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Drabble: Morning musings
Category: Stories
The cries of seagulls were echoing through the air while the crisp morning breeze carried the salty, tangy smell of the ocean over to the little hotel terrace where besides him only two other guests were enjoying the unmatched peace of the first early hours of the day. The sun had just left her resting place beyond the horizon and still faint, pastel orange and pink streaks were painting beautiful patterns to the sky and across a few flocks of cotton-wool clouds. With a little content sigh the blond male leaned back and closed his eyes, savoring the prickly coolness of the sea air brushing over the fair, immaculate skin of his face.
“Mr Tep… Adrian! – What are you doing out here?” – a female voice interrupted this lazy moment. The wonder clinging to the words and the usage of his “official” name, especially the slight slip regarding the appropriate form of address to use here caused a vague smile to appear on lips carefully kept shut.
It did not take long for the voice to obtain a face and a body in form of a brunette woman, well trained, slender and belying her real age of 46 of at least 6 years if not more.
“Hm, what does it look like to you?” he chuckled, nodding an invitation towards one of the empty chairs at his table while pushing the laptop back, instead reaching for a half empty pot of coffee.
“Uhm… working, I guess? Working and having a morning coffee?” came the answer hesitant yet with amusement replacing the wonder as she followed his bidding by taking the offered chair.
“Your gift of perception truly remains unmatched – no wonder you made it that far in your line of work.”, Alucard deadpanned before swallowing down the last sip of his already cold black brew.
The woman called Elizabeth O’Malley was his leading contact for their section of southern Britain - officially she was Head of the Police Department of Portsmouth but below board working for “Them” for over 10 years now. Up to now they mainly had been in contact in written form, however a row of unusual murder cases eventually brought him over to the island and they finally met in person.
“Yeah right… you know, I am still getting used to… well,…this….”, she gave back, laughing and proving that she indeed was able to take a good joke but also had a quick tongue and was anything from shy.
“This.. what? Me acting like a boring normal being? – I apologize, next time I will make sure to bring my own coffin and black cape… and of course get myself a room in the basement… - or… no, wait - better, ask you to dig out one of those tombs of the local parish to appropriately store said coffin. Would that be more like what you pictured me to be?”
His grin widened into a broad highly amused smile, still making sure to keep his fangs hidden behind his lips though while he watched her literally squirm awkwardly in her chair.
“Yeah, yeah… I know, cliché and such… still,.. this… you here drinking coffee, typing away in that laptop… that is so totally anticlimactic in terms of trying to keep in mind that I am talking to an over 500 year old half-vampire….-“
“Oh, how very charming reminding me of my age…- and just keep talking a bit louder - there surely are some people around not yet in the picture regarding the weird nature of your boss. Probably also helps with the staring I receive already due to these anyway”, he gave back gesturing towards his unusually colored eyes, yet his tone and the slight wink which accompanied the words still giving away his genuine amusement regarding her endearingly naïve reaction and struggles while coping with this situation so new to her..
“We in fact look like I could be YOUR boss by the way… - however, why are you drinking coffee? – I thought it has no effect on you?” came the laughing retort accompanied by an asking nod towards his mug which was resting in slender hands.
“I like to enjoy a good cup for its taste for a start… in contrary to blood … and secondly, what would you assume might be the reaction if I´d order a cup of B-negative, slightly cool but not from the freezer?”
“Got it! – Just go on being this dashingly handsome, ordinary, boring, young Professor of Science, Mr Tepes…. - ” The human woman countered between amused chuckling when their little banter was interrupted by the waitress showing up to take orders.
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