Page 37 of Forsaken
Julian glanced at her, but he was on his ownwith this. “Why don’t you show meyourfavorite,” he said toNicolette.
If it were possible, Aida thought Nicolettemight melt through the floor as she became putty in his hands.“Well, I love them all, but this one over here…”
Aida watched them walk over to a painting ofa young girl releasing a balloon into the air. The girl’s head wastipped back as her mournful eyes watched the balloon float away.She was aware that some people released balloons for their lovedones in Heaven, and the details of this little girl were so vividthat Aida suspected she was a real subject.
Aida loved the painting, it was hauntinglybeautiful, but it made her want to cry. She hoped Julian foundsomething a little happier to purchase.
CHAPTER 18
Aida sipped her beer while she stared around thecrowded bar. From the piano, the haunting strains of a familiarsong started to play. Standing near the piano, Cassidy held hermicrophone as her beautiful, clear voice filled the air. She’d beenborn to perform, Aida decided as Cassidy’s voice enthralledeveryone in the bar.
The piano bar drew an older crowd, which wasfine with Aida. While in Arizona, she tried going to a couple ofclubs, but the noise, vast amount of people, and the flashinglights drove her out of them.
It was impossible to take in her surroundingsin one of those places, and people or a vampire could easily sneakup on her. She’d hated every second she spent in those clubs andbeen on the verge of a panic attack by the time she fled thecrowded, disorienting atmosphere for fresh air.
The middle-aged crowd of Addy’s suited her,and she could relax in this place because she knew exactly whereeveryone was located and who was here. Whenever she came in, shesat in the chair at the corner of the bar to keep her back to thewall while surveying the crowd. If someone occupied that chair, sheleaned against the wall near it and waited for them to leave.Thankfully, it was empty when she came in tonight because she wastoo tired to stand.
She took another sip of her beer as shesurveyed the Friday crowd. Celebrating the weekend, the place wasfar more lively tonight than during the week. Couples and groups offriends danced on the wooden floor set before the stage.
The booths against the wall hid many of theoccupants, but those filling the pub tables closer to the dancespace were visible beneath the dim lights illuminating the dancespace and stage. Competing to be heard over the music and eachother, the voices of the occupants grew steadily louder with everydrink they consumed.
Unlike a lot of other bars and clubs, thescent of stale alcohol wasn’t strong here. Instead, the aroma ofcooking food and an underlying hint of lemon polish and cleaningsupplies mingled pleasantly with the alcohol aroma.
Most of the bar’s occupants were middle-aged,but Addy’s did draw some younger people into it, or, more likely,Kylie and Cassidy drew them in. Cassidy’s beauty and voice wereimpossible to resist, and Kyle was extremely handsome with hiseasygoing smile, wheat blond hair, and blue eyes.
Many of the people packed around therectangle-shaped bar were women who watched Kyle with a hungrygleam in their eyes. She’d lived with them long enough to know Kylewouldn’t be coming home tonight.
Aida closed her eyes against the pounding ofher head before opening them again. She should have gone home, butshe was so freaking hungry she could eat an entire cow, and shewasn’t sure how trustworthy her leftovers were.
She could have grabbed a pizza, but the ideaof a beer after this day was too tempting to turn down. Beforeleaving the gallery, she texted Kyle to put in an order for her anddragged her ass down the street to the bar.
She was taking sip number three of her beerwhen Kyle placed her order of a cheeseburger, chicken tenders, andfrench fries in front of her. Her mouth watered, and she imaginedshe resembled a dog just tossed a steak. She wasn’t sure it wouldbe enough, but it was a good start.
“Thank you,” she breathed.
He grinned at her as he slapped his hand onthe bar and turned to one of his many female admirers. Aidasquirted some ketchup next to her fries and dunked a handful inwhile she watched the dancers. She envied them their energy; sheplanned to stuff herself and waddle home to pass out.
She started on her cheeseburger and, betweenbites, ate some of her chicken and fries. Her meal was almost goneby the time her stomach said enough, and she pushed the plate away.Lifting her beer, Aida leaned against the wall to survey thecrowd.
Her eyes were drawn to the door when itopened, and Julian stepped inside. Aida hadn’t known if he would behere when she arrived or if he found somewhere andsomeoneelse to entertain him for the night.
After the incident in the bathroom, he wouldhave to feed, but she didn’t question him about it. He had to feedto survive, and unlike the vampires who held her prisoner, hedidn’t harm those he fed on, but she still hated the idea ofit.
If she were truly honest, shedespisedthe idea of him feeding on someone else. Aida shifted uncomfortablyin her chair. Julian’s eyes scanned the bar, and when they landedon her, she realizedthiswas exactly what she was hopingfor when she came here. She could have grabbed that pizza, butJulian wouldn’t have a chance of showing up there.
Here he was though, and she couldn’t deny theenthusiastic beat of her heart. Her exhaustion faded away as herlips insisted on tugging up toward a smile. She kept fighting tokeep them in a flat line—he couldn’t realize how excited she was tosee him—but her smile was winning the battle.
Julian couldn’t stop himself from smilingwhen he spotted Aida. After leaving the gallery, he returned to theapartment to feed. He didn’t trust himself to drink from a humanwithout killing them, but he hadn’t expected to consume as many ofthe blood bags as he did.
He’d planned to return to the gallery to walkAida home, but by the time he felt steady enough to face the publicagain, he discovered the gallery closed. Convinced he’d somehowmissed her, he returned to her apartment to find she wasn’tthere.
He was starting to worry when Kyle texted totell him she was at the bar. Julian had assumed she was too tiredto go out, but he was wrong. She still looked tired, but the smallsmile she gave him caused her eyes to twinkle, and a healthy colorfilled her cheeks.
With every predatory step Julian took towardher, Aida’s heart beat a little faster. She gulped beer to wet hersuddenly parched throat, but she might require the whole keg tocalm her.
When Julian stopped beside Aida, he restedhis arm on the bar and leaned against it while smiling at her.Unable to resist, he brushed back a strand of her hair and tuckedit behind her ear. Her lips parted as she gazed at him beforeturning her head away and drinking more of her beer.
“Your boss talked me into buying an expensivepainting,” he told her.
