The first thing Tiana did that morning when she woke up was make herself a strong black coffee. The second thing she did was reflect on the events of the night before.
After she had made her way home from Lestat’s mansion, for that was what it had been, a great gothic mansion, she had simply kicked off her shoes and flopped down on her bed, too tired to get her brain working straight. But now she was properly awake, she could start to think about it all in a little more detail.
So, what had happened? Some random, albeit handsome and charming, guy had stood up for her when Facilier had snapped at her for breaking that bottle of wine, and then in the same evening the same guy had then gone on to rescue her from a gang of thugs who had tried to mug her. And why, now? What was it he had said?
“Maybe I’m attracted to you.”
Before she could even begin to fathom just what had attracted him to her, the phone rang and she jumped. For a second, she expected it to be him, but then she remembered that it couldn’t be, he didn’t have her number. It was Belle.
“Hey, Tiana. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to talk to you yesterday.”
“Being PA to a prince must keep you busy,” Tiana replied, fondly. Belle had been in that job for about a year now; and whilst it must indeed be a difficult task, she never complained about it.
“Well, most of the time he just seems to want me around, even if there’s not much to do,” replied Belle, who was currently sitting at her dressing table in the room she had been assigned in Prince Adam’s castle. “I think he’s just lonely.”
“Belle, you see the good in everyone,” Tiana reminded her, smiling.
“So, what did I miss? Anything? Was it really rowdy last night?”
Tiana told her about the customers launching into “Drunken Sailor.” “Oh, and I sort of have a date tonight.”
“Really? With who?”
“This guy I met last night.” She didn’t go into the details. Like a mother hen, Belle would only fuss. So would Meg. “His name’s Lestat, Lestat de Lioncourt. Have you ever heard of him?”
“De Lioncourt?” Belle frowned. “No, although with a name like that he’s surely got to be pretty aristocratic?”
“Well, he does live in a mansion,” Tiana said.
“Hm. I wonder if Adam might know; being royal. He must know some of the peers of the realm here, even if he rarely sees them. I could ask him.”
“Would you? That’d be great.” Tiana took a deep breath. “Should I, though? Should I go for it?”
“Well, do you like him? What’s he like?”
Tiana mulled over her answer before replying. “He’s very charming and sensitive and there’s something about him...I can’t put my finger on it, but something.”
“Tiana, you always work so hard, you never give yourself a break. It’d do you good to go on a date.”
“So you reckon I should, then?”
“Absolutely.”
“Well, thanks, Belle.”
“You’re welcome, and hey, if I turn up anything dodgy on him, I’ll warn you straight away,” Belle added.
Tiana laughed. “I appreciate it, but I doubt you will! See you tomorrow, ok?”
“Ok, and I want to hear every little detail. Meg will too, you know.”
“I know. Bye now.”
“Bye.”
No sooner had Tiana hung up the phone then it rang again. “Hello?”
“Oh-oh!” groaned a voice down the line. “I am never drinking again!”
Tiana laughed. “Hey, Meg!”
The threat to give up drinking was one which was constant with Meg. Not that she was a big drinker, but on special occasions, like St Patrick’s Day, she could go a little overboard.
“I have a hangover the size of Venus!” Meg complained.
“Remember what I always say, Meg?” Tiana teased. “Drinking does not cause hangovers; stopping drinking does!”
They both laughed. “Well, it’d better be gone by the time I get to work,” Meg said. “That’s all they need at Underworld Relations; a PR girl who can’t hold her drink!”
“What was it? Sambucca? Tequila?”
“Absinth.”
“Ah! The Green Fairy!”
“I know, what was I thinking?” Meg moaned, rubbing her forehead. “Anyway, how was your night?”
Tiana quickly reeled off what she had just told Belle. “She reckons I should go for it,” she finished. “What do you think?”
“I think she’s absolutely correct,” Meg replied.
Tiana smiled. “I’m glad you said that.” She would never want to go out with anyone her friends didn’t approve of. “Well, I’d best get to work. I’ll give you all the details when we meet up tomorrow, ok?”
“You’d better,” grinned Meg. “See ya there.”
Tiana went through work that day in a dream. Even when Facilier berated her for accidently overfilling a dwarf named Grumpy’s tankard – not that Grumpy was complaining – and spilling ale all over the floor, she took it in good humour, all the while wondering whether or not Lestat would turn up at The Lamppost that evening. After all, she reflected, he had only said “perhaps” and so had she.
By the end of the day, she had hurried home, whipped herself up a quick omelette for dinner and then, not even bothering to change her clothes, because she was never entirely sure what to wear on a first date and she got the feeling that Lestat might not care either way what she wore, she had hurried out to The Lamppost.
The Lamppost was a quiet, country-type inn, named for the black lamppost outside, which was rumoured to have been there since Victorian times. It was a cosy, cheerful place, hardly ever rowdy like the Blue Moon and just right for meeting someone for a drink on a first date. Sometimes they played music and people danced, but it was a more toned down atmosphere than you might expect to get at a nightclub. Tiana felt a rush of apprehension as she approached, and then she saw Lestat leaning against the lamppost, watching her arrival.
He smiled as she came with talking distance of him. “Evening.”
“You came,” Tiana said, and then, feeling foolish, added, “I mean, I wasn’t sure if you would.”
“Well, it was my idea,” he reminded her.
Tiana smiled. Somehow he made her feel relaxed and comfortable in his presence. “Well,” she said, gesturing towards the inn, “Shall we?”
“Tell me about yourself,” Lestat said, half an hour later. It was Tiana’s third glass of wine and she was already feeling a little unsteady. Lestat, on the other hand, had had the same amount as her and looked no worse for wear.
“Well, there’s not really much to tell,” she said. “I work at the Blue Moon, you already know that...”
“How did you get the job?”
“Well, Smee who works there – he wasn’t there last night, it was his night off – knew my Daddy back when they were younger...”
Lestat bowed his head, respectfully. “I’m sorry to hear he’s no longer around.”
Tiana swallowed, not wanting to cry. “He died a long time ago but I still don’t like to remember it.” She took a deep breath, pulled herself together and continued, “And, well, when I said to him I was on the lookout for a job, he said there was one going at the Blue Moon and he got Facilier to arrange an interview with me.”
“And that’s that man who was berating you last night?” Lestat said.
“He’s the owner. He’s ok, really, but he can lose his temper really easily.”
“So I saw,” replied Lestat, drily. “Sorry, you were saying?”
“Well, yeah,” Tiana said, picking up her glass, “and that’s basically it. I nailed the interview and I’ve been working there about two years now.”
“And what do you do when you’re not working?” Lestat asked, with one raised eyebrow.
Tiana smiled. He was definitely flirting with her. “Well, I hang out with my girlfriends, Meg and Belle. Meg’s in PR and Belle’s, well, she’s a personal assistant to a prince.”
“Impressive.”
“I know. Sunday’s the only day she gets off, so we always meet up for a coffee then, the three of us. Other than that, well, my life’s pretty boring.”
Lestat watched her as she downed the wine. “Somehow I doubt that.”
“Go on, then,” she said, daring to nudge him. “It’s your turn. Tell me about your life.”
Lestat chuckled. “I’m afraid that’s a long and sorry tale.”
“Really? Why?”
The music picked up then. It was Lady in Red by Chris de Burge. Tiana smiled. “I like this song.”
Lestat finished his wine and proffered his hand to her. “Care to dance?”
“Ok,” she stammered, suddenly nervous, “But I’m not very good.”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine.” He curled his fingers around hers and led her into the swarm of others who were all dancing, slowly, romantically, to the tune. Again, even though he was standing so close to her, she didn’t feel nervous as he pulled her closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder, one hand touching her hair and the other lacing his fingers through hers as they began to dance. It felt, she realised, like the most natural thing in the world. Her feet moved of their own accord, and then, just briefly for a minute, she swore they lifted off the floor, as if she was levitating. Then she felt the dance floor beneath her feet again and told herself it was just her imagination.
“You see,” Lestat murmured. “You’re a natural.”
She lost herself in the music and the dancing. It took her several seconds to realise the song was coming to a close, and she moved her head, looking up at Lestat. His eyes met hers, that alluring grey-blue swirl that seemed to stare deeply into her soul. She forgot herself for a second, leaning up and kissed him. He responded to her, gently, but not allowing her to go any further than just touch her lips against his. Embarrassed, she pulled away. “I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“That’s alright,” he replied, putting her at ease once again. The song ended and Tiana quickly decided it was time for another drink.
“But, um, you were going to tell me about yourself,” she reminded him, as they ordered. “Before we were interrupted by Chris de Burge.”
“Was I?” Lestat teased. “I believe what I said was that it’s a long and sorry tale.”
Tiana glanced at him. “You’re really not going to tell me anything? What about your childhood?”
“Well, now, that I can divulge,” he replied, picking up his glass. “I was born in France, seventh son of a marquis who squandered our family fortune forcing us to live in poverty. I didn’t have that great a relationship with my father or my brothers. My mother encouraged me to take up hunting to support the family. Then, one day, when I was, what, about the same age as you, I was told that a pack of wolves were terrorising the local village. So,” he added, with a wry smile, “I went out alone and rid the village of the entire pack, forever.”
“You wiped out an entire pack of wolves by yourself?” Tiana echoed.
He smirked. “I did, and the people were eternally grateful. After the other members of my family died, I took up travelling around the world. Eventually, after several misadventures, I wound up here and I’ve been here ever since.” He finished his wine and turned to her. “And that’s all you need to know for now, Tiana.”
She liked the way he said her name. She smiled. “Ok, then, Mr Lestat, that I won’t press you.”
“You can drop the Mr,” he told her. “It’s Lestat.”
“Lestat, then.”
Several glasses of wine later and Tiana began to worry about getting home alright. “I’d probably better go now,” she stammered, pulling on her coat.
“I’ll walk you back.” She realised it was a statement, not a question, and yet, she also realised, she felt safer with him at her side. So, she nodded and together they left the inn.
Outside, a couple of gypsies were sitting on a corner, playing music for coins. Tiana had noticed them a few times before, but never exchanged words with them. However something seemed to draw Lestat to them and she walked with him. The gypsies looked up as they approached and smiled, in a friendly way. Tiana noticed that one of them had left a violin on a stool with the bow beside it.
“May I?” Lestat said, indicating the instrument.
“By all means,” replied the gypsy man.
Lestat picked up the violin and ran his hands over the smooth wood. “Beautiful,” he mused.
“You play?” Tiana asked.
“I’m probably a little rusty,” he replied, retrieving the bow, and then he began to play. The tune was melodic, classical and yet something in it reminded Tiana of the gothic mansion he occupied. She sank down onto the vacant stool and the gypsy woman smiled as Lestat continued to play. The tune both excited and chilled her. Like, she realised, the man playing it.
She found herself lost again in music, unaware of Lestat’s eyes on her the whole time.
After she had made her way home from Lestat’s mansion, for that was what it had been, a great gothic mansion, she had simply kicked off her shoes and flopped down on her bed, too tired to get her brain working straight. But now she was properly awake, she could start to think about it all in a little more detail.
So, what had happened? Some random, albeit handsome and charming, guy had stood up for her when Facilier had snapped at her for breaking that bottle of wine, and then in the same evening the same guy had then gone on to rescue her from a gang of thugs who had tried to mug her. And why, now? What was it he had said?
“Maybe I’m attracted to you.”
Before she could even begin to fathom just what had attracted him to her, the phone rang and she jumped. For a second, she expected it to be him, but then she remembered that it couldn’t be, he didn’t have her number. It was Belle.
“Hey, Tiana. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to talk to you yesterday.”
“Being PA to a prince must keep you busy,” Tiana replied, fondly. Belle had been in that job for about a year now; and whilst it must indeed be a difficult task, she never complained about it.
“Well, most of the time he just seems to want me around, even if there’s not much to do,” replied Belle, who was currently sitting at her dressing table in the room she had been assigned in Prince Adam’s castle. “I think he’s just lonely.”
“Belle, you see the good in everyone,” Tiana reminded her, smiling.
“So, what did I miss? Anything? Was it really rowdy last night?”
Tiana told her about the customers launching into “Drunken Sailor.” “Oh, and I sort of have a date tonight.”
“Really? With who?”
“This guy I met last night.” She didn’t go into the details. Like a mother hen, Belle would only fuss. So would Meg. “His name’s Lestat, Lestat de Lioncourt. Have you ever heard of him?”
“De Lioncourt?” Belle frowned. “No, although with a name like that he’s surely got to be pretty aristocratic?”
“Well, he does live in a mansion,” Tiana said.
“Hm. I wonder if Adam might know; being royal. He must know some of the peers of the realm here, even if he rarely sees them. I could ask him.”
“Would you? That’d be great.” Tiana took a deep breath. “Should I, though? Should I go for it?”
“Well, do you like him? What’s he like?”
Tiana mulled over her answer before replying. “He’s very charming and sensitive and there’s something about him...I can’t put my finger on it, but something.”
“Tiana, you always work so hard, you never give yourself a break. It’d do you good to go on a date.”
“So you reckon I should, then?”
“Absolutely.”
“Well, thanks, Belle.”
“You’re welcome, and hey, if I turn up anything dodgy on him, I’ll warn you straight away,” Belle added.
Tiana laughed. “I appreciate it, but I doubt you will! See you tomorrow, ok?”
“Ok, and I want to hear every little detail. Meg will too, you know.”
“I know. Bye now.”
“Bye.”
No sooner had Tiana hung up the phone then it rang again. “Hello?”
“Oh-oh!” groaned a voice down the line. “I am never drinking again!”
Tiana laughed. “Hey, Meg!”
The threat to give up drinking was one which was constant with Meg. Not that she was a big drinker, but on special occasions, like St Patrick’s Day, she could go a little overboard.
“I have a hangover the size of Venus!” Meg complained.
“Remember what I always say, Meg?” Tiana teased. “Drinking does not cause hangovers; stopping drinking does!”
They both laughed. “Well, it’d better be gone by the time I get to work,” Meg said. “That’s all they need at Underworld Relations; a PR girl who can’t hold her drink!”
“What was it? Sambucca? Tequila?”
“Absinth.”
“Ah! The Green Fairy!”
“I know, what was I thinking?” Meg moaned, rubbing her forehead. “Anyway, how was your night?”
Tiana quickly reeled off what she had just told Belle. “She reckons I should go for it,” she finished. “What do you think?”
“I think she’s absolutely correct,” Meg replied.
Tiana smiled. “I’m glad you said that.” She would never want to go out with anyone her friends didn’t approve of. “Well, I’d best get to work. I’ll give you all the details when we meet up tomorrow, ok?”
“You’d better,” grinned Meg. “See ya there.”
Tiana went through work that day in a dream. Even when Facilier berated her for accidently overfilling a dwarf named Grumpy’s tankard – not that Grumpy was complaining – and spilling ale all over the floor, she took it in good humour, all the while wondering whether or not Lestat would turn up at The Lamppost that evening. After all, she reflected, he had only said “perhaps” and so had she.
By the end of the day, she had hurried home, whipped herself up a quick omelette for dinner and then, not even bothering to change her clothes, because she was never entirely sure what to wear on a first date and she got the feeling that Lestat might not care either way what she wore, she had hurried out to The Lamppost.
The Lamppost was a quiet, country-type inn, named for the black lamppost outside, which was rumoured to have been there since Victorian times. It was a cosy, cheerful place, hardly ever rowdy like the Blue Moon and just right for meeting someone for a drink on a first date. Sometimes they played music and people danced, but it was a more toned down atmosphere than you might expect to get at a nightclub. Tiana felt a rush of apprehension as she approached, and then she saw Lestat leaning against the lamppost, watching her arrival.
He smiled as she came with talking distance of him. “Evening.”
“You came,” Tiana said, and then, feeling foolish, added, “I mean, I wasn’t sure if you would.”
“Well, it was my idea,” he reminded her.
Tiana smiled. Somehow he made her feel relaxed and comfortable in his presence. “Well,” she said, gesturing towards the inn, “Shall we?”
“Tell me about yourself,” Lestat said, half an hour later. It was Tiana’s third glass of wine and she was already feeling a little unsteady. Lestat, on the other hand, had had the same amount as her and looked no worse for wear.
“Well, there’s not really much to tell,” she said. “I work at the Blue Moon, you already know that...”
“How did you get the job?”
“Well, Smee who works there – he wasn’t there last night, it was his night off – knew my Daddy back when they were younger...”
Lestat bowed his head, respectfully. “I’m sorry to hear he’s no longer around.”
Tiana swallowed, not wanting to cry. “He died a long time ago but I still don’t like to remember it.” She took a deep breath, pulled herself together and continued, “And, well, when I said to him I was on the lookout for a job, he said there was one going at the Blue Moon and he got Facilier to arrange an interview with me.”
“And that’s that man who was berating you last night?” Lestat said.
“He’s the owner. He’s ok, really, but he can lose his temper really easily.”
“So I saw,” replied Lestat, drily. “Sorry, you were saying?”
“Well, yeah,” Tiana said, picking up her glass, “and that’s basically it. I nailed the interview and I’ve been working there about two years now.”
“And what do you do when you’re not working?” Lestat asked, with one raised eyebrow.
Tiana smiled. He was definitely flirting with her. “Well, I hang out with my girlfriends, Meg and Belle. Meg’s in PR and Belle’s, well, she’s a personal assistant to a prince.”
“Impressive.”
“I know. Sunday’s the only day she gets off, so we always meet up for a coffee then, the three of us. Other than that, well, my life’s pretty boring.”
Lestat watched her as she downed the wine. “Somehow I doubt that.”
“Go on, then,” she said, daring to nudge him. “It’s your turn. Tell me about your life.”
Lestat chuckled. “I’m afraid that’s a long and sorry tale.”
“Really? Why?”
The music picked up then. It was Lady in Red by Chris de Burge. Tiana smiled. “I like this song.”
Lestat finished his wine and proffered his hand to her. “Care to dance?”
“Ok,” she stammered, suddenly nervous, “But I’m not very good.”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine.” He curled his fingers around hers and led her into the swarm of others who were all dancing, slowly, romantically, to the tune. Again, even though he was standing so close to her, she didn’t feel nervous as he pulled her closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder, one hand touching her hair and the other lacing his fingers through hers as they began to dance. It felt, she realised, like the most natural thing in the world. Her feet moved of their own accord, and then, just briefly for a minute, she swore they lifted off the floor, as if she was levitating. Then she felt the dance floor beneath her feet again and told herself it was just her imagination.
“You see,” Lestat murmured. “You’re a natural.”
She lost herself in the music and the dancing. It took her several seconds to realise the song was coming to a close, and she moved her head, looking up at Lestat. His eyes met hers, that alluring grey-blue swirl that seemed to stare deeply into her soul. She forgot herself for a second, leaning up and kissed him. He responded to her, gently, but not allowing her to go any further than just touch her lips against his. Embarrassed, she pulled away. “I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“That’s alright,” he replied, putting her at ease once again. The song ended and Tiana quickly decided it was time for another drink.
“But, um, you were going to tell me about yourself,” she reminded him, as they ordered. “Before we were interrupted by Chris de Burge.”
“Was I?” Lestat teased. “I believe what I said was that it’s a long and sorry tale.”
Tiana glanced at him. “You’re really not going to tell me anything? What about your childhood?”
“Well, now, that I can divulge,” he replied, picking up his glass. “I was born in France, seventh son of a marquis who squandered our family fortune forcing us to live in poverty. I didn’t have that great a relationship with my father or my brothers. My mother encouraged me to take up hunting to support the family. Then, one day, when I was, what, about the same age as you, I was told that a pack of wolves were terrorising the local village. So,” he added, with a wry smile, “I went out alone and rid the village of the entire pack, forever.”
“You wiped out an entire pack of wolves by yourself?” Tiana echoed.
He smirked. “I did, and the people were eternally grateful. After the other members of my family died, I took up travelling around the world. Eventually, after several misadventures, I wound up here and I’ve been here ever since.” He finished his wine and turned to her. “And that’s all you need to know for now, Tiana.”
She liked the way he said her name. She smiled. “Ok, then, Mr Lestat, that I won’t press you.”
“You can drop the Mr,” he told her. “It’s Lestat.”
“Lestat, then.”
Several glasses of wine later and Tiana began to worry about getting home alright. “I’d probably better go now,” she stammered, pulling on her coat.
“I’ll walk you back.” She realised it was a statement, not a question, and yet, she also realised, she felt safer with him at her side. So, she nodded and together they left the inn.
Outside, a couple of gypsies were sitting on a corner, playing music for coins. Tiana had noticed them a few times before, but never exchanged words with them. However something seemed to draw Lestat to them and she walked with him. The gypsies looked up as they approached and smiled, in a friendly way. Tiana noticed that one of them had left a violin on a stool with the bow beside it.
“May I?” Lestat said, indicating the instrument.
“By all means,” replied the gypsy man.
Lestat picked up the violin and ran his hands over the smooth wood. “Beautiful,” he mused.
“You play?” Tiana asked.
“I’m probably a little rusty,” he replied, retrieving the bow, and then he began to play. The tune was melodic, classical and yet something in it reminded Tiana of the gothic mansion he occupied. She sank down onto the vacant stool and the gypsy woman smiled as Lestat continued to play. The tune both excited and chilled her. Like, she realised, the man playing it.
She found herself lost again in music, unaware of Lestat’s eyes on her the whole time.