And another one! Review plzktnks!
and i only own Athena in this story.
After getting back from my morning run, I had a soothing shower and dressed for the day ahead. I chose a simple purple vest top, some cut-off white jean shorts and white gladiator sandals. I let my hair dry wavy then tied it in a low, messy ponytail. I didn't bother with a lot of make-up, just a stroke of waterproof mascara on my lashes and my favourite strawberry lip balm and I was set. I entered the open plan kitchen/lounge and froze.
"Thenie, what the…?"
My lodger and crazy friend Athena 'St' James was laying on the kitchen table, lit scented candles and other random ornaments scattered around her, a few bowls of food and an ornamental silver dagger at her feet, looking at the kitchen ceiling with her signature 'vague thinking face' on.
Athena had been my Grams favourite graduated student, who passed with the highest grades in her class. She was renting the house for the next two years, writing a book on the spirits and mystic powers of Charleston and Folly Beach, now a notorious spirit and "romantic" novelist.
She looked the part I thought humorously, with her clavicle length red curly hair, peppermint green eyes and sculpted, ghostly pale features. Not to mention the protection charmed talismans and gypsy sense of style, she looked more like a witch at times than I did!
Grams told me once that she had possessed her psychic abilities since she was 6 and that's why she was a little… Ok, a LOT 'eccentric' at well, ALL times, but she was fun to be around and really helped me over the last couple of months.
She was the older sister I wish I'd had; she knew when not to ask questions, enjoyed buying and drinking whiskey with you and could tell you pretty much anything about magic and spirit worlds, which came in handy when I needed to tap energy lines for my magic. However, she had a tendency to be very… Damon-like at times.
It wasn't overpowering like HIM, but it was there in her mocking, the innuendos, even the damn smirk at times but in a way, it made her even more comforting to be around.
How had I not noticed her earlier? Oh, I hadn't had my morning coffee yet…
"…Did you know, when Viking warriors died, they used to bury their bodies in boats with all their possessions; and kill animals, even servants, to take with them to serve them in the afterlife. Some of them even had their wives buried with them."
Oh, she was in one of THOSE moods.
"No I didn't; but what has that got to do with you lying on the table?"
"I'm thinking. I've realised iconoclastic is now my new favourite word, but I have no idea why, as superfluous was a good word too. The ghost of the courtesan in 'the old ivy hotel' is 'floating' as she's walking on the old flooring of the building, not the new lowered one and that I need to paint this ceiling magnolia white. Can I? I think it would look better magnolia white than cream…"
As usual, I felt my brain begging me to ask her if she'd finally cracked, but held my tongue.
"Oh, ok… can you move off the table for a sec, so I can have the map that was on it? I need to tap into the power line at a better source; give my powers a bit of charge."
I decided against telling her about my run in with Damon because, well, I hadn't told her about him. Well, not REALLY; I had tried. I mentioned leaving mystic because of a boy, but she told me to say no more and proceeded to ask me a line of dirty questions about my sex life. I decided very quickly never to bring up my relationships with her again. Ever.
"Moved it, it's on the side next to the Grimore's and Cook books, but I'd wait for a new moon before you tap the power lines again, their too drained right now. Probably 'cause of that Covenant in Massachusetts. Silly little men, they'll look the same age as Laurent if they keep this up; and I'll be forced to seduce them all. That Tyler boy's still 'young' hot though, and Caleb isn't bad either. I won't be in tonight by the way, got to go to Charleston library to look at some info I'll find. I think I'm supposed to find out about the slave children tonight; they seem to want their story told most, poor little things." She rambled.
I nodded vaguely, grabbing a mug and pouring the ready made coffee in it, but not before adding a few teaspoons of brown sugar. Maybe Athena had drank too many cups of coffee this morning? It was highly probable and wouldn't be the first time, I mused as I sat down in my favourite leather lazy-boy that looked out at the beach and the kitchen table.
"Ok; I'm thinking I might pop out after my coffee to see Laurent." Taking a sip of my coffee and enjoying the scent, it smelt different today.
"Cool. Sex him up for me, that frenchy sea-dog; that man seems to be sexier in his 30's. It should be illegal for him to serve behind that counter you know; I always end up buying pastries just to justify drooling over him, it's making me fat."
She scowled before grinning dirtily.
"Oh, talking of sexy, there's a dirty-minded crow in the tree in the back yard; I think it's stalking you. Have you made a love potion and not gotten rid of it properly? I don't want to have to ward off lusty local wildlife; however it would make for an interesting topic of conversation with the neighbours…" She trailed off, still looking at the ceiling.
I couldn't help but spit out the coffee I had been drinking, luckily it went back in the cup. She spoke it like she was discussing the weather! Damon must have followed me whilst I was running. Crap, I'd forgotten about his damn crow!
"Don't worry; I've put vervain in the coffee and I've got some in one of the talismans Sheila made me, I'll be safe from your vamperic lover. Wished you'd mentioned what he was though, I've missed out on months of teasing. Is he good at sucking?" she said, sitting up cross legged.
"THENIE!" I shot, going a bright crimson.
"What am I talking about, he's a vampire. I bet he's AMAZING at SUCKING."
She drawled, pulling a sultry face and emphasizing words slowly, winking whilst shooting me a huge, shit eating grin. Damn her Damon-like personality!
I stormed out the room, embarrassed, down the steps and out through the front door, her cackle echoing through the house. I knew she'd never let me live this down! I grabbed my bike from the front yard and started peddling towards town. There was only one person I wanted, no, NEEDED to speak to get my mind of things.
The bell rang as I entered the shop and I smiled when I heard Laurent's heavy foot-falls in the back room. Seconds later, he was leaning against the counter, his curly, sandy hair and golden brown eyes stunning me for a second. Athena was right; it WAS becoming illegal for him to be serving confectionary of any sort. His white work shirt was doing nothing to distract from his perfectly toned body, in fact it was enhancing it and those tight blue jeans made me want to jump behind that counter and...
I mentally slapped myself out of that thought pattern. OMG! Bad Bonnie! This man baby-sat you and has treated you like a daughter, no imagining him naked!
I blamed Athena for this; dirty minded woman, she's affecting my brain and she's not even here!
"Good morning my dear simplicité, que voudriez-vous commander?"
I smiled. When I was 8, Laurent had taken a liking to the word 'simplicité' and used it daily; always telling my Grams that he craved it. That summer I would randomly say it, as I had no idea of its context, so he started calling me his 'dear simplicité'. Finally, at the age of 10, he decided he'd teach me French properly, so refused to let me order things in his patisserie unless I ordered them in French. I believe to this day my grades in French wouldn't be half as good if I didn't have his help/forcefulness.
He used to say that 'French is the language of the soul', that anyone with 'passion' could learn it, and then would look at my Grams loyally. My Grams would tisk at this, ruffle his hair and shoot back 'Vous Français ; toujours flirt, ne fonctionnant jamais' and shoo him back to his customers, chuckling under her breath.
When I asked her what she meant one day, she just smiled and said 'It means "You Frenchmen; always flirting, never working."
"Bonjour Laurent, I've not come to order anything, just came for a chat."
"You always come in for a chat these days; when was the last time you bought any of my pastries, hmm? Buy a pain au raisin; their delicious." he drawled, allowing his French accent to come through at the end, making me giggle.
"Laurent, I'm a Bennet; I cannot be seduced into buying your wares." Unless you took your top off. I'd buy the whole damn store… WHAT! No I wouldn't! Bad Brain, I thought, praying for a distraction from my thoughts. Any distraction than perving on my once un-official grandfather.
"Bonjour Sir, Bonnie mi amore"
I froze. Maybe I shouldn't have prayed. I decided quickly that I could handle perverted thoughts of Laurent better than perverted thoughts about Damon. At least I had a stronger resistance to Laurent.
"What are you doing here, Damon."
"Awh, mon petit dejuner! I'm here to get some croissants and your undying love. If not that then at least a kiss."
He smiled charmingly at me and then aimed the cocky smile at Laurent, extending his hand as if to shake his hand.
"Hi, I'm Damon; Mystic fall's most expensive charity date and Bonnie's secret lover. She refuses to tell people about me for some reason, are you that ashamed of me Bon-Bon?"
Laurent smiled and went to shake his hand.
"Another person enchanted by a Bennett? You kept this one quiet simplicité."
"Simplicité? Bennett's are far from that."
"I agree; they are addictive though."
"Oh, you have…"
"GRAMS HATED HIM!" I blurted, desperately trying to destroy any chance of the blossoming bromance between Damon and Laurent.
It worked; Laurent's face immediately darkened and pulled his hand away abruptly, sniffing the air carefully.
"Get the hell out of my shop and stay away from Bonnie." He growled, jaw clenched and looking scarier than I'd ever seen before. He looked almost…
My heart stopped beating as it finally dawned on me. Why Grams had never gotten together with him, his unflinching loyalty, why Athena called him dog-themed nick names.
He looked almost wolf-like.
No, he WAS wolf-like.
…
Oh God; is ANYONE I know normal!
DunDunDUUUUUUUUUN! Yup, review mmkay?