Holly

Not Like Me

I arrived at the diner at dusk, and I am still waiting. I've been here for an hour and am starting to get sympathetic looks from the waitresses.

I'm so stupid. As if he would come.

The sun has set and the lighting in the old diner is poor. The bright red seats seem bright in the darkness.

If he comes, I don't even know what I would say. The whole point of this is to get answers and I feel like a nervous wreck. What if he doesn't like what I say and tries to do something?

Oh my God, I don't even know his name. Does he even have one?

I rub my forehead as these thoughts run wild in my mind. Trying to calm myself, I begin to hope he doesn't come. Maybe I can just forget everything and pretend there isn't anything strange happening.

But if he does come, I guess I'll ask him about himself. That sounds stupid but I must know what he is. Am I just going crazy or are all these stories and legends true?

"Do you want another one?"

I look up to the waitress. "No, I'm fine."

She begins to fill up my coffee anyways. "This one is on me."

Great. Sympathy coffee.

Just then, the door to the diner jungles and she finishes pouring to look up and smile at the new customer.

I feel it and know he is here without having to turn around. The room becomes electric and suddenly warm. The waitress's expression changes to discomfort and nervousness before quickly walking away. It is like he just did something to scare her off.

I straighten my back and place my hands on my lap, trying to calm myself. His footsteps approach my table, and he slides into the booth across from me.

Once my eyes meet his, I forget everything I was worried about. It is a really weird feeling to have about a stranger.

He is wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a black shirt over his muscle ridden chest. Even though the lighting in here isn't great, it sure beats the moonlight. His face is way too appealing for my own good. His jaw is sharp, and he has light stubble. His hair is short and very dark brown. The best part is his eyes. They are an incredibly deep blue and I feel enchanted by them.

Even as he stares at me without any emotion in those deep blue eyes, I have tremors running across my body.

"What do you want?" His question is rude, but I'm not bothered.

At first, it felt like I had no voice. Then, to my surprise, I quickly find it. "I want to make a deal with you."

"People who make deals with me end up throwing things at me." He gives me what must be his cockiest smile. His perfect straight teeth shine in the dim lighting.

"I'm sure people don't make these kinds of deals with you."

He leans forward on the table just enough to invade my personal space. I want to pull away and I can tell he is doing it on purpose. "Whatever the deal is, I'm sure it will be the best one of your life." He smiles again.

God help me.

I keep my composure but feel slight annoyance boil up in me. If it was anyone else, I would have slapped him.

Anyone else. But he is a crazy stranger that may or may not be some mythical creature.

"It isn't that kind of..."

"Are you sure? I know I can make you scream."

He isn't taking this seriously. This "deal" is more of a game for him. He came here just to mess around and not to be serious. I feel the annoyance quickly change to anger. I lean forward myself and feel a rush of adrenaline. Getting this close feels like jumping off a very high cliff.

I can play too.

"I like the way your mouth moves but I don't like what is coming out of it." I give him a small but annoyed smile and his smile drops a little. "The deal I want to make with you is about what you are."

I lean away from him, and he leans back too. His eyes burn into me with annoyance. "I know you are not like me," I say.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

I continue. "You were not supposed to be like this. I'm sure you have done something you shouldn't have, and you need someone to give you a second chance. I can give that to you and help you figure out how to fix," I gesture to all of him, "this."

He is silent for a moment. "What makes you think I don't like the way I am?"

Shit. I didn't think about that. Fuck, damn. Uhhh uhhh say something clever. Think. What would Abuela say?

"Oh please, I know you don't like smelling like a fish stick all of the time."

Nice one.

He is silent again but this time it is different. His eyes bore into me with anger. I'm really pushing my luck here.

"What is in it for you?"

"I want to study you." He chuckles. "No, really. I want to know what you are and how you work." I cross my arms over my chest and relax into my seat.

This part is true. I'm studying to be a marine biologist and he is incredibly fascinating.

"Curiosity killed the cat", he grumbles in his deep, perfect voice.

"Even if I am a cat that might get herself killed, you need help."

"Right, cause I'm a devil looking for redemption." He gives me a big, mischievous grin and I can't help but wonder if he might be the devil. "When do we start?"

I didn't think about that either.

I look him up and down and he seems to be enjoying it. His eyes light up with that same mischief. "Are shoes too human for you?" I say pointing to the fact that he is freaking barefoot.

He shrugs. "It is actually. They don't dry as fast as other clothes after getting wet."

"I think you need some new clothes that don't smell like salt water and fish piss."

He laughs and the sound makes my heart skip a beat. "I'll pass on a shopping trip."

I stare at my cold coffee, trying to think about what to say. Nothing comes to mind, and I start to panic internally.

He takes this moment of vulnerability to lean closer again. "You know, there are a lot of monsters like me. In my other form, I am not nearly as attractive."

The images of that animal on the beach floats across my mind. The teeth, the growls, the sharp barbs on the tail. He is right. They are horrible monsters.

"Any human, especially a young woman, might not want to see that. Us monsters tend to have quite an appetite and we really like the taste of human hearts. I think this deal won't end well so you should probably..."

"Show me."

He pauses and I can see that I trumped him.

"Show me these animals. Let me see how they behave and tell me about them."

He leans back into his seat and looks at me in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Yes." I slide out of my seat and grab my purse and jacket, ready to leave. I have run out of things to say and I don't want to be put in an awkward position again. Not to mention, I suddenly got a burst of excitement. "I'll see you at the beach tomorrow night."

His confusion turns into a small grin, and he chuckles. "I hope you can handle it."

I turn to leave but pause. His name.

I look over my shoulder, realizing we skipped those pleasantries. "What is your name?"

"It is a little late for that, don't you think?"

"I'm Holly. What is your name?" I ask again, more firm.

He is silent again for a long moment.

"Arius."