Chapter 2

I put the telephone receiver back into its cradle.  I’d used a public telephone to call Bruce because we weren’t sure if our own phones were secure. At first, I thought this was a bit paranoid, but after conversing with Shen about the ways of the vampire, we decided there was no such thing as being too careful.  We needed time away from the fight so that we could focus on finding a cure for Bruce. The least little thing like a phone call could expose our whereabouts to Dracula’s hunters who were certain to be on the lookout for us in hopes of being led to Charles.  There was also the matter of Dracula’s orders to bring the slayers back to him.  We weren’t sure, but we assumed it still stood.

Surveying the dining room of the neighborhood’s most popular diner, I scowled.  Shen should have joined me by now. What could be keeping him?

I smiled flirtatiously at the beautiful five-foot-five-inch, sinuous hostess as she guided me to a booth. My eyes focused on the richness of her waist length, jet black hair as it reflected the artificial lighting that permeated from the myriad of chandeliers that Greek diner’s seemed so partial to.  The cut of her Dolce & Gabanna pantsuit accentuated her slender waist as it hugged her body while giving way to the gentle sway of her curvy hips. Her hair cascaded down the middle of her back in layers of loose, lustrous locks that practically begged to be fondled.  I fought the urge to do just that as I moved passed her and slid into the deep seated booth that she’d directed me to.  I felt a little heady as I inhaled the exotic scent of her perfume. 

As she placed my menu on the table before me, her delicate, long fingered hand grazed mine. It felt cool and firm against my seemingly burning flesh. I looked deep into her large, dark brown eyes and was almost lost in the deep pools that looked to belong to a world so different from the one we occupied.  It was a strange sensation and I quickly pulled myself back to reality.

The hostess appeared equally affected as she nervously stepped back from the booth, while briskly informing me that my server would be attending me shortly.  As she started to move away, I reached out and grabbed her wrist and once again noted the coolness of her flesh beneath my touch.  I stared at her flawless porcelain skin while she watched me warily.  Once again I felt as if I was being pulled as if lost in... something... somewhere... I couldn’t explain. It took great effort for me to regain control and not be swallowed up by the sensation.

I cleared my throat.

“You seem familiar in some way,” I said. My voice was raspy.  “But, I’m certain we’ve never met.  Have we?”

“We’ve never met,” she responded, guardedly.

“I’m Dan,” I said.   After a few moments of silence while I waited for a response that never came I added, “And you are?”

“Magdalena,” she uttered in a guttural tone. “I am Magdalena.  Now, please excuse me.  I must get back to work.”

“Do people call you Magdalena or Maggie?” I asked. 

I was uncertain why I was refusing to relinquish her wrist.  Feeling her tremble beneath my grip, I reluctantly loosened my hold. 

Why had I even grabbed her like that?  I’d seen many beautiful women in my travels and certainly many that equaled the exotic loveliness of the beauty I held captive.  There was some unseen thing driving me to pursue this lovely creature with the porcelain skin.  Something I couldn’t explain, not even to myself.

“Maggie, actually,” she managed as she reclaimed her wrist from my grip and rubbed it absent mindedly, “but I prefer Magdalena.”

I flashed her one of my famous lady killer smiles and nodded as I said, “Then, Magdalena it is.”

The corners of her sensuous lips hinted of amusement as she turned and walked away. My head cocked to the side while I focused once again on the rhythmic swaying of her curvaceous body. I was so intent on watching her as she moved about the room that I failed to acknowledge Shen when he seated himself in the opposite side of my booth.

He picked up the oversized menu and lightly tapped it on the back of my hand.

“Hey, sorry I am late,” he said.

“Which do you prefer, Maggie or Magdalena?” I asked.

I shifted my body to face my newly arrived companion, but my eyes never relinquished the new found vision of beauty.

“What?” he asked as he turned the pages of the menu and searched through the daily specials. “I don’t see them here.  What are they?”

“They’re names, not food,” I replied with amusement.

He followed my stare until his own eyes locked with the dark, mesmerizing ones belonging to the hostess across the room.

“I should have known,” he chuckled. “Is that the woman?”

I nodded my head.

“And she...is...in need of a name?” he continued.

I grudgingly turned my attention to him and gave an exasperated grunt.

 “She has a name,” I said. “It’s Magdalena, but people call her Maggie.”

“I do not see the problem here,” he mused.

He was already bored with the topic.

“She prefers Magdalena,” I explained, ignoring his obvious lack of interest.

“Then call her Magdalena,” he scowled.

 “I prefer Maggie,” I mumbled.

 “I am surprised that you are obsessing over the name of our hostess when we have a much bigger problem to work out,” he grumbled as he scanned the menu.

“Sorry,” I said.  “It’s just... it’s the strangest thing.  She showed me to the booth and it was like I,” I leaned into the table and brought face closer to his while lowering my voice to just above a whisper, “I just don’t know. I became as you say... obsessed with her.”  I leaned back into the booth and muttered, “You’d think I’d never seen a beautiful woman before.”

Shen took a moment to look more carefully in Magdalena’s direction. She was speaking intently to a tall, slender male server.  She must have been reprimanding him because neither looked happy.

“She certainly is striking,” he muttered as he turned his attention once again to the menu. “Has the server been here yet?  I am starving.”

 “I’m right here sir.  I apologize for the delay. The hostess required my attention for a moment. My name is Garth and I’ll be your server today,” said our server, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

We looked up at the tall server as he stood stoically with pen and order pad in hand.  He was the same one who, just seconds ago, was engaged in serious conversation with our hostess.

How did I get across the room so fast? Shen mused.

He considered broaching the topic, but after looking into a pair of flickering amber eyes that hinted of flecks of gold he thought better of it.  It was quite possible that we were being served by a super being of some sort; even if there’d been no indication of it so far.  These days, we needed to suspect everyone and exercise caution always.

Shen scoped the room for signs of more creatures such as our server, but saw no one.  He hurried through his order and urged me to give mine quickly under the guise of his hunger.  The truth was that he was anxious to have Garth leave so that he could find out if my impression was the same as his.

The expression on Garth’s face gave Shen reason to believe that he was enjoying the tortuous speed, or lack of it, in which he took our order. When he finally sauntered away toward the kitchen, Shen emptied his lungs of the air he’d been holding.

“What was that?” he blurted.

“You noticed too?” I said.

“I did, and I do not like it,” he said. “Maybe we should leave.”

“We just ordered,” I replied as I stretched my body languidly. I was still coming down from the high I experienced after my encounter with Magdalena and I had no desire to rush it. It had been a long day, or should I say month, and I was tired and hungry. I looked around the ornate and obviously well used dining room.

“It seems harmless enough for now,” I said.  “Besides, we can’t live on air. I don’t know when you last ate, but it been hours for me.”

“Me as well,” he said in a hushed tone as Garth moved toward us with our drinks. “I suppose you are right.  We will eat first and then get out of here.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I mused as I locked eyes with our mysterious server from across the room.