Their Cursed

Chapter Four

Calder

“You’re a d**k, you know that?” I grumbled as we drove away from the little diner. We spared her the embarrassment of returning to collect our bill by just leaving money on the table.

“Hey! I got you her number, didn’t I?” he said with a smirk. I gave him a sideways glance before looking out the window. “Look, you and Cullen haven’t found your mates yet. And the Elder Council wants a Luna to be by your side before you two can take the Alpha title. Your Dad is getting old and I don’t think he wants to wait forever. Jaime is clearly not your cup of tea and I have never seen you so interested in anyone ever. Even if she is not your mate, there is no harm in spending time with her right?”

He almost had a point. The problem here being that Cullen had already accepted Jaime, even if I was positive she annoyed the living daylights out of him. He would have to accept this random girl being our mate and we would have to convince the Elder Council she was fit to be our chosen Luna. “I guess,” was all I said as we headed towards the apartment we kept in the city.

Since we were 23 years old now, Cullen and I had been thoroughly trained in Alpha duties as well as the responsibilities we held taking over the family business in the ordinary realm. We lived in the packhouse when we were across the veil in the supernatural realm, but we kept a residence in the ordinary realm as well. The apartment had five bedrooms so Cullen, Gentry and I had no issue going back and forth and for the past year, Jaime has been joining us.

Gentry was Cullen and I’s best friend growing up. He was the son of one of the strongest warriors in our pack and was the first choice we had for Beta. He was our age as well and like us, had not found his mate. Traditionally, it was most important for leadership that the Alpha had a Luna before taking the position. The Beta having a mate was less important.

When we came to the ordinary realm to deal with acquisitions our family business was taking on, I never expected to find such an intriguing girl. She clearly was not ordinary at all, but then what was something supernatural doing living so freely in the ordinary realm. She clearly had no inclination about us either.

Remi.

I liked the way her name felt on my tongue. I liked her clear blue eyes and her pale complexion. Her rosy blush made her freckles stand out on her round face. She was breathtaking, honestly. I ran my fingers over the paper in my pocket with her phone number on it. I didn’t really need her to give it to me, but it was easier this way than explaining how I got her information.

We parked in the garage of the apartment structure and went to the elevators. Gentry punched in the code for our floor and the elevator took us up. When the doors opened, Cullen was walking towards the door, car keys in hand. We stepped out of the elevator.

“Where are you going?” I asked. It was already late, and we had at 6:30am meeting across town.

“Nowhere,” he growled at me as he got on the elevator. He punched a button and the doors closed on his scowling face.

“Is it just me or has he been extra moody since we got here?” Gentry said headed towards the kitchen. I followed him, going to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. I shrugged my shoulders. I didn’t know where Jaime was currently, so I didn’t want to tell Gentry out loud that it probably had to do with her. Before we came across the veil last week, Cullen had confronted me about Jaime. He wanted me to just accept her so we could take over the pack. She had been pestering him about me for months, I guess.

“You going to bed?” Gentry asked as I played the cap to my water bottle, deep in thought. I looked up at him.

“Probably. We have to be up early,” I said.

“Send her a text at least. She should be leaving that place any time now. They closed 10 minutes ago. Then you won’t be fighting with yourself all morning about it,” he said with a smile. “Live a little man. You deserve it.” He left me in the kitchen and disappeared in the direction of his bedroom.

I made my way up to mine as well. I threw my jacket over the chair by my desk and flopped down on my bed. I pulled out the paper with her phone number on it. I stared at her neat writing, trying to make up my mind.

Remi

I waved good-bye to everyone as I made my way down the street towards my apartment. I hurried home tonight, wanting to get to bed so I could get a good night’s sleep before working Jessie’s shift tomorrow. As usual, I popped in my headphones and turned on some music as I navigated the dimly lit streets.

As I reached the outside of my apartment building my phone rang with a message notification. I stopped, not expecting anyone to be trying to get a hold of me this late. I looked down to see a number I didn’t know. I opened the message, guessing who it might be.

                Remi, I apologize for my reluctance to ask for your information earlier. I hope you can forgive me. I would much appreciate it if you would allow me to take you on a date at your earliest convenience. ~Calder

His message brought a smile to my lips. It was oddly really sweet. It was like he was nervous. I could not figure out why a guy like him would be nervous or even be interested in a girl like me. I waited to reply and went inside the building and up to my apartment.

I set my bag down and set my phone on my bed. Grabbing some pajamas from my dresser, I went into the bathroom to change and wash my face. When I came out of the bathroom, I grabbed my phone and noticed another message from Calder. This guy was persistent.

                I apologize if I disturbed your sleep. I should have waited until tomorrow. Please respond at your earliest convenience. Sweet Dreams. ~Calder

I giggled thinking about him trying to figure out what to say. I was going to wait until tomorrow to message him back, but I decided to give him a little break.

                You did not disturb any sleep. I am just now getting to bed. I will allow you to take me out on a date on one condition. No more exuberant tips from you or your friends when eating at the diner. Please. ~Remi

I laid down in bed and plugged my phone’s charger in. It did not take long to receive Calder’s reply.

                I will agree to your condition, but you must explain your reasoning at a later time. When?

That would be an awkward conversation… I thought for a minute about my schedule for the rest of the week. Luckily, I had checked it before I left work tonight.

                My next evening off is Friday. Does that work for you?

I waited patiently for his response. Staring at my phone’s screen, my heart jumped when I saw the three little dots that tell me he was typing.

                Friday is perfect. I must be going to bed. Sweet dreams, Remi.

I smiled as I wrote back.

                Good Night Calder

I set the alarm on my phone and put it on my nightstand. I fell asleep with excitement dancing in my gut. I had a date on Friday night.

-

The rest of the week passed in an agonizingly slow way. Calder and his friends had not come back to the diner all week. Although that meant no more weird interactions with either him or Cullen, it also meant I did not get to see him before our date.

It was Friday morning, and the breakfast rush was coming to a close. I would be off work in the next hour before lunch began. I was giddy all morning, excited to be going on my first date in five years.

“Okay, what is all this sunshine and smiles from you today?” Jessie asked.

“No reason,” I said, trying to mask my excitement.

“Oh no. You are never this cheery. You are not even this excited when you buy new books at the thrift shop. Spill the tea,” she said with an expectant look.

I blushed. I was too transparent, I guess. “Okay. But do not make a big deal out of this. I have a date tonight,” I said.

“No way! That is great! I have never even seen you interested in a guy,” she said shocked. “Do I know him?”

“Uh, not really…” I said.

She gave me a weird look. “Did you score a date with a customer?” My eyes widened and my cheeks grew warmer. “Oh my gosh!” she squealed.

“Shhhh!” I tried to quiet her.

“Okay, okay. But oh my gosh, that is not what I expected at all. No offense but I really thought you would be my old single cat lady friend,” she said.

“Hey! I’m allergic to cats!” I said, slightly offended. She just laughed.

“I’m sorry. It’s just you have never even looked at a guy and you never go out.” She gave me a thoughtful look. “Happy looks good on you,” she said before walking away to attend to her customers. I rolled my eyes and smiled.

-

An hour later, I was exiting through the back door into the alleyway to head home to get ready.  I was looking down at my phone, smiling absentmindedly at the message Calder had sent this morning telling me to be ready by 6PM. Turning the corner onto the street, I walked right into a hard body of muscle. I fell back with a yelp of surprise, dropping my phone and landing on my backside.

“Ow,” I said looking up. Grey eyes on a hard face were staring down at me. My eyes grew wide realizing what just happened. “I-I am s-so sorry! I should have b-been paying attention!” I said trying to scramble to my feet. A pair of warm, strong arms came around me and pulled me up, gently placing me on my feet. I turned to the mysterious man I keep running into.

“Thank you,” I said quietly. He looked down at his feet. Bending over slowly, I watched him pick up my discarded phone. He picked it up, looking at the screen. Before I could reach for it, he stepped forward. I stepped back, allowing him to trap me right against the wall. Irritation was now all over his rugged features.

He simply stared down at me with his intense gaze. I could feel myself squirm but not from fear. “Can I have that back?” I asked quietly, averting my eyes. I felt really warm and I could not tell if it was because of his proximity or the blood filling my cheeks.

He sighed. I looked up to see his hard features relax for the first time. He stepped back and held out my phone, looking away from me. I grabbed it in a shaky had. Without a word or another glance, he walked away down the street. I stood there for a moment, completely confused. Was Cullen simply the most intimidating and awkward man on the planet?

I shook away the weird feeling he left me with and headed towards my apartment. I stopped to pick up some groceries on the way home. While I was putting everything away, my phone rang with a message. I grabbed my phone immediately to check it.

                Looking forward to this evening. Be outside at 6PM. ~Calder

I smiled, butterflies erupting in my stomach. I had only had one boyfriend in my entire life and that was in high school. We went on a couple dates, but we hung out more with friends and did what other high schoolers did. I had never been asked out like this and hadn’t even looked at a guy since I left home. I don’t know what was different now. Calder was different and maybe it was our less than average interactions that intrigued me.

                Can’t wait. I’ll be there.

I quickly messaged him back. I still had more than enough time to get ready even though I was not sure what I would wear tonight. I made myself some lunch. I sat down to eat and read a book but that proved to be futile. I was too excited. For the first time since I can remember, I was giddy in anticipation.

I decided to get some energy out by cleaning my apartment. I dusted and swept. Washed all the dishes and wiped down all the counters. I scrubbed the bathroom top to bottom and folded all the clean laundry. When I could not find anything else to keep me busy, I figured I could start getting ready.

I went to the bathroom and decided to curl my long brown hair. When I was happy with soft waves I had achieved, I checked my phone and realized it had taken far longer than I expected. It was already 5:30PM and I still needed to get dressed. I quickly went through my dresser deciding on a blouse and jeans. The blouse was black with gold, metallic threads woven into it vertically creating a striping effect. My jeans were dark denim and skinny, so they hugged my legs all the way down. I grabbed my black ankle boots, slipping them on before running to the bathroom to put on my favorite necklace. It was a little gold heart on a small chain that my dad had given to me on my 13th birthday.

I hurried back out of the bathroom, grabbing my small clutch, and shoving my wallet, keys, and phone inside. Looking at the clock, I had just enough time to get downstairs. I gave myself one last look in the mirror, tousling my hair so it looked a little more natural before grabbing my coat. I ran out of my apartment and down the stairs to get outside. I stopped at the entryway door and caught my breath. Once I was calm and composed, I stepped outside and looked around.

Calder was leaning against an expensive looking black car. He was handsomely dressed in white shirt and dark blazer and jeans. His hair was still a tousled mess on top of his head. He stood up and smiled at me. I shrugged my coat on as I walked over to him.

“Hi,” I said a little nervously.

“Hello, Remi,” he said. “Are you ready to go?”

I nodded and something suddenly occurred to me. “Wait, how did you know where I live?” I asked.

“It isn’t any fun if I tell you all my secrets before we even begin our first date,” he said with a smirk. He opened the passenger side door to let me climb in. I accepted his answer for now and got in the car. He closed my door and walked around the car to get in the driver’s seat. The car was luxurious. I got a weird feeling in my gut. I had not thought about the huge difference between Calder and I before I accepted his invitation.

I am a 20-year-old, high school dropout who works as a waitress and lives in a studio apartment with mismatched belongings I have pieced together from thrift stores. Calder was clearly out of my league. I looked out the window as he drove away from my apartment, feeling awkward now.

“You don’t seem like much of a movie buff, so how do you feel about theater?” he said, breaking the silence.

I looked at him with a small smile. “I love it,” I said. He gave me a charming smile.

“I realized today that we don’t know much about each other,” he said nervously. “So, have you been in the city long?”

“About four years now,” I told him. I began fidgeting with my hands in my lap.

“And before that?” he inquired further.

I swallowed. I hated this topic of conversation and steered away from it as much as possible. “Uh, I grew up in the suburbs, west of here,” I said. “Do you live here in the city?” I asked, trying to turn the conversation away from me. As soon as he figured out my age, he could put the pieces together.

“Some of the time. I split my time between here and where I grew up,” he said.

“That is nice. I am sure your family enjoys being able to see you,” I said.

He snorted. “Yea, the family that didn’t come with me…” he said. I gave him a curious look. “Don’t tell me you didn’t realize…” he paused giving me a surprised look. “Cullen is my twin brother,” he laughed.

My cheeks flamed. Of course, that is what he meant! “I just didn’t want to assume… You seem so different,” I said.

“Oh, we are. I am the fun one and he is the boring one!” he smiled. I giggled. “But honestly, we may be identical twins but we are pretty different. Although, it seems like our parents and Gentry are really the only ones who can tell us apart.” he said thoughtfully.

“I can tell you apart,” I whispered.