Neither of us had mentioned our kiss, even though it was all I could think about. And judging from the fact that you’d slept on the couch the night before and were avoiding getting within a three-foot radius, I figured you were too.
“I need a variety of day clothes and nightlife attire, Henri. You won’t tell me anything about the trip, so I have to pack extra.”
“Perhaps a couple pairs of pants and a few casual shirts would be sufficient. And a bathing suit.”
I had one of those already, the one that had belonged to Orlando, wedged in the corner of my duffle along with the crown. Was it stealing? Probably, but I wanted to see if I could use those items to summon another vision.
“What about my suit and tie? And when you say casual shirts, do you mean t-shirts or button-ups? T-shirts I can wear to bed, but they’re really not nice enough for an evening out.”
I was probably overthinking things, but this was our first real trip, just the two of us. I didn’t want to be caught unprepared.
“May I make some suggestions?” you asked, and I nodded.
You took a tour of my bedroom, pointing out various articles of clothing. There were so many gaps in my wardrobe. “I usually wear that shirt with my gray slacks, but you passed those over.”
“I suppose I’m asking you to compromise your superior fashion sense for the sake of expediency. There may be occasions where we have to move quickly. Demons are slippery beings, and we don’t always get a lot of notice when they’re on the move.”
I liked knowing what to expect, and part of that meant dressing appropriately. “I really have no idea what’s best to wear for demon-hunting. I’m imagining leather and chains and chokers, but those materials would be really uncomfortable in the desert heat.”
You chuckled. “Leather is not the most breathable fabric.”
“This is a real sacrifice for me,” I complained.
“I appreciate your willingness to suffer, Vincent.”
I opened my duffle and began folding the items you’d selected, shaking my head at the impossible task of matching them in any cohesive way. “I need room for my moisturizers,” I warned. “The desert air will not be kind to my skin.”
“I will keep you properly hydrated.”
I shot you a glare. “I detect your mocking tone, but even immortals can suffer the effects of UV radiation over time. I plan to keep my skin flawless.”
“That would be a public service to us all.”
My frown only seemed to delight you further.
“You think I’m being fussy, don’t you?” Dad had called me that more than once. Papa understood though—he was pretty fussy himself.
“I think you’re embarking on an unknown journey, and you’re dealing with the stress by trying to make sure you have everything you could possibly need. Just as I like to prepare and test my weapons before a potential conflict.”
I relaxed a little. “You know me too well. I must seem so predictable to you.”
Your grin evaporated, and you looked almost ashamed. “Predictable? No, I wouldn’t say that.”
“Like you’re in my head,” I added to see what kind of reaction I might get.
“I can’t read your mind,” you said in a somber tone. Well, that escalated quickly.
“No kidding, Henri. If you could, you wouldn’t have picked out that hideous plaid shirt. Gross. I have to bring at least one nice pair of shoes. You can’t expect me to wear sneakers to a nightclub.”
“Only what you can fit in your one bag,” you said, and since you didn’t specify, I concluded that also meant whatever I could strap to myself as well.
Once we were packed, including an insulated cooler with blood bags and Spooky’s carrier filled with food and cat things because she refused to go into it, we were ready to go. By then Papa had returned home so that we could say goodbye. He got a little teary about it, which got me going as well.
“Make sure you go to church,” he said to me, then shot you a warning look.
“I promise I will.” I’d been suffering a crisis of faith for a while now, but I would make regular visits for him. “Tell Dad I said goodbye.” I figured he was still pissed at me, and that was why he hadn’t shown.
“I will. Why don’t you go wait outside now, mijo? I want a word alone with Henri.”
I shot you both a look. What possibly needed to be said that I couldn’t listen? I was an adult,