Author's Note – Hey guys! Thank you so much for your reviews! I got some great constructive criticism from Relenting Tiara. She asked me if I was going to focus on the romance between Sam and Celeste or more on Celeste and Vincent and their development, which is a great question. I am trying my hardest to do both. I feel like I need to explain what their stories, but I still want that romance between her and Sam. So great question and I would love any other comments or questions! Enjoy the chapter!
Vincent shook his head at Celeste. "Fraternizing with the would-be enemy. I'm so very disappointed in you." He sat at the breakfast bar facing Celeste as she prepared dinner in the kitchen.
Celeste laughed. "Speak for yourself. Did you manage to teach your little girlfriend anything?"
"Honey? She has a mate," he muttered.
"So she shot you down," Celeste said grinning.
Vincent glared at her. "Shut up. She's obviously got a few screws loose. I'm a catch!" Vincent waved his hand over his face. "Who can say no to this face?"
Celeste shook her head at him, disbelievingly. "Girls with IQs higher than 70."
"Hey. I can get intelligent girls if I want. Remember that English professor in Tampa?" Vincent grinned at the memory. "She made the word coitus sexy. What a weekend." Vincent leaned over the counter and grabbed a peeled carrot from the cutting board. He examined it for a second then bit into it.
Celeste rolled her eyes, something she did often around Vincent. "It's because of guys like you I don't date."
"Woah, woah, woah. I'm gunna stop you right there. One, I am a perfect gentleman, until things get freaky-deeky –"
"Did you just say freaky-deeky?"
He ignored her, waving his carrot around. "- and two, you don't date because you're stuck up."
Celeste threw the tongs she was holding at him. "I am not stuck up!" she shouted. "And you're lucky I didn't have a knife in my hand."
"Ow! I dropped my carrot!" Vincent disappeared behind the counter and came back up with his carrot in hand. He went over to the sink to wash it. "And you are stuck up. You always find a flaw in every guy you date."
He adopted a high-pitched voice to sound like Celeste. "His hair is too long. He's unhygienic. He's a kisses with too much tongue. Blah, blah, blah. I'm stuck up."
Celeste glared at him. "It's called having standards," she argued.
Vincent sat back in his chair at the breakfast bar. He snorted. "Hardly. So all we have to do is wait til you find something wrong with this Sean guy."
"Sam," Celeste corrected.
"Whatever." Vincent looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know, you might just get along with this guy."
"Why do you say that?" Celeste asked.
"Because werewolves are violent by nature and so are you. HEY! That was a knife!"
At work the following day, Celeste didn't see Sam. A rather chatty woman who worked the night shift told her that they were short staffed the previous night, so he had come in and worked till early morning. He had gone home before Celeste got to work.
The day passed without much excitement and soon Celeste found herself sitting in her apartment flipping through TV channels. She settled on the food network. She loved cooking and loved learning new dishes.
At around 7, Vincent burst through the front door, oozing excitement. "Tonight's the night," he sang loudly.
Celeste muted the TV. "What are you doing back here?" she asked. He had spent the entire day in his office at the club, working out final details and the like.
He grinned down at her. "Just came to hang out with you and to grab a change of clothes."
Celeste smiled. "Who's the bimbo you plan on taking with you tonight?"
If Vincent's grin got any bigger, he would look like the freaky smiling cat from Alice in Wonderland. "I have the pleasure of being escorted by two beautiful, leggy blondes tonight." He disappeared in his room.
"Do you even remember their names?" Celeste asked shaking her head.
Vincent popped out of his room. "Yes," he said indignantly. He paused.
Celeste made a game show buzzer sound. "Time's up. The answer we were looking for was Skank one and two."
Vincent laughed and went back into his room.
Celeste smiled smugly. Vincent would never change. She raised her voice so he could hear her. "Vince, I love you, but if you bring either home tonight, I will murder you."
Vincent came back out of his bedroom, with a towel hanging over one shoulder. "You're no fun," he whined as he stormed into the bathroom.
"Don't use all the hot water," Celeste called out. She sighed, knowing that Vincent was going to be in there forever.
As luck would have it, Vincent was in and out of the shower. His hair was fairly short, so he ran a comb through it and threw on his new Armani suit. It was clean cut and grey. He wore a crisp white dress shirt, a black tie and polished black dress shoes. He finished with an expensive looking watch and was out the door, to pick up his hookers dates. He bought a new car for the occasion, despite Celeste's attempts to talk him out of it. He would be sporting a shiny silver sports car for the evening. Vincent told her that it was a Lamborghini and was pretty excited about it.
Celeste was driving there on her own later, not really wanting to be photographed at the grand opening. Vincent would say something stupid like how she was his muse, just because he knew how much it bothered her to be in the spotlight.
At around 8, Celeste took a long shower and took her time to get ready. While she waited for her hair to dry, Celeste applied her makeup. Her outfit was rather flashy so she kept her makeup simple. She expertly layered a few neutral eyeshadows that allowed her emerald eyes to stand out. She applied some dark kohl eyeliner and a coat of mascara to her already full lashes. She dusted a pale pink blush over her cheeks and finished her look with a pinky nude lipstick.
She skillfully styled her dark mane in soft waves and let it fall freely around her face and down her back.
Celeste stepped into her beautiful silver sequined halter dress. The neck line dipped right between the breasts, showing a bit of cleavage. The dress hit a little bit above the knee and showed off a lot of leg. Celeste opted against earrings but put on a silver set of bangles. She picked out a large, glittering silver ring with a big pink stone in the middle and matched a metallic pink clutch with it. She put on metallic peep-toe pumps and was out the door.
When Celeste got to the club, it was already dark outside and almost 10. There was a huge line up along the side of the building and there was pounding music coming from inside. Two massive bouncers stood at the head of the line, both with ear pieces, one clutching a clipboard. Both meant to intimidate any trouble makers and they did certainly managed it.
Celeste walked up to the one with the clipboard, smiling brightly, despite the protests of the people in line. "Celeste Argeneau," she told him.
Celeste waited patiently while he looked her up and down. Finally, he looked at his clipboard for her name and then nodded at the other bouncer. The other bouncer unclipped the red velvet rope for Celeste and she went in.
The inside of the club was much like any other club. It was massive, with lounge couches surrounding a large open area designated for dancing. The place was furnished with modern low back lounge-type couches with solid black tables for drinks. It light up with strobe lights of every colour. The lounges were all occupied and the bar was swarmed. The dance floor was packed and bodies swayed to the heavy bass line of the song playing.
There was a spiraling stair case left of Celeste that she assumed lead to more seated areas and a bar to her right. She glanced up. People leaned against the railing, observing the dance floor from above. Behind the dance floor was a large glass booth raised on a slightly elevated platform. It was guarded by two bouncers. Celeste couldn't see Vincent from where she stood but she knew he was there. The whole area just screamed VIP.
Celeste made her way around the dance floor instead of across it and walked up the little set of stairs up to the platform. Without any word, one of the bouncers held the door open for her. The music was muffed in here but the pounding beat still pretty loud.
Vincent was inside, sitting on the couches, arms around his two dates for the night. With him were several men in suits Celeste didn't recognize. When he saw her, a grin broke out on his face and he came over to greet her, as if he hadn't seen her in ages.
"Celeste!" he cried. He hugged her tightly.
Celeste laughed and hugged back. She pulled away, gripping his forearms and looked at him. "Are you drunk already?" she mocked.
He laughed. "Not yet. Come on, I'll introduce you to some friends."
"Celeste," Vincent said loudly, gripping her shoulders from behind, "is one of my oldest friends and most definitely the closest. She's like a…sister to me."
Celeste smiled. He said sister but she knew he meant daughter. Vincent had practically raised her and while he wasn't really the father-type, he had his moments.
His "friends" were the bimbos he had for dates and the other men, Celeste learned, were business partners and potential clients. Vincent's business branched far beyond clubs and bars. He had a hand in nearly everything but not many people knew that. He remained behind the scenes and hired people to stand in for him every so often. To say he was rich was an understatement.
Vincent's dates eyed her distastefully but kept smiles on their faces, probably to appease Vincent. The men eyed her with hopeful looks Celeste but they behaved themselves, again, to stay under Vincent's good graces. Nothing screws up a business deal like sleeping with your partner's BFF.
Vincent ordered a round of drinks and Celeste sat down across from Vincent and his bimbos, settling beside a man who looked far too young to be a business shark. From inside, Celeste noticed that she had a clear view of everyone that came in as well as the dance floor.
Vincent was telling an animated story and everyone listened as if he was speaking the words of God. She smiled, knowing Vincent was in his element. He had the ability to capture the attention of everyone in the room. He stood out amoung crowds, no magic or glamour needed. It was simply part of his charm. His good looks and demanding personality drew people to him like moth to a flame.
Soon conversations branched out and Celeste found herself talking to the young man beside her. He was cute but a complete bore. He said his name, but Celeste couldn't remember it now. As Celeste pretended to listen to him talk about what he did, she wondered if Vincent was right. What if she was stuck up?
Celeste glanced at Vincent who was flirting with both his dates. Vincent was rather promiscuous, usually bedding different girls every week. Most of the girls he slept with were well beneath him but he never complained, so Celeste didn't either. Much.
Celeste took in their outfits. Both were wearing very tight, mini-dresses that left little to the imagination. In fact, Celeste had been flashed a few times since she had arrived and was thankful they at least remembered to wear underwear.
She tuned back into what the young man was saying, just in time to catch his question. "So what do you do?"
One of the bouncers standing in front of the booth came in and went over to Vincent.
Celeste smiled at the young man. "I –" Vincent caught Celeste's eye and nodded towards the doors. She looked out of the glass booth and to the entrance. "I have to go. Excuse me." Celeste exited the booth quickly and Vincent followed her, excusing himself as well.
Vincent and Celeste both eyed the group of people standing near the entrance. They were looking around, taking in the vibe of the club. Celeste recognized some of them, but not all.
Celeste stepped closer to Vincent to talk to him. "What are they doing here?" Celeste asked.
"Playing politics I'm assuming," he said lowly. "I can't leave these people without looking suspicious so you're going to have to play host."
Celeste nodded and quickly made her way over to the group. She put on a stiff smile and stepped in front of the man who was clearly in charge. "You must be Adam Hauptman. I've heard so much about you."
Author's Note #2 – I can't post links here but if you guys pop by my quizilla or mibba pages with the same username and same story title, you guys can see some banners I have for this story as well as the outfits Celeste and Vincent wore for the club opening. Its not important but I like looking at banners and outfits. =)