I noted every detail of the evening the moment I got home, as the people I worked for would want a report for this job. I wasn't sure whether or not to include Xavier's email and phone number at first, but in the end I decided not to. Xavier Rynne was going to die at my hands; I wouldn't risk another slayer taking my job.
When I'd finished my log, I turned in for the night, tired beyond any exhaustion I could remember. As I changed into pajamas and climbed into bed, I couldn't help but sense another presence in the small apartment.
My anxiety, however, was defeated by my exhaustion and eventually I fell asleep, not to be woken until noon the next day when my cell phone rang.
I picked up the ringing, pocket-sized device and flicked it open, immediately stating, "Celine de Beauvoire. May I help you?"
"Oh, Celine, darling, how good it is to hear your voice again!" gushed the voice on the other end of the line. My mother's voice.
"Mother, this is my business phone," I told her. "You could be tying up the line if my boss tries to call and tell me about a job."
"Oh, darling, this won't take but a minute! Besides, you need to stop working so hard or you'll never find a man," my mother replied.
"Why are you calling me?" I sighed as I scratched my head.
"Well, Celine, as you know, Pierre Vie's cousin is getting married this Sunday and I managed to snag you a seat right beside him. I thought, well, since you're both single at the moment that maybe-" but I cut my mother off right there.
I vented, "Mother, the reason we're both single is because we broke up with each other! I do not want to go to his cousin's wedding and I do not want to associate with anyone from that family ever again! Do you remember last time I met their parents? When Pierre was announcing our engagement? They didn't think there was any good reason he'd marry me other than risking a child out of wedlock! His mother hates me, and so does the rest of their little unit! I want nothing to do with any of them!"
"Celine, darling, surely you don't mean that!" my mother enthused. "I mean, it's been nearly two months since you last talked to Pierre! Surely you two can simply kiss and make up!"
"Mother, no. Look, I have to go. My boss is probably trying to reach me." With that, I hung up on the woman and flopped back onto my bed, screaming into my pillow. When the phone rang again five minutes later, I practically chucked it at the wall. When I looked at the caller ID, I was suddenly glad I hadn't. "Xavier?" I asked with a sly smile.
"Yes," he replied. "I was wondering if you wanted to catch a movie sometime this weekend?"
"I'd love to," I replied. "How about Sunday? At eight?" I smiled at the thought of Xavier in a dark theatre. It would be the perfect opportunity to figure out what kind of humans he was seeking out as his next victims.
"Sounds like a plan," he replied. "I'll pick you up at seven-thirty, all right?"
"Sure," I replied and we hung up, then I immediately dialed my mother back and, in a fit of left-over adolescent rebellion, I told her, "Mom? Want another reason I can't go Sunday? I have a date. So put that in your pipe and smoke it." With that, I hung up and squealed like a giddy schoolgirl.
At four, I shlupped off to Mass, wondering how on earth I was going to complete this mission. Of course, if I completed it, my boss would have to promote me. I'd worked too long and too hard to not be recognized for my efforts.
Finally, I returned home, went for a run, ate an entirely unsatisfying microwave dinner, and settled in for the evening. I was on edge, almost anticipating the ringing of my phone and Xavier's voice on the other end of the line.
At midnight I dragged myself off to bed, only to wake up at ten the next morning and start flipping out in anticipation and preparation for my date. I darted out my door to my boss's apartment, three buildings down from my own.
"Anyette, I need help," I told her. Immediately, the thirty-something slayer who had trained me and now ran a network of slayers drew me in, looking me up and down critically.
"Come with me," she smiled as she led me to her closet. She opened the door and started pulling out clothes. "Go take a shower and put these on," Anyette smiled, handing me a pair of jeans, a bright blue blouse, and some sandals.
I showered and dressed, then left Anyette's house at about seven. I drove home and proceeded to wait for Xavier to come pick me up.
He arrived at exactly seven thirty-five in a flame-red sports car. I smiled as I tucked a knife into my purse with my keys and my lipstick and headed out the door. The moment I set foot in the car, Xavier smiled, "You look lovely, Celine."
"Thanks, so do you," I replied, my eyes flicking over him, taking in his jeans and black button-down shirt. His hair was down and I saw it hit at the middle of his back. That could be an effective weakness to exploit, I realized with a smile.
The movie was boring enough that I totally ignored it, instead studying Xavier. However, I was paying enough attention to realize it was a horror movie so I could grab his hand at the right times, just to see how he reacted. By the end of the movie, he had taken my hand in his and our hands, fingers entwined, sat on the armrest. I noticed that I ate all the popcorn and that Xavier only touched his beverage once, even remembering what soda he ordered, which was Mountain Dew Code Red, for the records I was keeping.
After the movie, Xavier drove me back to my apartment building and, pecking me lightly on the cheek, bid me good night. I smiled when I realized he wouldn't get in his car until I was safely inside. I fumbled with my keys for a while, surprised when he stopped me and dropped a light peck on my lips.
"Good night, Celine," Xavier smiled before walking away. I just smiled, knowing I was worming my way into his unbeating heart and that he was having no effect on me whatsoever.