Esme was sitting at the corner of the bar, with her legs crossed and her coat draping over her shoulders as she waited for Carlisle. When he arrived, Carlisle couldn't help but instantly grin, as he watched her sway back and forth with the rhythm of the hotel music while she glanced around staring at each of the hotel paintings. She was extraordinarily beautiful sitting there waiting for him to walk in. He paused for a long moment to stare at her. That was when the cell phone rang causing her to frown.
She quickly dug it out of her purse to answer it, "Jasper, how is it working….alright, what did I tell you and Alice about letting the repair man install it…..why would you do that?...alright, I don't care, so why did you call….is that a problem…..fine, if it makes you feel better I will speak to Alice…yes….are you serious, this is your idea of an emergency….alright, there should be a slip of paper labeled 'directions' that should be in the box, if you read them they will help you.…alright, I love you too…..good bye."
"Did the house burn down?" Carlisle asked coming up to her and giving her a peck on the cheek.
"Not yet," Esme answered with a smile, turning around to greet him. "But it might be by the time we get home." She said letting out a little laugh. "So are you ready to go?"
"Yes," Carlisle answered as he helped her step down from the stool, and place her hands on his arm. She walked out with him out to the hotel lobby. It was then that Esme saw her again; the girl who was completely scentless was standing in the hotel lobby with her strange image being completely ignored by the other people running around the hotel. It seemed Esme was the only one who noticed her. She saw the girl waiting with her hands on her hips as a man came in from nowhere coming right towards her. He was young, yet familiar. He was short and slim, yet muscular and had handsome features, bright sunshine-blonde hair that slicked back, with tan skin, and beautiful blue eyes.
He came up next to the girl; she didn't even look at him to notice his presence. Instead a smile came across her face. It seemed that she knew he had been looking for her, and she knew of his happiness at finding her. Esme was going to smile at her, when Carlisle passed, he stopped and looked at Carlisle and disappeared. Esme then heard the sound of loud screams coming from outside on the streets as if a mob were being violent out on the street.
"What is going on?" Esme asked coming outside,anxious to see what the chaos was about. She stepped outside to find nothing but the usual nightlife in London.
"I don't know what's going on," Carlisle said casually as he looked at some of the brochures. "I guess we can find something to do when we get on the bus."
"I guess… how far away is the bus stop?" Esme asked, finding herself looking forward to the sights, as Carlisle handed her the brochures and opened an umbrella to protect her from the light rain droplets that came down, making it perfect for them to get on a bus and observe the London night.
Later, the bus stopped, and a woman got on. It was the same woman Esme had seen with her boyfriend at the hotel. She came on and gave them a happy little smile when she saw the two of them. Esme remained quiet as she sat right across from Carlisle. "Excuse me sir, but may I ask if you are here for the medical convention?" She looked over and asked while fluttering her enchanting eye lashes.
"Yes," Carlisle answered, having noticed the woman's strange appearance as she got on the bus, Esme however recognized her but did not say a word. She knew there was something about this woman that was not quite right. "How did you know?
"I was introduced to your wife earlier," The woman pointed out. "I heard you've been here before. When was that?"
"It was a while ago," Carlisle answered briefly.
"I see," She nodded with a mesmerizing angelic smile. "My name is Elfreda by the way, I know it sounds odd but I come from an odd family. We are in the medical business ourselves, if you know what I mean."
"Doctor?" Esme asked turning her head.
"No. We make and sell home remedies. My boyfriend was shocked when he found out, but didn't say anything." She answered with a slightly impish grin.
"Perhaps you've met him." Elfreda stated confidently.
"I don't know too many people here," Carlisle explained casually, not understanding what she wanted or why she was telling him all of this.
"You might," Freda remarked bewilderingly. "You could even have relatives here you don't know about yet."
"What are you talking about?" Esme jumped in, getting a little annoyed by this persistently perplexing woman , as Freda looked over and smiled towards them. "You might find out." She then got off the bus and disappeared into the night, passing humans who seemed not to notice her, or her odd choice of clothing.
After a few moments pause, Carlisle asked Esme with some effort, "Did she seem nervous to you?"
"No, I thought she was rather confident," Esme answered. "I think she and her boyfriend are staying at our hotel. I saw them in the lobby together. I wonder why she wasn't with him on the bus."
"Strange," Carlisle mumbled as they got off the bus at Tottenham Court Road.
They turned left onto Oxford Street through the busy sidewalks when Esme began to hear strange footsteps. Despite the sound of the rushing traffic, the loud, thumping music from the nearby clubs filling the air, and the numerous conversions they could hear for miles around. It was one noise Esme could hear clearer than anything else, it was the sound of wooden shoes on the concrete sidewalk following her 'clip, clop, clip, clop, clip clop' . She turned to see who might be making such a noise, but it was nothing more than the people walking up and down the sidewalks. Through the sounds of women in high heels, the men in business suites and pointed, hard shoes, one sound was clear. It was the 'clip, clop, clip, clop, clip, clop' of wood against the pavement.
Soho Theatre, Dean Street, London
"Carlisle, tonight is recycling night," Esme asked checking her phone suddenly, with a slight note of hysteria. "Do you think I should call them?"
"Do you think they will remember to take it out?" Carlisle asked.
"I wrote it down…..does that mean they will remember." Esme asked worriedly.
"One of us better call them," Carlisle answered with a small smirk, knowing that Esme would call even if he told her not to.
"Let me do it," Esme said as she grabbed her phone and went outside to a dark alley and pressed send as Emmett answered the phone.
"Hey, I though you said not to call you," Emmett responded jokingly. That rule was broken with twenty minutes into their flight.
"We didn't say anything about us calling you," Esme answered as she felt a slight breeze causing her to put her coat on. It was strange-vampires are not supposed to get cold, but she couldn't help but feel a slight chill coming from this wind. "Now, remember, it will be Thursday morning in your time zone….what did you do this morning?"
"Just came back from taking out the garbage…..and Alice hasn't had a vision of the house collapsing so all is good." Emmett joked. "You can stop worrying, we are all just getting ready to go hunting and Rosalie set up some tarp to put our clothes on, so she can take them to the laundry room right when we get back."
"Thank you so much, Emmett," Esme sighed calming down instantly, but missing them. "Be sure to send everyone my love."
"No problem," Emmett said. "Have fun in London. Talk to you later."
"I'll call you," Esme promised as she hung up the phone and began to walk back towards the club when she heard a slight ruffle as well as the scent of human blood coming towards her. She shrugged and continued her way back to Carlisle when she the sound of heavy boots became the closest sound to her, Esme paused and turned.….someone was following her. Who? A human this time, his blood was luring her. She wondered what he was doing, he was coming close to her when Esme felt a click to her right year.
"Give me your purse," He shouted in a tough tone.
"What?" Esme asked as she looked towards him, becoming a little overwhelmed by his scent.
"Now," The man ordered pointing the gun at her, attempting to mug a vampire, alone, in a dark alley.
She took a deep breath remembering what she was and what he was. He pointed the gun at her, the human was trying to threaten the life of a vampire. A human male thinking he can overpower her, and take advantage of her. Thinking she was nothing more than a mere helpless woman, she felt sorry for him as she handed him the purse.
"Now, go to your knees and count to twenty," The man ordered getting ready to make his getaway. She hated to kill….but he was out to harm her. It would be hard not to take his blood if she spilled it in the process. The man ordered her to go to her knees, Esme refused. She knew London would not miss this man. She took a deep breath preparing to silence him permanently as the man shouted at her "You've got three seconds to hand it over and get to your knees or your life is over."
The man was very wrong, Esme raised her palm as the man pointed the gun right at her head when the man stopped. He seemed to be chocking as he dropped the purse, Esme than looked past the mugger and saw behind him another man was squeezing his fingers around the mugger's neck. It was as if all the air was being squeezed out of him. Esme looked up to see who it was who held the mugger. She recognized him instantly as the man who saved her wallet earlier.
"Leave her be," the man ordered as the mugger dropped the purse for Esme to grab. He then pushed the mugger to the ground as he gave a nasty glare. "You stay away from her," He spoke cruelly to the mugger, who looked around frantically for a moment before running away.
"Are you alright," the man asked as his faced softened looking towards Esme.
"Yes," She answered wondering how this random stranger seemed to be in the right place at the right time twice in the same day, wondering how in the world he just appeared out of nowhere to save her. It was as if he was protecting her.
"Sorry, I didn't come earlier, lucky I saved you from doing that nasty deed," He shook his head, knowing what she would have done. "Anything else I can do for you?"
"No, I'm fine," Esme answered gratefully. "Thank you,"
"Anytime, Esme," The man assured.
"Wait, how did you know my name?" Esme asked.
"We have a lot in common," The man answered than walked away, drifting into the mist of the streetlights. Esme's eyes grew wide as he evaporated, blending in with the air.