The Immortal Queen

The first time he sees her

****** Catherine's POV ******

After a really long flight and lots of alcohol, I was trying to relax and have some dinner in one of my favorite restaurants and all of a sudden, it looked like I was in a movie scene. A really bad one.

I may be exaggerating a bit. I’m not exactly having a nice relaxing dinner here. I'm too worried about my Warrior and there's this itching on my back like I'm about to be under attack. So, I did what any mature 634-year-old woman would do. I drank all the alcohol that was available on my plane. Not the kind of behavior fit for a Queen, but it's not like there are any subjects around to judge me. Apparently, I was wrong.

I started choking on my water, practically spitting it all over the place, like a stupid B- movie, because I just saw who walked into the restaurant: Adam.

It’s so strange how I feel when he is around. I’m shivering, cold sweats, trembling…

I tell myself to take it easy. I close my eyes so I don't have to see him and I take a deep breath.

He is just in the same restaurant as me, he doesn’t even know me or that I spent the last century running away from him, doing EVERYTHING I could so we would never meet. All I have to do is calm down, finish my meal (great lasagna, delicious btw) and leave. With some luck he won’t even look at me or remember my face.

I look down at my plate, take another deep breath and keep on eating so as not to call attention to myself. Meanwhile, I can’t resist glancing at him every time I get a chance, it’s just so tempting… I have watched him from afar so many times and now here he is, so close to me, closer than usual. Gosh, I sound like a lovesick fool! He always makes me feel like a teenager and I don’t know if I like that at all.

He was talking with the hostess and I wonder why he was waiting for so long in the doorway. As if my question was heard, his partner, Special Agent Anderson, walked in. Great, now I have two FBI agents to deal with. The hostess immediately directs them to a table… right next to mine. Sigh.

I could feel a mix of annoyance and horror displayed on my face, so I looked down right away and shoveled a piece of lasagna in my mouth as fast as possible. Hopefully, if they see my horror-struck face they will think it’s because of the food and try some other restaurant for lunch! Of course, I’m not that lucky!

I drink a bit more of water, because there’s a lump of food stuck in my throat and at that moment Adam looks at me while he is sitting facing me, on the table to my left. I break the eye-to-eye contact by staring at my food again, but his black hair, green cat eyes, perfect chiseled face and rockin’ body were imprinted on my mind. Looking at him, having him so close makes me doubt my sanity for avoiding him all these years, decades, centuries!, but I have to remind myself that it would be a nightmare if he ever found out that he is not the only Immortal that exists.

I’m lost in my memories when Agent Anderson starts talking louder to Adam:

- What’s he doing here?? – he exclaims, looking at the entrance of the restaurant.

- Well, I will be damned… - Adam says while looking in the same direction.

At this point, I have to look.

It was like my heart stopped beating for a few seconds… What the hell is going on???

I have successfully avoided Adam for over a century and here he is, sitting at the table next to me. Getting into the restaurant as well is another man I have avoided for the last few years! How can this be? It’s worse than a B- movie, it’s a B- horror movie! In this case, with two Immortals and a Vampire. Also, the Vampire is about to notice I’m in the same room as him… I see him tensing and flaring his nostrils. It’s my scent! He recognizes my scent! At the same time, one of his bodyguards, Antonio, sees me and bends down to whisper in his ear. Well, Antonio, there’s no need for that since he already has his eyes on me. There’s no escaping this, is there?

The only vampire I ever dared to love in my very very long life starts walking towards me, no, not walking… Stalking towards me. It is all very Italian gangster style. To be fair, he is an Italian mafia boss, who is also a vampire. A bit cliché if you ask me, but nobody asked.

I’m trying to think of a way out but running away won’t work, not without calling too much attention to the situation, which I can’t do with Adam staring at me, now that he realizes Stefano is coming to my table.

- Catherine… - and he just stands there, looking at me, staring at me…

- Stefano…

Silence. Still staring at me and I could feel Adam focusing on our conversation. I have to do something.

- So, Stefano, did you just want to check if we still remembered each other’s names? Congratulations! We do. I’m Catherine and you are Stefano. Now, is there anything else I can do for you? I’m in a bit of a rush. I just want to eat my lunch quickly, get out of here and get on with my life. – Please, take the hint, sweetheart. I don't want to hurt you, even though I sound like a b*tch.

- Are you f*cking kidding me? That’s what you have to say to me after four years? Four years!!!

- Fine, since you can’t take a hint and get lost, sit down. – I point to the chair in front of me – Sit down and try to act civilized. Please.

He hesitates and looks around. Luckily, we didn’t speak loud enough to attract a lot of attention, but we definitely had the attention of our next table neighbors and that’s when Stefano noticed who they were.

- Agents Reeves and Anderson, what a surprise seeing you both here. Enjoying your lunch? I thought you were too busy harassing innocent people. - he pauses. - Like me.

- How are you innocent D’Angelo? Unless nobody told you that the moment you get into criminal activities, like working for the Italian mob, you stop being innocent. – Adam asked, strangely looking at me, instead of Stefano… What? Does he think I’m involved in Stefano’s organization? Damn, the last thing I need right now is to be investigated by the FBI and by him!

- Are you implying the Italian mob is a criminal organization? You misunderstand us, Reeves. We are just a tight group of people, like a big family, who support and lean on each other. We are a community. – At this point even Adam was looking at Stefano with an incredulous look on his face. I’m just trying not to laugh out loud. God! How much I have missed that vampire and his sense of humor!

- A community? A big family? – Anderson seemed to be choking on his own words.

- Yes, you know, like the Scouts but for Italians! – His dark brown eyes were shining with mirth.

I couldn’t hold it any longer. I started laughing out loud, mainly because of Adam and Anderson’s faces.