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Chapter Twenty-Three Camille had gone back to her room to shower and dress and upon coming back, found that Melanie and Taylor had already left for the evening. She’d gone out alone, easily found a meal and come back, hoping Taylor would return soon. Now, the apartment was empty, except for the couple servants still milling about. For a while, she sat on the couch, gazing at the little bear with the purple jacket that had become a fixture of the place. Reaching in her bag, she pulled out her CD player and placed the headphones on her head. “You Never Know” poured into her ears and a smile came across her face. By the time Melanie came in, “Wish That I Was There” had just started. As she reached down to hit the ‘skip’ button, she noticed her walking in from the elevator. “Hey, what’s up?” She asked, pulling the headphones away from her ears. |
“Nothing, just gonna pack my stuff.” She said, heading down the hallway.
Camille sat up, “What? What are you talking about?” She asked, standing to follow the girl. When she got to their room, Melanie had already pulled her backpack out from under the bed and was shoving clothes from the floor or chairs where she’d thrown them into it. “What happened? Where’s Taylor?” She asked, panicked.
Now Melanie looked into her eyes, “It didn’t go so well tonight, Camille. He’s alright though, don’t worry.” She said, holding up a black lacy piece of clothing, “Is this yours or mine?” She asked.
“It’s both of ours.” Camille said, taking it and throwing it in the corner. “Well, what happened?” She said, sitting down on the bed.
“I fucked up. I took him to the End.” Melanie stated with a sigh.
“Mel!” Camille’s eyes widened.
“I know, I know! I didn’t think anything would happen though. I mean, it’s not like he can’t take care of himself, y’know!” Melanie defended herself.
“He’s got the power, but he doesn’t know how to use it. You know that.” Camille said.
“Yeah, I know. I just thought…” Melanie said, and she sat down on the bed next to the girl. “If you’da seen it…God, I just…I feel really bad. He was so scared.” Melanie said softly, closing her eyes.
Camille didn’t think she’d seen Melanie sorry for anything she’d ever done. “Well, are you gonna tell me what happened?” She asked.
Melanie looked around the room, “Where is everybody?”
“I don’t know. They were gone when I came back.” Camille answered.
Melanie walked over to the closet and pulled out a long, velvety dress and carefully folded it, “Well, I took him there–I just thought I’d show him the place and they’d make fun of him a little and I’d watch him squirm and that would be it, right?” She said, pulling up her skirt and licking her finger, then rubbing her knee, “Well, they all ganged up on him, including the trio of terror–“
“I hate those bitches.” Camille spat.
“Yeah, well, I guess they don’t much like us these days either. It seems everybody thinks we’re Beatriz’ little pets or something and they’re a little pissed.” Melanie stated shaking her head. “Anyway, they had this nasty coffin in the back room and they decided it would be funny to lock him in it…” Melanie’s voice faltered.
Camille gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh no…”
“Yes.” Melanie said, meeting her gaze. “They fucking locked him in that thing and…he just freaked Camille. I didn’t know what to do!” She cried. “I knew I couldn’t stand up against them by myself, so I called Kirk.”
Camille let out her breath, “Thank God.”
Melanie shook her head and shoved the delicate dress into the bag, “No, no–that’s not all. Before Kirk got there, the lid on the thing just…blew off. The lock was all bent up and the lid just…opened up all by itself. Blam!” Both of them looked at each other, letting it sink in.
As the clock struck twelve, Melanie opened a drawer and grabbed a handful of underclothes, dropping them on the bed as Camille watched.
~~~~~
“Dad, it’s midnight!” Zac exclaimed. “Let us go out and look for her! This is crazy, what if they did something to her to get back at Tay or something?!”
“Zac, she left a note. She’s an adult. We have to just trust her. Besides, I don’t know where we would go to look for her…” Walker was just as worried as his sons, he just didn’t want them to know it. He’d managed to get the younger children in bed without them really knowing Diana wasn’t just out shopping or whatever, but the older two knew all too well what could happen in the city.
Isaac sat on the couch, tapping his fingers on the arm. He’d gone down earlier and spoken to the few fans that had been hanging around and none of them had seen Diana come out of the building. He was incredibly worried, scenes playing out in his mind of Sonya’s eyes as she drank from his brother. His memory had become so much clearer of that night as time passed that he woke up at night sweating as he remembered details that hadn’t come to him the day before. He didn’t know how Avery could take it. She had known from the beginning what had happened. He looked up as she walked into the room, sleepy eyed and hair all mussed.
“Daddy,” she said softly, “Tay says Mommy is with him. He’s bringing her home now. Ok?” She watched as Zac sat down heavily in a chair at the table, his head in his hand. “What’s wrong?” She asked sleepily.
Walker let out a breath, “Nothing baby, thanks for telling us that.” She shuffled over and hugged him. He looked into her face, “How do you…hear Tay?” He asked. He hadn’t believed her the first time she’d told them she could hear her brother’s voice in her mind, but the last couple days, they’d all come to know she was telling the truth.
“I don’t know, I just do.” She said. Walker reached over and pulled her up into his lap, rubbing his cheek across her silky hair. “He told you he’s coming here? Tonight?” He asked her. She nodded, closing her eyes. He and Isaac locked eyes, then both looked over at Zac. Already stressed, the news that he would see Taylor again shortly was almost too much for him to take.
~~~~~
Beatriz and Sonya walked a bit behind Taylor and his mother, both watching the interaction between mother and son. When they got to the hotel, both women stopped at the corner of the building. Taylor and Diana had stopped there as well, checking out the front of the building to see if there were fans or photographers waiting for them. It seemed a miracle to Taylor, but it appeared no one was waiting there to accost them. “It looks safe, Mom.” He said. He turned to Beatriz, his eyes asking her what she wanted him to do.
“You go on up, Taylor. We’ll wait for you here.” She said. He closed his eyes, still not believing he was actually about to go up to see his family.
“Aren’t you coming up?” Diana asked her and Sonya. “We’ll have private time tomorrow.” She said, looking up at Taylor and smiling.
“That’s actually a good idea, Sonya needs to meet the rest of the family, doesn’t she?” Beatriz said, looking over at her. Sonya wasn’t so sure, but Taylor nodded and looked at her with those eyes and she knew she couldn’t refuse. After all, she knew she would be spending quite a bit of time with them all starting the following week.
~~~~~
When the door opened, Zac, Walker and Isaac all looked up, praying it was Diana. She stepped in the door and immediately, Zac was by her side, his arms wrapped around her. “Mom! God, I was so scared!” He exclaimed. Then, he looked up to see Taylor standing in the doorway as well. He tried to blink away the tears that had clouded his vision, but only succeeded in causing them to trickle down his cheeks. “Tay…” he said just before he launched himself at his older brother. Sonya smiled seeing the joy on both the boys’ faces.
“Zac, man–it’s so good to see you. I think you’ve grown!” Taylor joked. But Zac was in no mood for jokes, he buried his face in Taylor’s shoulder. Isaac and Walker ushered everyone into the room.
“Diana–” Walker said, embracing her. “We were about to get worried, hon. I wish you’d called before you left.” He said. “How’s Tay?” He asked her, watching his sons reunited again. Isaac had now joined the two and all three wore huge smiles on their faces, letting each other know what all had happened during the last few days of their separation.
“He’s pretty good, I think.” She said, watching them as well. Beatriz and Sonya had stepped back, allowing the family to greet each other. “Um, Walk, this is Sonya.” Diana said, gesturing to her. Sonya stepped forward and shook hands with him.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Hanson.” She said respectfully.
“She’ll be accompanying us when the tour begins again.” Diana stated. “Sonya, have you met the boys yet?” She asked, not certain if Sonya was one of the girls they’d seen at the house or not.
“Um, yes ma’am, I have.” She said quietly. Beatriz was watching the exchange very carefully. Sonya had always conducted herself very diplomatically. It was one of the reasons she’d chosen her for certain jobs and she was nearly always pleased with the way she had performed the things she’d asked of her. Isaac, Zac and Taylor now joined their parents.
“Yeah, we met already.” Zac said, eyeing her suspiciously. Of the three girls, she scared him the least, yet she was still scary all the same. There was something about her that made him think she was holding back. That there was more to her than the calm, cool demeanor that she let through. He remembered the other two girls being a bit afraid of her as well. His brown eyes looked at her green ones and a silent understanding passed between the two. She knew how afraid he was of their kind, so she wasn’t going to do anything that might set him off. In fact, she knew he was afraid of his own brother, and rightly so. Isaac on the other hand was perhaps in a bit of denial, in her opinion. Glancing over at him though, she felt fear coming from him as well. More than the last time they’d met and she realized he’d begun to dismiss the images she’d put in his mind about the night of Taylor’s death. “Hello, Isaac.” She said, “Are you glad to have your brother back again?” She asked, smiling.
He stepped a little closer to her, “Yes, I am. But I’m sure you know that.” He said back.
“Yes, I do. I know how much you were missing him. I’m glad things are working out for you all now.” She said sincerely.
“Me too.” He said quietly, turning to watch as Taylor hugged his father.
“I missed you, son. When are you coming home?” Walker asked, looking up to catch Beatriz’ eye.
“As long as he feeds tonight, as well as tomorrow, he may return to you tomorrow night. He’ll have tickets for you and your family for a flight back to Tulsa. You should be there by midnight I should think.” She responded. She was met with wide eyes as they all let the information sink in.
“Is that cool, or what?” Taylor asked, laughing. “Hey,” he said, slapping Isaac on the arm, where’s Avie, I want to tell her.”
Isaac rubbed his arm and shook his head, “She’s asleep on the couch. She told us you were coming.”
“Yeah?” Taylor said, walking towards the living room, “I hoped she would, and that you guys would believe her.” He said, looking over at Isaac.
“Well, at first, we thought she’d sort of gone a little whacko, y’know? But then, I don’t know, we just knew she was telling the truth. It’s probably the only thing that was keeping Mom sane.” Isaac replied.
Stepping up to the couch, Taylor stooped down and leaned in close to his little sister as she slept peacefully, her arms wrapped around the blanket she always slept with. He slid his arms under her and picked her up effortlessly. Isaac watched as she began to wake up and find herself in the arms of her brother. “Tay?” She asked, rubbing her eyes.
“Yeah, baby.” He said as he pressed his face into her hair. He knew the scent of her and he breathed it in now as if it were the finest perfume or the delicate smell of a tea rose from his mother’s garden. “Oh God, I missed you so much.” He uttered. She put her hands on either side of his face and looked into his blue eyes.
“Tay, what scared you tonight? I felt it, but I didn’t know if I dreamed it. If it was me or you that was scared.” She whispered.
Sonya had stepped away from Beatriz and Taylor’s parents to see where the boys had gone. Zac followed her. “Does she hate me?” She whispered to him.
“Yes. She knows what you did. She remembered it all.” He answered bluntly. He didn’t really care if he hurt her feelings. He liked her more than the others, but that wasn’t saying much. Isaac felt the need to be polite and to pretend these people weren’t monsters who’d killed their brother, but Zac did not.
Sonya met his eyes again and sighed, “Well, I can’t say that I blame her. I’m sure you don’t believe me Zac, but I really never wanted anything like this to happen." She apologized to the boy.
“I believe you, but it doesn’t change anything.” He said back. They watched as Taylor continued to sway with Avery in his arms and to whisper in her ear.
“True.” She said with a sigh. Sonya walked over to stand next to Isaac, “We need to leave in a few minutes. But, he’ll be back tomorrow, I promise.” Isaac looked back at her, his eyes tired looking and dark, and he nodded. She walked back in the kitchen, allowing them to say their good-byes again. At least, she comforted herself, they knew it was only temporary this time.
~~~~~
The buzz at the bar known as “The Living End” was all about Taylor that night. Who he was, where he came from, what kind of powers he had to have in order to have done what he’d done. Debates had begun about whether they’d been wrong to have treated the boy the way they had and about Beatriz and the power she held over the city. Some believed she was the leader they needed while others resented the fact that anyone should feel themselves to be held above any of the others. When the door opened and Beatriz stepped into the room, every head shot up and every voice quieted. They hadn’t even had to see her to know she was there. “Good evening.” She said, looking from face to face. Behind her, the door opened once more and Sonya stepped in as well, with Taylor bringing up the rear. A collective gasp was heard and she looked back at him. He leaned up against the wall as close to the door as possible and she smiled, knowing it was taking every ounce of courage he had to walk into the place. Sonya stepped over and seated herself in a booth next to him and she put her hand on his shoulder.
“Just stand. You don’t have to do anything. Just watch. And keep your head up, don’t act afraid. Don’t give them the satisfaction.” She said in his mind. He looked up then into the eyes of all the onlookers. To his relief, he seemed to be the least of their worries. They were much more interested in Beatriz. Her dark hair was down and she wore a black leather jacket along with black pants that accentuated her long legs. Her boots had heels high enough that she was nearly as tall as Taylor now.
“So,” she said, turning at the bar, “I hear we all had a little fun here tonight.” She then pulled herself up and sat down on the slick wooden surface, pushing the glasses toward the bartender. “Sam, give me a drink if you don’t mind. And none of that water stuff. I’m in the mood for something a little stronger.” Behind her, the man hurried about and poured her a shot of whiskey of some sort and then a glass of red wine. Her eyes went around the room, registering exactly who all was there. Most she recognized, but there were a few very young who she knew she’d probably only met once. “Thank you.” She said, taking the glass from him. In one gulp, she downed the whisky, then she held up the wine to the light, “Ooooh, what a beautiful colour, don’t you think?” She asked the crowd. Still, no one spoke. Setting it back down on the bar, she looked over at Taylor. “Taylor,” she said, “I don’t think anyone wants to talk about what happened here tonight. So, you’re not alone there.” She then looked at Sonya and something unspoken passed between them. Standing up on the bar, she towered over them all, “Where is it?” She asked, placing one hand on her hip. “If someone doesn’t speak to me, I will just take it from you. I had to do it to Taylor tonight. I’ll do it to you as well. You see, he didn’t want me to know what happened, so please, just put all those wicked little thoughts about all the horrid things you are going to do to him to rest. Besides,” she said, grinning, “I don’t think you want him to unleash his powers on any of you. As I look around, I don’t see anyone here that could stand up to him anyway.” The place remained silent, even the music had stopped. The seconds ticked by. “Alright,” she said, turning. “Sam, if you would like for me to continue to pay the rent on this place and to make sure it remains hidden from the eyes and minds of New York’s finest, you will have someone bring it out here. Now.”
The guilty looking man just eyed her for a moment, and then he nodded to a couple of rough looking characters who went into the back room and came back, dragging the coffin behind them. Her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands and looked over at Taylor, “Well, it looks like it’s never going to close properly again, and the lock looks a bit…uh, broken?” She smiled. Her eyes then left his and went out to the people all staring at her, “Who wants to be first?” She asked. Of course, no one said anything. She jumped down from the bar with the ease of a panther and made less noise doing it. “Well? Did you not enjoy the game the first time? Oh, I suppose it is much more fun picking on a young boy who has done nothing to deserve your cruelty, isn’t it? Hmmm…how interesting.” She walked over to the casket and peered inside, “I don’t know…I think it would be much more of a challenge to put someone in there that fucking deserved it.” She looked around the room, her eyes landing on the three girls hiding in the corner, the mirth gone from her face. Taylor felt the tension rise in the room. “Let me show you something Taylor, you are supposed to be learning tonight after all.” She walked over to him and he watched as finally, the crowd began to murmur among themselves and shift away from them a bit. In his mind, he heard her voice, “Direct your anger. Just as one trained in martial arts knows that you put all your energy into the thrust of a fist or a foot and the voice as well, you can put all your power into your mind and if you use your hand, it helps your mind aim at what you want to hit.” He then watched as she stepped forward and looked at the coffin. When her hand flew out towards it, it slid across the concrete floor with a force that made Taylor jump back against the wall and all the onlookers scatter like mice. It slammed into the wall and splintered the wooden seats and table that had been in its way. In the metal of the coffin was an indentation as if it had been a car that had plowed into a telephone pole. She turned to Taylor, “Now, see what you can do to that mirror there behind our kindly bartender. Oh, Sam, so sorry, you might want to move…” she said and the burly man scrambled out from behind the bar. Taylor looked around as everyone stared at him.
“Um, do I have to?” He asked.
“I’m afraid so. If you don’t, I will and I won’t stop there. Though you may if you’d like. Your choice.” She said, shaking her head. “He’s shy.” She said, smiling at the crowd.
Taylor took a deep breath, looked at Sonya who nodded and then he stepped forward. “You can do it.” She said. He looked at the faces all watching him and he remembered how they had grabbed him and shoved him into the nasty box. He looked behind him at what was left of it, then turned back toward the bar. His hand shot out in front of him and the mirror shattered into thousands of angled shards, then fell to the floor with an ear shattering crash and the wine glass exploded sending red drops all around. He raised his eyebrows and looked back at Beatriz. She smiled, then stepped closer to him.
“I told you.” She said, then she leaned in and looked into his blue eyes. His pupils were large, his fear causing them to dilate. She looked at his lips then before placing her own over them. It took a moment, but he returned the kiss and put his hand in her hair, pulling her closer. Their eyes remained open, each looking into the others’. Their tongues met and mingled for a tantalizing moment before she pulled back. She brushed her thumb along the scratch on his chin, then she leaned in and ran her tongue across it, knowing it would heal almost immediately. Turning toward the crowd, she shouted, “Beautiful and talented!” Then, her face took on a serious look, “And mine.” She stated. “I’ll be back tomorrow and if that thing is still here, I will level this place. Do not fuck with me.” She said and she marched out the door. Taylor looked at Sonya. She stood up and out of the booth and made for the door as well. He looked at them all for a moment, then at the mirror and then he too followed Beatriz out onto the street, his heart pounding in his chest.
~~~~~
Melanie sat on the couch, her bags beside her. Camille sat across from her. They were waiting. At a little after two, the elevator began to come up. The two girls looked at one another, not knowing what would happen in the next few minutes. The doors slid open and Sonya walked into the hallway, followed by Beatriz and then Taylor. “There you are.” Sonya said to Melanie. She plopped down in the chair next to Camille and kicked her shoes off. Beatriz walked over and stood behind them, looking at Melanie with black eyes and her arms crossed over her chest. Taylor sat as well on the other end of the couch the girl was sitting on. He let out an exhausted breath, then propped his feet up on the table. Beatriz looked over at him, then pointed to the floor. Rolling his eyes, he took his feet down. Melanie looked over at him, relieved that he appeared to have not suffered any permanent damage from the night’s activities.
“Well, now that we are all here together,” Beatriz stated, “we can get some things straight.” She stopped, then looked at Melanie, “Did you achieve whatever it was you hoped to by taking Taylor to that hive?” She asked her.
Melanie shook her head, “No. I didn’t mean for anything to happen.” She stated quietly.
“Well, it did. Didn’t it? Look at you, you look as bad as he does.” Beatriz said, stepping closer to her.
“Yes, I know.” The girl answered, looking up at the woman. Camille held her breath. Looking over at Taylor, she noticed he just looked down at the floor.
“Well, I suppose if this was a test, you failed miserably. I wanted to see if I could trust you and it looks like I can’t. I have one question for you–and your answer will determine your future.” Beatriz looked into her eyes, “Are you in or out? Either you are with me or you are against me. There is no in-between.”
Melanie looked at Camille. Her blue eyes were frightened. Sonya leaned back in the chair, waiting. She turned to Taylor as he ran his hands through his hair nervously. She looked up at Beatriz, whose face showed no emotion whatsoever. “In, please, if that’s possible.” She said quietly.
Beatriz remained motionless for a moment, then she spoke. “It is. Make a mistake though, and you are out. And I do mean out. And I believe you owe Taylor an apology.” Again, she crossed her arms over her chest, waiting. She knew that was the worst punishment she could give the girl.
Melanie turned to him, “I’m sorry. I swear I didn’t know that was gonna happen.” She said.
“It’s ok.” He said back, “I’m sorry I punched you.” He muttered. Camille, Sonya and Beatriz all exchanged glances, their eyes widening as they realized they’d probably never know exactly what had gone down between the two.
Melanie shrugged, then looked back at Beatriz. Beatriz held her hands up and shook her head, “Don’t tell me–I don’t want to know.” She then walked towards her room, “I’m going to bed, I don’t think I can take anymore tonight. Taylor,” She said turning, “pack your things tonight. You’ll be leaving us tomorrow. We don’t want you pressed for time.” And then she disappeared behind the door to her bedroom.
~~~~~
At 4:42, Beatriz awoke sensing she was not alone. She looked over and in the doorway was the soft silhouette of Taylor. “What is it?” She asked, pushing her hair away from her face.
He stepped into the room, then stopped. For a moment, he just stood there, then he shrugged his shoulders, "I don’t know…I’m just…scared, I guess.” He said, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Taylor, they can’t hurt you–just remember what I told you–” she started.
“No, that’s not it. I just don’t want to mess up.” He said it so quietly, she barely heard him.
She reached over and turned on the lamp next to the bed, illuminating his face. His brow was furrowed and he looked older than his seventeen years. “Come sit.” She said, gesturing for him to sit on the bed. Slowly, he walked over and sat next to her. When he turned his face towards her, she couldn’t help but look at him, thinking he was probably one of the most lovely young men she’d seen in her four hundred years of life. But she hadn’t really noticed it until she had spent time with him. Of course, he was pleasing to the eye. Any female over the age of eleven could have attested to that. But it was his sweet nature that had caused him to be more beautiful than the others. Even though he had tried so hard to be a problem. It had only made it more obvious that he was a genuinely nice and kind person. A true rarity in this century, she mused. “What are you afraid of?” She asked.
“I’m afraid something bad is gonna happen. I don’t want my family to get hurt or anything…but, God, I want to go back there so bad. And what if people can tell I’m weird now? I can tell, why won’t they be able to?” He said, his eyes searching hers for an answer.
A tiny smile passed over her face, “Well, I’d think there was something wrong with you if you weren’t afraid. Hell, I even saw Melanie afraid tonight, so there must be something in the air.”
He raised an eyebrow, “Yeah, well, she was afraid of you, I can’t imagine anything else scaring her.”
Beatriz chuckled and slowly pulled her legs around and got out of the bed as Taylor watched intently. She wore a silken, cranberry coloured nightshirt that went to her mid-thigh. He couldn’t help but notice her long legs and the curve of her body as she slipped on a robe, equally as smooth, but now covering her legs. Turning to him she spoke, “I’m sure in your line of work, you’ve been scared before. Stage fright, perhaps?”
He looked up at her from the bed where he still sat, “Hmmm…not really. I always had my brothers with me, and of course, the music. That always just takes my mind away.”
She watched as his eyes took on a faraway, dreamy look. For a moment, she looked into his mind and she could almost feel it as he drank in the adoration of the crowd. But stronger than that seemed to be just the song itself, swirling around in his mind. He seemed to leave all the physical things behind then and take refuge in the sound of his voice and the pictures it brought behind his eyes. She wondered if the fans had any idea where he really went as he sang or played.
“Well then,” she said, pulling him back from his memories, “how about playing something for me?” She asked.
“Really?” He asked, “What do you want to hear?”
She held her hand out and pulled him up, “Surprise me.” She smiled.
They stepped into the library. They were alone as the dawn had almost broken and the others had gone to their daily slumber. Taylor sat down at the piano, and though he too could feel the pull of sleep, the need to leave his thoughts behind him was too great. Beatriz sat on the bench next to him and watched as he began to run his fingers across the keys. At first, he only played, but then he began to sing the words to “Save Me” very softly. It wasn’t the same song from the CD, it was more of a lament. His eyes were closed and his face showed all the emotion he was feeling. She was beginning to understand the pull fans could feel for him, the need to be close to him or to touch him.
Suddenly the sky is
falling Beatriz leaned her elbow on the piano
and just watched and listened to him. When
he finished the song, she smiled. “You
are so lucky,” she said, “you can have music wherever you go.
And it is beautiful. You are
very talented, Taylor.”
Could it be it's too late for me?
And if I never said I'm sorry.
Well I’m wrong, yes I'm wrong.
Then I hear my spirit calling.
Wondering if she's longing for me?
And then I know
That I can't live without her.
Won't you save me?
Savin's what I need.
I just want to be,
By your side.
Won't you save me?
I don't wanna be.
Just drifting through the sea
Of life.
“Thanks.” He smiled. If he’d fed that night, his cheeks would have turned pink.
“So, you don’t know any Spanish songs, do you?” She asked, raising one perfect, dark eyebrow.
He put his finger to his lip, “Hmmm, let me think…” A grin spread across his face. “Yeah, I know one–I just don’t know the Spanish words for it.”
“Well, I guess it will have to do.” She said, smiling back at him.
“Alright. My brothers and me used to love this song when we were little.” He said, then he began to play and sing a childish tune.
Oh Senor Don Gato was a cat
On a high red roof Don Gato sat
He went there to read a letter,
Meow, meow, meow
Where the reading light was better
Meow, meow, meow
‘Twas a love note for Don Gato
I adore you wrote the lady cat
Who was fluffy, white and nice and fat
There was not a sweeter kitty
Meow, meow, meow
In the country or the city
Meow, meow, meow
And she said she’d wed Don Gato
Oh Don Gato jumped so happily
He fell off the roof and broke his knee
Broke his ribs and all his whiskers,
Meow, meow, meow
And his little solar plexus
Meow, meow, meow
Ay Carumba cried Don Gato
Then the doctors all came on the run
Just to see if something could be done
And they held a consultation,
Meow, meow, meow
About how to save their patient
Meow, meow, meow
How to save Senor Don Gato
But in spite of everything they tried
Poor Senor Don Gato up and died
And it wasn’t very merry
Meow, meow, meow
Going to the cemetery
Meow, meow, meow
For the ending of Don Gato
When the funeral passed the market square
Such a smell of fish was in the air
Though his burial was slated
Meow, meow, meow
He became reanimated
Meow, meow, meow
He came back to life, Don Gato
Beatriz had smiled at the first verse, but by the time he was at the last, she was laughing. “Oh Taylor, what a romantic song!” She said. “And very sweet.”
He smiled back at her, but it was a sad smile, “I guess that song has new meaning for me now. I’ve sort of been…reanimated too. Like Don Gato. We all have, huh?”
Beatriz sighed, “Yes, I suppose we have. I shall want to call you ‘Mr. Cat’ now forever.” She said, and she reached up and pushed his hair behind his ear from where it had hung in his eyes.
“Thanks, Beatriz.” He said softly.
Her eyes widened, “For what?” She asked.
“For letting me go back.” He replied.
“You’re welcome. I’m almost sorry now, though. I fear I’m going to miss you terribly.” She said, looking into his eyes and licking her lips.
He moved closer to her, “Oh, I doubt that. Men must fall at your feet all the time.” He said, returning her look.
“I don’t want fallen men.” She said, looking down at the curve of his lips. She watched as his tongue ran across the bottom one and then he leaned in so close, she could feel his gentle breath. Slowly, he touched his lips to hers and his hand found its way to her shoulder where he pushed her hair away from her neck. She leaned her head back and he ran his lips down her throat to her chest where he placed another kiss between her breasts, then made his way back up to her ear. His tongue touched the spot below her ear before his lips. “Are you ever coming back to me?” She asked, closing her eyes.
His breathy whisper in her ear made shivers go up her spine, “Yes.” And when he sunk his teeth into her neck, a smile played on her lips. Her blood tasted like fire and wine and chocolate and sex and cherry lifesavers. It felt like ice sliding down his throat on a hot, August day or coffee warming his hands in the winter. He tingled down to his toes and to the tips of his hair. And it was for a fleeting moment, then he pulled back, knowing she would probably kill him, but knowing it was worth it. Her eyes looked intense, but not angry. Even with her blood now making it’s way through his body, the sun was edging its way towards the horizon. The feverish feel of her inside of him now was only enhanced as his brain began to shut down. His heart beat was slowing and his eyes were becoming heavy. She stood up and held her hand out to him once again. He rose on unsteady feet, wondering if he would be dead by morning. Morning, which was almost here. She led him over to the couch and he lay down. The same couch where only days before he’d lost his virginity and his innocence. Perhaps now, he’d lose his life as the force of Beatriz’ blood raced through his veins, he thought as he closed his eyes. Reaching down, she pushed his hair away from his face again.
“Good night.” She whispered in his ear, and then she went back to her bedroom, knowing it would be almost impossible now to tell him ‘goodbye’ the next evening.