Davina never waited for him. He had hurried through his interviews, eager to get back to the brunette, but she wasn't there. Her empty cup was still on the table as he sat down, hiding his face in his hands. He knew nothing about the woman, only that she was visiting London for the music.
"Wait, music," he whispered to himself, jumping from his chair.
If he wanted to find her, he had to search for live performances in the neighborhood. He straightened and moved towards the girl behind the counter. She smiled as he approached, ready to take his order. "How can I help you today?"
He scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish expression on his face. "Hi, eeehm... do you know if there will be any open mics or live performances tonight?"
The girl giggled at his awkwardness, "yes actually. If you have one second." She walked through the doors that separated the counter from the back office and returned with a black flyer. "Here you go," she pointed to the other side of the street, "it's just over there, so it shouldn't be hard to find. Is that all?"
He grinned at her, showing his fangs. ''Yes, thank you, have a good day.''
She winked at him before moving to the next customer, and Henry walked out of the shop, skipping in excitement.
The bar was packed as he barged in, the music blaring through the speakers. Smoke flowed through the room, making it hard to identify the people around him, as he made his way to the front of the bar, close to the stage. He kept his head low as he sat down, trying to avoid being recognized by the crowd. The room turned dark and a lone figure appeared on the stage, a mic already in his hands.
''Good evening everyone! Welcome, welcome, I'm very pleased to announce our special guest for tonight. This young lady already made a pretty good name for herself in her own country and decided to bless us with one of her original songs,'' the host took a deep breath, ''ladies and gentlemen, Davina Ackerman!''
The people around him started to cheer as she entered the stage, guitar in hand, and a small smile pulling at her lips. The bright spotlight made her steel eyes sparkle with joy as the crowd cheered for her. She pushed her guitar to her back as she adjusted the mic to her height, and waited patiently as the noises died down, all eyes on her.
''Hello everyone,'' she waved sweetly, her eyes flickering around the room, ''thank you all for coming here tonight, I'm going to perform one of my new songs called: bad dreams, please enjoy.''
She grabbed her guitar and took a deep breath, before starting to play.
Darling, I've been having dark dreams
They come home to haunt me
I can't seem to let them go
Darling, I've been having sad dreams
I don't know where I've been
But I know what I've come to
How about we play a game
I know you'll like it, oh
You stay as far as you can
Before they get to you
I may seem crazy but
It's only 'cause I am
Before they capture your mind
Run, run, run
Goosebumps rose on his skin at the smooth sound of her voice and he leaned forward, caught in her spell.
Run...Run
I'm tired but I can't sleep
'Cause they're waiting for me
These bad dreams are more than true
And they'll get you
And they'll get you
Darling, I've been having weird dreams
I don't know what they mean
But I know I don't want to
Darling, this is getting scary
Why can't I stop shaking
I hope you don't see them
Glances, all I see are
glances left and right
They like it when they know I'm anxious
Shadows, all I see are shadows
Hiding where the wind blows
And where my mind got torn
How about we play a game
I know you'll like it, oh
You stay as far as you can
Before they get to you
I may seem crazy but
It's only 'cause I am
Before they live in your mind
Run, run, run!
He forgot everything around him, his eyes only focused on her, praying for her to look his way. And when she finally did, time froze. The world disappeared around them as their eyes locked, making his heart beat faster.
Run!
They will follow me 'til I can't breathe
and I'm begging for mercy on my, no
Run...Run
I'm tired but I can't sleep
'Cause they're waiting for me
These bad dreams are more than true
And they'll get you
And they'll get you
And they'll get you
Oh, oh, oh
Her voice trailed off and the spell got broken as the crowd rose from their chairs, cheering and clapping. He watched as she swallowed before a smile appeared on her face, and he moved to rise from his chair, putting his fingers in his mouth to whistle.
She shot him a grateful look and turned away to bow her head, reaching for the mic once again.
''Thank you so much,'' she giggled, ''I hope I could brighten your evening tonight, and hopefully, I will see you all soon.''
She bowed again as another applause rose from the crowd and moved away from the stage, disappearing backstage.
—————-
She handed her guitar to one of the stage managers and frantically looked around, searching for a quiet place.
He had come looking for her, even after abandoning him, after she broke her promise. She dragged a hand through her hair, releasing a shaky breath.
*flashback*
"That meeting went pretty well, didn't it?" She smiled as she reached for the plates, ready to clean the table.
A cold hand on her wrist stopped her from moving.
"How dare you, shaming me like that?"
Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Wha.... shame you? I just sang a song, as you asked me to."
He clenched his teeth so hard that she could hear them rattle and rose from the chair, trapping her between the wall and his body.
"It was the wrong one, I gave you a damn list and you still managed to screw it up. What if they would've canceled our deal because you decided to be a brat, huh?" His voice rose as his fist hit the wall behind her, causing her to drop the plates.
His flat hand came out of nowhere, forcing her head back as he struck it against her cheek, leaving a red mark. Tears sprang in her eyes as the burning sensation spread over her cheek, leaving a stinging pain. He scowled at her expression before releasing her. He kicked at the porcelain shards on the ground, sending them across the dining room.
''What are you waiting for? This mess isn't going to clean itself, useless bitch.''
A soft hand on her shoulder pulled her from her memory and a gasp escaped before she flinched away from the touch, a frightened expression on her face.
Henry towered above her, his hands raised in surrender. ''It's just me, I'm sorry for startling you.''
She slumped in relief and used the wall to support herself as she got up. ''It's okay, I zoned out for a second,'' she tilted her head, ''what are you doing here, Henry?''
Warmth spread from his neck to his cheeks as he scratched the nape of his neck. ''I eehm... you weren't at the cafe, so I decided to search for you,'' he shifted uncomfortably, ''you probably think I'm a creep, I'm so sorry.''
She fumbled with the rim of her sweater, her dimples showing as she secretly smiled, smitten by the large man in front of her. ''I don't think you're a creep,'' she giggled, the sound stirring something inside him, ''I really appreciate you, coming here. I'm sorry I left, earlier.''
She finally looked up and steel grey met cerulean, freezing the world, once again, around them. Neither of them dared to breathe, afraid to break the spell that had them in its power. Henry swallowed before daring to take a step forward, never breaking eye contact with the woman in front of him as he reached out to wrap his large hands around hers.
''I know this is probably going to sound ridiculous, especially since we only met today, but...'' His voice trailed off as he drew a deep breath, bracing himself for the rejection she was gonna give him. ''Would you like to go on a date with me?''
The silence that followed made his stomach churn, fighting the need to close his eyes, scared to see the disgust on her face. When he finally convinced himself to look up he was met with a soft smile, the kind of smile that took his breath away.
''I would love that Henry,'' she said quietly, the smile not fully reaching her eyes.
His fangs appeared as his lips formed into a full smile, his heart skipping a beat, fighting the need to indulge her in his muscled arms to see if her body would melt against his body, like a missing puzzle piece.