BLOODHOUNDS #2: THE TAKER

Chapter 15 - DUCK

Tatiana Knight

When we landed in Austin, Texas, Kayden brought us to a Japanese restaurant. The restaurant's interior was designed to recreate Japanese homes so people would feel cozy. Many Japanese people are here, too, and I'm excited to try the food.

"How many hours do you give me to roam around?" I asked Kayden as I intertwined my hands together.

"5 hours, and Hugo will take you around."

"I'll be fine on my own. Hugo can go with you," I said as I looked at the menu. He called the waiter and started ordering. Kayden looked at me, and I quickly turned to the waiter, ordering some sashimi and salmon teriyaki.

I looked around, admiring how beautiful this restaurant was. My eyes landed on a Japanese lady who sells mochi on the other side of the restaurant. I got up and walked towards her. I looked at her stall, and she has over twenty variants of mochi.

"How many do you want?" She asked.

"How many mochis in a box?" I pointed at the box over the glass window.

"Ten." She answered, and I gestured for her to wait. I walked to Kayden and asked, "Do you have any allergies? Or food that you can't eat?"

"No."

"Great!" I walked back to the lady and paid for ten mochis. I tried to pick the flavors that I thought would be good. I returned to the table and sat beside Kayden.

I opened the mochi box and squealed. I took some pictures before grabbing one and putting it in front of Kayden's mouth.

"Try it." I smiled giving him the matcha flavour. He glared at me before biting the whole thing. I pouted, "We were supposed to share it. You should have take a small bite." I stomped my feet.

"How am I supposed to know?"

"Now I don't get to try the matcha one." I grabbed another one and decided to take a bite first. It's a strawberry flavor and my eyes widen.

"It's so good! You should try it!" I turned to Kayden and shoved it into his mouth without warning.

"Tatiana!" He hissed but I ignored him. I tried the next one which is mango, I took a bite and turned to Kayden. He stopped my hand, "I don't want it anymore, it's not that good." I pulled my hand away and when he put his hand down, I shoved it into his mouth.

"Tatiana!" He's pissed but the food came in time. I took a picture of the food and moved to sit across from Kayden. When I saw his face, I wanted to laugh because there was an on his nose.

"Since we're getting married, I'm going to give you a nickname." I grabbed my first salmon sashimi and put it in my mouth.

"This is so good! Try it!" I grabbed a piece and put it on his plate. Kayden just kept eating, ignoring me.

"I'm going to call you Mr.Grumpyface." He snapped his attention to me, clearly hating the name.

"I'm calling you, Ma Biche." My jaw dropped when he said that, "Did you just call me a bitch?" I gasped and Kayden let out a sigh.

"Mon biquet." He said in another language.

"Did you just call me a bucket? A bucket?!"

"I think baguette suits you." He added. He was looking at me with a poker face and had the audacity to continue to eat.

"Well, you look like a sourdough to me!" He ignored my remarks. I continued to eat my food, so we both eat in silence. He finished first and waited for me by looking at me weirdly.

"What?" I asked and put a piece of salmon in my mouth. Munching it aggressively at him.

"This is why you'll never have a real wife, she will die so young because you stress her so much."

"Same goes to you." With that he got out from his seat to pay. I took my last bite and grabbed my box full of mochis with me. I walked out of the restaurant to roam around.

I saw a cute vintage shop and walked toward it.

Then I stopped walking when I heard a kid crying. I followed where the sound came from and found a little boy crying under the escalator with a red balloon in his hand. I think he's around 3 years old.

I kneeled down, "Hi. Are you lost?" I asked and he stopped crying. He nodded and looked at the balloon.

"Were you with your mom or dad?" I asked as I grabbed a tissue from my bag wiping his tears.

"Daddy."

"What's your name?" I asked as I grabbed his hand.

"Royce."

"Let's go find your father." Since we're in a mall, I think it's better for me to find the security first. We walked to find it and I heard someone calling Royce's name from afar.

"Daddy!" Royce screamed and his father ran towards him. They hugged and Royce cried in his arms as he picked him up.

"Thank you so much." Royce's father said. He was crying as well, I can't even imagine how scared he was when his son was missing.

"Royce say thank you to-" Royce father put him down again but Royce immediately cried.

"Tatiana."

"Thank you so much, Tatiana." He said and I nodded.

"We have to go, thank you once again." They walked away and Royce waved at me. I waved back at him.

"Did you scare him, Mon Avenir?" I closed my eyes, completely shocked to find him behind me.

"What do you mean I scared him? He was lost and I helped Royce to find his father."

"Royce? I bet he hard that kid after the car." Kayden rolled his eyes and I wanted to smack him so bad. He turned around, "Let's go, Mon Avenir."

"Are you mocking me? What's that language?" I walked beside him. "Did you not learn another language?" He asked.

"No, I refused. They forced me to but I never took it. I rather read books or learn more about cardiologists." I took another mochi out and took a small bite.

"What does Mon Avenir mean?" I asked as I shoved the mochi into his mouth.

"It means my duck."