Episode 12: "Steak And Waffles."

Alicia opened her eyes. Her mouth was dry. She swallowed and slowly sat up. Her eyes rolled and a splitting headache attacked the left side of her brain. "Hmm..."

"You need to eat." He said.

"I know. I need to drink as well. I'm thirsty."

"I'll get you some water." He flew out the room.

She had her eyes closed, the light in the room causing her pain.

"Here." He said, placing the glass to her lips.

She drank slowly at first, before she began to gulp it down.

He snatched the glass away.

"Hey!"

"You don't want to drink so fast. Your body hasn't had anything in it for awhile."

"I know that, but I'm thirsty. Daintily drinking it is far from my mind right now! Now give me back the glass of water!"

"Is that anyway you ask?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Christian."

"Sip it slowly. It will go through your body better that way."

"How about my second glass do that?" she grabbed the glass and put it to her lips. She tried to go slow, but quite frankly, her body wasn't having it. She finished the rest of it. "I want some more please."

"Good. Get up and get it yourself. It's downstairs." He darted out of the room.

"Christian!"

"Survival Alicia!" He called.

She groaned and threw the covers off her.

***

Coming down the steps slowly, gripping the rail for life, she smelled something good. Her mouth watered.

She came down the last step and Christian darted in front of her.

"Gah!"

"Sorry." He said.

"Last thing I need is an elevated heartbeat, Christian!"

"I know. Please, come this way."

"What's cooking? It smells good."

"You'll see." He led her to the kitchen. It was gourmet of course.

She saw two sizzling steaks in a pan, and a waffle maker? There was fresh fruit cut up in a bowl, following a pitcher of water.

"Wow..." she said, taking in everything.

"Have a seat." he motioned to the stools.

She frowned. "Must you be so curt?"

He chuckled. "I am a man of business."

"Yeah, and after the business is all over then what?" she slid into a stool.

"I don't know. I don't really give it much thought."

"I doubt that." she said, adjusting her posture so she could sit comfortably.

He looked up at her before he turned the steaks over.

The burners were embedded within the island counter which Alicia thought was neat.

He had another stove in back of him.

"So, you cook?"

"On occassion." He said, watching the meat cook.

"Do you ever need to eat?"

"Yes. But its not needed for survival."

"But blood is." Alicia said, watching him.

"No, that is my case only." He said. "If you are fully turned, then you can eat whatever. It won't matter what. My kind doesn't need food to survive. Well, we do. Just very minimal. We can go days without food or water where normal humans will go into shock and die."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"And why won't you turn again?" She popped a mango piece into her mouth.

Christian tapped a drawer on his side and it pushed itself out. He grabbed a fork and handed it to her.

"Is it clean?"

He ran it under water and handed it to her again.

"Thank you. I asked you a question."

"And I've already given you my answer." He faced her.

"But what does that mean? Why even bother? It's who you are, Christian."

"Need I remind you of your living situation?"

"Forget, well, let's not forget my living situation, but still. It's apart of who you are, Christian. You can't change that."

"Yet." He said, turning away. He pulled down a bowl and whisk.

"So what happens if--when you turn one day? Are you going to forget me?"

He smirked a little. "I never forget my donors. I've only had three, but I'd remember each one."

"How can you be so sure?"

He tapped his temple. "Memory is a steel trap."

"Hm." Alicia nodded. "So, what are you? Or, more importantly, what are your kind?"

"I've told you that."

"Right, but at the time I was still in an unbelieving mindset. I mean, I still kind of am, but, now that I've seen you in action, I think I could grasp it more."

"Well, as I've said, there's really no name for my kind. Or the kinds in the world." He flipped both steaks again.

"What would you call yourself?" she asked.

"What would you call me?" he eyed her.

"I don't know. I mean, I would say a human on crack. Or a human with some disease, but other than that, I mean, if we're going supernatural and mythical...I don't know. A Vampire? Or Werewolf? Even a witch."

He chuckled. "Well, thankfully none of those things exist."

"But you do." Alicia said, watching him pour in a store bought waffle/pancake mix in a bowl. She jabbed a strawberry with her fork and placed it in her mouth.

"I do." he said, dashing over to the fridge and grabbing two eggs and a carton of blueberries.

She was quiet then, watching him work. How his hands moved. How he whisked with his right hand. His forearms and the veins that slightly pertruded underneath his skin. His adams apple and neck. His jawline and blonde hair. His single pierced ear with one shiny stud.

"What's with the ear?" she asked.

"It's just a style."

She saw him furrow his brows. "You sure about that?"

"Yes." His tone was curt.

"Okay, no more asking about the ear." She looked around the kitchen.

"What about you?" He asked, folding in the blueberries now.

"What about me?"

"Who are you, Alicia?" He looked to her and then back to his task at hand. He reached forward where he had his spice rack and put in a dash of cinnamon and a teaspoon of vanilla.

"Hm..." she smiled some and looked down. "Well I would say I'm a college drop out but I haven't went to college, so...he-he."

"Hm." He said.

She watched him for a moment and then moved on, not wanting to know what he thought about her not being in school. "You could say I've always been a loner. Deep down anyway." She stared at the counter. "Even though I had friends, you could say I wasn't all there."

"Hm." He said.

"I've always been the wise one, well, not in this situation."

He chuckled.

"But hey, so far so good." Alicia looked away from him.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Out of life?"

"Oh." she thought about that. After a few minutes she answered, "I guess, no, I wouldn't mind being married one day. A family I could call my own. But," Alicia looked down at the counter. "I'll never have that dream." She smiled. "I think I would have made a cool Mom."

"Would have made?"

"Yeah, I...can't have children." She looked to him.

Christian stopped what he was doing and looked to her.

She softly chuckled. "You know, sometimes I think my parents may have forgotten about that. Or forgot about it. After all, it's not them." She looked down at the counter again. She nodded her head. "But, I'll survive. I don't have a choice, right?" She looked up at him.

"You always have a choice. We all do. Its what we choose that will become a path or hinderance."

"Yeah well, when life throws you lemons, you don't make lemonade, that's for sure."

Christian chuckled at first, before he burst out laughing. Alicia joined in with him.

It was a cruel joke indeed.

***

"Hm!" she cut into her waffles. There were three stacked high with butter and syrup. "Where'd you learn to cook like this! Everything is delicious!"

He chuckled. "I told you I studied everything from fashion to architecture. In the middle is cooking, computers, game design..."

"Mechanic." She said.

"Yeah that too."

"Psht!" she shook her head and took a sip of her orange juice.

He actually laughed.

"What?" she said, smiling.

"Nothing." He smiled. "Its just...the way you act. It's very, down to earth."

"Hey, I gotta be me." She shrugged her shoulders. She cut into her steak. "Somebody's gotta be." She gave a fake whimper and placed the piece of meat in her mouth.

He chuckled again and she turned to smile at him.

***

"So this will be your room." He said.

"You couldn't let me pick out one with all these rooms down the hall?"

"I'm sorry. Beggers can't be choosers."

"Who said I was begging?! I was only making a point."

"Point? Making a point in somebody else's house?"

"Yeah, well." Alicia said looking at the already luxurious room that would be hers for the time being.

"There is no 'Yeah, well,' take it or leave it girl."

"If I decide to leave it?"

"Do you like hearing yourself say no? What's wrong with the room? It's perfect! Or would be perfect to someone who doesn't have a home right now."

"True. But just the thought. I mean, you have soooo many rooms. Why can't I pick out one? I mean," she deliberately took a deep breath and blew out, "I am giving you blood."

"Don't hang that over my head. You don't see me mentioning your financial situation."

"True." She said looking at the room.

"You're messing with me aren't you?"

She looked to him and pinched her fingers together. "Just a little bit." She squinted her eyes a little. "But I was serious about the rooms. I wouldn't mind seeing others."

"Yeah, well that's not going to be tonight."

"Hm. Okay." She stepped into her room. "Are you going to give me a tour one day?"

"I'll think about it." He said.

"What's there to think about?"

He gave her a look.

"Right. A guy like you must have have a million secrets."

"Do you need anything else?"

"Uh, no. I need to plan my next move--oh! The brochure! I need to pick out some outfits!"

"Yes, you do." He darted away and came back with it.

"Thanks." she said, smiling a little. "I'll be sure to pick out something modest." She turned away from him.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

She turned to him.

"If you need anything, I'll be in my room."

"Huh! Wait!"

"What?"

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Plan, like you said. Maybe unpack. Maybe plan to buy some things. You have $4000 dollars Alicia. Plus, you said you wanted to change your number."

"Right!"

She had plenty to do.

"Thanks Christian, I've been--"

"Drained." He said, hands in his pockets. "Literally and figuratively."

"Right." She said.

"Take it easy. One thing at a time." He placed his hand on the knob and began to close the door.

"Wait a minute! Quit trying to shut me out--" she faltered due to her voice cracking.

She didn't intend to start crying.

She swallowed. "Just, leave the door open."

"Okay." he said. "My door will be closed though."

"Could you leave yours open?"

"No. I need time to think as well. I can't do that with open doors."

"I see." Alicia said. "Okay. Then close the door, mine, close mine."

"Okay." He nodded. "If you need anything, just, scream."

She scoffed. "I'm liable to scream even if I don't need anything."

He nodded. "Sounds like you. At least in this moment of time."

"Yeah."

"I'll see you."

"Okay." she said.

He nodded once and closed the door.

She turned and threw herself onto her bed. She probably stank and the first thing on her list would be to definitely shower. Or the second thing. Tears in her eyes, she frantically searched for a piece of paper. She needed to make a list of things she needed to get done while her brain was still functioning and not so much her emotions.

She noticed her purse on the bed and grabbed her phone from inside it. She guessed Christian had chosen this room for her from the start. She finally took note of her boxes all neatly stacked against a wall and on top of each other.

He had done that for her.

She smiled. He had done everything for her so far, even going so far as to cook. How could she repay him?

Not in money. She wouldn't repay him in money. But he'd see her gratitude in other ways. She'd make sure of it.

Swiping her phone, she read a text from her mother.

"Disconnected your service from ours. Have a nice life, Alicia. Your mother."

"Hmph." she chuckled to herself and swiped her screen, opening up her 'Memo' app. "Let's see, shower, get a bank account, switch phone service..."