Chapter 75
SIX MONTHS LATER
Rose sat alone in a busy restaurant. It had simple decor that had a warm aura around it. The restaurant's main colors were red and orange. The sound of pop music entertained the customers especially the children. The more Rose looked at the restaurant, the more she began to realize why it was filled with families.
Rose sat by the window and to her left was a teenage couple. They were both sucked into their phones that Rose couldn't stop herself from shaking her head and them. She caught an old woman smiling at her and she awkwardly smiled back.
I don't understand kids these days. Has it become the norm to be on the phone all the time? Aren't they on a date? Rose thought to herself.
A friendly looking waitress placed a cup of coffee on Rose's table and Rose smiled at her. As she walked away, Rose secretly checked out her ass. Her lips involuntarily stretched flirtatiously as she enjoyed the view. To Rose's embarrassment, she caught the old woman staring at her again. Rose dropped her gaze and blew on her coffee.
'Geez what's with this old woman.'
Rose sipped on her coffee and her pupils dilated at the savouring and soothing taste. It was none like she ever tasted before. Rose slurped some more and relaxed her shoulders. She smiled to herself but when she caught the old woman looking at her again, she gave her a stern look.
'Do I have something on my face? I better not, gosh.'
Rose pulled out her face powder and looked at her reflection through the mirror. She saw that her makeup was fine and she put her powder back. She looked up and saw the old woman still looking at her.
Rose breathed in and tapped the table with her fingers. 'Ignore the woman Rose. Don't let her creepy old self get to you. You don't want your date to find you lashing out at an old woman.'
Rose turned her attention to the window. She looked out with both her hands on her coffee. It was a beautiful day. If it wasn't for the massive construction works that were going on, one wouldn't have known that a tragedy fell on the beautiful city of Kansas. Rose kept her attention on the construction workers. One of the men caught her attention. He looked hot with his gear on and huge hands holding a sledgehammer.
'Get it together Rose. No more drooling as you wait for your date.'
Rose faced away and caught the old woman still staring at her.
'Okay, back to drooling.' She turned her attention back to the construction men.
Rose's phone buzzed on the table and she reluctantly picked it up. She had received a new text from her mother.
"Is Benny there now?" πHer mother's text read.
"No, Benny isn't here. I have been waiting for close to 40 minutes. I'm thinking of leaving π." Rose replied.
"No honey. Wait a little longer. I'm sure there's a logical explanationπ." Rose's mother insisted.
"I'm a busy woman mom. You know that. I only agreed to this blind date to make you happy you know otherwise I would rather be at my office right now π." Rose texted back.
"Lol patience Rose. Let me know how the date goes." Rose's mother replied and Rose put her phone down.
Rose looked at her wrist watch and rested her head on her palm. She drunk some more of her coffee and continued looking at the handsome men working across the street. Rose suddenly heard someone clear her throat and she naturally turned to look.
A curvy Latino woman smiled elegantly at Rose. Her eye lashes were bushy and her soft pink lips were divine. Her light brown eyes looked directly into Rose's green eyes. They looked so passionate and enchanting. She wore a tight fitting black dress that hugged her curves seductively. She extended her hand to Rose in greeting.
"Hello, I'm Benny." She said and Rose's eyes widened in shock.
"You're Benny?" Rose asked in disbelief.
"Yes, my full names are Bernadette Maria Lopez. People call me Benny for short." She said with her hand still held out.
Rose got up in shock. Rose took Benny's hand and nervously shook it.
"Would you please excuse me?" Rose said and hurried away to the bathroom leaving Benny confused.
Rose walked so fast that she bumped into a man on the way. She looked up at him and saw that he was looking at her puzzled. Rose looked down and saw that she had made him drop his wallet. She got down on her knees and picked it up. It was open and she clearly saw his name. Rose shamefully handed the wallet back to him.
"I am truly sorry for that Mr. Sean Woods." Rose apologized.
"It's alright." Sean answered her with a chilling smile and walked away.
Sean went to his table and an Asian man smiled at him. As soon as Sean sat down, he playfully played with Sean's fingers and Sean kissed his hands.
***
Rose looked underneath the stalls in the toilet and saw that no one was in. She hastily dialled her mother's number and impatiently waited for her to pick up.
'Hello' Rose mother's sweet voice sounded at the other end of the line.
"Mom! Benny is a woman?" Rose asked her mother and she heard her mother's gentle and loving laugh.
'Do you like her?' Her mother asked.
Rose paused in silence.
'Rose?'
"Mom, how long have you known?" Rose softly asked her mother. She felt her tears coming and she sniffed.
'Since the beginning, honey.' Rose's mother confessed.
There was silence as Rose sobbed quietly.
"I always wanted to tell you mom. I just..."
'Shush... You don't have to explain yourself. You are my daughter. I'll always love you. I need you to understand that you are free to be yourself honey. This world may judge you but your mother and father will always be there for you.'
"Dad knows too?" Rose chuckled and wiped her tears.
'Of course he does. He is the one who noticed it first.' Rose's mother laughed.
"Thank you, mom."
'Nonsense, stop this mello drama of yours and return to your date.'
"Okay... I love you." Rose wiped her tears and looked at the mirror.
'I love you too baby.' Her mother hang up.
Rose smiled to herself in the mirror. She felt light. Someone suddenly walked into the bathroom and Rose was shocked to see the old woman again. This time she had glasses on and a walking stick.
She is blind! Rose was astonished.
She silently watched the old woman get into one of the stalls and close the door. Rose felt silly and laughed at herself. She fixed her makeup and when she was ready, she went out to see Benny.
"I am sorry about that." Rose apologized as she sat down.
"No no, I should be the one apologizing. I kept you waiting. I had a board meeting." Benny replied.
"I understand how busy work can be. What do you do?" Rose asked and opened up the menu.
"I am CEO of my family's hotel business. We are the owners of the Matbel hotels across the country." Benny cheerfully answered.
"I have heard an earful about you from my mother. Even though she didn't mention that you're a woman and a CEO. I'm not sure what she told you about me."
"Well your mother told me that you are a senior partner at the Darwin's Law Firm. She also told me that you have a sweet son named Gilbert." Benny said and thanked the waitress for her glass of water. "What she didn't tell me is that you are a goddess."
Rose laughed. "Is this how you charm your way to all women?"
"Only the pretty red heads." Benny winked at Rose.
"Keep going like this and I might just forgive you for showing up late." Rose leaned back on her chair smiling happily.
****
Lying on a red cloth in a park were Steve and Asher. Their babies were playing with each other in between them while they pointed at and admired the clouds in the sky.
It was their first time out together after the war. This was because the whole ordeal left Asher traumatized and paranoid. She was too afraid to leave their home and opted to remain in doors with their children. After much pleading, Steve finally convinced Asher to go out to the park.
Steve hadn't seen or heard from Akirexer. He remembered asking Rose if Akirexer paid her a visit but Rose said that she didn't. Steve hoped that she was okay.
Oblivious to Steve, Ezio sat at a park bench not so far away from Steve and Asher. He looked at the humans cheerfully interacting with each other. Ezio took out a book from his leather jacket and read it silently.
****
The world leaders had a United Nations meeting. The attack left them concerned about their safety and the safety of their people. They refused to take the peace for granted and let their guard down.
The world leaders hoped that Queen Sharaina was going to contact them but she didn't. This made them question her intentions. Investigations about what Queen Sharaina and her immortal army were underway. The world leaders knew close to nothing about darkas gods because Queen Sharaina didn't tell them much. The only things she told them was that they were vampire predators and that the vampires waged the war against them and not the human race. This got the world leaders thinking. They didn't even know what to call darkas gods because they didn't know what they were called. It was agreed that they were to be known as Vampire Feeders.
While they were grateful that the darkas gods saved millions of lives across the globe, they were afraid of having them turn against them. After much debate, they agreed to develop their weapons and upgrade their armies. This time around, they were going to be ready for another global attack.
