AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I glanced over at Samantha, and she shook her head. "No, give us a minute," I replied.
"Wave me over when you're ready," she replied.
I met Samantha's entertained gaze across the space, and she did that little half smile at me again. "What?"
"Nothing," she said, her smile growing. "Are you going to order anything?" Her gaze dropped to the menu, still closed in front of me. "Or do you have some sort of superpower that lets you read it by osmosis?"
"I told you already, I've heard they have amazing fries." I folded my arms in front of me as I studied her face as she turned her attention back to the menu. She nibbled her lower lip as she pursued her choices. I'd buy her the entire spread if she wanted. When she set the menu down in front of her, I arched my eyebrow at her. "Ready?"
"Yeah, but I'm going to warn you, I eat like a child," she replied.
I lifted my hand to Judith, and she strolled back over, looking like she was bone tired. "What can I get you two?" She attempted a smile, but she was missing two of her teeth, and the others looked like she had chewed tobacco for years.
"An order of chicken tenders and fries, and cheese sticks with ranch. Can I have extra ranch for my fries too?" Samantha asked. The woman nodded but wrote nothing down, then she moved her eyes to me.
"Chili cheese fries," I said.
"Got it," Judith replied, and walked away. I could hear her snapping off the order to the cook in the back and him repeating it to her.
"Coney Islands have the best ranch," Samantha said to break the silence between us.
"I've never had it before," I told her honestly.
"Well, then you need to try some of mine," she said. I leaned back against the squeaky plastic seat and gazed at her. She fidgeted nervously, pushing a stray hair behind her ear.
"You are exquisite," I breathed, memorizing her face.
She crinkled her nose and rolled her eyes. "You are too kind. Compliments really don't do it for me. I'm not a relationship type, more a love ‘em and leave them type, minus the loving part."
"You say that a lot," I replied. It was the one thing I had gathered from everyone around her. She was afraid of getting close to anyone. If I could figure out why, maybe I could be the exception. "Why?"
She sighed and looked over at Judith behind the bar. "I'm never going to be old like that woman over there."
"I'm sure you won't," I said. She would age gracefully, and she probably doesn't chew tobacco, so she would have all her teeth. Even imagining her as an old woman, I couldn't see her losing her beauty, especially because it was rooted deep inside of her and was more than the surface.
"See you get it. I could die eventually doing what I do or watch my children die. I can't bring a family or love into that equation." She leaned back and played with the straw paper, tying it into knots and pulling it tight before it snapped into two pieces, the knot still in place.
"What if you had someone to help you? If you had a suitable mate, they could help protect you and any future children," I said. Not that I could help her, interfering in the mortal world wasn't something I was technically supposed to do. If my father knew about the things I had done so far, I'd never see this realm again. Love or no love.
"I'm pretty sure there are no male demon hunters, and if there were, they'd probably be related," she scoffed.
Judith came back with her arms full of food and placed it on the table in front of us. It smelled amazing. "Thank you, Judith," I said. She only nodded and walked away.
Samantha picked up a fry and dipped it into her ranch. Drowned it, really. I was convinced it was only a way for herto get the ranch to her stomach. She hummed happily as she dipped another fry and popped it into her mouth.
"I wasn't talking about demon hunters, although there are male warlocks that hunt demons. You have Lex and your bodyguard. Both of them would help you. And I can see that they care about you." I picked up the fork and knife and tried to figure out where to start with the messy pile of fries and chili in front of me.
"Lex, I'm pretty sure the only thing he actually knows how to do is make amazing drinks. And Rai? He is human."
"I think they both would surprise you," I replied.
Lex had his shadows at least. He could do more than even I could. And her friend was much more than she knew, not that it was my place to correct her misconception. That was on him. The thought of them gave me an idea. We could band together and convince her she deserved love. If they would each agree to share, people have done it in the past. Bellamy's brother, Tristan, had found love in a similar situation.
"Here, try this," she said, changing the subject and holding a ranch-coated fry out to me. It dripped onto her outstretched palm beneath it. I leaned forward, and she placed it into my open mouth. I chewed thoughtfully and nodded my head before I finished.
"I can see the appeal," I said.
"That is not a ringing endorsement, this is a midwestern thing, you have to love it." She continued to devour her plates of food.
