Called to Order (7 page)

Adam reacted to the images he was seeing. His stomach tightened, and his body hardened. Although the sun was setting around him, the television displayed broad daylight streaming through the windows as the couple fondled each other’s half-naked bodies. Then suddenly the picture changed to people he did not recognize. What had happened? Had he pressed a button on the device that activated the television? Where had Nick and Sharon gone? He examined the black device he held in his hand, removing the batteries then replacing them again, trying to figure out what he had done. Then suddenly Nick and Sharon were there again, now naked and sharing a small blanket as they kissed and caressed.

This, more than anything, made Adam want to find his mate. He left the small black devise on the table with the batteries and picked up his bag. The sun had set enough. He pulled out his
sun
specs
, placed them on his face, and left the room.

Chapter 7

“I need two Buds, draft, and a bottle of Rock.”

Kyle reached for two glasses and held them one at a time under the tap. “How’d your exam go today?”

“Good. It was hard. There were a lot of essays, and I ran out of time on the last one. They wanted a task analysis of checking blood pressure, which I should have gotten full points on, but our professor called time.”

“That sucks. Was it worth a lot?” Kyle placed the beers on her tray.

“Nah, probably about four or five points. Other than missing that one, I think I did pretty well. I should get at least a B.”

“Good.”

Annalise smiled as she turned to deliver her order. It was Friday, so Jimbo’s was busier than normal. As she dropped off her order at one table, she was flagged to another. There would be no sitting for her until closing tonight. She hurried over to one of her regulars and playfully said, “What is it now?”

“Sweetheart, will you please explain to my friend here what makes a Boilermaker. I got ten bucks saying there ain’t no vodka involved.”

“The way we serve them here is just a shot of whiskey and a beer. I’ve seen guys down one after the other then I’ve seen others drop the shot into the beer and drink them together.”

“Hah!” Bruce shouted as he made a grab for his companion’s ten.

Annalise laughed at the exchange. “But since you didn’t know that, being as you’re a Boilermaker yourself and all, I think that ten should go to me.”

Bruce’s companion snatched the bill back from Bruce and said, “I believe the lady is right. Here, sugar, you put this in your tip jar.” Bruce looked like he wanted to argue about the transaction but thought better of it. Being as Annalise was the only waitress Jimbo’s employed and he frequently drank there, it would be wise of him to let her have the tip.

Over the next few hours, darts, pool, and music were played. The dinner rush came and went, sprinkled with conversations about the weekend and the ever-present recession affecting the middle class. By eleven o’clock Annalise was ready to call it quits, but she had another three hours to go. The bar usually closed after the last patron paid their bill, but on the weekends Jimbo expected the doors to remain open until two.

The grill was now closed, so she only had to haul drinks back and forth from the bar. At the moment, everyone’s drinks appeared full. She dropped her tray at the bar and said, “I’m gonna run next door and grab a cappuccino. You want anything?”

Kyle looked at the clock and said, “Yeah, grab me a power aide.”

She untied her apron and placed it on her tray then turned to head out the door. The warm air was actually refreshing compared to the cool smoky space inside the bar. The humidity was thick, and she could smell rain in the slow breeze. The convenience store was only two doors down from Jimbo’s thankfully, because just as the bell above the door dinged and she stepped in, there was a loud crack of thunder, the skies opened up and rain began to pelt the hot pavement.

* * * *

Adam was frustrated. He felt as though he was walking in circles. Everything that was generally foreign to him now seemed irritatingly familiar. Cars all looked the same, buildings seemed identical, people appeared equally unremarkable and self-involved. He passed no landmarks associated with the images of his dreams. And just as he was about to regroup and feed, it had begun to downpour, which would make finding an animal more difficult in this already overdeveloped place.

Stepping out of the rain, Adam rested under a small alcove with a bench. The simple structure was made up of three glass walls that someone had scribbled on with different-colored ink and a map with the word “SEPTA” written on it. The rain seemed to beat the heat into the ground, bringing a misting of cooler air with it. Steam rose from the hot sidewalks. Suddenly his skin prickled and not from the wet chill in the air.

He stilled and focused on the subtle sensation tickling his nerves. He shut his eyes and gently probed the minds of the mortals driving by. Small flashes of emotion passed with each car that sloshed by, but what was prickling his senses gave off a steadier vibe. He placed his hat on his head and stepped out from under the small structure, and the feeling doubled. There was a gentle tugging at his nerves, pulling him east.

Without thought Adam began to walk toward the vibe. With each step the sensation became more defined. He increased his speed, and the next thing he knew, he was running through an industrial complex toward a busy intersection.

The rain pelted his chest and soaked through the fabric of his shirt and pants, but did nothing to slow his pace. He veered left, now having a firm grasp on the route of what was pulling him. He weaved through a cluster of automobiles idling at a traffic light and ignored the sound of horns honking at him. Once back on the sidewalk, he momentarily paused, sending out mental feelers, then continued running northeast. The sidewalks of what appeared to be a commercial strip were uncluttered with people thanks to the rain, so no one stood in his way.

As he progressed, buildings sat farther apart and houses began to appear. Cars continued to pass, splashing water over the curbs. At what seemed to mark the entrance to a neighborhood, he paused. The sensation was still there. He turned into the neighborhood and probed each house he passed with his mind. Was this where she lived? The farther he entered the residential area the more encompassing the feeling grew. It was as if he was in the nucleus of a body of energy.

He could no longer sense if he should go left, right, or straight ahead, or even back the way he had come. The feeling was all around him as if he were in some sort of mental cloud. He slowed his pace and continued to probe each house he passed but did not pick up on any of the mental markings he associated with his mate.

When he finally reached the end of the development, he let out a frustrated groan. The rain had slowed to a soft drizzle, and Adam took a moment to catch his breath and survey his surroundings. She was close. He was certain. He meandered down the road and saw some businesses in the distance. There was an odd glow that caught his eye, and he decided to take a closer look. He realized the glow was coming from a sign, electric letters of some sort. So focused on what the letters spelled, he did not notice the building to which they clung.

It wasn’t until he was close enough to read the word
Jimbo’s
that he recognized the building. It was brick with blacked-out windows and a painted green door. That was when he saw her.

His heart stuttered as he set eyes on her for the first time without barriers. She was stunning. Due to the lack of light and presence of rain, her hair appeared more russet than the ruby-tinged gold he knew it could be. She wore it pulled off her face, and it swayed down her back in a bouncy tail. Her figure was slight, but curvy. She wore a cotton, fitted shirt, and with his nocturnal sight he could see the delicate peak where her breasts pressed against the fabric. Her legs were displayed in what his people would consider undergarments, short pants only covering her limbs to midthigh. Rather than let her lack of modesty irritate him, he took a moment to admire her hindquarters as she skipped over puddles on the sidewalk.

She held something in her hand and stuck close to the buildings to avoid the drizzle. Then she reached the green door and adjusted the items she held in her hands and pulled the door open. As she disappeared inside the establishment and the door slid closed, Adam heard the sound of male voices and music. He crossed the street and followed her through the green door.

The air was stale, and the room was dim. There was a large electrical box to his left that produced music. A man pressed a button as pages flipped inside a glass window of the box. The music faded, leaving only the rumbling of voices and the sound of clinking glasses. Adam watched as the man at the box reached into his pocket and then slid two quarters into a hole and pressed the two buttons. Music started again, and he walked away. Perhaps this large box was a radio. Adam had always assumed they were smaller.

He stepped away from the doorway and searched for his mate. He did not see her. Under the veil of smoke he could smell honeysuckle. It was imbedded in the air here. There was also that musky scent he detected earlier in the air. He sniffed and found the musky sent coming in waves from the male behind the counter. This establishment did not appear to be private, so he found an empty table with bench seating and sat down. He deposited his hat and bag under the table and waited.

After a few minutes another man walked to the music box, pressed some buttons, and inserted two coins. More music played. The odorous man behind the counter noticed him and tapped a door behind him with his knuckle. Adam wondered if he should be doing something and considered busying himself at the music box. Just then the door behind the counter swung open, and his mate appeared. The man and his mate exchanged a few words, then she looked in his direction.

She carefully sipped from a cup she held then placed it on the counter and picked up an apron. She tied the apron strings around her slender waist and picked up a tray. Adam sat up as she approached.

“What can I getchya?” Her voice stroked his senses just as it had in his dream. It was childlike and soft. He took a moment and breathed in her delicious scent. It was headier than in his dreams. He could become intoxicated on such a scent. “We have dollar drafts of Bud ’til midnight.”

Adam couldn’t help but smile at her. “I will have that.”

“You bet,” she said and turned away. Her hair swung from side to side as she sauntered off. A minute later she returned, placing a napkin in front of him followed by a tall glass of amber liquid. “Let me know if I can get you anything else.”

Before she could run off again Adam asked, “What is your name?”

She smiled. “Annalise.”

“Thank you, Annalise.”

She tilted her head to the side and gave him a peculiar look. She continued to smile, but her brow crinkled slightly. She then shook her head and said “you’re welcome” before she disappeared again.

Anna. Annalise. A beautiful name. Adam repeated her name over and over again as he watched her retrieve and deliver drinks to other patrons. This was her work. He knew of other orders that allowed their women to do such work in the English communities. If this is what pleased Annalise, perhaps she could do such work in Lancaster.

He understood he would need to finish his drink in order to have her return to his table. Adam sipped the drink and found it slightly bitter. By the time he reached the bottom of his glass, he felt his mood lighten considerably and he did not mind the robust flavor. Within a few minutes of finishing his drink, Annalise returned and asked if he would like another. He wanted to speak with her but didn’t want to appear too eager. He had been so preoccupied with finding her, he had not considered what he would do when he found her.

Ultimately, Adam would be asking Annalise to leave her life here in Bensalem to join him and to live as an Amish couple in Lancaster. That wasn’t even taking the entire immortal-mortal issue into consideration. Although he had found her in only a few days, he had roughly a few weeks to return home with her. And that was according to his grandfather. Who knew if he would make it that long without completing the blood bond?

He needed to get past introductions and move on to more intimate interactions as soon as possible. Yet he had no idea how to do such things. She was about to turn away and he panicked, not knowing how long he would have to wait to speak with her again. “Do you like working here?”

She paused and thought about his question. “I guess. The customers are nice.”

He sensed her answer was not completely honest. “This area is where you prefer to live?”

She smirked at him and leaned her hip against the bench seat across from him. “Now, that’s a different question entirely. People either work somewhere because they want to live there or they live somewhere because they can get good work.”

“And which is the case with you?”

“I live here because this is where I grew up. I work here because I get good hours and okay tips.”

“Tips?”

She tilted her head and gave him a dubious look. “Yeah, tips. You know, like after a waitress brings you a couple beers, you leave her a few dollars for being prompt and friendly.”