13.

As Tommy pulled the chair out for me, his strong arms slightly touched my arms and I quickly pulled away.

He looked at me, “I don’t have a disease, you know,” and he laughed with a sparkle of something funny in his eyes.

“I know,” I said, but did I really? He could have a sexually transmitted disease for all I knew. I like the feeling of his skin on mine, fuck. This place was seriously tiny. I looked around and counted six other people here.

He was staring at me and then I remembered to stop thinking. “How did you find this place? You haven’t been in Montreal that long.”

“Actually…” he looked around the restaurant, “I was here before Alexios came,” he confessed looking at me intently.

“What?”

“Look, Ellie, I track vampires. That’s what I’m good at. Don’t look at me so shocked.” Tommy grabbed the menu and looked down reading it as if he had to concentrate…like what could this whole in the wall actually offer? Cheeseburger specialties?

“No, they have a real good menu,” he said not looking up. Shit! He read my mind again.

“Would you stop that?”

His head popped up and his eyes darkened.  “I really haven’t done it that often. You don’t know anything and that prick of an ass lover of yours is not revealing much. He likes to leave you hanging, doesn’t he?” He nodded to the waitress to come over. I couldn’t believe how he said such offensive comments and then continued on in the conversation like nothing was wrong.

“I’m sorry for being a bastard, I can’t control it,” he winked at me.

“You better stop reading my mind or I’m leaving.” I got up and then he stood up. “The only way I’ll sit is if you promise me to not do that again. It’s creeping me out.”

“Okay, I promise,” he said.

The waitress looked from me to Tommy confused. “Are you leaving?” she asked in French; her short black skirt revealed long legs and spiked heels. Her tight black t-shirt left nothing to the imagination.

We both sat down and Tommy replied, “No,” his eyes never leaving mine.

“Can I order for you?” he asked me. I nodded my head yes.

“Deux filet de sole avec du riz et deux verres du vin blanc.”

“Oui, merci.”

“Hold on, you speak French?”

“Yes, I speak French, I speak many languages of love,” he said as his bright blue eyes stared right into mine. He made me squirm. I quickly turned around and blocked my thoughts (just in case).

“So, tell me, what is the real story with Alexios?” I had to know everything.

“I’ll tell you what I know, but Ellie, before I start can I ask you a personal question?”

“Sure,” I said hesitatingly.

“Why do you think you were attracted to a vampire?”

I shrug my shoulders, “He treated me like a lady,” I said casually, brushing the hair off my face.

The waitress arrived with our wine and we remained quiet until she poured it. “By the time I found out the truth…I had fallen badly for Alexios.” The waitress looked at me and then at Tommy. I guess she realized we weren’t together. Suddenly, her whole composure changed.

“Would you like anything else?” she looked directly at Tommy. He completely ignored her or pretended to at least. I twirled with my hair…wow, some women can be so obvious.

“No, thank you,” he gave her a quick smile that clearly indicated he was getting annoyed.

As soon as she was out of earshot, he blurted, “So you fell for a fuckin’ blood sucker?”

“I guess so.”

“You’re cute when you play with your hair.”

“Don’t.” I put my hand on the stem of the wine glass.

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t compliment me.”

“You don’t like compliments?” He picked up his wine glass. “Cheers…here’s to no compliments.”

“Alexios?” I said, ignoring his remarks and clinking wine glasses with him.

“Well, Alexios is one of those vampires on my hot list because he has murdered many women, and not just any woman, the ones with certain powers. He lures them in with his looks, in my opinion, though, he is butt ugly. When I look at him, I see all his ugliness.” He took a sip of his wine.

“Go on…” I urged him. I needed to hear it all.

“The woman just before you, seven years ago, was a Polish medium. She knew what he was, but she fell for him anyway. He sucked all her powers dry and left her for dead,” he glanced away, “I was too late and I vowed to myself it wouldn’t happen again.” He looked so angry and hurt. “I don’t know what lies he told you…of how much he loves you and blah blah bullshit…but I saw him. I fuckin’ saw him do it.”

“You did?” I felt sick.

“I almost had him, too, but his friend Freddy, who is also on my list…trapped me.” He waited for a reaction from me.

“How did he trap you?”

“In a fuckin’ net. I couldn’t escape.” He took a swig of his wine and finished his drink. His eyes were burning with rage now. “Is that enough for you?” I knew there was more.

“What else, Tommy?”

“He made me watch.”