"So Griffen mentioned that you would want to question me about my family, my medical history and a lot of other things," Deanne mentioned, as she and Mira continued to tour the garden while Griffen stayed behind, as he had gotten a call as they had been talking.
"He did did he?" Mira smirked with laughter in her voice.
"He said you were very protective of those you loved," Deanne said. "Which I think is a very admirable quality by the way, since I'm the same way with my family."
"So parents and siblings," Mira asked.
"Parents, godparents, cousins, nieces, nephews and siblings," Deanne corrected.
"Well, it sounds like you have a large family then," Mira said and Deanne nodded.
"I do yes, and we are all very close, even though they are flung to all 4 corners of the world.
"So how many siblings do you have," Mira asked curiously.
"Three of them actually two brothers, one sister. I'm surprised Griffen didn't tell you that, as we already mentioned our siblings to each other. I knew he had a sister, as he mentioned you right off and I told him I had three siblings, though I didn't mention the rest of my family at that time."
"So your siblings are all single births, right?" Mira said, and Deanne nodded.
"Yes, as twins don't usually run in my family, except with my cousin Ambrose, as he met and married Penelope Garcia, and they've had several sets of twins."
What Deanne didn't say was those twins were centuries apart since just like her both Ambrose and Penny were immortal. Also, Ambrose was really her brother, though not of her generation, as he was much younger then her.
"Not for your branch of the family though," Mira asked and Deanne shook her head negatively.
"Nope, not for my branch or any other branch of my family other than with Ambrose Rossi and his wife Penny," Deanne answered truthfully.
"So what about your medical history as I just want to make sure that Griffen isn't going to get himself in trouble and I'm sorry if that offends you as I really like you," Mira told her.
"I'm not offended as you just looking out for your brother and he did warn me," snorted Deanne with amusement in her voice. "I thought he was joking, however, and wasn't serious, but now I know he wasn't joking in the least."
"Well, good I'm glad you're not," Mira said relieved.
"As for my medical history, I'm healthy, no diseases, as I was just at the doctor a few weeks ago for a full medical workup and my doctor said I was healthy," Deanne lied smoothly.
Because she was immortal she had never seen a doctor in her life, but she also knew that she didn't have any diseases serious or otherwise
"That's very good," Mira said pleased being able to tell that Deanne wasn't lying, well, at least mostly not anyway, though she could tell there was something that Deanne wasn't saying, but she couldn't figure out what it was.
"So you like my brother enough that you made it a condition of even coming here to tour the garden," Mira said.
"True, I did and I don't regret it," Deanne said meaning it. "Let's just say, I haven't been so attracted to anyone in a very long time and haven't dated in years, so I broke my non-dating streak by asking Griffen out."
"You haven't dated in years?" Mira asked with astonishment coloring in her voice. "Why?"
"No, I haven't as I was always busy either at my business or in the garden," Deanne acknowledged. "Dating was just too much trouble."
"Well, people do say that dating can be a minefield," Mira said, "but still being deliberately celibrate isn't a route I would choose."
"You would if you had so much trouble with one guy that it threw you off dating," Deanne told Mira. "I was dating this guy for awhile several years ago and when I tried to gently break it off, he clung to me like a limpet. He kept following me everywhere sending me more and more expensive gifts and I just knew that if I continued to spurn his advances, his next step would be to use violence.
"I found out later that he had a sheet and that I had been lucky I hadn't gotten myself into real trouble," Deanne added.
"How did you find that out though?" Mira inquired curiously, though it was clear she was horrified by what Deanne had revealed.
"I have a cousin-in-law that's a detective on the force in another city," Deanne explained simply. "He's married to one of my many cousins Marla Rossi Morgan. Derek was happy to do a background check on that guy I dumped and he's the one that told me that he could be dangerous and that I should take out a restraining order, so he could be arrested if came within a certain number of feet of me."
"So did you take your cousin-in-law's advice? Did you take out a restraining order?" Mira asked
"It was good advice so of course I did. I knew that Derek never would've told me to take out a restraining order if it wasn't very possible that this guy would turn violent. I'm not so stubborn or proud that I don't take good advice when I hear it. Why possibly get yourself into a situation where you could end up in the hospital or even dead?" Deanne said.
"So did this boyfriend ever try to come after you again after you did?" Mira asked.
"Of course he did, as men can be so stubborn and stupid, so I was glad that Derek had warned me. That I had thought to check with him to see if my former boyfriend had a sheet," Deanne said.
"Truth," Mira agreed with a laugh.
"And really Jared wasn't too intelligent. Yes, as I'm sure you have already guessed, he showed up again and tried to convince me to take him back. I told him that I had taken out a restraining order and that if he didn't leave me alone, I was going to call the cops."
"So what did he do?" Mira asked curiously now.
"What do you think he did? He tried to bust down my front door and I called the cops before he could finish doing so. Luckily, for me, I live in a house with a nice and sturdy door and not an apartment building with one that's flimsy and made of thin plywood, which is easy to break without putting much effort into it."
"So the cops got there before this Jared could finish breaking into your home," Mira said Deanne nodded.
"Yeah, he was arrested, though it didn't take him long to get out. A night in jail is nothing," Deanne said. "All that matters is I haven't dated since, as I know very well that Jared was furious enough to cause me serious harm. Dating such a loser turned me off men entirely until I met Griffen."
Deanne didn't bother to tell Mira the reason she had insisted on that date and why Griffen was the one to break her non-dating streak.
"After that, it's no wonder you haven't dated until you met my brother," Mira said. "If something like that happened to me I might never have dated again."
"Just goes to show you that there are a lot crazies out there when it comes to dating and not just men, but women too," said Deanne. "I'm not the only one in my family that's been in such a situation by the way. It also happened Perry Hotchner."
"So this Perry Hotchner is what? Your cousin?" Mira asked curiously.
"Well, technically, the Hotchners aren't related to my family, but we consider them so nonetheless," Deanne explained. "My mother and Perry's mother have been friends all their lives and are godmothers to each other's children so we just automatically consider that family as part of ours and vice versa. We always celebrate the holidays together, Thanksgiving, and Christmas and birthdays."
"That's really nice," Mira said appreciatively. "So what was it about my brother that made you want to break your vow about not dating."
"Well, he's handsome for one thing, but then Jared was handsome too, just not as handsome as your brother if you don't mind my saying so," blushed Deanne.
"I don't mind at all as I have to agree with you that my brother is handsome. He got his looks from our father, but then, so did I since we're twins," Mira said. "Girls and women both fall all over him so he knows he's handsome too, but doesn't seem to care."
"So in other words, he doesn't get a big head and use his looks too get women to go on a date with him," Deanne said and Mira nodded.
"No, he's too modest for that and I'm really glad he doesn't have that kind of arrogance where he thinks he's god's gift to women," Mira said.
"I'm sure you would soon deflate his head as well as his ego if he let it control him," suggested Deanne with a mischievous grin, which Mira returned.
"Yeah, I would," Mira agreed with a devilish smirk. "I hope your relationship with my brother works out as you're good for him," Mira added. "I already know you like him or you never would've made it a condition of even taking a tour of this garden, which is one reason I hope it does work out."
"I simply took my opportunity. I thought maybe I would never see him again if I didn't ask him out right then, except in a professional capacity and that's not what I wanted. Griffen is the first one in a long time where sparks could literally fly, as I felt a connection to him the minute I saw him and that's never happened to me. That feeling of connection I mean. Sure, I've dated guys in the past that I liked at lot, but there were never sparks, not until Griffen," Deanne said with a smile.
"I understand what you mean by spark and a filling of connection," Mira said. "I have felt sparks with some guys I've dated, but not a feeling of connection like you feel with my brother. If I ever do feel that connection well, that'll probably be the guy I end up marrying."
"I hope we can get to know each other better soon, but apparently, Griffen has finished his link call," Deanne who was facing the direction that Griffen was standing talking on his link said.
Mira turned to see Griffen approaching.
"All finished here?" Griffen asked the two women.
"For now," Deanne said. "Let me know what you decide about this estate."
"We will," Griffen said, as the three of them headed for their respective vehicles. Griffen and Deanne, of course, had come together, but Mira had a separate car.
~~~Deanne and Griffen~~~