Authors: L.S. Darsic
Now that you have had a small family history lesson back to real life….
It has been weeks since I have been able to see my friend Presley, so tonight I am going to live it up before my little jaunt to Ireland. Presley has been my friend for a few years now and she lives two houses down from me. She has no clue about my life and thinks I just travel a lot for work as a photographer, like I said before, good cover made up by the good old family. Presley is a beautiful brunette who is tall, bright and feisty, where as I am tall, blonde and reserved. Presley is also the person who watches my house for me while I am away and my personal stylist so I don't run around looking like a bum.
After work I run home to deal with Egypt, my crazy horse dog and get ready to head to the bar to meet Presley. My life is complicated so I like to keep the things I can control as simple as possible which means, I dress relaxed and don’t spend a ton of time on my hair and makeup. Thanks to my nephilim genes, I have great skin, hair and body so it doesn’t take much for me to look presentable, I suppose. My style is jeans, a nice shirt and sandals or heels depending on where I am going. So tonight I am in my usual flip flops, jeans and a peasant shirt to complete the look I am barely aiming for. I arrive at Fisher's Bar and Grill early and find a table towards the back to wait for Presley. After ordering a beer and some pretzels I see Presley parading her sassy ass in the door like she is a runway model and back to where I am sitting.
“Hey Pres! I missed you” I say while standing up to give her a hug
“Hey babe! Long time no see, you bitch. It’s about time you dragged your ass out!” Presley says as she hugs me back. Ah, good ole Presley. I can always count on her to swear at me in an affectionate manner.
“Ah, yeah..... I know, Pres. I just have been busy. It’s my job to travel you know. Besides, it’s not like you don’t have Jake to keep you busy….in bed” I shoot back at her knowing full well this will distract her from talking about me and my travels.
“OMG Alex, you have no idea how sweet that man is on me. I have him wrapped around my finger” she squeals while holding up her finger as if he is wrapped around it literally. Presley is a serial dater and always has to be in a relationship of some sort. But that also helps me because she is always so busy with her newest boyfriend that she doesn’t notice that I keep my distance. It’s not that I want to shut her out, it’s more like I have no choice in the matter.
“So how long are you staying in town for this time? Are you ever going to leave Egypt with me so I can love on her all the time while you are away? It’s not fair.” Presley pleads with me with puppy dog eyes. Egypt and Presley have a weird relationship. Presley hates animals and will avoid them at all costs, except for Egypt. It makes no sense why she loves Egypt, maybe she has some weird voodoo power over her? Besides, Egypt goes with me everywhere. She is probably the most traveled dog on the earth. Anytime I travel it’s by private plane, car or boat, so Egypt is able to stay with me the whole time. Otherwise I don’t think I would have been able to keep her.
Two years ago I found this tiny little puppy on my front step shivering in the rain, so I took her in and have loved her to pieces ever since. Good thing I was home that night.
“Pres, you know Egypt can’t stay with you. She is over 150lbs and would destroy your perfectly put together house. Not to mention you would have trenches to China dug in your back yard. You two would not be best buds after that” I explain. Hopefully she doesn’t push because there is no way I am leaving my dog behind. She is my best friend. Oh god, that is so pathetic. My best friend is a dog. What has the world become, my life is so lame.
“Alex! Hellooooo?” Presley snaps me out of my mental pity party.
“Sorry Pres, just thinking about all the crap I have to get done before I leave again. I’m going to Ireland in 2 days for about a month, so I will have to pack more.” I explain. I know as soon as I talk about packing she zeros in on it and all talk of Egypt is done
“Ohhhh! Ireland sounds awesome! Think of all the men in kilts you can flirt with….maybe see what is under those kilts? Ohhh we have to make sure you pack some flirty fun stuff. How about I come over and help you, I don’t want you to embarrass yourself over in Ireland!” Presley is like my personal shopper and keeps me looking decent since I don’t really care what I wear. Lucky for me she keeps up with the styles.
“Alright, maybe we can go shopping after this so I can upgrade my wardrobe for the trip?” I ask Presley but I already know the answer
“OMG! Such a great idea! The new spring lines are out and I saw the cutest things the other day that I just know would look great on you!” And we’re off. She is easily distracted by clothes that I barely have to say much more.
Shopping takes 4 hours of my immortal life away, which I suppose isn’t a big deal to someone who has eternity but jeez, shopping for 4 hours. It’s like punishment to me. If I could, I would walk around in a toga so I would never have to buy anything besides a bed sheet ever again. However, I do love shoes so I suppose I could pair a bed sheet with any shoe really. Once we are done with punishment, I mean shopping, we head home to get me packed for my trip. How nice it would be to only pack bed sheets and shoes, life would be so easy. Maybe I should move to Greece? Do they still do that over there?
“Alex, are you even listening? I said we need to match your jewelry with your outfits to make sure you have everything you need” Presley interrupts my bed sheet debate. Dang.
My trips usually don’t take me out of the country, in fact I have only been out of the country a few times. Once to Vancouver, once to Mexico and once to Puerto Rico. When I go on my “trips” I am never gone more than 5 days at a time so this month long trip to Ireland is something out of the ordinary for me. Since turning 25 this year and gaining my full powers my family has started sending me to work more often. We generally stay in North/South America area as the rest of the world is generally quiet. My grandfather tells us that back before the Americas were found all the hot spots of drama were over in Europe but since the Americas were found all the “others” moved to the new world thus bringing their drama with them so this is generally where we operate. The issue in Ireland must be pretty big if they are sending in 4 of us.
Once I have shopped, packed and spent far too much time pairing outfits with jewelry, I spend my next day at the park with Egypt watching her run around again like a Clydesdale. My flight leaves early the next morning so I tire the horse out to prepare her to being stuck on a plane for 8+ hours. Good thing we have the plane to ourselves, I can’t imagine her riding in one of those crates of death they put dogs in and make them ride at the bottom of the plane. If that was the case I wouldn’t be taking her.
I arrive at the airport private hanger with plenty of time to spare so I can let Egypt run around some more. Shortly after I arrive the twins show up with their Doberman, Percy. For some reason my cousins acquired a Doberman recently as well. It’s become our family pet or something. Percy and Egypt are best buds and run around like idiots playing with each other.
Xander walks up to me to give me a hug, “Hey cuz! You ready for this trip? We’ve never been to Ireland, maybe I will find some hot red heads to spend some quality time with over there” Xander says with a pervy grin and a wiggle of his eyebrows as his brother Jace is unloading the luggage.
“Well good luck to you guys and your ginger women” I laugh out. The thought of them flirting all over Ireland is laughable because as soon as Anja meets up with us they will ignore any female in the area. It’s like watching a dog stare at his food bowl but unable to eat it.
“You guys do know that Anja is meeting us there, right?” I tell the twins. Both of them freeze and then turn to stare at me like I just gave them a million bucks.
“W-what?” Jace stutters out.
“Ok, so I guess no one filled you in on her coming. Dang. Sorry I ruined the surprise.” Oh man, this is too good. These idiots had no idea. Now I will have to listen to them plot their seduction tactics for the whole flight over.
“Well let’s get on with this trip guys" I say as I turn and spot Egypt in the field. "EGYPT! Get over here and stop messing around! We have a flight to get on. Better pee now before you can’t for 8 hours!" I call to her and then see her do as I instructed "good girl.” I am doing it again, talking to my dog like she understands me. The kicker is that she actually did pee when I told her to, she must be the smartest dog alive. All the luck.
After loading up and getting on the plane we are off in the air heading towards Ireland. None of us have any further information right now and will not get it until we reach our destination. This is typical of how our trips work. We are kept in the dark for reasons, that I can understand but it doesn’t make me like them. We are a very secretive bunch so should the information fall into the wrong hands we would be screwed, so those who are sent out to “deal” with the issue aren’t told what the issue is or how to deal with it until they arrive. Preparing for these trips isn’t easy since you have no idea what you are up against.
Good thing I brought my kindle for this trip since I will be glued to a seat for 8 hours and listening to the twins plot against poor Anja. At hour 3 into the trip I feel like I could go crazy.
“Jeez, can you guys find anything better to do than try to find ways to seduce poor Anja?” I huff out.
“Alex, its not our fault that she is hot and we are hot. We have to hook up with her, it’s the rules of the universe.” Jace says with a very serious face. It’s like these two don’t have a humble bone in their bodies.
Shaking my head and rolling my eyes is the only response I will give them to that, instead I change the subject “So what is new with the family? I haven’t been home in a while and only hear from Remy or uncle Reed when I have an assignment” I ask the twins, hoping to get them off the Anja topic for my sanity.
“Well, Aaron is dating Olivia Carro now and seems to be serious” Xander provides
“And Kate is trying to hook up with Zack but we aren’t sure if he will give in. He seems to only have eyes for you” Jace snickers.
Sigh. “Well Zack can do what or who he wants. We dated and it didn’t work out. I’m over it and I hope he is too. I can’t be with someone who is that full of himself that there is no room for me in his life besides a bed warmer. ” I reply in a snit. Jeez. I dated Zack Carro for 2 years and we broke up almost a year ago. He didn’t care about me like I thought he did. He was demanding and pigheaded, no one I want to spend eternity with. No thank you. So he is free to have anyone he wants because it will not be me. The sad thing is that right now Zack would be my only option to date because he is the only Carro that is single but I would rather be alone than with him. Maybe in a few hundred years someone more my type will be born from that family. Sigh, my life is so fricking lame. Checking my cell phone I notice I have a text from Anja.
Anja: Hey honey! Can’t wait to see you. Ireland is going to be a blast!! xoxo
Me: Hi! I feel like it’s been forever since I have seen your happy ass. Can’t wait to explore Ireland with you. I brought Egypt with me so we need to find some dog parks there. BTW, did you know who else is with me?
Anja: Awesome, I love Egypt, I have a surprise for her. Dog parks it is. Umm who else did you bring? I thought it was just us?
Shit, Anja didn’t know about the twins coming either. Looks like the families were being sneaky by not informing everyone of who was going. Jerks. Now I feel bad for Anja. Should I tell her now so she can prepare? Probably a good idea since Jace and Xander will be all over her the minute they see her. Poor girl. It’s bad enough to have one guy follow you around like a lost puppy but to have two of them? No thanks.
Me: Ummm Jace and Xan are with me. SO SORRY! I thought the family would have told you. But the guys didn’t know either till we got to the airport so hopefully their plots to seduce you won’t be too thought through.
Anja: F.M.L.
Me: Yeah I hear ya babe. See ya soon XOXO
Poor Anja. A month with those two, oh well, at least they aren’t ugly.
Arriving in Ireland wasn’t what I expected. Our plane landed in Dublin, the weather was warm but not humid and the air smelled like countryside and sea. I loved it right away. Looking around the private airport hangar, I notice there is a man standing at the entrance and assume he is there for us. Generally, we have a human working for us who just believes we are very rich people so we pay them enough money to keep out of our business. I send Jace over to get the information from the human so we can be on our way while Xander and I take the dogs to the outside so they can run around and go to the bathroom. As soon as I walk out of the hanger I see Egypt and Percy barreling towards another large Doberman, what the hell? Then I hear my name being yelled from a tall beautiful blonde with sparkling hazel eyes.
“Alex! It’s been so long since I have seen you! I missed you so much! Did you meet my baby girl yet? My parents gave her to me last week! I wanted to surprise you and Egypt by bringing her!” All of this is said so quick by Anja while she has a death grip on my neck that I barely have time to answer her.
“Oh my gosh An! We all have Dobermans now?!? Amazing. What did you name her?” I stammer out, overwhelmed.
“I named her Pheonix. She is 2 years old, my parents got her as a puppy and had her trained as a guard dog for me so she just got out of training school. She is the same age as Egypt and Percy huh?”
This is just becoming more and more surreal. What are the odds that of my cousins and now Anja all getting Dobermans and all the same age? Seems fishy to me.
“An, it’s so good to see you. You look great. Ireland seems awesome already.”
“HEEEEYYYY Anja! Looking smokin’ hot as usual. Look at our dogs playing together, it must be a sign” And in comes Xander, already starting in with the comments.
“Hey Anja. Lookin good. Can’t wait to do some
sightseeing
with you…if you get what I mean” and that begins the twins take over.
“So Jace, did you get the package? Do you know where we head to next? I don’t see any vehicles, are we walking there?” I ask, hoping to distract them and give Anja some space.
“Well, the package said we need to get back on the plane and now fly to Scotland. This must have just been a stop to pick up Anja and refuel? I don’t know, it doesn’t say much else. Damn family, can’t give us anything more than breadcrumbs.” Jace complains as he shakes his head.
“Well Jace, you know how it is. I don’t like it any better than you do but we have no choice. Ugh, the thought of sitting on that plane longer is not my favorite idea, hopefully it’s a quick ride” I respond. This is such shit, why can’t we just get clear direction for once? Why all the smoke and mirrors. I have a feeling the family isn’t tell us anything for a reason, a very good reason.
We load our sorry asses and our now 3 horse sized dogs back into the plane and take off towards Scotland. Well I can say I have been to Ireland now even if it was only for 10 minutes. On the plane Anja and I sit together and talk while the twins leer at her like the creeps that they are.
“So An, what has been going on with you? Are you still living in Nashville?” I ask hoping to prevent the creep twins from being douche bags any further.
“Yeah, I'm still there. I still love it. There is so much to do and work keeps me busy, you know how it is. Zack was asking about you when I saw him last, you still done and over that?” Anja replies carefully. I swear if I could take back dating her brother Zack I would but since I don’t have that magic ability I have to suck it up.
“An, you know how it is with him. I can’t do it, 2 years was long enough and he treated me like crap, I’m not going to be miserable again. He will move on eventually. I heard my cousin Kate is trying to hook up with him…she is so nice and would be good for him because she wouldn’t care if he put her 2nd in his life” I explain, hopefully she gets it and ends this discussion right now.
“Yeah I know what you are saying Alex. I just hoped we could be sister in laws in the future. So do you have any idea what we are supposed to be doing in Scotland now? So odd. I have never been out of the States before and now I am going for a month” Anja says. She is just as perplexed as I am and I tell her so.