Midnight Cafe

Chapter 3

WPOV

We arrive at the Midnight Cafe in record time due to Dustin’s very fast driving. If I hadn’t been used to Roscoe’s driving by now, my life would have been flashing before my eyes. Dustin’s reflexes were sharp and he took the corners fast and hard. I only felt sorry for his car. When we come to a fast and hard complete stop in one of the parking spaces I look at him, “I know you’re old but I wonder you learned to drive like that?”

He smiled, “In Germany my dear, many centuries ago. My brothers and I were working as  tactical evasive drivers for the U.S military.” 

 I reach down and pick up my purse which had slid onto the floor then look up at him, “I didn’t know you had brothers. How many do you have?” 

He smiles slightly as he nods, “Three brothers. We all share the same maker. I have an older brother who was a Viking in his human days. And two younger brothers who are about 200 hundred years apart.”  

I think over his words and let them sink in. “Your maker must be very old to have had changed a Viking.” 

He nods, “He is one of the four oldest vampires in the country, and very respected by the Authority.” 

My eyes grow wide and my mouth forms a smile, “I would like to meet your family some day, if it won’t be a problem. I mean we are friends and all, and I get that Vampires are very private.” He stops me by placing a kiss on my lips. 

“I think we are a little past just friends.” My cheeks feel warm and my lady parts are doing flips. It has been a secret I have guarded since I started working for him: I have felt a pull to him since we first met. Our relationship has grown since then, and so has my heart’s flutter around him. But I never thought he would have any feelings for me. I just look at him, not sure what to do. 

“I’m sorry If I was forward Willow. I have been attracted to you for some time now, but Love isn’t an easy emotion to admit to when you are a vampire. So I thought…” It was my turn to kiss him. 

“Love isn’t an easy thing no matter if you are a vampire or human.” Wait a minute! He said the ‘L’ word! Love! He loves me? Just that one words has my heart all a twitter for a moment, then it hits me like a Mack truck. “Wait, you love me?” I try not to sound disbelieving but this is surreal. I have had dates once or twice, but none of them were what I was looking for. Dustin smiles and kissed my hand. 

“You are cute when you are flustered, but yes Willow, I love you.” Before I can speak there is a knock on my window. I turn and there is Tony standing there shaking his head so I roll down the window. 

“Are we doing this or what?”  He asks, trying to sound stern even though I can see the smile on his lips. I giggle and get out of the car. Dustin was at my side again in a blink. 

“Yeah, sorry we got to talking and…yeah let me just unlock the door.” I unlock the cafe and turn on the lights. Everything is exactly like I left it. I go to the back room, tie my apron tight around me, and open the register. 

Roscoe Pov

I lean against my car Tony on my right looking anywhere but the other car. I can’t help but smile. So the Boss finally told her? I thought she would have caught on before now. Hell Tony and I both knew she had feelings for him. Her scent would become so strong.  We knew the old man could tell her heart would speed up a little when he was around. Why wait until now? We all knew she didn’t date, it was like knowing the sky is blue. I think the boss would have wanted to murder someone if that was the case, especially if the guy hurt her. Then I would go from being her secret guard to body remover. 

“Hey Ros, do you think he’ll finally tell her the real reason he hired us? I mean, she doesn’t know much about our world: She is human. And do you think she’ll be angry we, her best friends, never told her we are werewolves?” 

I shook my head. “I think she’ll understand why we didn’t, though she may be a little mad. But I feel that will be more geared to the boss. He’s the one who had us guarding her behind her back.’ Tony sighs and I can tell he’s getting impatient. 

“Do you think he’ll give her his blood tonight, you know with everything going on? I mean two of his waitresses are dead?” 

I shrug, “I doubt it. He has a sense of honor, and she doesn’t know what taking his blood will mean.” He nods and walks over to the car. I can tell that Dustin and Willow have stopped talking. 

I watch as Tony knocks on the car window and politely says “Are we doing this or not?” I can’t help but sigh: My lover has no tact. I watch as Tony walks with  Willow to open the Cafe. 

“Dustin, If you…” He looks at me and I didn’t have to finish my sentence: We silently came to an understanding. He knew If he hurt her that I would avenge her. 

“I won’t Roscoe, I love her too much.“ 

I nod, letting him know that I understand. “What are your intentions, will you give her your blood.” 

Dustin pauses for a minute before answering. “Yes, once she knows what it means I will. I plan on bonding to her.” This surprised me, a vampire bonding itself to a human, or any other species, is not something which is widely practiced. 

“Will you turn her?” 

He shrugs, “If that is what she wants.” I nod, accepting his answer at face value: That is the way it should be. Now at least, people should have the option of becoming something other, no matter what that ‘other’ is. I follow him into the Cafe. where the brightest smile greets us.  She really is something else. She’s the little sister I’ve always wanted. And I know Tony agrees that there isn’t much we wouldn’t do for our own ray of sunshine. I go back to the kitchen and join Tony, who already has the grills all fired up. My acute ears pick up the door bell tinkling: It has started.

WPOV

I couldn’t help smiling, the warmth in my chest is spreading through my body, I feel like I can float. He said he loves me! I don’t remember the last time I felt this way. I am so elated that when our first two customers come in I try to dial it back, no need to freak them.out. They sit at table one, not that it matters much. I walk over to them and can tell they are not regulars here. 

“Good evening.  Welcome to the Midnight Café, my name is Willow.  What can I can get you tonight?” They look at each other for a minute then back at me. 

“Nice to meet you Willow. I am Jared Glidden, this is my brother Ivan. We just moved to the area and would love  to meet some of the people around here.” I nod, noticing how young they look. One has jet black hair, the other has blond hair with dark blue highlights. Their eyes are similarly shaped, revealing their family ties. 

“Well, there are several clubs and restaurants in the area. Are you looking for something in particular?” 

Ivan answered. “ Anything vampire friendly, maybe somewhere we can get a bite?”   

I turn to look at him. “Well, a lot of places are Vampire friendly around here. I’m not sure what you mean by bite, though I know there are some clubs in town that have private feeding chambers for vampires. That would be the Crimson Rose and The Dark Slumber. May I get you a True Blood or a Royalty blend?” I asked: I was starting to get a little uneasy around them. They nodded. “Ab+ and A-. Oh and tell Dustin we want to talk to him.” I froze mid-turn and nodded. I get their blood and go to the office to find Dustin.

I open the door to find him reading over some papers. I clear my throat and he looks up at me. “Is everything okay Willow?” 

I nod a little uncertainly, “Yeah, everything’s fine,  but, Um, you have two customers wanting to speak to you. They are of the night walking variety.” He looks at my face and I can tell he knows I am unnerved, not an easy feat, but with  Six people dead and the killer still out there: Well, I am only human.

“I will be there in a minute. Get them some blood of their  choice.” 

I smile and brush up against him, “They already have their blood and are waiting for you, boss.” 

I can hear him make what sounds like a groan. I turn to leave but he spins  me around so I am once again facing him. His eye search mine. “Do that again and I may not let you out of the  office. Understood.” 

I smile unflinchingly. ”Yes, boss, I should get back to work anyway.” I leave the office just in time to take the orders from three more customers: At least the recent unexplained deaths hadn’t stopped people from coming here.

I make my way from table to table taking orders and bussing tables. We seem to have a steady flow of customers: although there is a higher than usual number of vampires who come in.Then again as far as I know Dustin is the oldest vampire to own a  local business so it would stand to reason that most vampires would feel safe here.

I watch as Dustin finally came from the back and motioned for the two new Vampires to follow him. I will ask him later how he knew who they were: Right now I have to get a combo number 5, and combo number 8 to table 6.

It’s hours into my shift and There hasn’t been a sign of Archer or his band of thugs.Fine in my book: the quieter my night, the better. Once more humans leave the Café we get a few more vampires. It seems that I’m making more blood than actually placing food orders for the guys to cook. 

Once things start to slow down and there are only four vampires in the café. I grab a bottle of water for myself: I hadn’t been able to take a drink break since we got our first customers of the evening.I look around as the door alarm rings up front. I down the remaining water in the bottle and head back to the front of the Café, my hopes for a good night just flew out the window.

There sitting at table number three are Archer and his buddies. I straighten my shoulders, heave a sigh andI walk over to their table. “Evening. Welcome to the Midnight Café. How may I help you tonight?” The douche bags just smile at me. “Let me guess.The usual?” They nod, still wearing those stupid grins It unnerves me that they haven’t tried to taunt me yet. I shake the feeling off and grab their beers and place their usual orders. The fact that both Roscoe and Tony are both growling doesn’t go unnoticed. I shake my head and drop off the beers before checking the other tables.

I hear a loud crash and spin around to see Archer and his brother with stakes in hand facing off with a couple of vampires. I rush forward and place myself between the feuding sides. 

“Hey! That’s enough! What the hell is going on!” 

Archer smiles archly, “This Fanger tried to attack me and my friends. We were just defending ourselves.” I can hear him cackling madly in my mind, although he made no such sound out loud.

I turn to Collin a quiet, blond  vampire who, like his nest, stays to himself unless he feels threatened. 

“Collin, what happened.” 

He looks at me apologetically, “We were just enjoying our blood and the night on the town when he started in on us. It wasn’t until he insulted our maker that we reacted. I swear Willow, we didn’t start this.” 

I believed him his maker Alexander isn’t one for loose cannons. 

“Archer, you need to leave. You started drama inside the Café so you need to pay your bill and go elsewhere.” 

He scoffs “Of course you’re going to side with them you fangbanging whore of a traitor! You will rot in hell.” Before I can blink  Roscoe is closing in on us but it’s Colin that has Archer by the throat.

“You will never call her that again.You are a horrible little man. I would kill you here and now for the disrespect you showed my friend but My sheriff has decreed that there will be no violence here so I will regrettably let you go,” and he  let go of Archer’s neck. 

“Just you wait, bitch, you won’t have your Vampire goons to protect you forever. You’ll be lucky if they ever find your body.”  Archer’s threats don’t mean much to me, or they wouldn’t have before yesterday. Now I’m wondering if he’s the one who murdered those people.

Roscoe grabs his arm,  “Willow, grab everyone a blood and get a soda for yourself. Tony is getting Dustin.” I want to protest, but I knew what I was getting involved with when I took a job working for a vampire. Of course, he didn’t know that I knew back then.

Once everyone had blood and Archer’s gang had flown off minus Archer himself: Dustin had Collin lock Archer in the basement. His strong arms were wrapped around me. “My dear heart, I am here for you: Archer will never hurt you again. I wanted to wait until I had a chance to explain some things to you, but since trouble will mostly keep finding us and all but three vampires of my Area are here, I have an announcement. I have chosen Willow as mine. She is to be protected and respected. Am I clear?” Every vampire in the room nods 

Collin speaks up, “With all respect to you Sheriff, we already regard her with respect. Many of us come here to stay close to her. She is a friend to our kind and we take care of our own.” 

Dustin nods. “I thank you all for your loyalty. 

“I think tonight has been filled with enough excitement, we will be closing early tonight.” Everyone nods and I set to closing the Café. Of course, it doesn’t take as long as it usually does. Not when you have vampire speed on your side.

With everything closed up and Archer glamoured to go to the cops, we are finally going home.

I sit in the passenger seat of Dustin’s car again, this time my fingers entwined with his. It feels so nice: Tingles of what I think are electric sparks tickle the skin that is touching him. We pull into my parking lot and something is wrong: Smoke is coming from my building, mainly my apartment. I race forward only to be caught by my love.

“No, it’s too late Willow. The flames will have already destroyed everything.” I can’t help it: I can feel the gut wrenching feeling of sadness start to overtake me. I lost everything and know it’s because I chose vampires: I still don’t regret it. 

“I don’t have anywhere to go, Dustin, I…” I manage to choke out.

He shakes his head and hugs me tighter. “Come stay with me tonight, we can stop by a store and get you some clothes.” 

I take a deep breath to steady my nerves. “I will pay you back, Dustin.” 

He chuckles quietly, ” No, you are my girlfriend now, so taking care of you comes with being mine.” I know this, I had learned it back in high school. And  I know that in my heart I was already his even before his declaration outside the café and his proclamation before the other vampires Even if I have never had his blood. 

I take a deep breath,”Okay, I will let you take care of me until I can get on my feet.” He smiles and I know he is pleased that I didn’t fight him. As we walk away I feel something brush against my legs. Looking down I see Loki, I sweep down and pick him up. Dustin smiles at us and I ask the silent question of can he come too and Dustin just nods. “ We will stop and get some things for him too.” I just half smiled nodding.

We get back into the car and head to the nearest store. The question we didn’t voice, the one staring us in the face: Who set that fire? Who knows where I lived? All I know is that whoever it is just pissed off a vampire.