Forever and Always (3 page)

I had a feeling that was where she was leading, but I was afraid to hear the answer. The weird part was that I didn’t know why I was scared. Was it because I thought she didn’t want to go with me, or was it that it would put me in a predicament with Lena? “My flight to Romania is in five hours,” I told her.

“Do you have a set time you are to meet your trainer?”

I thought about it for a moment. I really didn’t have a set time for anything. The gnome was waiting for me, regardless. Helen could tell by my expression that I was considering it.

“Listen,” she said. “I know the guy who runs the Claridge’s Hotel. He’ll put you up in his best suite. It’s like 5,000 dollars a night.”

“I don’t have that kind of money,” I said, shocked.

“Don’t worry. He owes me a favor.”

Damn, just to stay in a suite that’s 5,000 dollars a night would be worth it.

“It’s the Davies Penthouse,” she continued. “It is immaculate.”

“You have that kind of influence?” I asked, concerned.

Helen laughed, “Oh Josie, you have no idea.”

I sat back and thought for a moment. I really wanted to do this. After all the crap I’ve been through, this sounded like a blast.

“Ok, two things,” I said. “One, you need to know that I am very serious about how I feel towards Lena and I would be escorting you as a friend.”

“No problem. I just want to spend a little bit more time with you. You’re a pretty cool guy, Josiah. That’s exactly what I think, that we could be great friends. What’s the second thing?”

“Never call me Josie ever again.”

“You got it Jo-Jo.”

I shot her a look and we both buckled our seatbelts before we landed.

I knew the second I got off the plane that I was going to need a specific plan in regards to the sun. I was about to embark on a lot of pain if I wasn’t quick and precise in how I left the airport. 

Helen told me she has a limo picking us up out front.  I could avoid the sun until I knew the limousine was there. 

Helen and I walked through Heathrow terminal and, luckily, it was a windowless airport. As we approached the front entrance, I knew I was bound to see glass doors and windows. Sure enough, as we rounded the corner there they were like blades of rays attacking my skin.

Holy shit! It felt like I was on the sun.

I looked over at Helen and she was walking exceptionally fast and that was good thing.  She was wearing a rather large hat and a very long fur coat.
That was her third outfit!

Helen rushed through the sliding glass doors and went straight to her limousine that was right at the entrance. I followed close behind and was very pleased how this was working out.  I noticed that the limousine had extremely dark windows. They were darkest windows I had ever seen. The chauffeur already had the door open for us and we both rushed into the limousine. As we did so, something unusual started happening. Paparazzi were flashing light bulbs at us! There was a ton of them! They were taking pictures and yelling all sorts of things. At one point I swore one of them yelled the name Ginger.

We eventually settled into the limousine and the chauffeur slammed the door behind us..

“Was that for you?” I asked.

Helen grinned. 

Who was this famous record producer that has paparazzi following her?

“Helen, who are you?”

“I'm Helen.”

“Helen who?”

“Helen Martin.”

“Are you famous in England?”

“What do you think? Do the paparazzi follow regular people around in America?”

“Aren’t you American?”

“No.”

“But you had no hint of a British accent,” I said.

Helen decided to change her voice into a thick Cockney accent and she said, “Really Governor, do all Brits need to sound like Harry Potter or Oliver?”

“Very funny, but any
Brit
I know has an accent. Look at Simon Cowell or Pierce Morgan. Both those guys couldn’t hide their accent if they tried.”

“I spend a lot of time in the states and I had a lot of voice training.  I can do whatever accent fits the situation.”

“Okay, that is cool. But again... who are you? We established you're British, but tell me why the paparazzi treated you as if you are the love child of Lindsey Lohan and Justin Bieber.

“Oh, Josiah,” she laughed. “I'm the Duchess of Windsor.”

“You're royalty?” I asked.

“Most Duchesses are.”

Holy crap!
I was really taken aback. “Does the paparazzi treat all royalty like that?”

“No, unfortunately, I have made headlines as of late.”

“How?”

“Well, I dated Mario Moses.”

“The sports billionaire, Mario Moses?  The guy who owns the Knicks and the Bears? Are you kidding me?”

“No, I wish I was. He was old enough to be my dad.”

“Why did you date him?”

“Cause he's richer than God.” She settled in and said, “He moved down here for awhile and we had a few ugly fights in public. They were sprayed all over the tabloids in both England and the United States. I'm actually shocked you have no idea who I am.”

“Don’t be.  I have never watched TMZ.”

“It's actually refreshing. It was nice to know someone that had no idea who I was.”

“Well, dear. I've been a little busy the last couple of months saving the world.”

“I bet you have.” Helen then smiled at me and poured a drink.

“That explains why there was no one sitting in the last eight rows. That was for your benefit. How did I get through?”

Helen grinned. “Some things are left to fate. I asked them to allow any 18-24 male that was by himself to buy a window ticket in my row.  Little did I know it was going to be one of the hottest guys I've had the pleasure of meeting in quite some time.

Her comment made me blush, or whatever vampires do when they get embarrassed. I doubt blood rushed to my face, but then who knows?

“So, now that you know this bit of info,  do you still want to accompany me tonight at the dinner?”

I smiled. “I actually liked the fact that you were a record producer. I thought I was going to meet Paul McCartney tonight.”

“Well, I burn songs on my computer and label all my CD's Helen's Mixes. I can give you one if you like.  And, I think Paul just might be showing up.”

“Are you kidding?” I asked, nearly falling out of my seat in the limo.

“He usually comes to all the soirees put on by the British elite.”

“Wow, Sergeant Pepper in ‘da house!”

“Don’t get all star-struck, Josiah.”

“Are you kidding? He is a freaking Beatle!”

“So, I take it you still want to come. Even knowing I’m a Duchess and we’ll probably be hounded by more paparazzi?”

“Oh, I’m coming. You can count on that.”

The limo pulled into a special entrance at the biggest and nicest hotel I had ever seen.

“Oh, by the way,” Helen said, “I'll let you take a private plane to Romania to see your trainer. So you're welcome to stay as long as you like. Go check out Stonehenge, you yanks seem to get off on looking at those big rocks!”

“I just might do that.”

'Who knows? Maybe I'll accompany you.”

“Maybe,” I said.

Uh oh! Don't get smitten at her power here, Josiah. Don't forget your goal. You have a whole Mani race depending on you.

It was just nice to take a break. Life had been going a hundred miles an hour. It was nice to talk to someone who wasn't a vampire or a werewolf and was just normal. I looked over at Helen in her limousine. Well, maybe not too normal. I'll take human by this point.

“You didn't have a suitcase?” Helen asked.  “You took a trip halfway across the world and you don't bring anything?”

“I’m a man with simple needs.”

“Apparently, but some might say that’s straight ghetto.”

“What do you know about being ghetto?”

“I just always wanted to say that.” Helen pulled a card out of her wallet. “Call this number, and tell him your size and I’ll take care of the bill.”

“You really don't have to do anything like that. I'm pretty low maintenance,” I said.

“It’s one thing to be low maintenance and it's another to be no-maintenance. You need some new threads for tonight, this James Dean leather jacket, tight jeans style works for you and all.  I mean you definitely got me hot. All you needed was the sideburns. But even James Dean can’t go to Cinderella’s ball dressed like that.”

“Great, what did I get myself into?” I said, smiling.  I stepped out of the limo, and a bell hop was there to greet me. “Your bags, sir?”

“No bags,” I said.

The bell hop looked at me with a bit of disdain.  Apparently we were going to do the whole Pretty Woman bit.

“Are we really going to play this game Belvedere,” I said. “I don't have a bag, the Duchess is putting me up and I don't tip. So, if we're straight, let me know where my room is, so I can actually shower before the shindig.”

Helen peeked her head out of the limo, “Well Josiah, the shindig is in two hours. So you'll need to be dressed to the nines in one.” She gave me a wink and shut the door.

Then Belvedere showed me up to my room.  We took the freight elevator. My room was on the top floor. I asked him to show me how to make international calls from my bedside phone. He obliged and then waited by the door.

“I wasn't kidding about the tip. I only have American cash, and from what I can tell, my money is cents on the dollar to you Brits.”

The bell hop calmly looked straight ahead, as if he was a royal guard himself. “American money is just as good to me, sir. I'm not a snob.”

I got up and pulled my wallet out. I had five one hundred dollars bills in my wallet. Hector had given me his credit card that had a 100,000 dollar limit on it. Money wasn’t going to be a problem as long as places took credit.

“It's not your lucky day, Belvedere. I only have hundred dollar bills. But, I do have a twenty-five dollar Hard Rock Cafe gift card that my roommate gave me for Christmas that I never used. I saw one of those restaurants on the way in. So here you go.” I handed him the Hard rock Café gift card. “Twenty five American dollars gift card to a novelty restaurant.”

“Great,” he said, smugly, “I'll get the nachos.”

“I’d go with the steak fajitas myself, but I've been told that you Brits are not one for taste. So if you don't mind, Belvedere, I need to shower up.”

I shook his hand, and something out of the ordinary happened.  I had flashes of light in my brain and images were forming. I saw three men talking to Belvedere and giving him money. I let go of his hand quickly, because the vision had shocked my system. That had never happened before. I didn't know how to use my gifts correctly, and apparently that was another one I had at my disposal.

The bell hop left the room and I stood by the door. That image freaked me out. I hadn't expected anything like that to happen. It was as if the Triat was trying to speak to me. I got on unintentional vision and I didn’t know what to make of it.

I flung open the door and Belvedere was at the freight elevator waiting for it to come back up.

“Hey,” I yelled down the hall.  “Hold up.” I ran up to him knowing that I somehow needed to touch him again.  It is unusual to a touch a man that you hardly knew, so I need to be crafty.” “Hey, I would like to apologize for being rude,” I said, in my good guy voice.

“No problem, sir.” He was clearly suspicious of me.

“What is your real name?” I asked.  “I noticed you don't have your badge.”

“It's Maxwell, sir.”

“Okay, Maxwell, here is a better tip for taking my abuse earlier.”

“You really don't need to, sir.”

“I insist.” I reached back into my pocket and pulled my wallet back out.  I took a hundred dollar bill out and handed it to him. I made a point to hold his hand while we exchanged the money. When our hands touched, I saw the same flash of light. I saw the three men again. They were with Pudgy. I focused and saw they are in a coffee shop. Someone was handing them a large sum of money.”

Maxwell let go of my hand, forcefully. “Thank you sir, you are too kind,” he said, suspiciously.

“Yeah, thanks.”

Crap! I needed to know who was paying them. Maxwell turned around and faced the elevator. I reached out my hands and said, “Is this made of suede, Maxwell?”  I place both my palms on his back tightly.

I, again, saw the three men and Maxwell. And now, there was a woman in the picture. The woman said, “Don't kill him, but put him to the test.” Then the woman stood up and all I could see was her back.

Maxwell pulled away and I grabbed his shoulders. “Man, you’re toned, Maxwell!” I began massaging his shoulders. The image appeared again and I saw who the woman was. It was Helen.

Crap, what did I get myself into tonight? I should have known this couldn't be random. Nothing random ever happens to me anymore..

Helen seemed normal and very sincere.  Don’t kill him? But put him to the test?
Were they talking about me?
I remember seeing the scrape on the back of her neck.
Could she be a Mani, or a Carni? Was this a set up?

I had survived two of the toughest vampires of all time, and probably the toughest werewolf. I could handle a high class dinner party.

I went over to the phone to make an international call.  I got connected to Lena’s cell.
Technology is freaking amazing!

“Hello,” Lena said.

“Lena, it's Josiah!”

“I know who it is, no one else calls me.”

“Well, I am in Britain.”

“So you should be boarding the plane to Romania anytime soon, right?”

“Well, there has been a little change in plans.”

“What kind of change?” she seemed concerned.

“Before, I get into all of that. I want to tell you how wonderful it is to hear your voice.”

“It’s nice to hear yours too. I miss you terribly, Josiah. It's only been a few hours, but it feels like an eternity.”

“I know what you mean.”

Lena paused. “Okay, now tell me the change of plans.”

I hesitated and said, “The connecting flight came into London and I decided to stay over a night.”

“Why?”

“Well I got invited to some kind of royal party.”