Table For Two [Charli]

With time, the betrayal had slipped from his heart. His true love was gone and she was never coming back. Demetri had wasted many days, weeks, and months thinking about her and their son. Vincent could not comprehend the idea of being away from his mother, or even why she had left them. The hardest thing for Demetri was keeping the boy's mind in a positive light. He did not wish for Vincent to despise his mother, in fact, he wished for the boy to love her always. Arkati had been the first to comfort him, to show him that all would be well. For within her own chest, he knew she loved him as well. Their love was eternal. From the first moment he saw her, he knew she would be special. As the current Prorex, she kept the clan in line. He needed her to do that, while he pulled himself back together at the seams. With each thread and stitch, Demetri could feel himself coming back to the vampire he knew himself to be. The ominus king, leader of the shadowed creatures, lord of the blood-suckers had returned. Demetri moved about the room, he looked to the brand new furniture the workers had brought and replaced for him. Exact replicas of the original furniture stood in their places. The room was exactly how he had it when Vixin had been here. Her clothes still hung in the closet and he knew things would have to change in a less aggressive and destructive manner. Compiling his things together, he began re-arranging his room. He moved the bed to the south wall, facing the north wall. His small couch rested at the foot of the bed, leaning against the frame while his dressers and art we against the east wall. The double doors on the south wall did not change, nor the walls around them. Grabbing the doors to the closet, he opened them slowly. The walk in was lined with clothes, shoes, watches and other accessories the Domina and Dominus would need for their outings. Taking a deep breath, he smelled the sweet fragrance of her scent and began grabbing her garments and laying then gently over his arm. He piled them on his bed and when he had gathered everything, he sent for the slaves to come and get them. When everything of Vixin's was gone, Denetri looked over his room. That part of his life was over, and it was time to move onto the next stage. An old figure from his past had returned, as beautiful and sexy as ever. Charli had once taken the Dominus' heart and set it ablaze with an eternal fire, but shortly after, she left him for a mortal man. When this occurred, Demetri did the only thing he could think of. He left. But today he was going to give her another chance.

Taking his phone from his pocket, he scrolled through the names of his contacts. Small pictures of faces scrolled up the screen as he made it to Charli's name. When he clicked on her name, it went to the enlarged picture of her smile and her contact information. As he clicked the message button, it opened up a blank page with her name on it. Taking a deep breath, Demetri sat on the edge of his bed. He stared at the phone screen. What was he going to say to her? He had not a single clue. As he stared at the blank screen, his fingers would tap the buttons, spelling out a formal greeting, but immediately he would erase it all. Nothing he could say was good enough. Finally he just allowed his fingers to speak the words he truly wanted to. "Hey Charli, are you doing anything tonight? I would like to take you out on a date. Get dressed to impress and meet me by the front door to the mansion. The vehicle will be here at nine, sharp." He paused before sending the text, thinking it over, but finally hitting send. Being the Dominus had his advantages. He could literally get anything he wished and tonight that thing was a limousine. He would take her out in style, not only showing her his riches, but that he was still the same old Demetri she had met thousands of years prior to this day. He went straight to the shower, stripping off his clothes and getting in as the water steamed the room. The heat against his chilled skin felt inviting and made him stay beneath it for longer than he had planned. When he finished, he dried off his body with a large bath towel and walked to his quarters. He pulled out a suit, a bow tie and slacks. For an undershirt, he wore a white tank top. His shirt was white and buttoned to the very top as he laced the bow tie around his neck. Fastening it securely, he slipped a pair of silk boxer-briefs over his long legs, pulling them to his waist. Lastly, he grabbed black socks and his dress shoes, slipping them on one at a time and lacing them tight. He grabbed his jacket and sling it over his shoulder. He took one long look at himself in his mirror, making sure he looked absolutely perfect. After adjusting the now tie slightly, he opened the double doors to his room and strolled out. There was a skip in his step, a smile on his face, and cheer in his eyes. As nine o'clock rolled closer, so did the limo. Demetri walked to the fauyer entrance and walked out into the night. Just as he did, a white stretch limo pulled up into the drive way. Demetri signaled for the driver to stay in while he opened the back side door which faces the house. He stood a few paces in front of the car, hands clasped over one another covering his lap, and he waited with a smile for Charli to see his display.

Sat at her desk, the vampiress glanced at the clock. The end of the school day was approaching although time seemed to be passing by so slowly. Charli brought her pen to her mouth and began tapping the end on her soft lips whilst reading one of her student's work to see if she could improve it. The children in the class were working together in small groups, filling the room with a maintained level of noise, yet none of them misbehaved for Miss Brooks as she was one of their favourite teachers. She cared for the children very much and wanted the best for them. Helping the children develop their knowledge and essential skills for the future brought the woman much joy. Her caring nature made her ideal for the occupation that she had, as well as her broad knowledge gained from many, many years of life experience and dedicated studying. Before long the school bell rung. Charli uncrossed her legs and raised to her feet, bending down to adjust her black pencil skirt as the bottom had risen above her knees, then moved to stand in front of her desk before waving off the class with a warm smile as they left. Once the classroom was empty, the woman returned to her seat and continued marking for around half an hour after school had ended for the day. She then grabbed her tan leather satchel and packed the remainder of the work left to mark into it so that she could do it in her free time, in the comfort of her own home. The Vicecome fastened the bag shut and slung it over her shoulder before she casually departed the building, heading back to the Dominus' mansion where she happily resided. Whilst on her way, she heard her phone vibrating from within her bag so she took it out to see who was trying to contact her. To her surprise it was Demetri, the Dominus himself. The man she had once loved. What could he possibly want to say? Her heart began to beat faster as she anticipated clicking on the message and seeing what he had to say. With one quick tap, she read Demetri's message. Her cheeks lifted as an artless smile appeared. Instantly she clicked on the reply button and began typing her response. "Hey Demetri. I am free tonight and I would love to go out with you. I'll do my best and be there for nine. Look forward to seeing you. x" Remembering that he was her Dominus now, she deleted the 'x' and clicked send. Now with something to look forward to tonight, the vampiress rushed home to give her plenty of time to get ready.

When Charli arrived home, she swiftly walked up the stairs with some difficulty and went to her room to continue with marking and reading a book to pass some time. A few hours passed and she removed her skirt and white blouse, before going to the nearest bathroom to her room and running a warm, bubbly bath to relax her prior to the date. The woman placed scented candles around the bathtub, one at each corner, and lit all four with a match. Scents of birch and maple leaves amongst pomegranate, juniper berry, and orange blossom wafted around the room. She sat on the edge of the bathtub, book in hand, waiting for the water to reach a satisfactory volume. Minutes had passed and the bath was ready. Charli turned off the water and stood up to lock the door before tying her hair up and stripping off completely. Once in the bath she submerged her voluptuous body into the almost hot water. She lathered up a bar of soap and rubbed it across her supple skin until she had covered her whole body below her neck. Then she laid back, closing her eyes and resting her head on the top of the bathtub as she breathed in deeply, enjoying the delicate scents released from the candles surrounding her. She remained where she was for a good twenty minutes or so before pulling the plug and rinsing her body as well as wrapping a towel below her arms and rolling the top so that it stayed upon her body without needing to be held. The Vicecome bent over to blow out the candles one by one then washed her face and grabbed her underwear before returning to her bedroom to decide on her outfit. After fastening a black bra around her chest and putting on matching panties, blow drying her hair and rummaging through her closet, the woman picked out a red dress and slipped it on over her tall, curvaceous form and zipped up the back. The neckline up to the top of her chest was lace, revealing a fair amount of cleavage and there were cut-out sections at her waist, showing more of her sun-kissed skin. The fabric ended at her mid-thigh. Since she was dressed, Charli moved onto make-up and applied mascara as well as shimmery champagne eyeshadow to bring out the blue in her eyes and some lipgloss to her lips. With a quick glance to the clock, the vampiress noticed that it was just before nine. She didn't want to keep Demetri waiting so she slipped on a pair of classy black heels and grabbed a sparkly gold clutch bag containing a few needed essentials before speedily making her way to the front door, almost running down the hallway. Charli twisted the door handle and opened the door to reveal what was waiting for her. The dashing man stood there beside a white stretch limousine. The sight brought an instant smile to the lady's face, pressing up her rosy cheeks as she walked outside and shut the door behind her, her eyes remaining solely on the Dominus. She made her way to him and couldn't think of anything to say. She was speechless. A sweet laugh escaped her rouge lips as she ran her fingers through her silky beach waves. "All this for me?" Demetri had certainly impressed the woman. She looked forward to going out in style.

"Of course all of this is for you. Who else could I lavish so much? It seems I have to make up the many years for lost dates. I hope this shall do for you." He smiled to her as she came close. He leaned in close to her, kissing her cheek gently. He smiled and held a hand to assist her into the limousine. When he was climbing in, he had signaled for the driver to close the door. With both vampires in the limo, Demetri sat close to Charli, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. With the press of a button, he lowered the partition and called out to the driver. "Take us downtown and park right out front of the Lavender Lounge like we discussed." The driver nodded his head and closed the partition to give them the ultimate privacy. Demetri smiled and moved to grab the bottle of champagne. He did not care to ask her if she wanted it, Charli would enjoy some as well as himself. He grabbed one glass and poured it half way, handing it to her. The second glass he poured for himself and placed the bottle down. He took his seat and sat beside her again. "To everlasting life, and the promise of happiness for our kind." As he tipped his glass to hers ever so gently, he moved it to his lips and took a sip. He held the glass in his right hand, while his left grabbed onto Charli's. He leaned in close to her and smiled as he whispered to her perfect ear. "You look gorgeous tonight. I don't think I have ever seen you look so beautiful." As the limo approached the building, it came to a slow stop. He finished his glass of champagne and waited for the door to be opened. He stepped out, his feet standing on a red carpet. Yes, Demetri had gone all out for her. When his feet were planted, he reached his hand in to grab hers and assist her out.

As they walked to the entrance of the Lavender Lounge, people stood outside the building, waiting to enter. When they entered, staff was everywhere. They were getting ready for the evening, having a later open time as Demetri had requested. Two gentleman bouncers closed the doors behind them. He escorted her to the back of the room, up a small set of stairs to the VIP section. The area was roped off by velvet cables and on the table rested the name "Reserved For Demetri". He allowed her to choose her seat first and sat beside her. He grabbed the menus and soon was greeted by a waiter. "What can I get the both of you this evening?" The waiter looked over Charli and Demetri knew immediately what he had been thinking. Clearing his throat, he spoke in a threatening tone towards the male. "The lady and I shall have the bottle of 1911 "O" positive. We will need the whole bottle and please bring it on ice." He stared to the other male, glaring as he watched him write it down and walk away from them both. He smiled to Charli, grabbing her hand once again. "So what do you think? Is there anything else you will need tonight? I don't know if you like human food. I will eat it if need be, but I do not need it." When the doors opened and people flooded the building, the music bumped loudly around them. Luckily Demetri had trained himself to drown out the sound of the bass and beat. Already some humans had been drunk, and Demetri considered the idea of luring them from the bar and having a night of hunting. But he silenced the idea and watched them make fools of themselves.

Charli grinned at Demetri's soulful charm. He hadn't changed a bit. The fanciable woman found it natural being in the Dominus' company. This wasn't their first date, far from it. She felt completely at ease as she would do being around her closest friends. Once more his lips met her unblemished, tender skin; adding an extra glow to her cheeks as she took his hand, her blue and green hues meeting his gaze, and elegantly bent over to enter the vehicle. Once inside, she shuffled along so Demetri could sit close by her side. The man wrapped his arm around the lady which would have made the driver assume they were a couple. This was not the case, however Charli liked the closeness. The vampiress watched as the partition lowered then rose again, dividing the two from the male in front. After giving instructions to the driver, the gentleman poured her a glass of champagne. She took it from him with a pretty smile, gently touching her hand with his, then leaned back comfortably before delicately tapping the side of his glass with hers following his toast and taking a small sip of the bubbly liquid. The striking vampire who sat beside the blonde vampiress held her smaller hand in his. He leaned in closer to her side and began whispering sweet words into her ear. "Oh stop...", she said jokingly, turning her head to face him as she laughed sweetly. "Thank you." She casually rested her head on the man's shoulder for the remainder of their journey to the Lavender Lounge. After a short while they arrived at the building and Demetri got out first to assist his date out of the limo before they made their way down the blood-red carpet. It was evident that the gentleman had planned every last detail, even giving Charli her own runway which she took pleasure in owning with her confident strides.

A crowd had gathered outside the building, waiting to get inside so that they could liven up their night. Whether that be getting drunk, dancing or simply meeting new faces. The first was impossible for Charli and her kind which wasn't particularly a bad thing. Demetri escorted the vampiress through the building to the VIP section where a table was waiting for the two, sectioned off from all the others. It made the woman feel special. She took a seat before Demetri sat down beside her. Before long a waiter approached the pair, asking for their order. The Dominus took it on himself to order for them both. As Demetri's eyes remained on the male, the Vicecome took the opportunity to admire his features from up close. He was truly one of a kind. In all her years Charli hadn't met a man that could compare. She couldn't help but faintly smile to herself. Once their order was written on the waiter's paper pad, he casually walked away. The vampiress leant her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her right hand as she happily watched the gentleman who smiled and took her free hand in his. "You have made my night very extravagant. I do not require anything more from you.. I couldn't have wished for any of this." She rubbed his hand with her thumb and sat straight, gently placing her other hand on his thigh without thinking. "I haven't consumed human food for quite some time but I will definitely give it a try." A delicate smile formed as she looked into the man's eyes. Charli saw more than the pigment and hue. She felt a connection that wasn't just that of a friend or someone of equal importance. Mortals made their way into the Lavender Lounge, some already being intoxicated, as music played loudly throughout the building. The woman playfully did a little shimmy then laughed as she pushed her golden hair back and returned her gaze to Demetri. "So what is life like nowadays, Dominus Demetri?"

He smiled to her as she spoke of her thoughts. Of course, he could always dive into her mind to figure them out himself, but it was much better to hear them from her lips. She had been enjoying her night with him, which was more than he could ever ask for. Demetri knew exactly what he wanted from this date. It was nothing too serious. But in the thousands of years they had been away from one another, so many things had changed. His life alone had went a million different ways than he ever thought it would go. In the past, he never thought he would actually own a clan of his own. Yes, he was the original blood-sucker, the lord of the undead, but never in his wildest dreams was this an option for him. He thought he was going to end up alone or at least in some deserted lands. Never did he plan on owning a mansion. But his clan was more an idea of family to him. Why not keep them all under one roof? Then he would know exactly what was happening within his house. When the drinks came back, he smiled to the server and then looked to Charli. The server poured the blood into each glass, and by the look on his face, he was not pleased with it. But honestly, would any non-vampire be alright with it? Perhaps the carnivorous Werewolves would do just fine, but not the gentle Mora or the elegant Shifters. They were more for the meat of their prey, not their life force. He took a drink from his glass and placed it down on the table. "So, Charli, tell me what you have been up to since I last saw you. What happened to that human you were so in love with?" He was interested in her life, but he really wanted to tell her of his own. So much had happened to Demetri, it was almost too hard to keep in.

All was going well. The relaxed ambience was very pleasant, nothing overly serious which was preferred at the moment as the woman grew used to her new home. Charli had been on a fair few dates during her extended years, all with the intention of wooing the woman and possibly being able to call her the man or woman's own if they were in search of a serious relationship. The majority did not lead to a second or third date due to a lack of chemistry or interest on both parts. Was searching for the one special individual wrong? The vampiress did wish to settle down in the future, providing the right person came into her life who would give her everything she deserved. Someone who had time for her and a loving heart to tattoo her name upon. Many caring souls had come into the woman's life throughout her thousands of years and then left to never be seen again. What she truly wanted was to spend an eternity with the lover of her life whoever that should be. Her time with Demetri remained dear to her heart despite being brief and such a while back. Charli, overtime, put the Dominus to the back of her mind and moved on with her life, shaping herself into the skilled and successful vampiress that she had now blossomed into yet here he was. Right beside her after years and years of living entirely separate lives. After all, life is a roller-coaster of highs and lows which could take a sudden turn at any moment.

The woman's lips parted as she briefly looked to the waiter, who had served their drinks, with a thankful smile. "Thank you." Picking up her glass, she took a drink of the rouge liquid whilst looking at Demetri. A sparkle lit up her eyes as her gaze lingered on the man by her side. They watched each other as she gently placed her glass back down. Demetri began to speak and brought up her past which she didn't exactly want to hear as she had moved on and was happy how things had turned out. Although she had somewhat refused Demetri's affections in the end, that didn't mean that she was unappreciative of what they had so very long ago. The woman's eyes flickered down to her lap before returning to the Dominus. "I have been developing, mainly. I was a young woman when I first met you and had to come to terms with my new life as a vampire. It was difficult in the beginning, especially after you were no longer a part of my life. However, now I would like to think that I have done you proud with the vampire I have become. I have a job which makes me happy and finding you makes me more so." The vampiress picked up her glass once again and took a short sip before setting it down. "The human had moved on and I no longer mattered to him." Charli paused as she thought momentarily. "I assume he has moved on in another sense if he remained a mortal." He hadn't entered her mind for such a long time. Mainly hurtful feelings were associated with Christian, hence why she tried to keep from remembering her past with him. The vampiress knew full well that Demetri now lived a completely different life compared to when she spent a limited amount of time with him and she wanted to hear of what had changed from those thousands of years ago. "I am interested to know what your life is like now, Demetri. What has changed from our last encounter prior to finding you?"

Grabbing at his glass, he lifted it to his lips and took a sip. "Yes, I can understand that changing would make life very hard to get used to. I was with you for the really hard parts, but I can imagine it was not easy for you. It is never easy for those who are basically released on their own. But I trusted you would make a fine Vampiress. And I was so right." He sipped from his glass and placed it down again. He didn't have to read her mind to see that she did not want to speak to him about the human. Perhaps the bastard had found a new "toy" and tossed her away. Whatever the case was, she was far over him and he was long dead. Now the pair sat in a room together, thinking of old times. "Life for me? Well that had almost changed entirely..." He stared to her, touching the glass gently with his finger tips. He stared to it and then looked to Charli. "Well, for a long time, I wandered over the world. I have watched it become what it is now, evolving and changing into this glorious future we live in today. After about seven thousand years of doing my own thing, I finally decided to plant myself in one single location, and here I have stayed. I started the clan, reaching out to the community for my members to join. I find Vampires in the most crazy places, all inviting them to stay. I have set boundaries on the humans, as I do not want them getting suspicious. But I have also come to find that other races are in fact around these parts. There's Werewolves, Shifters, and Mora. I don't know how much you know of the last two, but Werewolves, you should know about." He took a sip of the blood, allowing it to swirl around in his mouth. He swallowed gently, trying to think of all he would tell her. He would tell her about his lovers. What of his child? Might as well be completely honest about it all. "In the last year, I have found love... again. Her name is Vixin, and with her, I have a son. His name is Vincent. He's looks to be about a six or seven year old boy. But he is only just months shy of a year. It's amazing how the Vampire body grows so quickly. But, then she left me. She did not speak a word, she only left our home. I have not spoken to her since. She actually left before you came here. I was in a deep depression, but my other wife got me out of it. Arkati, you would like her. She is such a blessing to my life. I don't know what I would do without her. And if you are wondering how I could be married so close to one another, I was actually married to them both at the same time. You see, my clan is going to grow and I need all the help I can get. In this place, I will have up to three wives. I love them all equally, and will continue to do so. It's not a life for everyone, but I enjoy it. And I have never been happier." He looked to her as took another sip from his glass. "What do you plan to do while you are here? What do you want to do?"

Despite the partygoers losing their state of mind on the dance floor and becoming increasingly rowdy, Charli and Demetri managed to have a heartfelt conversation as they accepted the past for what it was and began discussing what the future may hold. The Vampiress listened closely to every word that escaped the man's lips, gently nodding at regular intervals. In all honestly, Charli knew what he was going to say but she wanted to hear it coming from him so she could accept the facts and move on. This time not literally. If there was one thing the woman was sure about, it was that she would never leave Demetri nor his clan. Living at the mansion was wonderful and there was no place she'd rather be. Not yet had she managed to meet her fellow clan members but she anticipated doing so. Also, Charli wanted to observe Demetri's relationships with his members as well as establish her own with them. She wanted to be a part of his life. Of course he had found love throughout recent years, any woman would be lucky to have such a caring and loving man be part of their life. The voluptuously shaped Vampiress had longed for his presence for what seemed like an eternity, however now she was ready to build on her relationship with the Dominus and hopefully rekindle what they once had.

Charli was informed that Vixin, his first wife, had recently left Demetri without a word, much like what she regretfully did millenniums ago although she had her reasons. She couldn't begin to imagine how much pain he would have felt and likely still felt deep down, particularly as they had a young son together. The woman placed her hand on the side of his suited arm whilst looking into his eyes with her sympathetic gaze. "I'm sorry to hear that, Demetri." With her own return, it must have somewhat added to the hurtful feelings he was experiencing. A part of his past had come back to him, probably not at the best of times but that couldn't be helped. Nevertheless, she was now here for him and was willing to do anything in attempt to make him happier than he currently was. His second wife, Arkati, seemed to be helping him through the rough times which Charli was grateful for. She removed her hand from him and lifted her glass to her lips as she silently drank the blood and watched the volume in the glass slowly go down with every mouthful swallowed. After hearing his questions, the Vicecome positioned her glass back down on the table and looked back to Demetri. The mention of him wishing to have three wives certainly gave her hope that they could develop a loving relationship once again if that is what they both desired. "I plan to settle down and, ideally, have a family of my own in the near future. I shall not hide my feelings from you, therefore I want you to know that I want to give us another try when we are both ready and see where it takes us. I understand if you don't feel the same and would rather know now so I can search for love with another."

As she rubbed his arm, he could feel the warmth from her. Not the actual temperature, but the love and admiration she had for him. It was a beautiful feeling, one he had enjoyed from their first meeting. And it was happening again now. Demetri drank from his glass and gave her a simple nod. It hurt to think about Vixin, but it was important to put all the cards out on the table. He was a very loving man, loved easily and deeply. Some might say he fell for Vixin a little too fast, or even Arkati. But each of his wives had a different essence to them. Vixin had always been so proper and restricted almost, while Arkati was more lenient. She was tons of fun to be around and she enjoyed the same activities as he. It was the perfect match. Back from when he knew Charli, she had been wild, even after the newborn thing wore off. She was like an untamed stallion, wild and free. If Charli was still this way, she would make an excellent edition to his harem. Demetri drank from his glass until it was empty. He placed it down on the table. As she spoke, he listened intently. She had big plans for being here and he could tell. The honesty from her was enough to make me smile. "Those are some pretty big goals. But I can appreciate the honesty. It's not easy for some to be so... forward with someone they were once with." He looked around the room briefly and then back to her. "Charli," he said reaching to grab her hand and hold it within his own, "if that is what you truly want, then I will be more than happy to try. A long time ago, when we parted ways, I was young and didn't believe in second chances. But over the last few thousands of years, I have thought of you. From time to time, I would think what life would be like, had we stayed together. I often think how my life would be different. Through the years, I have learned to forgive and try to forget. It's hard to always remember everything, but between you and I, I only really remember the good times between us. I don't recall fights, or spats... just when I left. You made your choice, and I mine. If you are serious about this, I want you to know that if Vixin ever comes back, I will still love her and Arkati is going nowhere. If you could really see yourself sharing a life with not only me, but two other women, then by all means, yes... Let us try. I would like to try."