The Shadows from Beyond

2 ~ A Date

After a few weeks of working at the Sapphire Lotus, I am totally exhausted. But I still go to work each day, and every time I do, I find myself having fun. I am having some fun, and so are my friends. Yes, I'm friends with a werewolf, a vampire, a wraith, and a warlock. Me, a human, being friends with them.

It sounds insane. I didn't think it was possible, for this to be real. Until a few weeks ago, I wasn't able to comprehend it. So, now, I am working with demons and the like.

But one night, as I am closing up shop, Annika comes over to me. She looks nervous about something. And I don't know what or why. Her blue-green eyes are wide and wild as she stands there, hands clasped together. She doesn't move, just simply remains in the same place.

"Annika? Are you okay?" I ask her.

"Y- yeah," she stammers. "Uh .... I.... wanted to ask you something. And I.... I know you're technically my boss, but uh .... "

"What?" I ask. "You don't have to be nervous, Annika."

She laughs, the melodic sound a bit anxiety-filled. She clears her throat and brushes a few strands of loose auburn hair from her face. She picks at her cuticles as she shifts in place and then her shoulders sag a bit.

"Um, yeah. I'm fucking one thousand years old, and I get nervous when things like this happen. But um, would you uh .... like to hang out? With me?"

It takes me a moment to realize she means not at work. She is .... is she asking me out? I blink. But then, a smile crosses my face. "Yes, I would love to!"

"R - really?"

"Of course! I mean, I would love to. When do you want to do this?"

"Uh, I know it's late, but ... well, I haven't had a good meal in a while. So, do you want to go out for late dinner?"

"Sure!" I say.  "But do you want to go here? Or somewhere else?"

"Here, I can be myself here," she says.

I smile at her. "I want that, you need to be comfortable."

We lock the doors as we go inside, and I walk to the back with her, where the kitchens are. She directs me to sit at the counter, and so, I do. Annika walks into the kitchen, humming softly to herself as she does.

"You know, I really am a thousand mortal years old," she says casually. "In that time, I have had many lovers. Men, women, some neither, some both. I have had two or even three lovers at once. But never have I met a human as brave as you."

I feel my heart skip a beat.  "Really?"

She nods. "Yeah, I mean, I have always known humans. But none so brave as the one I'm speaking to right now."

"Why do you say that? Why do you call me brave?" I ask her.

"Because. The day you came here, and faced off with Rainor for the first time .... on your first day as your first customer of the whole time ... Wren, Aggie was scared of Rainor. And she would often refuse to serve him when he got the way he was when you met him. And I know you were scared of him, back then, at least. But you did not let it show on your face. You stood up to him. Not even Aggie did that, Wren. When he would get that way, she would leave Darius to handle him. Not because she was cowardly or anything. But because she was human. Woefully human."

"And I stood up to him, yelled at him. And that's why you all think I am so brave? I just don't like bullies."

She chuckles. "Well, he's definitely a bully."

Annika turns, and hands me a plate full of steaming, delicious smelling food. I gape at it,  then her. "I didn't know you were cooking."

She smirks.  "I'm full of surprises. But no, I conjured this. I am not that good at cooking."

"Me either," I say as she sits down with a plate of her own. "I was nervous coming into this. I can't cook, so ..."

"Well, good thing we have Darius and Torin here, eh?" She giggles.

"Yeah. But don't you think we could use more staff?"

Annika shrugs.  "Probably. But anyways, let's not talk shop all night." She winks at me. "Enjoy our food. Let's just chat. Okay?"

I nod. "Okay."

We sit like that, long into the night. And when the clock reads five am, Annika teleports me home.