Chapter 7

"How was your trip?" Clarissa asked as soon as Kip and Zara came in together the next morning.

"It was great!" Kip said enthusiastically.

"It was, we not only got a terrific meal, including one of my mother's desserts they accepted Kip immediately when I introduced them, just as I knew they would," said Zara.

"So it went well then," Charlie asked, and both Zara and Kip nodded.

"It really did," Kip said, even as he gave Zara's hand a gentle squeeze. "Her parents and godparents were very warm and welcoming. I can understand why Zara loves them so much. They're very accepting and so long as I make Zara happy they'll have no problem with me."

"And he does make me incredibly happy," Zara added.

"That's good," Clarissa said. "It's nice to see you happy Zara, as I know you've been lonely for awhile."

"I didn't think it had been that obvious," Zara said blushing.

What Zara didn't say was she was a lot older than Clarissa or Charlie thought. She knew she looked 30, but she was actually centuries older, but while they were her friends there was no need to tell them the entire truth. Kip on the other hand was a different matter, and he now knew the truth about her, including her age and he had accepted it.

Zara was now gloriously happy with Kip beside her and she couldn't wait to marry him and turn him immortal, but that could wait a few months at least. They needed to get the visit to Kip's family out of the way first, and then after that, they'd get married and start a family.

"It hasn't been really, I've just always been perceptive," Clarissa said. "You never seemed to date for one thing or at least Charlie and I never met any of your boyfriends nor have you ever mentioned dating anyone. I know that you could just have been a very private person who didn't talk about their love life, but there were other signs."

"I hadn't noticed you were lonely," Charlie said blushing when Clarissa shot him a look as if to say, of course not you're man, men are clueless.

"I have dated some, but they were always of short duration no more than a few weeks or a couple of months at most," Zara said. "I suppose I could've complained about them, just so you knew I was dating and having relationship problems with men who didn't really understand me or tried to control me. There was one that couldn't quit complaining over every little thing, including the hours I worked like it was a great imposition that I wasn't there to wait on him hand and foot, because he was too lazy to get up and do for himself when he wasn't working. I dropped him within two weeks."

"I would've dropped him after two days," Clarissa said, "if all he could do was complain about minor things. He sounds like a loser. Someone that wants women to serve him and don't want them to work outside the home. That kind of attitude should've died a miserable death centuries ago, but it still lingers in certain types of people. Any boyfriend of mine will either shape up or I'll toss them out on their behinds with no qualms whatsoever, as I'm too busy to put up with anyone's complaining or causing unnecessary problems. Anyone who complains about the fact that I work for a living will be kicked out the door and told never to return. I am no one's slave."

"You tell them sister," Zara agreed, even as she and Clarissa exchanged a high five in a moment of solidarity. "You and I definitely agree on that subject, as I will be no one slave only good for bearing children and keeping house. Any man that treats me like that before I met Kip that is, would've had their butt kicked out the door. My parents didn't raise me to be walked all over like a doormat and would've been appalled if that had happened."

What Zara didn't say, is that if a man turned abusive, she had magic at her disposal in order to teach him a lesson. The fact was, that she could've knocked him unconscious with one power word and he never would've remembered that experience since she would've performed a memory charm on him just like her mother and godmother, had had to do on several occasions. If she had messed up his mind due to her inexperience with that particular spell that would've been too bad, as maybe that would have taught him not to be an abusive asshole. She wouldn't have felt sorry in the least if she had caused memory problems for him, but luckily, she'd never been in that type of relationship, as she had always been to careful.

"Or unnecessary tension and discord," Charlie was saying when Zara tuned back in to the conversation. "I've had a few girlfriends like that."

"I have enough tension in my life that I don't need it from somebody who is supposed to support me. A girlfriend is supposed to help me relax whenever I get home from work, not someone that causes problems from the minute I step in the door, not unless it's something that needs to be dealt with immediately," Kip said. "Just dealing with people in my job has enough tension, as people can be so demanding and uncooperative."

"Preach," agreed Zara. "So many people are so nit-picky at every little thing until you feel like you're ready to scream. Details have to be exact or you have to do things their way or their unhappy with you and let you know it."

"By telling you about whatever they are upset about in exacting detail until you're ready to punch them," Charlie said grimacing. "They just want you to agree with them whether they're wrong or right. I know everybody has a different opinion about what they want, but when you're the one with the college degree, they should just shut up and listen to you and not argue until you almost blow your top."

"I hate people like that, as you just want to strangle them," Clarissa said and Zara laughed in agreement. "There's only so much I can put up with before I either walk away or I want to punch them in the face or slap them in order to get them to stop whatever it is that they're arguing or complaining about. You don't, of course, but that doesn't mean I don't often feel like it."

"Hey, we're human, so of course we feel these emotions sometime, because people can be annoying whether they mean to be or not mostly because they think they know better than you do, even if you're the one with the degree in whatever the job is," Charlie said.

"It doesn't it mean we don't love our jobs though, just that we could do without some of the people when all they can do is argue or complain," Kip said.

"Every job has frustrations. That's just the way it is," Zara said.

"True, but if I can't complain, occasionally, releasing at least some of the tension, there is no point of having coworkers," Charlie said.

Everybody agreed with Charlie on that and Zara and Kip told their two coworkers all about their trip up to see Zara's parents.

"Well, it sounds like you enjoyed yourselves and that's really all that matters," Clarissa said.

"We did," Kip agreed. "I can see why Zara's mother is a professional baker, as that dessert she made was one of the best I ever had. It was clear that she uses only the highest quality ingredients, probably organic."

"I'm sorry I missed it," Charlie said.

"Me too, as I love chocolate just as much as the next red blooded American girl," Clarissa agreed.

"Well, you'll be pleased to know there's one in Houston," Zara said. It's called Enchanted Sweets, so if you're up that way, you're welcome to stop by and get something."

"If I'm ever up that way, I'll be sure to stop by, but it's not like it's local," Clarissa said.

"True and believe me, I'm sorry it's not closer, as I would love to stop by and get me something probably every day if there was one close enough," Zara said. "I grew up on my mother's baking after all and believe me I miss it. She fixed one of my favorite when Kip and I were up there and I was sorry to have to leave, but we had to be at work this morning. It was something I hadn't had since I left home and my mother always remembers my favorite desserts without her having to ask me."

"Now I'm really sorry there isn't one of your family bakeries close by," Charlie said.

"Yeah, it's too bad," Kip said, "as I enjoyed the dessert just as much as Zara did. I'm looking forward to enjoying many more desserts over the years every time we go to visit for holidays and special events like birthdays and anniversaries. Also, there are bakeries in a lot of different cities in the US at least according to Zara's mother Jazz, so who knows if Zara and I will ever visit some of her cousins and get something from one of the bakeries when we do."

"Let's not worry about that right now and yes, we likely will visit some of my cousins or my nieces and nephews and some point but that's for the future," Zara said.

"Yes, that's for the future," Kip agreed giving Zara a kiss on the cheek.

What Kip didn't say was that he and Zara were bound to live in cities that had a bakery owned by the Rossi family and just because they didn't for this generation didn't mean that they wouldn't in the future. Jazz had already said that there were bakeries in a lot of different cities, and even two in some cities, so Kip would have his chance to have plenty of desserts in a few decades.

He was soon going to be immortal after all, so he would have plenty of desert type items over the centuries made by one of the family that had gotten their mother's bakery magic.

How Zara and her family we're going to turn him immortal had not yet been explained, but he also hadn't asked, but he was sure if he had, then his mate would've explained the process to him. He might just do that once they were alone back at one of their apartments, as he was curious.

Clarissa ahhed and Charlie grimaced and then rolled his eyes in exasperation at the public display of affection while Kip grinned at him not at all put out at the other man's grimace and rolled eyes.

"Hey hey, no public displays of affection, they make me uncomfortable," Charlie protested and this time it was Zara who rolled her eyes at her coworker.

"All he did was kiss me on the cheek Charlie and if you think that's a public display then you really need to get out more," Zara told him frowning at her coworker in disapproval.

Charlie's cheeks reddened in embarrassment, as everyone chastised him for his comment.

"It's not like they were making out. They weren't groping each other while we sat and watched. I mean he didn't even kiss Zara on the lips for God sakes," Clarissa told her coworker giving him a look that was so scathing that Charlie looked away in embarrassment his cheeks going red for a second time after they had just gone back to their normal color.

"If you're going take offense at a chaste kiss on the cheek, then Zara's right man, you need to get out more, stop being so sensitive that a little cheek kiss bothers you so much," Kip told him.

Charlie said nothing because everyone was right and he shouldn't have said anything, as it had only been a kiss on the cheek not a major make out session. He had opened his mouth before he had thought, and that had always been a problem of his speaking before he thought about what he was about to say. Sometimes he was like a two-year-old with absolutely no filter, though, at least it wasn't all the time, just when certain situations came up like that display by his boss and coworker.

He didn't have anything against their relationship really, not when both his boss and Kip were so happy but still, it made him wish just a little something similar to what his coworkers had.

He admitted that he was lonely as he hadn't had a relationship in what seemed like forever, but his last girlfriend had been serious at least on his end and she had left him for supposedly greener pastures, and that had hurt him deeply.

The four continued to chat and laugh before Zara told them they needed to get back to work. Kip kissed Zara on the cheek again before heading to get his own work done and Zara smiled after him before she headed for her office.

Talking and laughing with her mate, Charlie and Clarissa made Zara feel like they were a family as well as coworkers and that had her smiling as she went back to finish what she'd been doing before their brief hiatus to visit her parents.

~~~Kip and Zara~~~

"Do you know that while libraries can be ghost central, hospitals, morgues and such are 1000 times worse," Zara told Kip.

The two of them were hanging out at Zara's apartment, since it was the larger of the two just enjoying each other's company. They were sitting on the couch as close together as they could get without Zara actually being on Kip's lap. It was several days after their return from visiting Zara's family, but Kip knew what Zara was talking about as a conversation hadn't been that long ago.

"I never thought about it, but then I don't have your ability either, but it makes sense," Kip said. "A lot of people die in those places so it's no wonder it is, as you say, ghost central. I'm sure they're hundreds of spirits that don't realize they're dead and don't know they need to move on."

"Oh yeah, I've been in a hospital a few times and there's always spirits including those of children vying for my attention when they realize I can see them wanting to be heard," Zara grimaced. "I usually avoid hospitals at all cost, but there have been a few times where I've had to be in one and it's an experience I never wish to repeat, but know I will at some point."

"So why don't you tell me about one of those experiences," Kip said.

"Well, one time, I had this friend who was a lot older than me and she was mortal so of course she looked her age, and I had to go see her in the hospital when she was hooked up to IVs and all other kinds of horrid machines. Technically, I was much older than her, but thanks to me being immortal I don't look it. I realized then, that my friend was reaching the end of her lifespan, and she might never wake up, as she was in a coma."

"So how old was your friend and what was her name?" Kip asked.

"Mid 70s," Zara answered, "which I know is quite young in this day and age, but this happened centuries ago. Lifespans were shorter back then, but still, you could live to over 100 if you remained in good health. Unfortunately, my friend wasn't as healthy as some people are throughout their lives and had already had several strokes. The last one though was the one that put her in a coma as it was a bad one.

"Her name was Kendra Simmons and she was a nice older lady and while I won't say we were best friends we were very friendly. She was kind of a mother figure to me, since mine lived hundreds of miles away. She was a great older lady with a wicked sense of humor and I don't think she had realized that I was different from anybody she ever met, which is normal.

"Anyway, I had no idea what I'd be facing when I entered the hospital, because I've never had to go to one before that since immortals never get sick and the only time they go to such places is to see somebody their friends with, but most people don't have my gift or curse depending on how you look at it.

"I realized, after the fact, that it made sense that hospitals and morgues and places that have seen a lot of death would have hundreds of ghosts that hadn't passed on, because they didn't realize they were dead. Also, graveyards and funeral homes are full of ghosts just like hospitals and so I avoid them at all cost. I never go to funerals, at least not to the cemetery, if I can help it."

Kip winced as Zara told about her first experience in a hospital and felt great sympathy for his mate who been through such a bad experience with hundreds of ghosts vying for her attention once they realized she could see them.

"Some people don't like hospitals, because death often happens there and it makes then realize their own mortality. Others claim that hospitals creep them out, and those type of people are likely sensitive to the ghosts, but can't actually see them," Zara continued.

"Which means they're probably just a little bit psychic and just don't realize it," Kip said.

"Which likely means they have magic users in their family from long ago, and all that remains is a bit of psychic talent like where they can sense spirits or perhaps know that the link is going to ring before it actually does, that type of thing," said Zara.

"That sounds hard," Kip said. "Hopefully, you'll never have to enter a place with so many ghosts again."

"That would be nice, but I'm not counting on it," Zara said. "If I was mortal, it might be possible that I would never have to into that kind of place again, at least not until I was old and gray and would possibly have to be hooked up to life support, because I was in a coma or because the machines were keeping me alive."

Zara gave a dramatic shiver as she spoke and Kip laughed, knowing that his mate wasn't serious.

"In any case, I could make a great deal of money as a psychic medium if I really wanted to go public, but no thank you, as I enjoy my life the way it is," Zara said.

"I don't blame you there, because while psychic mediums exist a lot of them are fakes," Kip's said. "I know you could help people get messages from their last loved ones if you wanted to, but I understand why you don't do that as it would be a heavy responsibility to bear. Also, you must do what makes you happy that means staying in the shadows where it concerns your ability to see ghosts then so be it."

"No, I have never been one for the limelight and while any one in authority would probably think I was just another fake medium it's possible that they would discover I could really see spirits," Zara said. "Considering I also have another very big secret I certainly don't want that kind of attention. I also, have my family to consider, and I could put them in danger if anybody realized what I could do was real. All someone would have to do is a little research to find out I had parents and siblings and at best they would be hounded and at worst they would be murdered because they were considered demons. I would never do that to my family, so it's better if I just stay out of the limelight."

"I don't believe that people would consider you a demon just people with unusual abilities or possibly fakes, but still the rest is true enough," Kip said, even as he cuddled Zara into his side.

"Maybe not, but it's still my worst fear," said Zara. "I mean magicals went into hiding the dark ages for a reason Kip."

"Yes, but this is the far future not back then and I think that a lot of people would accept magic users now, but I do understand why we still stay hidden from most people."

"Maybe, but still, I'm not going to be the one to reveal us to the government and plus you have to consider that the criminals would want to use us for their own purposes," Zara said.

"That hadn't occurred to me, but your right, so it's just as well that magic doesn't actually exist to most everyone or at least it's just a fantasy to them," Kip said.

"Yes, it is," Zara agreed, as she begin to kiss along Kip's jawline, and her mate responded instantly.

The two of them kissed for quite awhile before heading to the bedroom, where Zara had a king sized bed.

~~~Kip and Zara~~~