History Replayed

The rest of the night went about as expected, no surprises at the club, and his personal war against one of the clans resulted in a particularly useful nugget of information. It seemed that someone who wished to be the Prince had a plan to eradicate some opposition and that included Allen.

Nasty stuff that trying to kill three elder vampires. While distrustful of each other always, self preservation was the one thing more powerful than distrust. Eel, blood was too, but that was a story for another time.

Allen made arrangements for the other two elders to find out about the plot that was hatching, indirectly of course and waited for them to contact him, or not.

The last thing he did was send an email to J's paper asking them to forward the email to her.

J arrived at work the next day to turn in her article to the editor and pick up the next assignment. She checked her email and let out a snorted laugh when she opened the forwarded one from Allen. "Wholly Fuck" was blurted out with a bit of a giggle. Shaking her head she reached in her bag and pulled out the graphic to take down to market.

"Jerry can you do a mark up for me on this and send it to my email please." Jerry was part of the art department whose talent was truly wasted at the paper. "ya sure' he said taking it and giving it a once over then added. "You see this is how a mark up is suppose to be presented, you got the font, the colors where they go, no questions just here it is, and in about ten minutes you'll have it in your email."

J rolled her eyes. "Thanks Jerry, i'll be sure to send a memo while i wait to advise them of what they are suppose to do."
"Please do"
she smiled and headed back to her desk and created an email memo.

Dear Fellow Writers,
I will have my mark up in ten minutes, while you will have to wait because according to the art department, you can't follow directions. So once again.. Tell them the font. Tell them the colors, draw a sketch if you can't think of words. use arrows with descriptions.
She only sent it to Jerry, to avoid the drama that would follow if she had actually sent it. But he would more then likely recreate it to send out his own memo.

She was reading over her assignment for a new club, when her email dinged.

opening up the graphic she smirked it was perfect. Creating an email to Allen she included the image. With a note.

Let me know when it's done. J.

Allen was at that curious age for a vampire where he did not truly sleep, or die if you will, when the sun rose. Yes rigor set in, and only with a great expenditure of blood could he act. But his mind was aware and awake.

He had two humans upon whom he relied, one was the coo of his corporation, and the other was his head of security. With twelve different properties to stay at in and around Chicago, Allen knew it would be difficult for anyone to find him at one property. However if the staked out all twelve that would be a different problem.

He ordered the coo to purchase some more properties under assumed names for him, and make the total 24. While still not full proof, more randomization was better.

He read the email from J and looked at the sign she had designed briefly before having the sign ordered, and all other items that were branded with bloodtastic to be changes as well. He ordered a trademark for the sign and put J as the creator.

His security chief emailed back, ordered, up in two weeks.

Life continued uninterrupted for the next couple of weeks. She did her assignments and gave attitude to her boss as normal. She hadn't heard from Allen and settled that he didn't like the design or it wasn't worth a dinner date. Either way it was fine. The moment she try for some sort of living a normal life something would go wrong.

Deciding on a relaxing night in she decided to binge watch True Blood over again. The good part about watching it on blue ray was she could fast forward past the characters she didn't really care about, and stop on the one she did.

It had been a furious two weeks. Allen conspired with the other two elders who were the focus of the purge. They had manipulated events that showed an increase of crime, already astonishingly high.

The fire that burned down one of Chicago's finest, oldest hotels had a mysterious source which arson investigators had found out yet, and probably never would. A combustible vampire set alight by magic leaves very little by way of evidence.

The sign went up and Allen had to agree, it had a certain panache the old sign lacked. He emailed J that evening, including a photo of it. "Your sign is up. And the regarding in process."

Mid bite into her cheeto the computer dinged letting her know she had mail. She got up and approached it as if she was afraid it wouldn't be from him. Her finger traced over the email creating a yellow smudge across her screen. 'Fuck' she exclaimed looking at her yellow fingers and rushed into the kitchen to wash and dry her hands.

With one of those electric wipes she wiped down her screen and opened the email.
"Your sign is up. And the re-branding in process"

She replied back, "Hot sign, do i get royalties? lol. A deal is a deal, I await the invitation. J"

Allen checked his phone she. It vibrated and smiled to see it was from J.

He hit send and found himself oddly hoping she would come.

"I'm happily sitting in my pjs, eating cheetos and watching bing watching TB on blue-ray." she typed and then looked at her clock. It was only eight on a Friday night. "the deal was for dinner not drowning me in rum and coke as i sit comfortably in a 18th century chair. If you can spare a few hours from being drooled at I may be convinced to provide you my address to come and take me for a meal."

She quickly hit send before she could talk herself out of it.

Allen read the email three times making sure he read it correctly. In fact he had. "Some. Headed to the car now."

He grabbed a dinner jacket and changed into a neatly and crisply ironed white shirt and headed to the back of the club. He sat in the back of the Jaguar and waited until he received the email with the address.

The address proved something of a problem, sitting squarely in the territory of a clan he hated. He doubted they would catch him going in and out quickly but rallying around would not do.

He sent, "On my way."

The forest green Jag pulled out and roared toward J's apartment.

"Fuck, Fuck, Fuck" she squealed running from room to room taking off her pjs and trying to get dressed into something less bum like. The first dress she pulled out was one of her favorites, and then she realized it had skulls in the lace. "fuck fuck fuck" she squealed again rampaging through her closet.

Finally she found a cocktail dress she had worn to an awards ceremony. It was probably a bit too fancy for this dinner. But she literally had nothing else to wear. 'One dinner thats all' she told herself slipping on the hose that were new from the package and a pair of heals.
In the mirror she scowled at herself and place her hair up into a bun with a loose strand of purple caressing her cheek.

She was surprised there wasn't an inch of dust on her make up case and she placed some light color on her cheeks eyes and lips. Slowly with her clutch and keys she locked her apartment and slowly started down the stairs to meet Allen.

If he could, Allen would gave whistled when he saw J coming down the stairs. "It appears, I am underdressed for this dinner."

He held his hand out for her to take as she reached the bottom step and murmured "Very lovely."

He led her to the car and opened the door for her and waited until she was settled on the tan leather before closing it. Getting in p. The other side he said, "Downtown until the lady identifies her preference to eat. Else take her to my favorite."

"Thank you" she said softly blushing as she got in the car.
Once he was in she turned to face him and said"I'm sorry this is literally the only dress that i had that was date worthy. I don't do dates. I prefer to be unnoticed remember."

She looked to the driver "where ever his favorite is is fine thanks." Looking back to him she smiled and said "You look quite dashing yourself. Are you sure you wouldn't have rather stayed at the club? Friday has to be a busy night for you"

Allen shrugged, "Why when I have you to be with instead?"

he reached over and patted her hand gently then drew his hand back before she could react adversely. "We are going to the Woman and Lion, which is one of our finest in town. "

He looked at her and asked, "She will continue with our quid pro quo? On a more personal level this time I hope."

She had begun to hold her breath as he touched her hand but he removed it just as quickly. "alright" she said in response to continuing the question game. "but the same rules, i reserve the right to pass. Oh and if you don't mind, at the restaurant I need a corner table. I have to sit with my back against the wall."

J placed a small embarrassed of her quirks smile on her face. "I'll start, where where you born?"

Allen for half a moment considered a lie, then said, "I was born in Lubeck Germany. It is north of Hamburg on the Baltic sea coast."

He knew that she was likely to pass on this question, but had to ask any way, "Why is it you have to sit with your back to a wall?"

"I've never been to Germany, I hope to visit one day in my travels." She took a moment and looked out the window. Then she replied. "I have Pnigophobia. More precisely I have the fear of someone coming up behind me and grabbing my neck and choking me to death.

Obviously you've discovered I have quite a few quirks in the short time you've known me. Without going into extensive detail, my ex.."

she grabbed the edge of the seat and rolled down the window. "pull over please" came out in a a plea.

Allen looked at her then nodded and the driver pulled over with "Sir, this is not the safest neighborhood."

Allen replied, "I know, I can protect the young lady."

As the car stopped, J ripped at the door handle and jumped out of the car. Using his inhuman speed, Allen got to her a split second after her feet hit the ground. "J," he said, his voice carrying strength and confidence, "I swear to you, who ever he is, he will never hurt you again. I will protect you."

"you can't, he will kill me the next time he finds me." tears fell from her eyes. As she gripped her knees and tried to regain control of her breathing. "every.. Every time i try to obtain some set of normalcy he finds me. This has been the longest I've been allowed to live in peace. Because i just blend in to the wall. I can't risk anyone else getting hurt because of me. Take me somewhere quiet please." With that she allowed him to guide her back to the car.

He settled her back into the car, and closed the door behind her. Before he got in, he called the restaurant and had them get him a private room for dinner.

As he sat down, "They have a private room waiting for us."

He touched her arm gently for a moment, then drew his hand back. "I guarantee you that your ex cannot possibly hurt me."

"I will need to go into the restroom to fix my face. could you wait outside the door for me? when we get there?"

She heard what he said, and as much that she wished it was true. He was a man made of flesh and blood a knife, a gun, a car, any of which could take his life. She stared out the window on their ride to the restaurant. Taking a deep breath she stepped close to him so he may use his hand on the small of her back to guide her.

After she stopped in the restroom to wipe the streaks of black from her face. She came out to him. They were then quickly guided to a private room.

She ordered a Dolce vita to drink and the kohlrabi salad with the sweet and spicy brioche.

Allen gave her space to consider what ever was troubling her and waited as she went into the ladies room. As she came out, he took her to the private room, which was small and intimate. The lights were low casting shadows through out the space and the waitress took their orders.

This being a favorite of vampires, the red wine he ordered was blood and the food he ordered he ate with difficulty, but hundreds of years of practice had allowed him to learn how to eat again with out regurgitating it back up.

He looked at J and said, "Please let your hair down, I really do like it that way."

J didn't know what she was going to do. On one hand Allen had been so patient and non smothering. He stayed with in the invisible boundaries and yet seemed to still want to see her. 'Give him the night to reconsider' she told herself. He was a successful business man. He didn't need this kind of drama. She was better off on her own, and he would be better without her in his life. She wouldn't chase after him if he didn't reach out again. Was she willing to say no if he did?'

She reached up and pulled out the pin holding her hair and let it tumble down with a light shake of her head.

"I can see why this is your favorite" she said softly wiping her mouth and placing the napkin back on her lap.
"why did you choose to come to the restaurant when you could have taken me anywhere more isolated?"

Ultimately Allen told the truth whenever possible and this certainly fit the bill. "I believe you would be more on edge if I had taken you to my house."

He sipped his 'wine and considered a moment, "Tell me about him."

She wiggled uncomfortably in her chair. "If you come back to my place I will be much more at ease and be able to give you the whole story, But be warned I never have visitors and I was in the midst of vegging out when I got your email. So it's not the tidiest of places.

Allen pursed his lips. Staying any length of time at her apartment could pose many issues, especially centered around the other clan. He nodses slowly, "Okay."

He dropped enough money on the table to cover the dinner and held his hand out to her.