Chapter 9
1702 Words
Without moving, I opened my eyes to the sunrise. The room was flooded with light. A glance at the alarm clock told me that it was half-past six. I hadn’t slept this long in weeks.
Rucker’s arm was still wrapped around me.
Slowly, I tried to loosen his fingers to stand up. They automatically tightened on my waist.
“I’m fine,” I whispered.
He released me.
I straightened up and leaned against the wall.
“Thank you… for last night.”
“But please, girl, the pleasure was mine!”
He stood up and stretched like a cat.
“Happy Birthday!”
“Oh yes,” I chuckled, “I forgot!”
“Are you going to get a big cake and all the other stuff?”
I made an unequivocal face.
“Like every year.”
He jumped out of bed, cool as a rose.
“I’ll use the bathroom and we go.”
“Where are we going?”
“Hunt.”
I sighed with deep weariness.
“Not yet…”
Twice in three days was too much. Although, technically, I hadn’t caught any animals myself.
“Yes, Scarlett,” Rucker said sternly. “For you, but especially for Millie. Let’s go?”
“Okay,” I resigned myself. “But give me time to get dressed, otherwise I’ll scare the game away.”
We were back two hours later.
Rucker didn’t accompany me and remained noticeably hidden at the corner of the house.
“We’ll meet again at noon since I’m invited.”
I waved at him and watched him walk away towards the woods.
I made sure no one saw me and climbed the huge oak tree with ease into my room and through the half-open window.
The morning passed as quickly as the afternoon of the day before. I was entitled to my traditional birthday cake. I opened the few gifts that had been given to me and particularly appreciated May’s: a magnificent Zygopetalum orchid, very rare. She had cultivated it herself, with care and patience. So far, only one flower had emerged. It looked like a brown five-pointed star that decided to wear a pretty purple dress. I adored it.
After the meal, and seeing that it was increasingly difficult for me to stay in Millie’s presence without giving the impression of having a real problem, Rucker suggested that we go for a walk. As soon as I got into the car, I took out the contact lenses and put them in my bag. Wearing them was as unpleasant as it could be.
As it was Sunday, we decided to walk into town, the streets were rather deserted. As he passed Gwen’s closed shop, Rucker was immediately drawn to the strange display of medallions, occult ‘science’ books, and other wacky objects. Actually, now that I was who I was, I found them a lot less stupid than before.
“And you think this thing works?” he asked, pointing to the tiny anti-vampire amulet.
I burst out laughing when I saw his astonished expression.
“How should I know? After all, you’re the old one. You must have seen this kind of thing in your long life, right?”
“Yes, and that’s why I allow myself to doubt!”
As we walked, we made a detour through the old town. In the pedestrianized street, there was an impressive crowd of people who seemed to be admiring an exhibition of paintings.
Rucker gave me a worried look. I reassured him with a smile, their smells didn’t bother me.
By looking more closely, it didn’t take me long to recognize the works of Stéphanie, the Frenchwoman whom I had met in Wick itself, last summer, during the opening exhibition which she organized. The themes that she exhibited today were still so bizarre and her admirers too...
Rucker didn’t like the style. Too bloody… If he was the one saying it, it really had to be!
“Scarlett? Hey! Scarlett!”
I turned around, mortified. Gwen was coming towards us waving her arms. Desperately, I searched in my bag to see if, by any chance, I had put a pair of sunglasses there. No, None. And why is this? Because I never usually wear any! Damn!
“Scarlett!” she said with a big smile that faded as she approached. “I was sure… it was… you.”
The end of her sentence was only a whisper.
She stared at me with all the strangeness she was capable of, not even paying attention to Rucker.
I tried my hand at casual.
“Gwen!”
“Fortunately, you say my name,” she said without taking her eyes off mine, “because otherwise, I would think I had the wrong person...”
A gust of wind passed, bringing her long black hair back to her face. She pushed it away hastily as if it were preventing her from admiring what she wanted to see.
“You are so…”
She examined me from head to toe.
“Whoa… your hair and… your eyes… you’re wearing contact lenses, aren’t you? What a look!”
“Yes, yes... lenses,” I hastened to answer.
She stealthily raised her right eyebrow.
“Are you introducing us?” Rucker said with a seductive smile.
Gwen finally turned her beautiful hazel eyes to him. Looking at him, she made about the same face as I did, a sparkle in her eyes. Then she put on a healthy dentist smile.
“Gwen Fisher!” she introduced herself, holding out her hand.
Rucker took it gently, but instead of squeezing it, he brought it to his lips.
I would have thrown him a punch in the shoulder to leave her alone, that torturer of hearts!
“Rucker Legrand,” he said smoothly.
Gwen immediately blushed, captivated.
“Gwen is the owner of the store we walked past earlier. You know, the one with the amulets.”
“Oh…,” he said without taking his eyes off her. “Interesting. And you, do you believe in their power?”
I swear I would have gutted him. He had no idea what he was doing.
Gwen moistened her blood-red lips and bit them lightly before responding.
“Uh... yes,” she whispered as if it was an unspeakable fact.
With her mouth open, she seemed to be, for a moment, in full contemplation of Rucker. Then a burst of reality made her turn her head towards me again.
“I thought you went back to France.”
“What?”
Her brow furrowed. She was going to add something but changed her mind.
“No, nothing. I must have confused it with someone else,” she concluded, shrugging her shoulders.
Too eager to leave her, I added nothing and grabbed Rucker’s elbow, who didn’t seem determined to move.
“Rucker? Let’s go?”
He didn’t even turn to look at me and announced, seductively:
“I thought we could have a drink somewhere. Do you know a nice place… Gwen?”
But what was this way of pronouncing her first name? A little more and she would start to burn!
“Yes, of course, there’s a pub not far away…, at Finighan’s. But by the way, Scarlett,” she said with a broad smile, “it’s your birthday today, isn’t it?!”
I raised my eyebrows and pursed my lips.
“So, happy birthday! And it’s me who invites!”
“We can’t say no to that!” Rucker laughed, still charming.
On the way, I was fuming. I couldn’t believe he was pushing Gwen…. Gwen, damn it! And Julia just buried? He was going to hear me!
When we were seated at a table, Rucker excused himself long enough to get the drinks.
“What’s going on, Scarlett?” asked Gwen who had put aside all her gaiety.
“Nothing…,” I lied.
“You don’t see Elgin anymore, is that it?”
I nodded sadly.
“And what’s this outfit? Are you playing vamp now?”
You’re almost there Gwen...
“No, I... Listen, drop it.”
“Who is he?” she said, lifting her head to Rucker.
“A friend.”
“Just a friend?”
My eyes narrowed in anger.
“Of course, what do you think? That I’m able to forget Elgin like that? He’s my soul mate! Mine! I’m not having fun, Gwen, I’m in pain!”
I almost screamed, despite myself. Talking about him made my heart race wildly.
“It’s okay…” she whispered, putting her hand on me.
Surprised by my coldness, she looked at her fingers, then mine. In the meantime, Rucker returned with the glasses.
She and Rucker entered into an endless conversation. All the fantastic and gory subjects passed there. They got along like thieves, while I played with the straw floating in my glass, completely sealed off from what they were saying. I regained consciousness when Rucker went to ask the waiter for a paper and pencil.
He jotted down his name, surname, and phone number.
“And if you’re ever in St Andrews, don’t hesitate to contact me,” he said, handing her the folded paper.
“I’ll not hesitate! Scarlett? Can we call each other occasionally?”
I looked up at her, melancholy.
“Yes. If you want.”
The three of us got up to leave.
Rucker said goodbye to Gwen with the same hand kiss as before, gave her another unequivocal look, and hooked my elbow to follow. We walked forward, without looking back.
“May I know what’s gotten into you?” I barked.
“What? She’s quite pretty.”
“She’s Elgin’s best friend!”
“I know, I heard.”
“So, you’re crazy!”
He smiles as tight as a vice.
“So what? I don’t like werewolves, but I have nothing against humans!”
“Oh sure, Julia had all the basics of a human!” I snapped violently.
He glared at me and quickened his pace.
I was going to calm down, in a few days, Gwen would be away from us and we wouldn’t talk about her anymore.
Let it be...
- Writer
