1 week prior

Alan and his friend Matt were walking down Main Street to grab a cup a coffee while figuring out what to do that night.

“I’m telling you Alan get over it. So what if she broke it off and moved away, better she did that than string you on for even longer.” Alan was getting berated by Matt yet again for his unwillingness to go out to the bar and try to get laid.

“It didn’t feel like she was stringing me on man, everything was good and then one day she says it’s over.” Alan looks down reliving it all again.

Her name was Ashley and Alan met her in high school. She was a tomboyish red head that melded into his group of friends like she had always been there. When the majority of them ended up in their hometown college of course she followed as well. Eventually things progressed between him and her, ending up in a four year relationship. They shared an apartment and did just about everything together. Then three years ago out of nowhere he comes home to a partially empty apartment and a note. Just a note.

Alan,

This can’t work between us. I love you but, although it hurts for me to say this, we aren’t meant for each other. I do not expect you to understand and I know this must be hard. I promise that you will find someone better. Someone who will treat you the way you deserve.

Please forget about me,

Ashley

“What a bitchy note too, please tell me you don’t still have it.” Matt stared him down.

“Haha of course not, who would keep a break-up note seriously.” Alan made plans to hide the note in his apartment.

As they entered a coffee shop Alan prayed this conversation would be over.

“Alright, I won’t tell you to come to the bar with us but I am not leaving you like this any longer. Give me your phone.” Matt leaned in closer and Alan stuffed his phone in the pocket of his hoodie and crunched down to protect it. A minute of wrestling later Matt had the phone and the customers surrounding their table moved a little farther away.

“Dude relax, I’m not gonna go through whatever you got tucked away in here. I’m just downloading an app for you.” Alan deeply sighed and just waited for this to be over. Matt handed the phone back a couple minutes later and Alan held onto it with a firm grip. Matt shook his head.

“Seriously, all I did was download a new dating app. Just thumbs up people you like and if they do the same for you then you both get a notification.” Alan looked suspicious.

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

An hour or so later Alan was back at his apartment tucking a piece of paper into one of his books on Native American folklore. Such a random book might seem like it would stick out but Alan’s library was stuffed with miscellaneous knowledge. Everything from mythology and foreign languages to biology and mathematics. Matt had started college with a major in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. A semester before he graduated was when he found the note and Alan honestly didn’t know what to do with himself. He eventually decided just to keep busy, and keep busy he did. Surviving off the inheritance of his parents he devoted himself to school. Any course which looks interesting he took, as simple as that. This caused much confusion among the faculty but his friends were just happy that he wasn’t broken. So while they graduated and found jobs elsewhere Alan stayed and learned.

Alan’s eyes continued to find themselves drifting towards his phone. ‘Ah, what the hell.’ He picked up the phone and started making a profile. First thing he needed was a picture. As he looked through his phone he faced slowly darkened. ‘Do I really not have a single picture of myself without her?!’ With a sigh he got up and headed to the bathroom. He looked long and hard at himself in the mirror. About 5’ 11” with messy brown hair and blue-green eyes, he didn’t think of himself as great looking but he was defiantly not bad. Alan did his best to mess up his hair in exactly the right way before nodding in acceptance. ‘Here we go I guess’ he thought to himself.

Half a dozen shots later his profile picture was secure. He checked some likes and dislikes and got to the “interests” section. This left Alan a bit stumped since his interests had gotten quite complex in the past few years. He realized the list wouldn’t fit and just decided to write his latest passion, Mythological and Religious origins. He had been working quite deeply in this subject in the past few months and actually had just gotten back from a trip to Peru with his professor, Dr. Hendricks. He debated on if he would scare anyone away with this profile before just accepting it. ‘If there’s a girl half as good as Ashley then she wouldn’t care a bit.’ he thought to himself.

A few days later Alan noticed a push notification on his phone. He picked it up and flipped through to see he found a match, her name was Jenny. ‘The one girl who matched me back was the one with the picture of six girls in it huh?’ He tossed his phone aside and kneaded his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. ‘Fuck it, Matt told me to get out of my comfort zone every once in a while.’ He decided to just message her and take this down whatever road it was destined for.

Much to Alan’s surprise the conversation proved fruitful. She was actually pretty knowledgeable in his field which led to multiple nerdgasms through text. They laughed about the absurd romanticism in Greek myths and argued about rumors concerning Central American deities. They even both enjoyed classic horror movies. Never once did they beat around the bush and just go through the motions. Alan’s mind was set, he didn’t care which girl in the picture he matched with. But obviously he was hoping for certain ones.

Friday night came before he knew it and he was standing in a crowded restaurant clearly panicking. ‘What the fuck, none of them are here. I even checked the picture five times like an idiot!’ As he was about to go for number six he was tapped on the shoulder by the hostess.

“Sir, would your name happen to be Alan?’

“Yea actually, why do you ask?”

“Well there’s a lady in a black dress at the bar who asked me to save you.”

Alan turned his head and began to make his way over he saw a girl who was absolutely not in that profile picture. She was wearing a spaghetti strap black dress with a loose-stringed necklace that held a single ashen gray feather. As he stared at the necklace he found that it was just reaching into her cleavage before he willed his eyes back to her face like a dumbstruck fool. There he was met with her dark, golden eyes that seemed to have a hint of blue like an oasis in a desert. Her dark hair fell past her shoulders which contrasted her olive skin. She stared at him giggling with her hand over her mouth.

“Are you sure you’re looking for me?” he asked skeptically.

“That depends, what would your opinion of Athena be if she was a normal person?” she mused.

“Well she kind of seems like she would be uptight micro-manager. Like the kind you don’t want at a party because she would be cock-blocking everyone and herding her friends.” Alan said this without even thinking and immediately regretted it. ‘Why the fuck would you say that to her?’ he cursed to himself.

“HA! That’s perfect!” She was so loud she pulled the eyes of everyone in the vicinity. Alan had to pull her drink away since she was slapping the bar as she laughed. She calmed down a bit with some residual chuckles while tearing up. “She is a virgin you know” she said as she put down the cocktail napkin which she was using to dab her eyes.

“Ha..ha..so I’ve read, is your name Jenny? Alan couldn’t help but ask in this bizarre situation.

“Hmm? Oh yes, why do you think I called you over. You look just like your picture by the way.” She smiled and took a sip of her drink.

“That’s funny actually, I don’t remember seeing you in your profile picture.” He couldn’t help but try to clarify this. She whipped out her phone and showed him the picture he has seen numerous times already.

“See that’s me, the girl behind the campfire.” she said as she tapped the screen with her nail. Very faintly behind the flames was a head….of hair. How was he supposed to even notice there was someone there?! He sighed and just resigned himself to the situation. Here he was sitting with a beautiful woman at a bar, this was good.

After a few drinks Alan lost any apprehension he had about this situation. She was awesome. The conversation flowed and they shared small plates of tasty food. She was very down to earth and lacked a filter which was comfortable for him. After the conversation died down for a bit he turned and she was looking at him with her head in her hand and elbow on the bar. As if her eyes themselves were able to express emotion they looked sad, yet that bewitching smile remained on her face.

“How are you single?” she said as she leaned in closer.

“I could ask the same thing.” he said with a smile. However the smile faded.

“I was in a serious relationship up until a few years ago and after that I just wanted to not think about it. It took some convincing to start looking again.” Alan was poking the ice in his drink with his straw as he spoke. Jenny grabbed his eyes and turned his head.

“I, for one, am glad for whoever convinced you and also pity anyone foolish enough to leave you.” He couldn’t respond before her lips met his.

The trip seemed like one long kiss and before they knew it the cab pulled over. Jenny insisted on paying the man and he drove away muttering something unsavory. We didn’t travel far but this is certainly not a neighborhood that I frequent often. She pulls me up to a beautiful house and opens the door.

“You don’t lock your doors?’ Alan asked concerned. He would never leave without both locks on his door turned.

“It’s a nice community.” she shrugged. They walked inside and she strutted towards him with the eyes of a predator. He didn’t realize until his legs hit the couch that he had been backing away the whole time. She reached his chest and leaned into him until he fell over the couch. They proceeded to kiss and touch each other until Jenny was straddling him. She reached both hands to the bottom of her hiked up dress before she froze. Alan thought he was having a stroke until her face turned into a pout and a tear flowed down her cheek. She put her hand in her mouth and connected for a kiss. As her tongue wrestled with his Alan felt something slide down his throat.

. . . .

After twenty minutes Jenny finally broke away and got off him.

“I’m sorry I need to leave like this, there shouldn’t be an issue once they test your blood.” She spoke this to no one as Alan had already passed out. She mentally kicked herself. ‘I know I shouldn’t get attached but I’ve never met someone like him.’ She eventually overcame her mental anguish and vanished in a small plume of smoke.

. . . .

Minutes Later

A man appeared in the very spot which the woman left, this time with a puff of fine dust.

“She was just fucking here!” He couldn’t take this taunting behavior. Every time she knows he is coming yet leaves with the tiniest window. ‘She’s fucking with me on purpose!’ He looked down at the unconscious human with disdain. “I hope you get blamed for this whole thing you worm. Would make my life ten times easier.” The man left the exact way he arrived.

. . . .

Present

Alan woke covered in sweat. ‘I didn’t remember that we got that far’. He looked down between his legs. ‘Or that her body was that fine.’ By the time he collected himself he heard a small noise in the corner. His head whipped to the side and he saw two faint lights, dark gold with a hint of blue. His eyes gradually recognized a silhouette sitting in a chair. He tensed his body and was about to make a move until he heard a voice he never though he would hear again,

“Hello Alan.”