Four months later…
"I really love this song," Aurora shouted over the blaring bass line and reverberating beat of the drums. "What's the name of this band?"
"The City," Meagan replied, her hands over her ears. "I like them, too, but it's way too loud in here. They need to turn the stereo down. How in the world are we supposed to carry on a conversation over this racket?"
Cadence Findley smirked at her friends. Over the last few months, she had been on dozens of missions with these two, taken out well over thirty Vampires, and had plenty of adventures under her belt. Now, they were in Reno getting ready to meet with the leader of the local branch of LIGHTS (The Lincoln International Guardian and Hunter Training Station) about a problematic group of Vampires he was hopeful they could help with. Despite Cadence's agreement that this was a great song, the volume was up way too loud, and any kind of meaningful conversation was going to have to take place outside of The Risky Business and their apparent need to shake the pink neon light fixtures off of the walls.
"When Dr. Ryan gets here, we can ask him if there's a better place to talk nearby," Cadence agreed. "But, bear in mind, Meagan, my dear, you're the one who picked this location."
Meagan tossed her long dark-brown hair over her shoulder and took on a bit of a pouty expression. "That's only because I had heard such awesome things about this club. I had no idea it was designed to push people straight to Starkey!"
Cadence laughed, only getting the hearing aid joke because her now deceased ex-boyfriend Jack's grandfather had used one of their more compact models. "At least we can talk through our IACs if we have to," Cadence reminded them, utilizing the computer they each had implanted in their eyes. The Intelligence Assistance Communicator was a microscopic device that allowed them to send messages directly to each other's minds without speaking. They were also able to use it to gain visuals, which were especially crucial while battling their fanged nemeses. There were some other features, such as a newsfeed that kept them up to date on what was happening globally and the ability to record, pull up Internet data, and utilize night vision.
"Are you kidding?" Meagan shouted, ignoring Cadence's remark. "This music is so loud, I think mine has shaken itself loose!"
Aurora was in mid-sip when Meagan's comment hit her, and she spewed watermelon vodka across the table, hitting her friend directly in the face. "Oh, no!" the red-head shouted, grabbing a cocktail napkin and starting to dab at Meagan's eyes. "I'm so sorry! It's just--they're practically welded in, you know. Nothing's getting these suckers out...."
Meagan's expression was one of pure horror, similar to those Cadence had seen her make while in the throes of hand-to-hand combat. "Are you kidding me?"" Meagan asked, not even wiping the drink off, her hands flailed open. "We are minutes from meeting Dr. Cale Ryan, one of the hottest Guardians on the face of the planet, and I have a frou frou drink all over my freaking face!"
"Wipe it off!" Cadence exclaimed, swiping at Meagan's pretty face a little more sharply than Aurora. "It's not like you aren't wearing a pink shirt," she added. "I think you'll live."
Meagan shoved the helping hands away, the look of dismay on her face. "Cadence Tallulah Findley..." she began, adding in a middle name when she really had no idea what was correct, "you've never seen Dr. Cale Ryan. You cannot stand there and say it's no big deal. Do you have any idea what your eyes are about to behold? This guy makes what's his face look like a... a... okay, well, Aaron's hot, too, so like a different hot guy... but still... just you wait."
Snickering, Cadence crossed her arms and shook her head, her long brown waves flickering back and forth. One of the reasons she was so drawn to Meagan in the first place was because they had so very little in common. Meagan had taken a while to learn the skills associated with being a Vampire Hunter while Cadence had come by it very naturally. Meagan was overly focused on looks, guys, that sort of thing, while Cadence really didn't pay too much attention. Her friend was a little ditzy and needed a lot of direction, whereas Cadence was extremely intelligent and intuitive. Nevertheless, Meagan was now one of her best friends and she was very glad she had invited her on this adventure. "All right, Meagy. I'm sorry. Aurora didn't mean to spew her drink at you. Now, where is this guy? Isn't he late?" she asked checking the time on her IAC.
Meagan didn't answer, however. Her mouth was hanging open and she was staring off in the distance over Aurora's shoulder. Cadence glanced in the general direction to see a tall blond, muscular man in a light colored suit crossing toward them. His eyes were a pale blue and a smile crinkled around them in such a way that the crowd of people naturally parted in front of him, turning to gaze upon him in awe and wonder. "Is that...?" Cadence began.
"Uh huh," Meagan replied, still not closing her mouth.
Just then, he reached their table, and stepping between Cadence and Aurora, he gently placed his hand on the red-head's back, his other hand resting softly on Cadence's upper arm, and said, "Cadence, Aurora, Meagan, I'm so sorry we're a bit late. I hope you haven't been waiting too long."
Cadence felt her knees weaken a little at the sound of his voice and his touch. He had what sounded like a British accent, something she had not been expecting. She had always been partial to men with accents. Shaking her head, trying to clear her thoughts, she said, "Oh, no. It's... fine. We having a drink. Are. We are... just having a drink." She closed her eyes tightly, feeling like an idiot, shook her head again, and then met those pale blue eyes, hoping he wasn't laughing at her inability to formulate a complete sentence.
"Oh, good," he said, as if he didn't notice her lack of syntax. Just then, Cadence realized he wasn't alone. "These are my teammates Nick and Phoebe." A tall, thin man who looked to be in his mid-twenties stepped forward, offering his hand to each of the girls. His dark hair was slicked back oddly, but he had a friendly smile. Phoebe was just a bit shorter than Cadence and had long dark hair, which was swept back in a tight ponytail. She also had a welcoming smile and waved at them without offering her hand.
After the introductions, the doctor continued. "It's really loud in here. What would you ladies think about going across the street to the diner? We can usually find a spot in there to talk discreetly enough or use our IACs without them shaking loose if necessary."
Cadence caught Meagan's eye at the last remark, and she had the expression of "I told you so" on several counts. "Sounds good," she replied, hoping the night air might actually help clear her mind a bit, too. Dr. Ryan's reputation had preceded him and was very accurate, indeed.