Fate (The Edge of Forever) (2 page)

He ignored my quip and continued on like I said nothing. It was something he did when he had no retort back. “Your mother would flip her lid though if she saw you in it.”

I nodded, “She’s not going to though. I just have to get back before the sun sets and put on some jeans.”

“I don’t know what I’d do if I had an over-protective, vampire mother on my ass all the time about what I wear.” He hushed his voice on the word vampire. He knew all he had to do was whisper it and I’d hear him, courtesy of my vampire super senses and a healthy diet of blood that kept my senses at their best.

I glared at him, “Well, I don’t know what I’d do if I went furry once a month.” That got his attention. Feeling his eyes bearing down on me, I flicked my gaze to him with a smirk on my mouth. Sometimes it was just too easy to get under his skin, or rather his fur.

“You really want to play this game, little girl? You’ll lose.”

“I doubt it,” I said smugly.

Shawn sat up straighter. Looking casually around to make sure no one was within ear range his gaze locked with me. We were still alone in our corner of the patio. “At least I don’t have an over protective, vampire mother, who’s on my ass all the time about my clothes,” he repeated quickly since I already heard it, “who’s trying to play match maker between me and some four hundred year old ancient, that looks damn good for his age, I might add, but who is scarier than shit.”

I slammed my menu down drawing a few eyes our way that quickly returned to their own business. “Screw you, Shawn,” I hissed. “At least I’m not chickening out about telling my werewolf father, who desperately wants his eldest son to carry on his line, that his son is gay!”

With that, I picked up my menu and buried my nose in it until our waitress came and took our drink order.

Shawn took a deep breath. “I’m sorry Gaby. I shouldn’t have said that bull about your mom.”  

I sighed, “No Shawn, it’s true. And I’m sorry too. It’s not my place to give you a hard time about coming out to your folks.”
 

“My dad,” he corrected me and I furrowed my brow. Seeing my confusion Shawn explained. “My mom has known since I was twelve. She says I was just never that interested in girls. And with me not trying to sneak my dad’s Playboys, like Chris, she said it was a dead giveaway.” We both laughed.
 

Soon after, our waitress brought out our drinks and Shawn and I decided to go ahead and order. I loved this place. The wait was never very long and the food was amazing. We talked our way through lunch. It was amazing. Shawn and I spent almost every free moment with the other, outside of work, yet we always had a variety of things to talk about. It was like a never ending fountain of topics and that was something I loved about Shawn. We never grew bored with each other.

 We were just finishing up our meal when someone’s phone began ringing. Shawn and I looked at each other. Both of us shook our heads letting the other know it wasn’t us. We looked around, but no one else was close. It stopped. I shrugged as we continued settling our check, when it started again. 

“Gaby, hun, I think that’s you,” Shawn said leaning into my clutch.
 

“That’s not my ring tone.” Using my vampire hearing, I concentrated on the incisive ringing. It stopped again. When it started for a third time, I had no doubt that Shawn was right, but I wasn’t sure how. I opened my clutch and removed my iPhone. I looked at the number that was calling, which I recognized as mine.
 

“Hello?” I answered questionable.
 

“Gabriella?” It was that thick richly sweet voice chiming over the line.
 

“Yes?” I whispered as my stomach filled with nervous butterflies.
 

“This is Grayson. I...uh...met you this morning. We kinda bumped into each other,” his voice laced with humor.
 

I smiled hugely and was glad Grayson couldn’t see me. Shawn’s brow knitted with puzzlement.

“I remember.” I’m almost certain he could hear the grin in my voice. “What can I do for you, Mr. Alexander?” I was pretty sure I knew. It was obvious I had his phone. But I wanted to mess with him. 

He chuckled, “Please call me Grayson. And, well I’d really like to get my phone back. These damn things are so common. I didn’t even realize it wasn’t mine until I went to check my email on it. By the way, a woman named Rachel sent you an email containing pictures of dogs doing some of the funniest things.”
 

I giggled. “That sounds like Rachel.” I was just glad that
that
email was something innocent in comparison to some of the ones she has sent me. “I see how not having your phone can be a definite problem,” I spoke sweetly. Shawn rolled his eyes at my shameless flirting. It was close to the full moon so I knew his hearing was picking up both sides of the conversation. 

Grayson laughed in response. “I was wondering if maybe you would have dinner with me. We could exchange phones then.”
 

“Mr. Alexander, are you sure you didn’t just switch our phones on purpose to have a reason to contact me again?” I teased.

His deep chuckle vibrated through the phone causing a shiver to run up my spine. It took everything in me not to show outward signs of the effect his voice was having. “Grayson, please. And I wish I was that smooth. So, what do you say?”

I hesitated. Dinner would happen at night once the vampire nest was awake. “I...ah...”
 

“Um… Unless, of course, you have other plans? We could just meet after I get off work and trade.”

A sharp stinging sensation spread across my arm. I turned in shock towards Shawn as he was rearing back to smack me again. I reached out and grabbed his hand, stopping him midair. Without a full moon, he wasn’t even close to my strength, but it still hurt. 

“What are you doing, Gaby?” Shawn hissed. “You tell him yes and worry about the details later.” Shawn knew me well enough to understand why I was hesitant, what with my mother and all. He raised his other hand to hit me. “Do it!”
 

“Alright!” I shouted loudly, forgetting that Grayson was still on the line.
 

“Gabriella?” Grayson asked questioning my tone.
 

“Dinner would be lovely,” I said with a smile. I don’t care what people say, even though a phone you can hear someone smile, and I didn’t want Grayson to think I didn’t want to go out with him. In fact I did, it was all just so complicated. Human/vampire relationships were frowned upon. One would think that with me being a half breed that it would be okay, but it wasn’t. We exchanged details then hung up. “What did I just do?” I mumbled to myself, threading my fingers through my hair. Shawn answered me. “You just got yourself a date and about time too.”
 

I glared at him. “What about the nest? They’ll want to know where I’m going.”
 

He shrugged his shoulders. “Just tell them you’re with me. That way, your mom knows you’re safe and you don’t have a chaperone following you because your nest dislikes my kind.”
 

It was true. I had no idea why. I had met Shawn a few years ago at the opening of a night club. He was a newbie werewolf and had only shifted once, but at the time, almost anything can trigger the change. For Shawn, that trigger came in the form of a tall drink of water in an Abercrombie shirt. I recognized the signs and managed to get to Shawn before he shifted and exposed supernatural beings to the world, or at least to New Yorkers in the lower east side. We had been besties ever since. The nest, however, disliked werewolves and disapproved of our friendship. Vampires thought werewolves were too unpredictable. Shawn, to me, was very predictable. If I take him to a club, he’d chase down any hot male tail, figuratively speaking, but when I needed a shoulder, he would drop everything to be there, even the Calvin Klein model that he had been trying to seal the deal with for three dates. It took me bringing my mom out to meet him a few times before she finally okayed it.
 

“Alright,” I sighed, “so what am I going to wear?”

* * *

 
I stood outside an interesting looking Italian place off of Sixty Fifth. The walls were all made of glass so the patrons could see everything happening around them. It was all the glory of being outside without all the hassle. I stood outside waiting for Grayson to appear while listening to the sound of city flurrying around me.

We had agreed to meet at the door at 7:00. I checked my, well, his phone. It was now 7:10.
 I could see punctuality wasn’t his strong suit. He was probably a successful business man who was used to having people wait on him. I didn’t care how much I wanted this date. If he made me wait another ten minutes, I would leave just on principle and he’d have to worry about getting his phone back some other way.

I had managed to get home, change into something my mother wouldn’t disapprove of, and pack my essentials for my date all before the first vampire rose. I talked fast to my mother when she finally rose, assuring her that Shawn needed me tonight. Mom knew he was gay so she saw no problem with me being alone with him. She attributed my rapid heart rate to my anxiousness to be there for Shawn instead of my lie. I had been so nervous that she would see right through me that my heart had been pounding long before I ever spoke to her. I even managed to get out before Anton, the four hundred year old creep, found me and tried to convince me to stay with him. My skin crawled at the thought of him. To him, I was just vampire arm candy. Something unique, that none of the other vampires had. For vampires to mate with a human was a rarity, not to mention the ability to walk in the daylight. I had met a few other half breeds over the years, but none could walk in the sunlight like me. They were all weaker than their vampire brethren, unlike myself. I was the equal to vampires in some ways and their superior in others. Like my resistance to most of their weaknesses.
 

I stood outside for about fifteen minutes after we were supposed to meet, before his velvety voice captured my attention. “Gabriella?” I turned seeing Grayson wearing the same pale gray suit he had on that morning. “Sorry I’m late. I had a meeting that ran longer than I expected. I know that’s no excuse.” Shawn had told me to wear my midnight blue ankle length dress. The back was open to my mid-back and also had a slit running up to my knee. Like most of my non business attire, it hugged me.
 

I wanted to frown and tell him how inconsiderate it was for him to make me wait without a phone call, but when I heard the sincerity in his voice, and how delectable he looked, my anger dissipated. Yes, I know I was being ‘that girl’ but in the moment I couldn’t really seem to care. “Not a problem. It’s lovely to see you again.” I grinned. His gray gaze scanned me body before resting on my face.
 

“Wow!” he stammered, “you look... great.”
 

I felt a light blush spread on my face. “Thanks.”
 

He raised his lips in a crooked smile. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out what I could only assume to be my phone. I smirked but didn’t reach for it.
 

“Will you hold onto it until after dinner? Gives us a reason to get to have dinner without any distractions.”
 

He chuckled, but nodded his head.

As we entered the restaurant, I examined my surroundings. The glass was crystal clear and was not tinted, so with the exception of the controlled climate, it felt like we were sitting outside. Stainless steel tables and chairs spread throughout the entire floor area, but were arranged in neat rows so it didn’t make walking through the area difficult. It was always annoying when you had to zigzag through a restaurant trying to make it to your table.

Once we were seated, we ordered dinner and talked, getting to know each other. Grayson owned an apartment off of Madison Avenue.
 He was twenty-nine and very interesting on top of being incredibly handsome, which I still couldn’t get over. He was a dog lover, poker player and had a thing for brunettes. I did giggle at that remark taking his flirtation as he meant it, a compliment. 

I told him what details I could, without giving too much away. I told him that I was twenty-three and came from a wealthy family. I did the party scene but it was no longer for me and I was looking for something different.
 

“So, what do you do for a living?” I asked, my eyes dancing over his business suit wondering about the form beneath it, then mentally slapping myself for thinking such a crude thought while he sat across from me, as if he might hear it.
 

He sighed, “I’m the CEO of Alexander Holding Incorporated.”

 I froze, fork midway to my mouth. “Oh my God...” I set my fork down on my plate with a small clink.

“What?” His brow furrowed with genuine curiosity.

“You’re
that
Grayson Alexander.” I shook my head in disbelief, “I knew that name sounded familiar.” Grayson Alexander was a well-established bachelor in Manhattan, known because of his wealth. After receiving his business degree, he immediately began Alexander Holding Incorporated and within a year he took a business that no one had ever heard of, and turned it into one of the top grossing in the country. It was now part of the well-known New York skyline and his name was spoken in every business circle. I was sure he had women throwing themselves at him. Not that I could blame them, not with the thoughts I had filtering through my head.