It had been three weeks since my birthday and I still couldn't remember anything.
Because of it, I'd forgotten to send off two important memos for the law firm and missed a swapped shift at the clinic the next night.
The law firm fired me, some of the other workers having seen me at the Underground nightclub, even though I didn't remember.
The morning after though, Cindy and I had woken up on the couch, our clothes looked like we'd gone through a blender and lost. Neither of us remembering anything from the previous day.
I shook myself, pulling myself together as I stepped out of the elevator into the offices block of the museum curators, holding my paperwork from the temp agency.
I looked at the card I had with the details scribbled on them, looking back up at the door signs for the Weapons and Artifacts curators office.
I found it after asking another receptionist, who giggled and informed it was actually in the basement.
I groaned as I half jogged back to the elevator, my feet aching from the stupid heels Cindy had convinced me to wear.
My pencil skirt restricted my movement but I was thankfully my button up shirt and blazer hid my sweatiness.
I smacked the Basement button a few times, hoping it'd magically make the elevator go faster and ignore the three other levels of collection.
It didn't, making me look at my watch continuously as I was now ten minutes late.
I hadn't been to the History Museum since I was a kid, I was called at 7:30am to come in for a 8:30am interview from the agency, so getting here from the ranch was a bit tricky with no buses and the Jeep was in the shop. The city was a two hour walk from home.
I'd settled to walk to my neighbours, an old couple named Peter and Mary Galvin. Thankfully Peter was heading into town and gave me a lift to the train station, where I'd walk from Central, six blocks to the museum.
The elevator picked up three more people, a woman and two men, all in suits.
They ignored me while I shuffled through my paperwork, trying to get it in order.
I dropped several pages, one of which slid between one of the man's legs perfect getting caught on his pants.
I looked up nervously, realising they hadn't noticed so I knelt down quickly and tried to grab the piece of paper.
Sadly the man realised and grabbed it before me, turning to hand it to me only to see I was crouched behind him.
The brunette woman beside him laughed and the other man didn't bother turning around as I stood and sheepishly took the paper, going to thank him but something about his honey coloured eyes made my words freeze in my throat.
They are the same eyes from my dreams the last few weeks.
The man watched me for second before the elevator opened to the groups floor, they stepped out, the man giving me one last look before the door shut.
I tried to catch my breath, feeling like I'd forgotten to breathe that whole time.
The door pinged, alerting me to my floor finally and I stepped out, thankful for the blast of cold air-conditioned air that hit me and brought me back to my senses.
I found the curator in a large doored back room. I struggled sightly with the weight of the door, stepping into the medically clean and shiny metal room. A thickly build 40something man with a shaved head and a lab coat was hunched over a table, his hands gloved as he looked though a lit magnifying lamp that was clamped to the table.
He used a pair of tweezers to slowly unwrap a piece of old fabric from around an item, speaking into a microphone attached to his ear.
"Relic from the British Museum archive, number eight-one-zero-eight-five. Egyptian fabric, some writing is evident on the front as a kind of seal to stop the spirit." He said, making me look at him curiously and step forward.
His head snapped up, finally realising I was there.
"Who are you? Why are you in here? This is restricted!" He snapped, dropping his tools and rounding the table to shoo me out of the room.
I moved quickly, shoving the door open with my shoulder but he pushed it open effortlessly and pulled me out with him.
I got a few feet away from him and spun, holding out my paperwork for transfer.
"I'm Penelope Wayland, I'm your new assistant. The temp agency sent me." I rushed out quickly.
He snatched the paper work and read through it in an impressive amount of time, sighing.
"Right, I forgot." He mumbled, embarrassed.
I looked at his coat, seeing the monogram name in the breast.
"It's okay Dr. Hyde. That's why I'm here, so you don't have to remember." I smiled as nicely as I could, handing him my resume, mostly filled with receptionist or personal assistant jobs.
He gave me a soft smile back and pointed to a cubicle that was near the elevator, two small walls backed on a shelving unit filled with boxes and crates with item numbers, a desk with a computer, phone, company roledex of numbers and a notepad and pen.
"Oh, I did at least remember to do this." He said, ducking to the draws under the desk, he pulled open the bottom on and grabbed out a small glass vase with a grouping of wild flowers in it.
He put it on my desk and gestured at it smiling.
"Welcome," he said, stepping out of the way to let me sit down.
I found the quick sheet for login details and signed in, checking the system finding it familiar enough I could use.
I found the calender app the museum used and check the weekly Inventory Expected tab.
"Okay, you have two new items coming today. One you already have in the back room, the other is expected tonight at 7pm." I rattled off the delivery companies and the next few deliveries for the week, seeing him panic slightly.
"I overbooked. I have a lecture I'm giving tonight." He rubbed his hands together, pacing back and forth in front of the desk.
He seemed to get larger for a moment.
"I can stay and sign for it," I offered.
He stopped in his pacing and looked at me with glimmering brown eyes.
"You would? Are you sure?" He asked, his brows furrowing.
I smiled and nodded. "I can get a taxi home, where do I need to put it? In the back?" I gestured to the room we'd come from, noticing the slight angry expression bloom on his face.
"No, it's off limits." he said a little too quickly, before taking a steadying breath. "Just put the item number it on your end through the Inventory Logs system, I can check it from my phone." He showed me the system and some extra, incase I wanted to do some other things in the storage area my desk sat while I waited.
The rest of the day went pretty smoothly. Dr. Hyde locked himself in the backroom, telling me to use the intercom system to call him if I needed.
I sorted some paperwork that had be haphazardly stuffed in the draw, checked logs and noted down in my own diary the delivery days.
I chatted a little with Dr. Hyde when he finally came out, asking me to order us lunch from upstairs.
Delores, the cafe receptionist was incredibly sweet, already knowing the doctors order and helping pick something for me as well.
A young man with spikey blue hair and a satchel bag across his chest came down with our sandwiches, both of us having chicken and mayo with a juice.
Dr. Hyde chuckled slightly, pulling the stepping block from one of the storage isles and sitting in front of my desk.
I was still sorting some old paperwork I'd found, eating and working while I chewed.
"Tell me about yourself." Dr. Hyde prompted, making me look away from the backlog to him.
He smiled sweetly, reminding me of my dad.
"Um, I, what do you want to know?" I asked, sitting back in my chair slightly.
He shrugged. "Family? Friends? Fun?"
I thought for a moment before answering, taking a sip of my orange juice to wet my suddenly dry mouth.
"I'm an only child, I've taken care of my cousin Cindy since she was eleven, shenjust turned 18." I smiled thinking about her.
"No parents?" He asked, concern in his voice.
Sadness gripped me a bit but I breathed through it, use to the familiar pain.
"Our parents died in a car accident together, seven years ago." I said, not wanting to look up and see the usual pity.
I hated people's pity. I'd survived it and managed to keep a roof and food on the table for Cindy and I without having to touch our parents life insurance.
When Cindy turned 25, she would be given her parents share, but for now it stayed in an untouched account in a bank I never used.
"Well, you seem to have done well. Especially if you got her to eighteen." He chuckled, I looked up at him, finding no pity only a proud father kind of look. "I have two daughter, both in their thirties now, but they were handfuls as teens." He laughed at his memories, making me smile.
"Cindy wasn't too bad, she's a good kid." I said proudly, some was a bit of a lie, her tantrums and rebellious stage made me almost consider sending her to a boot camp, but she'd calmed down after we'd had a massive argument and she ran away for three days.
I spent the whole time looking for her, getting pneumonia from the snowy weather I'd trekked through trying to find her.
She helped nurse me back to health when I finally got her home, since then she'd been an amazing kid. Good grades, graduated one of the tops of her class, prom queen and accepted for a scholarship for psychology at a university two hours away next year.
She'd managed to put it off for a year, wanting to try some new fields before she accepted.
Her mother would have been proud.
We spent the next half an hour chatting about the rows of storage shelves that spanned behind me across the room.
Most were just items that had been swapped out of exhibits, some on loan from other museums for display and some just Artifacts Dr. Hyde liked and kept.
The backroom was for incredibly rare and unique items, no permittance from anyone unless Dr. Hyde said so.
"So, items with spirits attached?" I joked, scrunching up our food wrappings and throwing them in the bin below me.
He gave me a serious look that stopped my giggling.
"Don't mock the dead, kid." He said, standing.
I ducked my eye.
"Sorry, I just overheard you talking about the Egyptian seal."
"Forget you heard it, anything I say in that room is none of your concern." He snapped, making me jump slightly in surprise.
The tension from him was palpable but thankfully broken when the elevator behind him opened and two men stepped down the hallway into the area.
They both work black suits, I hadn't noticed before when I'd seen them in the elevator.
The honey eyed man looked at me for a moment in surprise before looking at Dr. Hyde.
"You wanted to show us something?" He asked in a flat tone, but his voice set off something inside of me, making my heart flutter erratically.
Dr. Hyde gave me a look for a moment and then checked his watch.
"Call me on the intercom at 5pm if I haven't come out."
"Yes, Dr. Hyde." I nodded and watched him lead the two men to the forbidden backroom.
I waited until it was 4:59pm before I buzzed for Dr. Hyde.
I wasn't sure if the two men in black had left, occupying myself with the shelving units, and reorganising some of the collections that had been put in the wrong place.
"Yes?" Dr. Hyde's voice finally came after the third buzz.
"It's 5pm, Dr. Hyde. Your lecture starts at six and there's an accident on the highway that might delay you." I said, looking at the road updates website.
"Oh, thank you Penny." He said, shutting off the com. He was out of the room within a minute, his lab coat replaced with a black suit jacket like the other men's.
He looked at me before turning to the elevator, pulling out keys from his pocket.
"Leave them with the main desk, you can lock the hallway door and make sure to shut off the light and check the aircon is set to the right temperature, it should be on your sheet." He gestured to my quick guide.
I nodded and handed out a deck of cards I'd made from his lecture notes I'd found on the computer.
"I made you reminder cards, just incase." I shrugged, he beamed at me as he took them and checked through them, giving me an impressed nodm
"I'll handle the delivery, go educate the young." We shared a smile before he dashed off, waving the cards at me as the doors closed.
I chuckled and grabbed my phone, sending Cindy a quick text.
New job is going well. Staying late for a delivery. Get takeout for dinner. Cards on the bench. Xx love you I pressed send and watched the reply bubbles before she hit send.
Two thumbs up and love you too mum xx following them.
I rolled my eyes and fell into more backlog paperwork, almost regretting agreeing to taking extra jobs.
I made it through half the backlog by the time the intercom buzzed for the delivery bay.
I pulled the lanyard of keys over my neck, bending to unlock the two doors into the delivery bay.
I found the roller door button and pressed it, the large red door groaning as it slid up revealing the bright headlights if the delivery car.
I out my hand up to sheild my eyes.
"I think your high beams are on." I yelled slight at the delivery man as he pulled a long package from the back of his van and walked towards me.
"Delivery for Dr. Thaddeus Hyde?" He man read the name then looked at me, sightly confused.
"It's my boss, he's at a lecture downtown, so I'm signing for deliveries." I smiled, showing him the employee badge Delores had sorted for me and sent with my lunch.
He took it, seeming to read it over before handing it back and holding out a screen to me.
I quickly signed it with my finger and took the package from him awakrdly.
"Did you want me to bring it in?" He asked, a slight smile on his face that was charming.
I nodded and let him easily take the package, staring at the stairs I would have had to navigate up with it.
"Please, come in." I stepped aside, letting him haul it up the stairs and to the locked door with ease.
He smiled the whole time.
I opened the two locked doors, stepping aside each time to let the man through.
He left the package beside my desk, clapping his hands together.
"Thanks, I'll walk you back out." I smiled after checking the item number against the one in the system and check it in the log.
The man gave me a broad smile.
"Why do you join me for dinner?" He asked, licking his lips in a way that made me uncomfortable.
"Uh, I have to finish some paperwork and it's a bit of a drive back home, sorry." I said quickly, hoping he would accept it.
He looked around the room before pining me with hungry eyes.
"We can do it here then." He said simply
I stepped back from my desk, putting distance between us.
"I think you should leave." I spat, looking around for a weapon.
I grabbed Dr. Hyde's letter opener that was shaped like a small sword.
The man laughed at me.
"I like my kill a little fiesty." He lunged towards me as I ran for the phone, slapping a random number on the keypad as he tackled me.
I'd slammed the intercom button, putting the call on speaker phone.
"Thaddeus? Shouldn't you be-"
"Help!" I screamed, cutting off the person. They didn't reply, making me panic as the delivery guy straddled me and his teeth elongated, his eyes turning black.
Like the thing in my nightmares.
I screamed again and plunged the letter opener into his chest, my hand slicing open on the blade.
I pulled away, yelling in pain as he looked down at the object in his chest.
He smirked viciously.
I heard the elevator door open and my mind flashed to a man running to my rescue in an alleyway.
He had the same honey coloured eyes and produced the same shining sword.
He ran forward, kicking the delivery guy off me and into my desk.
He grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet, pushing me behind him.
"Get to the elevator." He looked over his shoulder at me.
"Grayson, don't." I blurted out, unsure where the name came from but his eyes on me told me I was right.
He looked at the delivery guy and snarled.
"I revoke your right of entry!" He yelled. The delivery guy froze, staring at Grayson in disbelief before he opened his mouth to make a horrible screeching sound, before he exploded into a cloud of black smoke that vanished into the air vents and door cracks that led outside.
I felt a panic attack blur my vision and take my ability to breath away.
Grayson spun, sliding the sword he had into a slit in the back of his jacket and grabbed me.
"How do you remember my name?" He asked, shaking me slightly. His touch sparked against my skin, even through the blazer, pulling me from my panic to stare into his eyes.
"I don't know!" I squeaked at him. He stopped for a moment, his brows pulling together.
"Do you remember me?" He asked sternly.
I shook my head. "I met you in the elevator today and again when you came to see Dr. Hyde. I must have overheard it then." I tried to explain, more to myself than anything, trying to shake the want to wrap my arms around the gorgeous man in front of me.
He finally released me and pulled out his phone, turning away to speak to someone in a quiet tone before hanging up and grabbing my arm, dragging me to the elevator.
"Wait, I have to lock up and finish the logs." I tried to struggle out of his grip but it was clamped like iron around my bicep.
He shoved me into the elevator, ignoring me until we got to the lobby floor of the museum.
The hall was empty, the large skeleton of a pterodactyl suspended to hang above.
A security guard check our ID, ignoring Grayson's hold on me like it was normal and let us out into the cold night.
He walked me to a waiting car and stuffed me in the back, climbing in beside me.
There was a blacked out partion seperating the back from the front like a limo.
He tapped twice on the glass after he'd closed the door and the car started moving.
"Where the hell are you taking me?" I demanded, resting the urge to kick him or call him a jackass for some reason.
"To a diner called Patty's." He said simply, ignoring me and looking out the window at the passing city.
I calmed down slightly, knowing Patty's was the retro diner near the ranch. It was usually where Cindy and I are when we couldn't be bothered cooking, having gone there since we were young.
I crossed my arms and watched the city lights. I knew I should be fighting more, this guy was a total stranger and I shouldn't have been willingly going along with him, especially after what I'd just seen.
My mind was racing at the thought, trying to rationalise the event but it couldn't.
We pulled into the familiar pink-trimmed parking lot and Grayson helped me out of the car, I wrapped my arms around myself in the cold air, shivering.
He slipped off his jacket and wrapped it over my shoulders as we walked to the door, making me look back at him in surprise.
He held the door open for me and let me choose a corner booth in the pink and white brightly lit diner.
The woman behind the counter had her dyed blonde hair in a beehive, thick makeup with blue eyeshadow and pink lips.
She chatting happily to one of the customers at the counter, waving at us as we entered and coming over after we'd found a seat.
"Hi, Penny, the usual?" She asked, her notepad ready with a pen poised.
I glanced at Grayson for a moment like we were on a weird date, then remembered I had my own money and this wasn't a date.
"Hey Patty." I smiled as best I could. "Uh, yeah, usual and can I get a to-go order for Cindy?" I asked, touching her arm before she turned to Grayson.
She smiled and noted it down, winking.
Grayson just ordered a coffee, making Patty give him a funny look before leaving to deal with our orders.
There was two other patrons, both at the counter and they looked like the truckers who owned the rigs that parked out front.
They chatted to themselves happily, looking over at us once before ignoring us from there.
We sat in silence until Patty brought me my Double cheeseburger with onion rings and a large chai.
"Tell Freddy when you're ready for Cindy's meal, he's got the chicken on hold so it'll be fresh for her." She patted my shoulder and left.
I felt awkward eating to first until my stomach rumbled and I found myself stuffing my face somewhat quickly.
Though it did make me feel better, I took a sip of my chai while Grayson watched me over his coffee.
"So, do I get an explanation or a mind wipe?" I asked, half-joking but the inhale he took worried me. "You know, like Men in Black? The mind wipe thing." I tried to demonstrate but he just stared at me, relaxing enough to make me shut up and put an onion ring in my mouth.
I shuffled the plate towards him in a weak offer.
He smiled slightly and took one, chewing on it slowly.
"I guess, you deserve an explanation." He finally said after a moment. "Eat the rest of your onion rings and I'll tell you."
"Really?" I asked, curious to what he had to say. He crossed his arms and nodded, making me blush slightly at the buldge in his muscle that stretched his white button up, his sleeves rolled up to show thick forearms.
I stuffed the rest of the onion rings into my mouth in record time, receiving a laugh from Patty and a small smile from Grayson.
She took my empty plate and refilled Grayson's coffee, who waited until she left to leaned on the table and start to talk.
"The delivery guy, was a vampire." He whispered, his face serious but I still laughed.
"Please, I'm not a kind. I don't believe the Dra-"
"Dracula bull? Yeah, I know." He muttered, cutting me off. I found myself glaring at him.
"Well, then stop lying." I snapped.
He set me with a hard stare that shut me up.
"Stop being a stupid human." He practically spat the word, making me flinch. "You let a random stranger into Dr. Hyde's office, you really think he's going to be okay with that?"
Panic flushed me then, realising he was right. Dr. Hyde had mentioned he rarely let people in the Basement, even delivery people.
Shit. I can't get fired again. I sighed.
"Fine." I met his eye. "So, Dracula is real." I tried my best to keep a stone face, but the words sounded ridiculous.
"Well, no, he's dead but his descendants are alive, as much as they can be." He shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee. His tone was like he was just repeating the weather report or how his day was, completely casual.
"Okay, so why is Dracula's nephew delivering packages?" I asked, wanting to slap myself at my own words, but Grayson chuckled slightly.
"Got to make a living somehow, probably a vampire-run company." He said, looking behind him for a moment as the two truckers laughed loudly.
"Vampire needs to make a living?" I asked incredulously.
"Yeah, most dark ones have human jobs." He said thinking about for a a moment.
"I'm sorry, dark ones?" I shook my head at him, my hands going up in a stop motion.
"Vamps are apart of a long list of beasts, that run around in the dark." His voice was serious and made my heart race as I looked into the forest surroundings that were covered in darkness, my childhood fear feeling justified for a moment before rationality slapped me back.
"And we've never seen them because?" I promoted, raising an eyebrow at him.
He saw the challenge and smiled, his dimples disarming my smugness.
"We kill them before they're a problem, tonight was an exception, we aren't usually expecting someone to let them in." He said, his tone slightly mocking.
I rolled my eyes.
"Look, I'm sorry I let some random into the Basement. The package was heavy, I should have just used a dolly. It won't happen again, but please don't tell Dr. Hyde. I need this job." I reached across the table and grabbed his hand, begging and unable to stop myself.
His skin sparked against mine and was so warm.
He squeezed my fingers gently.
"Don't tell anyone what I told you." He said, now holding our hands positioned to shake on it.
I nodded, closing my hand around his and shook it once.
"Deal," I slipped out of the booth to the counter, leaning across it to call out to Franky.
I felt the eyes of the truckers on me, making me stand back up normally and partly hide behind the spinning chair bolted to the ground.
"Hey, pretty girl, you from around here?" One of them slurred in an upstate accent.
Great, outter towners.
"Stick to the main road, gentlemen." Grayson said, coming to wrap his arm over my shoulders and pulled me against him. He watched both men with a stare that made them recoil, but I couldn't see it from how tall he stood over me.
His warmth and touch made me blush when he squeezed my shoulder.
"W-will do, thanks for the tip." One of them stammered out, slapping a fifty dollars bill on the table and both leaving quickly.
Patty picked up the bill smiling.
"Well, weren't them fellas nice?" She beamed, putting the bill in the register.
I pulled out my wallet to pay for the food, only for Grayson to already be handing her a black credit card.
"Take a $50 tip for yourself." He smiled, Patty blushed and processes the cheque.
I took the to-go bag from her when it was ready and headed out the front, seeing the truckers gone and only the black Mercedes Grayson had brought me here in, made me sigh in relief.
I stopped on the footpath and dug around my pockets for my phone, realising I'd left it on my desk at work.
"Shit." I yelled, trying to find the lanyard of keys, worried the delivery guy had stolen them.
Grayson noticed my panic and grabbed my hand.
"Calm down, Penelope." He hushed, grabbing my cheek and making me look up at him. My panic forgotten, I was captured by his eyes and their concerned glow, his thumb stroke my cheek gently, making my heart pound.
"Your phone is in the car, the lanyard is on the front desk." He softly spoke, his tone soothing and convincing.
I calmed down, my heart still racing from his touch but my brain was working enough.
I nodded into his hand, letting him lead me to the car.
He opened the door and grabbed my phone from the pocket on it.
I took it happily, until I saw all the missed called and unanswered texts from Cindy.
I groaned.
Grayson held the car door open for me, gesturing for me to get in.
"I'll take you home." He smiled, I gave a weak thank you smile and climbed in, pinching in Cindy's number and pressing call, ready for the yelling.
"Oh, my god!" Cindy shouted as soon as she answered, I pulled the phone away from my damaged ear and waited until she stopped ranting before pulling it back.
"Hi, honey. I got caught up at work then went to dinner with a colleague at Patty's." I tried to soothe her, hoping at least the fact I was getting out was enough to satiate her rage.
"You better-"
"I got you a chicken burger, no cheese, extra salad and pickles, with fries, yes. Franky just cooked it and with your rant, I'm only around the corner so, I'll see you soon." I hung up before she could yell at me more and turned to Grayson who was watching the forest that lined the road.
"Any monsters out there?" I joked trying to lighten the mood as his face was pulled in concern.
"Actually, yeah." He tapped on the window of the partion twice and the car pulled over two paddocks away from home.
"Where are you going?" I asked as Grayson opened the door and slipped out of the car, he leaned against the window and door frame to look at me.
"I have to go deal with things, Ben will drop you off at home. He'll pick you up at 7:30 tomorrow, don't sleep in." He tapped my nose with his finger making me pull back in surprise.
He closed the door gently and the car moved before I could do anything.
Looking around the interior of the car, I was confused what to do so I tapped on the glass once, hoping it wasn't some sort of signal.
Thankfully the partion slid down and other man from the elevator looked back at him.
He had a short buzzcut and narrow eyes with a fat nose, like he'd had it broken a few times.
He wore a black suit like Grayson did.
"What?" He grunted at me.
Unsure what to ask, I blurted out.
"What just happened?"
Ben laughed a bit, turning into the road for home.
"There's a bit of a spike in activity. Grayson's gone to clear the hoard close by, but until they're all gone, I'll take you to and from work everyday." He explained, like it was a plan they'd had for a while.
"Why?" I asked.
He pulled into the driveway and turned off the car, turning in his seat to lean his arm on the partion.
"Just don't let anyone in your house unless you really know them. Even then, don't invite them in, vamps can't enter homes they aren't given permission to. So you'll know pretty quick." He pulled a card from his jacket pocket and handed it to me. "Call that number if you're worried." There was no name on the white card, just a black embossed phone number.
I shook my head, a headache starting and climbed out of the car.
"Whatever. Guess, I'll see you tomorrow Ben." I grumbled, closing the door and looking at him through his rolled down window.
He tipped his head at me, saluting me with two fingers.
"7:30am, don't make me honk." He smiled before driving off into the darkness that surrounded the property.
I could hear the horses and the cows locked in the barn, the chickens clucking gently from their coop beside the house.
Molly and Cindy greeted me at the front door.
"God, you look like hell." She gasped as I kicked my shoes off under the entry table, throwing my keys into it and glaring at her as I held the bag of food.
She squealed and took it, dashing across the foyer into the dining room.
She set it on the large eight seat oak table with high back chairs, an already waiting plate and tall glass of wine.
I stole the wine bottle and grabbed an antique glass from the display shelf, pouring myself a glass and downing it while Cindy ate, feeding chips to Molly who sat beside her wagging.
"Hard day, huh?" She asked around a bite.
"The curator is really nice, just....a rough evening. I don't want to talk about it." More so, I couldn't talk about it.
I wouldn't even know what to say, honestly, my mind still reeling from the information and flashes of the delivery man's face solidifying it to me.
"Want to talk about that jacket?" She teased. I looked down from pouring another glass of wine to see I still had Grayson jacket over my shoulders.
"Oh, crap!" I yelled, putting the bottle and glass down. I pulled the jacket off and hung it over the chair in front of me sighing. "I'll give it to Ben tomorrow."
"Who's Ben? Was he the cute guy who drove you home?" Cindy perked, leaning against the table with mischief in her eyes.
I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Ben drove me home, but this is Grayson's." I said, pointing to the jacket. I took another sip of wine while Cindy put her hand to her heart, her mouth falling open.
"Two guys? Pen, since when?" She gasped dramatically.
I have her a middle finger, downing my glass and refiling it for the last time, feeling the buzz and warmth fill my belly and head.
"Shut up. It's not like that. They're just friends from work who helped me with a delivery and took me to dinner at Patty's." It wasn't completely a lie, but it was enough I felt guilty.
She rolled her eyes.
"Sure, sure. Next you'll be telling me they're helping you with home deliveries." She air quoted the word making groan in annoyance and a little bit of embarrassment.
"That's it, you're on silent treatment for the rest of the night." I told her, holding a finger up to stop her protests. "I'm going for a bath and then to bed. Lock up, feed Molly, I'll see you in the morning." I kissed her forehead as I walked past her, heading up the flight of stairs to the second floor, passing the groupings of family photos we had hung up. I blew a kiss to my parents wedding photo and turned down the hall to the bathroom beside my bedroom.
We had a bedroom with an ensuite, but it had been my parents, neither Cindy nor I felt comfortable taking it, opting for the two smaller rooms with walk in closets and sharing the large bathroom between us.
I undressed and filled the tub, brushing out my copper hair from its bun.
I washed my face quickly to get rid of makeup before I slipped into the hot bath.
Sighing as it soothed my aching muscles.
Molly opened the door with her nose, the clip on it warn from years of use.
She ducked her head under my hand that hung over the bath, making me smile.
"Hey, Molly-pup." I cooed, leaning out the bath to scratch her floppy black ears and kiss her brown nose. "You keep us safe, huh? Don't ya?" Molly grumbled happily, pushing herself into my hands to get better pats.
She walked away when she was happy, laying on my pile of clothes and falling asleep.
I watched out the window that looked over the ranch as I got out of the tub, wrapping myself in a towel.
I stepped to it, feeling afraid of seeing something, like I always did. My heart racing as I cautiously peered out, holding my breath.
I'd been so scared of the dark, since I could remember. Always terrified I'd see something in the shadows or it'd jump out at me.
I gasped when I saw a shadowy figure standing in the back paddock near the trees, fear gripping me.
Molly barked angrily, making me jump and look at her.
"Hush, Molly!" I hissed, turning back to look outside.
The figure stood still, watching me. He moved then, reaching out to start climbing the fencing.
I panicked, reaching for a phone I didn't have since I'd left it downstairs.
Shit. I could call for Cindy to bring me hers, but she'd want to call the police.
I wanted to call the number on the card.
I considered what to do for a second before making the dash, throwing open the door and running downstairs, Molly right next to me alert something was wrong.
She did a quick search of the area before coming back to me as I grabbed my phone, clutching the card and trying quickly to dial the numbers.
It rang once when someone banged loudly on the door.
Cindy stepped out of the kitchen, wiping her hands when I waved her back.
She saw my panic and Molly's guarding stance at the door and ducked back, nodding.
"Hello? I need some help." The voice called. It was a woman, almost making me go to the door but I froze when the phone call connected.
"Don't open it." Grayson whispered through the phone.
"Is she?"
"Yes, I'm almost there. Just take Cindy upstairs, put on a movie, a loud one. Get some sleep, I'll be around." He hung up then and the figure at the door grunted, their shadow disappearing suddenly from the glass.
I stood for a moment, unsure what to do before Cindy came out, a knife in her hand and worry on her face.
I immediately calmed myself, stepping forward and laughing as best I could.
"You were going to stab a lost tourist?" I asked, taking the knife from her and putting it on the table.
She shrugged. "If they try to rob us. You were calling police, I got scared." She crossed her arms, giving me her brattiest look.
"I'll admit, I was a little premature calling the cops, but it's fine. Just some lady lost looking for the main highway." I shrugged, leading her upstairs after checking all the locks and turning off lights.
I slipped the knife behind me and half-pushed Cindy up the stairs to her room.
"It's been a long day for me, gimme a break." I grumbled, leaning against the door frame.
"It's 9pm, grandma." She teased.
"Hush up and go watch Bring it on." I said, making her smile.
"I'm not keeping it down then!" She squealed, closing her door before I could protest.
For once, I wouldn't.
I called Molly to my room, she jumped onto the end of my bed and curled up while I dressed in pyjamas and looked out the window.
The shadow figure I saw this time didn't scare me. I waved softly at Grayson, unsure if he could see me, but his arm raised and the sword in it flashed in my eyes, making me giggle.
I turned on my TV and put on a my Phantom of the Opera collection, Cindy and I spending a moment to play volume wars until the house was flooded with noise.
I crawled into bed, usually hating the lack of peace, but this time it brought me a sense of safety.
Knowing it was for a reason and that someone was watching me from the shadows, keeping the dark ones at bay.
I fell asleep with a small smile, picturing Grayson at the diner and his dimples.