Soul Mate: A Novella

Ch. 3 Samael

Rim seems off tonight as though he is nervous about something which is strange because it’s just the two of us. We had just arrived at the Star-Sky venue, and I was pretty stoked to go inside especially once I learned the chick he likes works at the bar. We make our way up to the ticket booth where my eyes behold the cutest little thing I’ve ever seen! Though I guess being 6’7 almost any being is little but still. I’d say she’s around 5’6 but it’s hard to tell as the auburn haired, chocolate eyed beauty is sitting on a stool as she doles out wristbands for the 21 and over crowd and ‘X’s’ for the under-aged. Currently she is ignoring Rim’s twenty-dollar bill and instead just slaps a purple paper band around his wrist. He smiles and thanks her before I stick my left arm out and she repeats the motions for me. I can’t help but stare at her. Is there such a thing as love at first sight? This thought becomes all-consuming as her fingertips brush against my skin, and I feel a jolt of electricity run along my forearm. I’m disrupted from my thoughts though as I feel Rim nudge my arm with his elbow.

I follow behind him as he leads us up to the bar and then ask him where the chick that he likes is. It’s funny watching him scowl when I refer to his little girlfriend as ‘chick’. I can’t help but chuckle when his face twists and he scrunches his nose at the word. He thinks he’s schooled his facial expressions when it comes to giving me looks but I can tell by the glimmer in his eyes, the way his nostrils flare slightly and the sound of his heart rate quickening, that my choice of words has irked him at least a little which causes a hint of a smile to flicker in my ice-blue eyes.

For some under-worldly reason, I don’t call him out on it. I know, I surprise myself sometimes too! As we lean against the counter of the bar, a girl comes bounding over from behind it, pushes herself up she leans across the black top and plants her lips on Rim’s shocking me for a second before I realize this must be the one, he’s fallen for. Smiling, I pushed my elbow into his side forcing him to introduce us. “Ugh, Samael would like me to introduce you to him, Cassie.” As she sticks her hand out for me to shake, I take it and bring the back of her hand to my lips, kissing it. Pulling out of my grasp, I see her put her arm behind her back, wiping it against a white cotton towel in her back pocket as she says, “it’s uh, nice to meet you Samael.”

Intrigue flashes across my eyes as I wonder if she knows what I am. Did Rim tell her I’m an angel of death? I’m not able to think about it though as another girl comes skipping over to us. “Hi-ya Rim,” she greets him but her eyes dance towards me and I wonder what’s in the water in this town because I’ve never seen so many beautiful girls in one spot before. “Would you guys like a drink?”

Rim gives her a grin and asks for two shots of Tequila, and I see surprise in her eyes as they go wide by this drink request of his. “Well, okay then. I’ll be back in a few seconds.” The girl smiles before walking away from us and I watch as she grabs a clear bottle of liquid and a couple of shot glasses. Filling them to the top, she brings drinks over to us and sits them down but before we can drink them, I hear her ask, “and who might you be?” as she stares into my eyes.

I have to blink and in that split second Rim speaks for me. “Right, apologies. Ginny, this is my friend Samael. Sam, meet Cassie’s best friend Ginny.” She smiles at me but then walks away having been called by another bartender for assistance. We watch her walk away and then pick up our glasses, clinking them together, saying ‘cheers!’ before tossing our heads back, opening our mouths and letting the harsh liquid slide down our throats.

After we place the little plastic cups back on the counter, I look at Rim and say, “I’ve never been surrounded by so many gorgeous ladies before. And I must admit there is definitely something unique about that little girlfriend of yours; I mean besides the obvious beauty. I can totally see why you like her.” He gives a tight-lipped smile and I tilt my head in curiosity to the move. I don’t get to dwell on it though because Rim takes me by surprise as he suggests we go somewhere else while Cassie works. “We don’t need to bother her while she’s working.”

Chuckling I respond, “nah man. I’m having a good time. Let’s stay and have another drink. I promise I won’t bother your girl.” I watch him as he debates with himself about trying to convince me to leave or sticking around. He rolls his eyes but concedes to my request. I can’t help but smirk and watch as he waves down a bartender to corral another round of drinks for us. About ten minutes pass with Rim and I just chilling up at the bar before noise can be heard coming from the front of the building where the stage is. The room goes dark except for the bar which becomes dimmer and the majority of the crowd surges towards the music blasting from the stage and the speakers. With the area emptying out of bodies, Ginny makes her way back over to chat with us.

As she and I converse Rim leans close to my ear and informs me of his need to use the restroom. Nodding my head that I heard him, I turn my focus back to the cute strawberry-blonde and am enraptured by her presence and listen to her as she babbles on about some band, she had been on tour with the week prior. Realizing Rim seems to be taking his time using the restroom, I voice my thoughts about this to Ginny. “Hmm, let me go check with Cass, maybe she can check on him, unless you want to run to the bathroom yourself and make sure he’s okay?”

“Yeah, no. I’ll stay right here if you want to go chat with Cassie. I’m not a fan of public restrooms,” as I say this, a sneaking suspicion that Rim has snuck off to be with Cass somewhere crosses my mind. I don’t really care where he’s disappeared to because I know he will return but before I can voice this, someone tells Ginny to see if she can find Cassie and let her know that the first band will be done and to get back to the bar and ready for the impending crowd that will descend upon us. With a wicked grin I add, “hurry back!” and then give her a wink that causes a smile to spread across her lovely face.

Ginny isn’t gone but a minute or two before she comes strolling back over to me. “Cassie was out having a cigarette break. They should both be back shortly.” I nod and watch as she walks away having been summoned by another patron for a beer. Shortly after I see Cassie appear behind the bar, Rim saunters over and places his hands on the counter. Before I can ask him where he’s been, he asks; “another round?” Nodding my head, Rim quickly waves Ginny over to us since she is the closest bartender and asks for two more shots of Tequila. She places a shot in front of both of us but has a third glass still in her hand. I smile as Rim gives her a questioning look, she returns my smile with a wicked one of her own and downs the drink before walking away from us, completely ignoring the money Rim had offered for the beverages.

Demons! If this stuff that Rim and I have been drinking isn’t absolutely wonderful, I haven’t a notion what it is. “Damn dude! This Tequila stuff is like the nectar of the Gods! It’s quite enticing; as is that bouncing little blonde friend of Cassie’s,” I exclaim to Rim as the Tequila is beginning to cause the most amazingly dizzy sensation to course through me. Rim rolls his eyes at my comment but I just grin drunkenly at him.

Probably an hour has passed before I see the cute girl from the ticket window walk back towards the bar. As I spot her my heart does this weird little flip and flutter against my chest causing me to arch an eyebrow in question to the odd reaction of seeing her. I’m excited to see her heading our way but then she turns around and disappears into a separate room. I think I’m losing my mind because I feel sad that she decided not to come over and join us. Thankfully I don’t have to endure this feeling for long as she emerges from the other area moments later carrying two cases of something called Bud Light. After she sits it on top of some shiny metal container, she notices me and Rim at the opposite end of the bar and makes her way over to us.

“Hi-ya, Rim. How’s your night going?” She’s asking the question to Rim, but her eyes never sway from my gaze. It takes all my self-control not to hop over the bar and claim her then and there as mine and a growl nearly makes its way past my lips. Her voice sounds like music to my ears as I hear her ask, “is your friend enjoying himself?” and I practically purr from the sound of it.

“Hey Khloe, have you met my friend Samael?” I watch her shake her head no which in turn causes her mid-shoulder length ringlets to bounce around and my palms itch from wanting to run my fingers through her beautiful soft locks. We smile at one another but before she’s able to say anything, Ginny comes bounding over to us, making sure we all turn our attention to her.

“So, yeah. We’re getting ready to close up for the night. When we’re done a bunch of us were thinking of going and hanging down at the beach, a midnight swim as they say. You guys interested in tagging along?” As Ginny asks the question, I see Khloe shift her eyes towards me and Rim to see what our answers will be. We say we would like to go, and I see Khloe’s face light up in excitement. “Sweet, I’ll tell Cassie of our decision to go. Oh, by the way, Jason has asked that you two wait outside while we finish closing. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I’ll wait outside with you guys, if that’s okay, that is.” Khloe offers. We both say yeah, and then walk out the exit doors out into the moonlight. We find a bench and sit on it while we wait for the others. Khloe and I chat and slash flirt with each other for a bit and I find out she is 19. I told her I’m twenty-two which is true sort of. I became a reaper at that age even if it was centuries ago. Mid conversation Khloe’s co-workers pour out of the venue, and we watch as Ginny and Cassie wander up to us and our little group makes their way to the beach just down the way.

Having found a few pieces of dry driftwood, we all sit on the logs, and I feel like I’m at Hell’s gate as I’ve got Ginny sitting on my right side and Khloe sitting on my left. I would love nothing more than to continue the conversation Khloe and I had been in the middle of as we had waited for the others, but Ginny can be a very persuasive entity and easily sways my attention her way. I’m not exactly sure when Khloe gave up trying to talk with me, but I know she is gone because the cool night air brushes against my left forearm causing me to shiver from the lack of body warmth where Khloe had been previously.

I spot her standing with and talking to some of the other people from the bar, but I also catch her sneaking glances my way. A thought had popped into my head that I wanted to question Rim about, but when I turned my head to ask him, I realized he and Cassie had disappeared on us. Sighing, I allow a smile to slip on my face and shake my head. I’m sure they were off having some ‘fun’ of their own and it’s not like I’ve been abandoned by them because I’ve got Cassie’s friends keeping me company.

The night is slowly coming to an end as people begin saying goodnight and offering goodbyes to the others in our group. I know I could have gone home with Ginny, but I declined her offer telling her I have to be up early for an appointment. I don’t but I didn’t want to hurt her feelings by telling her I just simply didn’t want to. After she leaves, I stay seated upon the driftwood and tip my head back to gaze at the full moon and the stars lighting up the night sky. “Hey,” I hear a sweet, delicate voice say off to my left. Turning my head in the direction of the sound, I see Khloe standing close, a hesitant smile gracing her lips.

“Hey yourself,” I say with a wide smile of my own. “I thought you left when everyone else did,” realizing that my question could be misconstrued in me not wanting her here I quickly added, “but I’m glad you didn’t. Would you like to have a seat?” Patting the empty space next to me on the driftwood, I move my body a little to make sure there is enough room for her to sit comfortably next to me.