Vampire Queen's Soulmate

Small Bites

Rodrigo stepped out of the plane and walked down the stairs. The night was cool. He was glad he brought appropriate clothing. Couldn't be walking around in just shorts here. He zipped his hoodie up a little further.

A sleek black SUV was waiting near the plane. Crew members were loading his luggage into the back. The driver-side door opened, and out stepped Esme. She wore a purple hoodie and skinny jeans, her feet encased in heeled boots. Her long hair was big this evening. She had taken her time with it, diffusing her curls, so they were both defined and fluffy. Rodrigo eyed her up and down, approving of her outfit.

"Reina," he greeted her as he got close to her.

"Ojo," she replied, a smile on her face.

"Somehow I thought you would have a driver," Rodrigo remarked, coming up to stand in front of her. Esme's smile got bigger.

"I do," she said, "but tonight, I am the driver." she c****d an eyebrow at him. "Do you have an issue with that?"

"No. Why would I?" Rodrigo asked mildly. She was so mercurial.

"Just checking. I see you brought the cat. Is that something you normally do?" Esme inquired.

"She follows me wherever I go on the island, for the most part. I have only had her a little over a year, so this is her first time in a new place. I tried to leave her at home, but there were... complications," Rodrigo replied.

Esme shrugged.

"I ain't mad at it. Lets go. Are you hungry?"

"I could eat."

"I know a place."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Esme drove them over to a restaurant, not too far from the airport.

"Are you nervous, Ojo?" she asked, looking over at him in the passenger seat.

"A little," he admitted. Esme gasped jokingly, a hand on her chest.

"Really?? You, the great and powerful Ojo, is nervous? That is interesting!" she exclaimed. If she had pearls at her neck, she would clutch them.

"I would be a fool not to be. This is a powerful spirit we are dealing with. We will have to be careful when we make contact with him," Rodrigo replied.

"You know him," Esme stated simply. Rodrigo nodded.

"I have dealt with him before," he said.

"How long ago?" Esme asked. Rodrigo thought about it.

"I'd say late 1800s. Maybe the turn of the century. He was possessing some of the people in a neighboring town. He thought it was funny to make them commit horrible acts," he replied. Esme shook her head.

"Sounds like him. Was he able to do this to multiple people at once?"

"No. He did this separately. But he jumped from person to person very quickly. It was one of the more...difficult situations that I have been in." Rodrigo stared at the road ahead, remembering.

"Have you been in many?" Esme asked, glancing at him.

"I've been on this plane almost as long as you, reina. What do you think?" Rodrigo looked at her, tapping his cheek. Esme grinned at him.

"If you've been here that long, then I'd say so. I've been in too many to count," she said.

They grew silent, each thinking about their past. Neither liked to revisit it much, but at times it happened. Like right now.

Esme turned into the parking lot of a small diner. There were several cars parked in the lot. Rodrigo noted this silently. Esme parked and unbuckled herself. Rodrigo did the same and they both stepped out. He checked on the cat in the backseat. She was curled up in the blanket still, silently sleeping.

"Do you think she'll be okay out here for a bit?" Esme asked solicitously.

"Yes. It's not as cold as I expected it to be, and there's a warm blanket along with her. She's fine," Rodrigo replied. He shut the door carefully, and looked up at the diner.

"Small Bites?" he asked ruefully. Esme threw him a grin, her fangs flashing for just a moment.

"You like?" she sidled up to him, pressing along his arm. Rodrigo stepped away, moving toward the door.

"It's an interesting name for a restaurant. What is it, finger food?" he opened the door for her.

The grin stayed on Esme's face, enjoying the game. She knew he didn't want to pursue a relationship with her because they were working together, but she also knew that he wanted her despite that little obstacle. She kinda liked teasing him. She'd met many over the years who fought their urges, but Rodrigo was in another class altogether.

"It's whatever you want, Ojo. You're such a gentleman! Thank you," Esme exclaimed, brushing past him into a small hallway. Double doors painted purple and black stood ahead. Rodrigo followed her in, and touched her elbow before she could open those doors.

"Whatever I want? What does that mean?" he asked.

Gods, she was maddening. Why did she insist on messing with him? He wanted to help her with this problem she had. But she acted like she hadn't just lost a centuries-long lover, the way she came on to him. One would think she hadn't cared at all. Rodrigo knew that vampires tended to lose their human tendencies the older they got. Esme seemed to not have much human behavior, but her length on this planet explained that. He just wasn't sure what to do about her either. He did want her. Bad. But his work came first, and he didn't want to have that awful spirit messing with anyone anymore.

Maybe once they got rid of Dante....

Esme looked down at his hand on her elbow, then slowly looked up into his face.

"Come in, and you'll see for yourself," she murmured, and then opened the doors.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The two sat at a booth in the corner of the restaurant. Rodrigo noted the blackout curtains that were pushed open to let the night sky be visible. The walls were painted black with purple details. The lighting was soft, not glaring like some other places he'd eaten at. The closer Rodrigo looked, he could see different symbols for different cultures on each wall. One wall had ancient Egyptian depictions of hieroglyphics, pharaohs, and gods. Another wall with Roman gods, yet another with Greek. He was particularly drawn to the walls with Taino gods and goddesses, and Yoruba orishas. His own practices came from studying both Yoruba and the Tainos. He continued observing, looking at the patrons of the restaurant. The place wasn't overly crowded, but it seemed to be busy. Booths were all along the perimeter of the diner, with a bar spanning the length of it. There were people sitting at the bar, and some of the booths were occupied. Rodrigo saw that most of the patrons had an opaque glass in front of them.

Esme watched him taking it all in. She liked his quiet observation. He saw it all, she knew. She liked that about him. His attention to detail was incredible. The stories she'd heard about him varied, from him being an evil witch doctor, to a supreme being in a human body, to anything in between that people liked to make up. But one thing was for sure, he knew what the f**k he was doing. He did it well, and that was because he paid attention. To everything.

"Well? What do you think of the place?" she asked, tapping her nails on the table.

"Its...interesting. I like the paintings on the wall," he replied, his eyes lingering on the Tainos. Esme smiled.

"I thought you would," she murmured.

"Did you?" Rodrigo looked at her now, piercing her with his gray eyes. Esme met his gaze, her green ones dancing under his flinty stare.

"I did," she replied, "It's almost as if I had you in mind when I had my workers paint them."

"Interesting," Rodrigo repeated mildly. He'd known she owned it the moment they stepped inside. She had a purple and black theme going on. He liked it.

At that moment, a waiter came by and set two opaque glasses in front of them,

"My queen, welcome. For you and your guest," he said in a low voice. He was nervous, Rodrigo could tell. And, a new vamp. His fangs were very visible, and he seemed to be speaking carefully. The fangs got in the way of speaking for newbies, and they had to work to talk around them. Some just liked to show them off, but the waiter was very self-conscious. Rodrigo admired the etchings on the glass. He could smell the contents of it without moving an inch.

Blood.