Chapter Nine

Life Beyond the Night

Juliet awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. Blearily she tried to remember the happenings of the previous night. Only to come up with nothing as the musical chirps were washed away by the sounds of dogs. Loud dogs. Barking dogs. Barking at her birds. Juliet sighed and moved to get out of bed.

Standing, she glanced down at herself. She had fallen asleep in her clothes, not even bothering to change into her nightgown. 'Oh well.' She thought, shaking her head full of untamed hair that needed a fierce fight with a brush. 'Sometimes you're just that tired.'

The clock on the wall told her that it was about time she went to work. Late afternoon already. Juliet was getting tired of sleeping her days away, but what else could she do with a vampire...

'I will not think 'boyfriend' because he is not my boyfriend.' She snapped. Sighing she moved to her closet to get dressed.

Juliet's closet was large and spacious, located on the right-hand side of her room, it featured clothes from just about every era of her life. Dresses from her childhood days in the estate, playing with Kathy and whatever other children had been abandoned. Juliet was not the type to let her memories go. This was probably the result of having already lost precious many memories of a time before she could, well... remember. It was tough not to remember that she and Kathy were the only ones left, after a while.

Finding a clean uniform, Juliet exited her closet and went to her bathroom to freshen up. The bathroom was completely tiled in marble, the ivory color prominent against her solid birch cabinets, a luxury Juliet didn't recognize, as she had products scattered all over the floor. Pastes and make ups that didn't match her shade of skin. Scented powders that made her sneeze and itch. She was beginning to think she was allergic to everything feminine, until her father brought her back a unique parfum from one of his trips. Star Jasmine. The scent was uniquely her. She smiled as she held up the almost empty bottle. Juliet used it sparingly now, knowing that she could never get anymore, but today, for some reason, seemed a good day to spritz herself and feel pretty.

Unfortunately relishing in her parfum would be short-lived. There was a banging coming from the door. Juliet rolled her eyes and gave herself a quick spritz in all the right areas before quickly donning her barmaid outfit and heading for the door. To her surprise it was Kathy, standing with a smile and a sly look in her eye at the other side.

Juliet resisted the urge to scowl at her 'friend', knowing all too well that Kathy and Mika had done nothing the previous night, but still not putting it past the blonde to hit on her fake boyfriend.

'With friends like this...' Juliet begain thinking, but quickly stopped when she remembered Kathy was her only friend.

Kathy was still flashing her smile when Juliet finally greeted her, and instead of greeting back, Kathy quickly grabbed Juliet's arm and pulled her outside. "Today," the blonde said, "We talk." Before Juliet could protest, Kathy began dragging her down the road towards her work, blabbering on and on about how they had so much to catch up on and so many things to talk about now that Juliet finally had a boyfriend.

"Wait, finally?" Juliet scowled now. Planting her feet in the ground and yanking her arm from Kathy's grasp. "Kath... I don't appreciate you saying that."

Kathy rolled her eyes and turned to face her friend. "Juliet it's only the truth. I mean, honestly, I love you very much, but you're such a late bloomer. How old are you?"

Juliet was about to say something snarky, but Kathy put her hand up. "Don't you dare say anything smart Ms. A." Juliet sighed and began walking on her own, Kathy followed slowly.

"Ask your boss for a short shift!" She demanded. Juliet looked over at her, then looked down, kicking a rock she found in front of her foot, then regretting it as dirt and sand ended up in her shoes. "Why?"

Kathy sighed dramatically. "Because I'm not sitting around in that bar all day!"

Juliet smirked. "Well it would be a first for you. Spending time in a place where there's a small chance people will flirt with you." Kathy narrowed her eyes and mumbled that 'bars during the day were for drunks anyhow'.

Upon arriving at her workplace Juliet made her way behind the counter, smiling at the bartender, Jens, who was also the owner, and her employer. He stood at six feet and two inches, and was muscular and roguish for his fourty some years of age. He had sandy hair and a five'o clock shadow all through the day, but it was his hazel eyes that kept women coming to the bar. Jens had known Juliet since she was a child, and was probably the closest thing she had to a brother, seeing as he had refused to act any older than 20 the day he hit the age, and had given her the job at his bar to 'keep an eye out for her' at the late Lord's request, for he had been a good friend of Lord Highland's, even though it was well known that the lord did not approve of Jens' business, one could never say the Lord didn't appreciate a good brandy though.

"Juliet, ah Kathy!" Jens exclaimed upon seeing the two enter. Kathy flashed her signature smile and Juliet rolled her eyes at her while taking glasses off tables and taking them to the sink.

"Goodness Kathy you have become so much more beautiful since we last met!" Jens came from around the bar and hugged the blonde, who gave him flirtatious looks on his way back. "Juliet, you know you didn't have to come in if Kathy was in town, you could've said something." Juliet sighed.

"Jens you know I don't have a phone, er... sir."

Jens laughed, a deep, comforting sound to Juliet. "You could've told me tomorrow, I would've understood. I understand!" He pat her shoulder, looking into her slate eyes with warmth. "I would shoo you out, but you're already here and it's almost lunch hour, you know what that means." Juliet let out a small laugh. Lunch hour, the time where all the 'closet drinkers' came to the bar for their ale and their wine. She sighed with a smile and went back to cleaning glasses. The day was only beginning.

Nine at night, time to leave. Juliet and Kathy waved goodbye to Jens who smiled and reminded Kathy not to be a stranger, while he simultaneously told Juliet to take the next two days off. Juliet frowned. Mika would be up. Maybe she could ditch Kathy for the night with the promise of seeing her tomorrow. They rounded the corner of the building and started through the city.

"So Jules, I was hoping you and your boyfriend could come to dinner with me." Kathy said, cutting off Juliet's train of thought.

Juliet gaped, her mouth hanging open with an unfinished 'No' trying to force it's way out. "I... he... well..."

"We would love to." Said Mika, from his spot leaning on an old brick home. Juliet resisted the urge to shout 'Of course you'd be standing there' and instead was surprised by the fluttering sensation she felt in her stomach by the sight of the handsome Vampire. In all the nights Mika had surprised her by always being there when she least expected (but should have learned to expect him by now) Juliet had never felt this sensation before.

"Oh isn't that sweet!" Kathy cooed at Juliet when Mika strode towards her with a smile on his finely chiseled face. "He was waiting for you to get off of work!"

Once right in front of her Mika moved to give her a hug, and Juliet stiffened. His mouth to her ear he whispered "For the sake of keeping up our little 'lie' I think you should hug me in return." Immediately Juliet put her arms around the Vampires' strong shoulders. With a smirk Mika hoisted her up and spun around with Juliet in his arms, making her let out a laugh in surprise. Kathy continued to 'ooh' and 'aww'.

Setting Juliet down, Mika turned to Kathy who gave him a sharp look, which he responded to with a questioning one. Sighing inwardly in relief Kathy looped her arms with both Juliet and Mika and began walking towards a diner. And now the night was just beginning. Kathy smirked.