Page 2 of Promises Made at Midnight
Ulrick and Dristan stood side by side as they watched the young knight scamper off to fill his belly. Only two others joined him.
“Only three out of more than two dozen,” Dristan declared. “’Tis not much of a showing but ’twill have to do. Godfrey did well?”
Ulrick nodded. “Fair enough and he does hold promise, although I would not declare such in front of him and add to the conceit already filling his head. He is full of himself and arrogant.”
“A trait I myself and all of my personal guard have, so he may fit right in,” Dristan concluded with a laugh. “Keep challenging him on the morrow just to the breaking point. We shall see how he does with the next test.”
“Aye, my lord,” Ulrick answered as they made their way to the keep. Entering the Great Hall, Ulrick called for mead to quench his thirst, already looking forward to a new challenge and what rewards he may face with the new day.
CHAPTER2
Detroit, Michigan
Present Day
Bridgette Harris tossed her ball cap into the back seat, opened her car door, and thought about the lit restaurant they passed before heading into the parking garage. It was like a beacon calling to her. It was late but she didn’t care. Her best friend, Megan, closed the passenger door and strode to her side.
“Lafayette or American?” Megan asked, hiding her yawn as they made their way from the structure.
Bridgette grabbed her arm, all but dragging her across the street. “I don’t know why you ask me that every time. You know if you’re going to have a Coney dog, it’s got to be Lafayette. They’re the best. Besides, we had American the last trip here because they’re your favorite. It’s my turn now.”
“We just had a hot dog and beer at the ballpark. Why do you want another, especially at this ungodly hour?” her friend asked.
With her hand on the door to the restaurant, Bridgette looked over her shoulder at her obviously tired friend but smiled brightly. “It’s tradition.”
Megan’s sigh of resignation signaled their usual argument was over. Bridgette led the way into the already over-flowing restaurant filled with baseball fans who had the same idea as them. They passed several tables, where people raised their arms, cheering the new arrivals and clearly still ready to party and celebrate their team’s win. Bridgette saw a couple who were leaving and quickly squeezed her way through the crowd to grab the table before it was taken by others who were cramming in the door behind her.
With a grin, and still feeling elated to have been able to enjoy the ballgame, she sat and raised her hand to grab the waiter’s attention. He wasted no time taking their order, as if he wasn’t busy waiting on other tables full to capacity. This place ran like a well-oiled machine even though some might consider it a dive. Sometimes those were the best places to eat.
She watched her friend, who slumped in her chair with exhaustion. Megan had been her best friend since they were very young and had attended Catholic school together. Considering how close they had been for most of their lives, Megan was Bridgette’s opposite. Where her friend was blonde, Bridgette’s hair was jet black. Megan’s eyes were a soft brown, Bridgette’s a vivid green. Her friend was an introvert at heart, whereas Bridgette was outgoing and thrived being in a crowd. She couldn’t count the number of times Megan had complained that she always felt like she was on the outside looking in at all the cool kids, where she never fit in.
Bridgette’s drink arrived and she took a sip of her pop as the liquid fizzled, tickling her nose. She looked over the rim of her glass at Megan who looked… well… wilted. “What’s the matter?” she asked, although she knew where this was going, given how late it was.
Megan rolled her eyes, nodded her thanks as her hotdog was put before her, and grabbed a napkin placing it on her lap. She picked up the dog and pointed it in Bridgette’s direction. “You realize, of course, that we’re going to have to get up at the butt crack of dawn just to make it in time before the fair starts, don’t you?”
Swallowing the food in her mouth, she swore they must put crack in the chili since it tasted so incredible and was surely addicting. No wonder she kept coming back after every single ballgame she attended at the nearby park. “Might as well start tonight and sleep in the car. Costumes are already in the trunk, along with the rest of our gear,” she murmured. Taking another bite, she continued trying to talk and chew at the same time. “Told… you… I’d… drive. You can sleep.”
“I don’t know where you get the energy. I know the tickets were freebies from work, but couldn’t you have passed them up this one time so we could get a decent night’s rest? You know how long we’ve planned for the fair,” Megan complained bitterly.
“Are you kidding me? I wasn’t going to give up seats behind home plate. Besides… we’ll be fine once we get there. You know how it is. You complain about the drive and the fact you’re out in nature. I cheer you up and remind you how much you end up enjoying stepping back in time,” Bridgette replied with a grin.
A short laugh, followed by a snort, escaped Megan. “Thereissomething exciting about being in a re-enactment guild and being treated like a lady at court,” she said. “Do you think Brad will be there?”
Bridgette shrugged and tried not to cringe. “Who cares? It’s a big enough event that it’s hardly likely we’ll run into each other.”
“Right…” Megan replied snidely. “There isn’t a doubt in my mind that he’ll be drawn to you like a moth to a flame. Trust me… you’ll see him. He’s not going to waste any time hunting you down.”
“You make it sound like it’s some kind of a conquest.”
It was Megan’s turn to shrug. “To him it is. I knew he’d be trouble the minute he introduced himself to us last year. You’re always too polite. Allowing him to hang out with us all weekend was a mistake. There was just something about him that had me guessing he thought himself a gift to women. A man with looks like that is used to getting his way with the ladies.”
“Are you never going to let me live that one down?” Bridgette huffed. “I got rid of him… eventually.”
“It wasn’t soon enough if you ask me… not that you did. He’s apparently one of those men who doesn’t take rejection well and clearly he’s still in love with you.”
“He doesn’t know the meaning of being in love,” Bridgette frowned. “All he wanted in the end was sex, and surely nothing romantic crossed his mind other than getting laid. If you recall, I was easily replaced with another before I could even blink.”
Megan laughed. “Well, he wouldn’t be the first man we became acquainted with who only had one thing on his mind.”
