Balance Beam

Running a hand down my face, I grumbled to myself as my cell phone went off for the seventh time. As usual, it was Alexa texting me. I rolled my eyes, staring back at my work computer screen. I was finishing the final touches to my latest interview so I could go home. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my best friend walk over and he flopped down on my desk.

“Dude, what the fuck?” I growled, throwing my hands up. He chuckled at me, shaking his head.

“Shut up,” he laughed, jokingly. “Guess who is hanging out with the new intern tonight?” Quinn wiggled his eyebrows, I rolled my eyes at him.

“What about Janis?” I asked, turning my gaze back to my interview. I could see Quinn shrug in my peripherals.

“What about her? Have you seen Cecile?” he asked. “She is so hot and just, uh. Janis completely slips my mind when I’m around her.”

“She didn’t work today,” I noted. “Where are you meeting her?”

“Damn you ask a lot of questions,” he laughed. “We’re just meeting at a room on the second floor at the hotel. Well, I‘m out of here. I‘ll see you later, I guess.”

I waved him off, really needing to get back to work. For about another half hour, I typed ferociously as I tried to finish it to perfection. Finally, I was satisfied. After saving it, I printed a copy and took it to Cecile’s desk. It was organized beyond belief and exceptionally clean. I sat it in one of her black baskets and walked back to my cubicle.

My cell phone started to vibrate on my desk and I groaned aloud, seeing Alexa was calling. I decided to answer it, knowing she wouldn’t leave me alone until I did so. “Hello?”

“Hey,” she said. I could tell she was smiling and I hated how she dragged out her words. “I have a question, well, a proposition rather.”

I cringed at her choice of words, instantly making me think of her mother. “Oh yeah, what’s that?” I asked, slipping on my jacket,

“Well I grabbed a couple of cheese steaks from that one place you like and I was hoping I could come over tonight,” she said. I rolled my eyes, moving my phone from my ear and shaking it, cursing silently.

“That’s a lovely idea,” I said into my phone and forcing a smile, despite her not being able to see it. “I’m just now finishing up at work so I’ll be home in twenty minutes.”

“Great,” she mused. “I should be over in about forty-five minutes.”

We hung up after saying goodbye and I made my way out of the building. It was freezing for it being mid-November, so I decided to flag down a cab. You’d think since I’m from Boston I’d be used to cold weather, but I disliked it a lot. I prefer warm weather and would love to move south. Miami sounds good. Maybe I should convince Lucinda to build a branch there. I’ll have to remember that idea.

Nearly twenty minutes later I made it back to the hotel. I dashed to the elevator, avoiding many weird people, and went up to my floor. The living room and such was a mess, so I cleaned up a bit. Just as she said, Alexa knocked on my apartment door forty-five minutes later with food in hand.

“Hi,” she said as she stepped inside, kissing my cheek. I stared after her as she made herself at home in the living room. I shut the door. “You were so right about that place. Oh! And I love these bags they give you to keep your food warm, such a great idea.”

“Yeah, they’re great,” I smiled as I sat next to Alexa. She smiled as she handed me my cheese steak. “You remembered what I like on it?”

She chuckled, nodding. “Of course, why wouldn’t I? Come on, eat up. I know you probably skipped lunch,” she smiled before taking a bite of her food.

About midway through our meal, the apartment door slammed open and people barged in. I jumped as I was startled and Alexa gasped loudly. I recognized Giselle and Aroldo Veneratio, who were with five others. I stared at Giselle, who just stared at the girl on my couch. Suddenly her eyes met mine and I stepped back. She looked right angry.

“What the fuck is going on?” I asked, suddenly mad that they barged into my apartment like that.

“No need to be alarmed, Mr. Reid. We just need to ask you a few questions, that’s all. These are my policemen you could say,” Aroldo laughed before he continued. “And you know Giselle. So, is that okay?”

I nodded slowly. “Sure,” I said. I looked at Alexa and she was glaring at me. Oh boy.

“Where’s Quinn?” Giselle asked suddenly, looking around the apartment. She came closer to me. “Where is he, Bram?”

I shrugged, rubbing the back of my neck nervously and avoiding eye contact. “He’s hanging out with the new intern.”

“Cecile?” she asked, her eyes wide. I nodded.

“How’d you know?”

“She’s the one we’ve been looking for. Do you know where they are? Quinn could be in trouble,” she hurriedly said. My stomach dropped at her words.

“On t-t-the second floor,” I stuttered.

In a flash, Aroldo and his five “policemen” were out of my apartment. Giselle made her way closer to the door, clearly keeping watch on us. It was deadly quiet and the tension was so thick, you could have cut it with a knife. This is exactly what I wanted to avoid.

“You want to tell me what’s going on?” Alexa growled from behind me. I turned to her, sitting down.

“It’s best for your own health if you don’t know the details,” Giselle interrupted from the other side of the room. I looked over at her, wishing she wouldn’t have jumped in like that.

“I’m sorry, who are you anyway?” Alexa asked Giselle, glaring at her. “Certainly no one to say that I don’t deserve an explanation, especially for you ruining our evening.”

Before we knew it, Giselle was sitting on the coffee table in front of us. I jumped back suddenly, expecting her to rip Alexa’s throat out, or at least choke her. Alexa gasped, finally realizing that she was bucking up to a damn vampire. She shrunk back into the couch as Giselle chuckled at her.

“Not so tough now, are you?” Giselle laughed. For the first time since I met her, she looked like a vampire. It was weird, yet not really. It suited her well. “So, what would you like to know? The whole story? Of course if I did that, I’d just have to kill you anyway.”

Alexa looked over at me, pleading with her eyes for me to say something. I cleared my throat to get her attention, but Giselle kept her eye on Alexa. “How do you two know each other?” Alexa finally asked, nearly out of breath.

Giselle cocked her head to the side. “Out of all the things going on, you choose to ask me that? You’re more stupid than you look,” she shook her head. “I’m the personal assistant to the vampire Mayor of the city, that’s how we know each other…”

Giselle briefly told Alexa that they were trying to take a vampire into custody and save my best friend since he was with her. I thought back to mine and Quinn’s conversation before he left work tonight. “Janis completely slips my mind when I’m around her.”

“I should have known,” I whispered. Both Alexa and Giselle looked at me curiously. “I should have known it was Cecile. She fit’s the profile you gave me and Quinn said something this afternoon pertaining to Janis not being on his mind when he’s around her.”

Alexa put her hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged it off. “Bram, no one could tell she was one, she can walk in the sun,” Alexa said. I knew she was trying to make me feel better, but it wouldn’t work.

“I’m a reporter, noticing things like that is part of my job. Now Quinn is in danger because I didn’t catch on,” I grumbled. Giselle hopped up and turned toward the door. One of Veneratio’s vamp cops waved for her to follow.

“Come on, we got her. The human is on his way up,” he said before disappearing. Giselle turned back around and nodded her head.

“Just because we caught her doesn’t mean things are over, Bram. The three of you need to be extra careful. Hopefully the next time we see each other won’t be because of a life-threatening situation. See you around, Bram. Nice to meet you,” she waved at Alexa and I.

And with that, she was gone. Again.

***

When Quinn had returned to the apartment three nights ago, he was completely shook up and lovesick about Janis all over again. He wasn’t injured or anything, but Cecile did drug him and that made him tired. After I helped him into bed, Alexa and I had a long talk.

I tried to convince her that hanging out with, or being around me was too dangerous right now. She needed to keep her distance, so the vampires wouldn’t bother her or drag her into this. Like Giselle had said, this wasn’t over. Despite everything that had happened and our talk, Alexa was sticking to me like glue.

“Bram, can I talk to you?” Quinn asked, walking into our living room. I was playing video games, something I hadn’t done in awhile. It was the first day since the whole fiasco that Alexa and I weren’t in each other’s presence.

“Sure,” I said pausing the game. I looked over at him as he sat on the couch. “What’s up?”

“Why’d Giselle tell you everything that she did? Also, why didn’t you tell me, man? Maybe if I had known what I was walking into, or if I had known to begin with I wouldn’t have went,” he complained. I shrugged, knowing this conversation was coming.

“She told me to keep it a secret so no one would try to harm us. Besides, no one could tell what she was and you would’ve been no different.”

“Janis didn’t really leave the state did she? It was a lie because she’s a vampire too,” he said. I nodded at him.

“I didn’t have proof that she was a vampire too, but I figured she was. Like I said, it was best to not tell you,” I insisted. Quinn shook his head no.

“You’re wrong. You let that girl, well, vampire lie to me. And it wasn’t for the best, Bram. In case you forgot, I got kidnapped by some vamp-witch this week!”

Before I could apologize, he pushed himself from the couch and stalked towards his room, huffing and puffing the entire time. He was certainly pissed at me, probably the angriest I’ve ever seen him. Quinn and I didn’t argue or disagree much. But I could tell that he would be mad for a few days before everything blows over. I sighed loudly, running my hands down my face.

Is this shit over yet? I’d like to go back to my normal life.