A Night at Tears of Crimson (6 page)

About two hours into the shift Rachel said she was ready to take on a few tables. Cara was really nervous but felt confident she could be on her own. She took the order pad and tray and Rachel stayed at the bar, in sight in case there was a problem. Taking a deep breath, she told herself mentally that she ready to do this.

Her first table was a couple who seemed like they only had eyes for each other. She walked up to them and asked if they needed anything. The man looked away from his beautiful date and smiled warmly at her, and she could feel her heart begin to pound in her chest as she looked into his deep gray eyes.

“Bring us a bottle of red wine, little one,” he said the words sensually and smiled, finding himself very interested in this new employee. Rafe had outdone himself this time, Phillipe thought. He held the girl's eyes for a moment, discovering everything he needed to know in that brief moment.

She broke eye contact with him and all but ran back to the bar to get his order. The man definitely made her nervous, although she couldn't pin down what it was about the way he looked at her that caused such a reaction. She gave the order to Michael and he winked before he moved off to get it.

“Grab two wine glasses from the back hon,” Rachel reminded her as Michael appeared with the opened bottle. She knew Phillipe enjoyed making women nervous, but Cara would have to learn to deal with his type eventually. He was just one of those men that made a woman instinctively aware, Rachel thought. Her first night serving him she had almost tripped and fell on her face in order to make sure he was a satisfied customer.

The man had made Cara so nervous, that she had forgotten he would need wine glasses. Not wanting to disappoint Rachel, she hastily ran to the back to retrieve them. A part of her wanted to ask Rachel to serve the man, because there was just something about him that scared her. She knew it was just nerves though and she would have to deal with that on her own. The wine was on the bar and the cork already removed, so she placed the bottle and glasses on her tray carefully. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the table and placed them down without incident. She even managed to smile nervously while giving the man the total. All in all, she was pretty proud of herself.

Phillipe turned his attention back the new waitress and pulled out a hundred dollar bill. “Keep the change,” he smiled sensing how uncomfortable the girl was with him. She had no idea what he was, and he forced himself to remember that he already had a partner for the evening. Turning his eyes back to his date, he made a mental note to come back alone the next visit he made here.

Cara had just made a fifty dollar tip and she forgot about the way the man looked at her and focused on the money. The rest of the night was uneventful and even though she didn’t get another tip that big, she made over two hundred dollars. In her mind that was a ton of money.

They wiped down the tables as the last of the customers left the bar. Rachel informed her that a cleaning crew would come in the morning to do the rest. So they sat at the bar and wound down over drinks. She had been disappointed that Rafe hadn't shown up tonight, but refused to make mention of it. She was introduced to a few more waitresses, Kayla and Tracy. They seemed like great girls both stunning in their beauty, she thought to herself.

She discovered that Kayla was in college and worked here part time she was earning her degree in mass communication. Tracy was a single mother who worked here full time and she had this vibrant personality that made you just want to have fun. Kayla was a stunning leggy redhead and Tracy was a little taller than her with startling pale silver hair that fell in straight shimmers to her butt. Everyone seemed very friendly.

Anthony had been with Rafe at another club in Italy before moving here, Cara found out. He told her that Rafe was at that club for the week, and she felt disappointed beyond belief at that information. Anthony, or Tony as he asked her to call him, was definitely not the idiot she had considered him to be last night when they met at the door. If anything, he was probably one of the most intelligent people she had ever met, albeit a little strange.

She hoped she would remember all the names of the folks she worked with. Dante was the cook for Tears of Crimson. He brought out some roast beef sandwiches and joined the workers at the bar. He was a very handsome man with cocoa colored skin and a form that showed how much he enjoyed working out. She did find it strange that everyone that worked here seemed to look like they had just signed a modeling contract. She didn't consider herself unattractive by any means, but surrounded by these people it made her feel a little drab and boring.

"So where did you call home, before finding N'awlins, bebe?" Dante smiled and thought this little lady was going to fit right in with the crew here.

He was just one of those people that made you feel good just being around him and Cara smiled back. "I was raised in this little town called Rockford, it's in Alabama."

"Can't say that Dante's ever heard of that city, what's close to it?" he prided himself on knowledge of geography and this area had him stumped.

"It's about 45 minutes outside of Birmingham going South, you go through Clanton, then Verbena and turn off toward another town called Alexander City," she knew she was giving him the long version but most of the places weren't well known.

"I was raised up in a place called Forest here in Louisiana bebe, not many know about it either. Those small towns give you lots of love though." He gave her a wink and walked back to the kitchen to finish cleaning up.

They sat around the bar eating sandwiches and sipping on drinks. Cara was amazed at how much she was learning about these people in such a short time. For the first time in since she'd moved here it felt like she really belonged. She couldn't help but hope that this was going to be a new beginning for her.

Rachel invited her to go shopping with her and Angela the next afternoon, and she agreed quickly. They decided to meet at the club at one, and then do lunch and shopping. These were the first people she had met that she thought could be friends since she'd arrived here.

Tony announced that he was ready to close the place down for the night so everyone got their things together to leave. The guys walked all the ladies to their cars, which she thought was really nice. It had been a long night, and she was starting to feel exhausted, so it was nice to be headed home. She had to work four more shifts this week and hoped she would make enough money to start looking for another place to live.

As she drove home there was a feeling of being at complete peace. After only one night, she felt that the new job was going to work out, and added to that she had met some people, so she wasn't feeling so lonely. She didn't really realize just how alone she truly was before meeting these people tonight.

She pulled up to her house and hurried inside. The drive made her even more tired so she walked to her room and decided to forgo the shower until morning. She was exhausted and since she didn’t really have to make anyone else happy, she felt falling into bed was pure heaven. Sleep found her quickly and it didn't take long for Rafe to find his way into her dreams.

Her dreams were filled with Rafe. Turning over restlessly she found herself alone with him in a dark room. Candles surrounding her and she was lying back in a huge bed completely unclothed. Lifting her hands, she beckoned him to come closer. As he joined her in the bed, his lips met hers and his hands caressed her skin as if they had been lovers for years. She felt no shame in his arms as her body came to life under his touch.

Then the dream turned dark. His fangs slid into her neck and the pain flooded every fiber of her being. She was screaming at him, pushing him away, but he was too strong. Terror filled her mind as she desperately sought her escape. Somehow in the dream, she broke free and ran. Her heart raced and the scenery changed, she was now in the forest and he was chasing her.

She awoke unable to breathe, and a light sheen of sweat covered her skin as if she had been actually running in real life. Glancing around the room frantically, she feared that he was still here with her. It took long minutes for her to come back to reality and understand that it was just a nightmare. It had felt so real though, a shiver moved through her and she wrapped her arms around herself to stop the chill. Being logical, she knew it was probably just guilt over having romantic thoughts about her boss. Somehow though, it felt like more than just a night terror.

Thinking that a shower might help wake her up and forget the dream, she walked into the bathroom. Sliding off her uniform, she turned on the water and stepped under the warm stream when it was finally hot enough. She allowed the water to trickle over her trembling body for several minutes before she bathed. Feeling much more in control, she stepped out and glanced at the clock and was shocked to see it was already noon. She knew last night had been exhausting, but she never slept that late unless she was getting sick. Drying off quickly, she found her clothes and dressed in the shorts and t-shirt not wanting to be late meeting the girls.

She pulled her hair up in a ponytail and threw on some tennis shoes then headed out the door. Luckily, she made it right on time. Rachel and Angela were dressed as casually as she was and they greeted her warmly. They ate lunch first at a little outdoor eatery known for their crawfish etouffee, and then they drank wine and just got to know each other better.

Her story wasn't that interesting but she explained how she grew up in a little town in Alabama and had always dreamed of traveling the world and maybe landing a recording contract. She also told them that after her grandmother’s death she finally felt it was time to do the things she'd dreamed of.

Rachel explained that she had left home the minute she graduated high school five years ago, and moved here. Her mother had been single and an alcoholic that had beaten her most of her life. She was very candid when telling the story of her life and truly believed that where you came from didn't equal where you were going, so she left the first chance she got.

Angela had left home after her boyfriend walked out on her leaving her pregnant and alone at seventeen. She had gone into one of those homes for mothers who were pregnant and wanting to put their baby up for adoption. When she left the home they had given her a little cash to help her start a new life and she had moved to New Orleans on that.

Cara discovered that Angela had pretty much worked at other clubs since she was eighteen because she had gotten a fake ID that allowed her to do it. She was now twenty-two and really didn't have an education so this was pretty much her lot in life. Cara thought that Angela didn't seem to be unhappy and she was really a very nice person.

They finished their lunch and went walking around to some of the local shops. The Boutique du Vampyre was one of Cara's favorite shops and Rachel and Angela had never even known the place existed. She glanced around noticing all the vampire related books and gift items. Now that she worked at a vampire bar, reading some of the books here would probably give her an even greater insight into what her customers would enjoy, she thought. She made a mental note to come back next week after saving up a little more money.

It definitely seemed like money was not an issue with her two new friends because they blew it like crazy. She, on the other hand, needed to be pretty conservative with her funds until she felt more financially secure, still she enjoyed the window shopping. They were like a bunch of teenagers just goofing off and having a great time. Cara was really sorry when they had to part ways and get ready for work.

“This sounds nuts, but I've had so much fun I wish it could go on forever,” Cara told them.

“We should definitely try to do this every afternoon,” Angela stated with a grin.

They gathered up their purchases and made their way back down Toulouse Street. Cara's heart was really filled with joy at how well she and her new friends seemed to be getting along. They agreed to meet at the same place tomorrow before parting ways.

She got home and straightened up her room, which took no time at all. Deciding she had a little time before she had to go to work, so she took a few minutes to lay back on the bed and read one of her favorite historical love stories. She knew how they would all end, but it was great to read them because it made the chance to find that kind of love seem real to her.

She dozed off, and by the time she woke up it was time to get dressed and make it to the bar. Thinking to herself she slept more in the past two days than she had in years, she could only chalk it up to all the excitement of a new job. As she walked in the employees lounge Rachel was already there and their night started pretty much like the last one, except she was working her own tables. Everything went pretty smoothly in her opinion.

4
Tears of longing

Rafe had spent the last three months doing everything he could to avoid being around Cara for any long period of time. He treated her with polite professionalism when business forced him to speak with her, and even then he forced himself to remain in complete control. He doubted the girl had any idea how much just being around her made him long for things that would change her world forever. When the desire grew so strong that he felt he would give in to that temptation, he visited her dreams. He knew that even that was crossing the boundaries, but it was better for her than the alternative.

His inner nature was demanding he take what he wanted and he had fought for as long as possible. He was going to have her one way or another, and he preferred it to be on his terms instead of surrendering to the beast that dwelled inside of him. The dreams they shared were no longer enough to feed the hunger. He could only hope that the demon that drove him on would be satisfied with the small taste he intended to sample of her humanity. The thought of branding her his was so tempting, but she deserved so much more than that. He refused to take this any further than indulging in simple pleasure. As the object of his needs came into view, he decided to at least speak to her tonight.