Page 34 of Midnight Serenade
We were hunting for a memorabilia item. “Mama, what about these Christmas ornaments? There’s a lot to choose from, and we can get them personalized if we want to.” I picked a heart-shaped one up with a gorgeous photo of theKamariaon the water. “These have the current year on them.”
Mama picked up a beautiful silver and pearl one. “This one is heaver and feels more well-made.”
“Mama, it’s two hundred dollars!” I said, gaping at the price tag. Who paid two hundred dollars for an ornament!
Mama got an obstinate expression on her face, which looked kind of adorable on her decked out as she was in a lime, lemon, and orange sherbet-colored sundress. She was the equivalent of a golden retriever trying to glare at me. “I can spend my money on anything I want, Grace Evelyn! What else am I going to spend it on? A new hip?”
I busted out laughing and kissed her cheek. “You’re right. Get the expensive one.”
Later, Mama and I went to the spa. We both decided on facials first and then massages. We each chose the brightening facial, which was supposed to brighten and even out our skin tone, getting rid of any rough looking spots. I’d heard it left your face dewy and glowing, which sounded pretty good to me, to be honest. My face was not currently dewy and glowing. It was holey and sun- damaged.
I lay in my little massage bed next to Mama as multiple colors of LED lights shined on our faces. Slices of cucumbers rested over our eyes, blocking the lights.
“Mama, what do you think of Sebastian?” If there was one thing I could count on, it was Mama giving me a straight answer about something. She was kind, but extremely honest.
“I think he’s wonderful for you. He’s dangerous enough to keep you safe, treats you with respect and courtesy, and I think his lifestyle suits you.”
I scrunched my brows, tilting my cucumbers precariously. “What do you mean?”
I heard Mama sigh. “Grace, how long has it been since you’ve been happy in Texas?”
I gave her question some thought. “It’s been a little while,” I said in a soft voice.
“It has. It really has. And I want you happy, Gracie girl. It’s not your fault that you were born different, but it’s made your life a misery. And for the first time in a long while, I’m seeing you blossom. Despite the attacks aimed at you. I think you feel safe because you’re in Sebastian’s care, and he takes excellent care of you.
“Sebastian’s admiration and devotion is changing you. It’s giving you some much-needed confidence and freedom. You’ve had a rough dating road.” Mama paused for a moment. “I just want you to be happy, Grace,” she said in a choked whisper. You know? Life has been hard for you in a lot of ways. Always looking over your shoulder, spending hours at the police station because you’re dodging people taken by your powers. You’ve been alone, and I’ve been worried about you.
“I think, from what I’ve seen of Sebastian, and your sixth sense about people, that you could be happy going from cruise ship to cruise ship with him.” Mama laughed. “He told me about your first night on board, and how you held the Starlight Lounge in the palm of your hands. You could write during the days, sing during the evenings, and make love to that hunky vampire during the nights.”
“Mama!” I admonished. She snorted, and I sighed. The woman was incorrigible. “Don’t you think it’s a little early yet to be thinking about these kinds of things? I mean, I’ve known him less than two weeks.” I desperately wanted her to say two weeks was aperfecttime frame to get to know someone, but it still feltfast to me.I removed my cucumbers and blinked at the bright lights in my face.
“Two weeks is enough to know there’s a lot of interest,” Mama said. “Two weeks is enough to think about asking Sebastian if you can sing on his ships and make a life for yourself with others like you. Two weeks is enough to head in a direction that might help you avoid being lonely for the rest of your life.”
I blinked at Mama, shielding myself from the harsh glare with a hand held above my eyes. “What about you? I don’t think I could move away from you.” Call me a mama’s girl, but I would miss her if I moved away from Texas. I wouldn’t say we were codependent, but we were definitely each other’s person. She was my best friend.
“Grace Liora, you will not pass up on a happier life for yourself because of me! Besides,” she grinned, “I’m coming with you.”
I laughed and put the cucumbers back on, settling back onto my massage bed.
“I’ll think about it, Mama. Thank you.”
Next, Mama and I were set to get a full body massage. I’d lost her somewhere because she’d gone ahead, but I followed the masseur into another room with double massage beds next to each other. Mama looked to be already stripped and wrapped in a sheet so snugly that I couldn’t even see her hair peeking out. The room was soothing with soft music playing and light scented candles burning.
“Just get out of your clothes and lay this sheet over you as you lay facedown on the bed. I’ll be back in a moment.”
I nodded and started slipping out of my clothes. I thought Mama might be asleep, she was so quiet.
I lay facedown on the bed, putting my face in the hole for my nose, eyes and mouth, and closed my eyes, trying to relax. I wasn’t really enjoying the vulnerability of being naked here.It felt like I was waiting for my gynecologist rather than a nice massage.
“Well, hello there.”
I shrieked and flailed simultaneously, falling off the massage bed. The sheet got tangled around me like a burrito as I rolled and rolled all the way to the other side of the room, because apparently I’d propelled myself off of my bed like an octopus out of a rocket, all limbs and no brakes. I smacked into the wall, knocking over several trays of oils as I rolled that shattered around me. My fight or flight was in high gear, and my body was picking flight, but as my octopus limbs tried to stand, I slipped in all the oil and fell again. When I smacked my head against the wall for the third time, I decided to just stay down.Mercy, that hurt. I groaned as I held a hand to my head.
I felt a whoosh of air, and then Sebastian’s hands on my shoulders. “Grace, are you okay?”
I kept my eyes clenched closed, not wanting to see Sebastian in all his glory. “Sebastian, are you trying to kill me?” I croaked.
He picked me up off the floor and hugged me to him. I could feel that he was tense with worry, but I could also feel his shoulders shaking as he carried me out of the room. I wasn’t worried when the door closed behind us. I was naked, but covered from head to toe in the sheet.
