seemed her explanation had satisfied his curiosity. “Yes. I have a natural knack with technology. It comes in handy especially if you need to hack into somewhere that’s supposed to be unhackable.”
Taking her fork, Lexi popped some of the fragrant rice into her mouth.
She nibbled on it, bird-like. Normally, she ate ravenously when she was this hungry, but she was trying to make a good impression. Shovelling food into her mouth was not very lady-like. Slow and steady, she would have to fend off her hunger pangs.
“Rib?” Twitch offered her the bowl across the table.
Lexi stared at the delicious selection of perfectly cooked meat. It was something she could not resist. Abandoning her worries, she gingerly plucked one from the offering. The skin was crispy and sticky with a rich sweet sauce. Raising it to her mouth, she ripped a chunk off with her teeth. Beneath, it was lean and melted deliciously as she chewed.
Lexi rolled her eyes in satisfaction. This was heaven. She had never had Chinese food this good before. How had she never known about this place?
“This is all so amazing.” She sighed after finishing her mouthful.
“Thank fuck for that,” Twitch muttered with relief.
Lexi laughed. “Were you worried I wasn’t going to like it?”
“For all I knew, you could have been a vegetarian.” He pointed out as he twisted egg noodles onto his fork. “Or have some weird diet where you only eat kiwi fruit or some shit like that.”
“Twitch, I love meat way too much and as for diet; are you kidding me? I’m a chocolate addict. Although, I could probably do with losing a little around my hips.” She told him as she licked the sticky sauce from her fingers.
“No.” Twitch jumped in quickly. His eyes had darkened with desire as he watched her tongue swipe her fingertips clean. “Sugar pants, you’re perfect as you are. Believe me. Your curves suit you.” He looked so sincere it made her warm all over.
Blushing, she lowered her head. He thought she was perfect? The butterflies were back in full force. Grinning down at her plate, she continued to eat.
“What do you do apart from bartending?” He asked after a moment to break the silence that had descended.
“I like to sketch things. I want to open my own gallery one day and travel around the world drawing.”
“That sounds impressive.” Reaching over Twitch refilled her glass. “When do you plan to start?”
“My father is very protective.” She confided with a reluctant sigh. “I’m going to have a hard time talking him into it if I get the chance to do it.” Discussing her plans with Asier, seemed impossible sometimes. She wasn’t even sure if she should tell him. Her father liked things the way they were. But she yearned for more.
“And your mother?” Twitch asked before taking a bite out of a white fluffy prawn cracker.
A shadow of sorrow darkened her face as memories stirred. “I haven’t seen my mother since I was five. She left me at my father’s place one day and never came back.”
“Shit. Didn’t your father try to look for her?”
“He tried, but she vanished.” As she spoke, she absent-mindedly pushed her spoon through the bean shoots on her plate. “They weren’t together. We still don’t know why she left me or where she went.”
“That has to be tough.” Twitch replied, his sympathy obvious in his tone.
More that she would ever admit to anyone. Her father had given her everything growing up, but it had not replaced the need for her mother. She missed those comforting arms. The soft feminine voice who had sung her to sleep and told her everything would be ok.
“The only memories I have is her smiling face and sunny disposition. There was always a sadness in her eyes though. I remember her hair was soft and golden. She used to let me brush it. We used to snuggle on the sofa and watch cartoons every morning. She never let us stay in one place too long. There was always a new adventure because we moved around a lot. I still miss her.”
Twitch was watching her with a look of pain that mirrored the ache she held in her heart. As if he knew exactly how she felt. “I’m sorry.”
“How about you?” Lexi tried to shake the melancholy that was settling itself over her. Sadness was something she did not need. Not tonight. She wanted to continue enjoying herself. Not wallow in self-pity over things from the past.
The mage shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “My dad is dead. Died when I was a baby in an accidental explosion. I don’t have any memories of him. My mother and grandfather are still with me though. We lost touch for a while, but recently reconnected.”
“How about brothers or sisters? I always wished I had some.”
A flash of pain tightened Twitch’s features. “My sister, Melinda, died a few weeks back.” His voice brimmed with leashed emotion.
Shocked, Lexi’s eyes widened in stunned disbelief. “Oh Gods. I'm so sorry for your loss.”
It still had to be raw. The loss. Why had she ever brought up his family? She wanted to kick herself. The evening was slowly turning into a disaster. At this rate, he would probably be happy to get rid of her.
“It’s ok. We weren’t close,” Twitch mumbled before he stuffed some noodles into his mouth.
The pain of Melinda’s loss clenched around Twitch’s heart. He’s hadn’t thought about her in the last few hours. Lexi had filled all his thoughts. A sense of guilt wormed its way through him. How could he forget his own sister? Here he was having a good time and she was buried in a box in the ground.
“What do you do? I mean job wise? Apart from fixing computers?” Lexi asked, keeping her voice light.
Raising his gaze, Twitch could see from her expression she was trying to lighten the mood. “I work with Scotland Yard. We handle special cases the public can’t know about.”
“That sounds exciting!”
Twitch tried to shrug nonchalantly. “It can be.” He wasn’t about to tell her he was the one usually left sitting in an unmarked van. Surveillance and being the tech geek was great, but it wasn’t something that drew chicks.
“You’re like an agent or something?” Taking another succulent rib, she tore off a slice of sauce covered meat.
Watching her plump lips surround the juicy meat made his dick abruptly grow hard. All other thoughts and his sorrow dimmed. What the fuck was it about watching her eat that turned him on? Maybe it was the pink lip stick she wore. It was like a beacon to his libido. For a twenty-three-year-old virgin he was starting to feel like he might combust. Lexi made him horny as fuck. And although his porn collection was freakishly big he was yet to experience sex for the first time.
“Yeah, something like that.” He managed to ramble as his cock became a solid shaft of steel in his pants. “It’s all kinda hush hush and we are a special covert branch so I can’t really go into it.”
“Oh.” She sounded disappointed as she sucked her sticky thumb.
Dropping a hand into his lap, Twitch tried to discreetly adjust himself. Why the fuck had he worn such a tight pair of trousers? “But I can tell you I've been to Paris and recently Prague. We travel around a lot.”
“That has to be fun!” Lexi perked up at that. “I want to go travelling. It must be amazing to see so many new places.”
“Jasmine always says it’s an adventure and broadens the mind.” Snatching up another white prawn cracker, he added it to his plate.