Current Impressions (25 page)

“Hungry?” Ken asked.

Stomach rumbling in reply, Evan laughed and
said, “I guess so.”

He hadn’t realized he was hungry until Ken
said something, but now he was ravenous. Hunger was a sharp,
desperate pain in his gut.

“I know just the place. Follow me.”

Evan assumed they’d eat at one of the mall’s
many restaurants, but Ken led him outside. They walked to his
sleek, silver sports car, and Ken placed the suit bags in the
trunk. The rich scent of leather wafted out as Evan took his seat.
He felt a twinge of guilt that he was glad Ted opted to stay back
at the house. If he’d come along, they would’ve taken the cramped
rental instead. This car was amazing.

The engine purred to life, and Ken took off.
Once they left the city, the roads changed from straight and
crowded to curvy and open. Ken lowered the top and grinned at
Evan.

“Great day for a drive.”

Evan agreed. The misty sea air was silk
against his skin. He relaxed into the seat and enjoyed the ride.
“Where are we going?”

“A little dive I know.” Ken adjusted his
visor before glancing at Evan. “They have great seafood.”

They drove through miles of unbroken green
and hills before civilization appeared again. The homes here were
small and modest, more cabins than houses. Yet they were lovingly
cared for, with colorful flowerbeds and thriving vegetable gardens.
A few locals waved as they drove by. Evan waved back.

“Friendly people here.”

“It’s a nice town,” Ken said. “I come here
sometimes to get away. They make the most of little. It humbles
me.”

The streets changed. The well-tended
homesteads gave way to ramshackle buildings that barely stood. A
strong wind could wipe out the whole neighborhood. Unlike the
previous blocks, this street was deserted. No one greeted them. It
looked abandoned.

“The poorest of the poor,” Ken said.
“Destitute. And yet, our destination ends here.” He pulled to a
stop outside of a two-story shack, the wood blackened and cracked
with age and smoke.

“The Shack,” Evan read the sign aloud. “Not
a very creative name.”

“Doesn’t have to be,” Ken replied. “The food
speaks for itself. C’mon.”

As they approached the door, the smell of
roasting meat grew stronger, smoky and spicy. Evan’s stomach
rumbled. He followed Ken in, staying close as the thick air and low
lighting made it difficult to see. Music thrummed in a loud, steady
rhythm.

When his eyes adjusted to the dark, Evan saw
the stage. Three exotic dancers captivated the room. Their hair
varied from neon blue to bright green. He wondered what kind of
makeup trick made their eyes glow so brightly. The little clothing
they wore shimmered under the lights like the scales on a fish.

“The entertainment’s even better than the
food.” Ken winked at him. “Follow Deanna. I’ve got a table.”

Their waitress, Deanna, was dressed like the
dancers. She led them to a table in the corner. She smiled at Evan
and ran her hand down his arm before walking away.

“I think she likes you,” Ken observed,
chuckling. Evan’s face grew warm. What was this place? Now that he
had a better view of the room, he could see the only women in here
were either waitstaff or dancers. The men eyed them hungrily, but
whenever a man reached for one of the girls, she twirled out of his
reach with a tinkling of laughter.

“What are you having?” Ken asked, breaking
Evan out of his reverie.

Evan stared at the one-sided menu. The
options were limited. “I don’t know. What do you recommend?”

Ken drummed his fingers on the table in
rhythm to the music. “The shark. It’s excellent.”

“Sounds great,” Evan agreed. He’d never
tried shark, but he trusted Ken’s judgment. After all, he said this
was his favorite place to eat.

“Wonderful. I’ll do the ordering.” Ken’s
teeth glowed blue in the stage lights when he smiled. Everyone
looked blue under this lighting. Evan was surprised to see how blue
his own skin looked. Was it getting hot in here? He felt a little
queasy.

“Where’s the restroom?” Evan asked.

Not taking his eyes off the stage, Ken
motioned toward the back corner. “Down the hall, last door on the
right.”

“Thanks.” Evan stood and made his way to the
back. His head spun as if he were drunk, but he hadn’t even ordered
a drink yet. The music drilled into his skull. His head pulsed with
it. It wasn’t a headache exactly, but it felt strange.

“You’re new here.” Deanna stood in the
shadows. She pushed off the wall and crossed to him, running a
finger up his arm, and then along his jaw. “I’d remember you.”

This close, Evan noticed that her long, wavy
hair was a pale green. Sections of it hung in braids decorated with
smooth beads of blue and green or shiny, white pearls. Her large
eyes were a shade of green only slightly darker than her hair. Her
skin glistened like the pearls, luminescent and smooth. She licked
her lips, drawing Evan’s attention. They beckoned him to kiss
her.

He shook his head to clear the fog. The
restroom, he was looking for the restroom.

“Restroom?” he croaked.

She stepped back with a pout, revealing the
hall behind her. “Last door on the right.”

He made his way down the hall, berating
himself. He almost kissed a girl he didn’t even know. He wanted to
kiss her, wanted to do more than that if he were honest with
himself. What was he thinking?

The door swung shut behind him. The music
was muffled and indistinguishable here, and no one else was in the
bathroom. He splashed cold water on his face, feeling more like
himself. A glance in the mirror revealed that his skin was its
normal tone. It was just the lighting in the bar, nothing more. He
dried his hands and hoped he could avoid the waitress on his way
back to the table.

A glass of foamy, dark liquid waited for him
at the table. “I hope you like Guinness,” Ken said. Evan had never
tried it, but he didn’t want to admit that to Ken. He took a drink
and decided it wasn’t bad.

They lapsed into silence and watched the
girls. Their voices floated around the room while they danced with
precision and harmony. Evan found he couldn’t take his eyes off
them. They were exceptional. What were these girls doing in a seedy
bar?

“Here are your dinners.” Deanna set their
plates in front of them. “Enjoy.”

Evan nodded and stared at his plate. The
meat was a deep red. It could be the lighting, but it didn’t look
cooked. “Is this—?”

“I ordered it how I eat mine. Rare. Try a
bite.” Ken motioned with his fork. “If you don’t like it, you can
send it back to whatever doneness you want. With shark, cooking
takes away the tenderness of the meat.”

Evan gave Ken a dubious look before cutting
a small piece. He chewed it slowly, waiting to be disgusted, but
Ken was right. It melted in his mouth like the most expensive cut
of beef. The flavor was an intense blend of spice and something
richer.

“Well?” Ken watched him carefully.

“It’s amazing.” Evan laughed and shook his
head. “Best thing I’ve ever eaten.”

“Told you,” Ken said with a smug smile. He
finished his drink and motioned to Deanna to bring them refills.
She brought fresh drinks over, her eyes glued to Evan’s face. It
thrilled him that she was so obviously interested. In the past, he
was the one doing the pursuing.

The girls on stage announced a ten-minute
break and the room brightened by several degrees.

“I need to make a phone call,” Ken said.
“I’ll be right back.”

Ken pulled out his phone and headed toward
the parking lot doors. Deanna took his vacancy as an opportunity to
steal his seat. She reached across and took Evan’s Guinness, taking
a long, slow sip.

“Will you be staying for the next segment?”
she asked.

“I don’t know,” Evan said. “Ken’s in
charge.”

For whatever reason, that made Deanna
giggle. “Clearly,” she managed.

“What does that mean?” Evan asked, which
made her giggle more. Her voice had a melodious quality to it. Evan
couldn’t be mad, although he had the distinct impression she was
laughing at him.

“I’m up next,” she leaned forward and
whispered.

“You dance?”

“I sing,” she corrected. “You won’t want to
miss it.”

“Okay.”

Deanna disappeared to get ready. Evan
finished his meal and his beer. The lights dimmed again, and Ken
hadn’t returned. Whomever he called, it was taking a while.

When Deanna glided onto the stage, Evan
swallowed with difficulty. She was beautiful, her hair twisted on
top of her head in a complicated style. Her makeup was darker,
which made her pale eyes more striking. She caught his gaze and
began to sing.

She sang of love and loss, sailors and
tides. He saw, rather than heard, her words. The room fell away,
and there was only Deanna. The song ended, and her lips curled into
a slow, welcoming smile. She gestured for him to follow her, and he
did.

Deanna. He’d follow her anywhere.

****

“You’re awake.”

Ken sounded amused. Evan rubbed his temples.
They were in the car, driving fast. It was getting dark outside,
although he could see the house in the distance.

“What happened?” Evan’s thoughts were foggy.
He remembered Deanna, their waitress, singing. She had a beautiful,
clear voice. That’s the last thing he recalled.

“You passed out, son.” Ken clucked his
tongue. He was definitely amused. “I guess I gave you one too many
drinks.”

Evan didn’t think he’d even finished the
second one, but he wasn’t thinking very clearly in that bar.
“That’s strange,” he said. “I feel fine.”

“That’s good. Work starts early tomorrow.”
Ken pulled into the drive and cut the engine. “I gave you one day
off, not a long weekend.”

“Yes, sir.” Evan felt admonished by Ken’s
sharp tone.

Ken lowered his sunglasses and glanced at
Evan. “Relax, son. I’m teasing. We are working tomorrow, but it’ll
be a short day. We’ve got to get ready for our dinner guests this
weekend, right?”

“Sure.” Evan opened his door, anxious to get
out. He didn’t really understand Ken. Couldn’t Stonewall and the
other staff clean the house and prepare a meal? What was the fuss
about anyway? Meara was coming to dinner, not the queen.

He started toward the house when Ken called
him back. “Yes?” Evan asked, turning.

Ken held up a bag. “Your suit?”

“Oh yeah. Thanks again.”

“You’re welcome.” Evan reached for the bag,
but Ken didn’t release it. “Evan, where I took you today… best we
keep that our little secret, okay?”

“Sure.” Who was he going to tell? Meara?
Somehow, he didn’t think she’d approve of him eating at a
restaurant staffed by beautiful, scantily clad women.

“And we’ll keep what happened there secret,
too.”

“What happened?” Evan asked.

Ken winked. “Exactly.” He took his suit and
headed into the house. With a growing sense of dread, Evan stood in
the driveway and watched him walk away.

I studied the magazine in front of me,
wondering if I could imitate the complicated hairstyle. I took a
deep breath and closed my eyes, picturing the twists and braids.
With a few gentle tugs, my hair arranged itself. I opened my eyes
and judged the results.

Not bad.

The updo, a little looser than the one on
the actress, allowed a few curls to fall and frame my face. I
mimicked my makeup after hers, too, although I swapped the brown
shadow for a pale gold that matched my dress. I hung crystal and
pearl strands in my ears and was just clasping my bracelet when I
heard Kieran’s knock.

“Come in.”

He wore a trim, black suit. His eyes lit up
when he saw me. “You look amazing.”

I eyed his gold tie with dismay. “We match,”
I said. “Evan will think we planned it.”

“Really?” He lifted his tie and observed it
curiously. “What color should I wear?”

“Silver? Black? Blue? Anything but
gold.”

The gold faded to silver. He adjusted the
tie and smiled. “Better?”

“Much,” I said. “You look good.”

He crossed the room to my dresser and lifted
one of the framed photos. “Any idea what to expect at this soiree?”
He was trying for indifference, but I heard the catch in his
voice.

“Are you nervous?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I have a bad feeling, but I
told you I’d go so…” He set the frame down and spun around to face
me. “Here I am.”

As I crossed the room, his smile
faltered.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”
I asked. I was nervous, too, but he looked almost green.

He tugged at his collar and grimaced. “If
something goes wrong tonight, if something happens to you, it could
cause a war between our clans.”

He couldn’t be serious. A war? Over me? I
doubted it.