The Cabbie and the Cop – 23

Simeon woke to find he was alone in a strange bedroom. He immediately remembered why it was strange, and why he was alone.

Now the question becomes do I stay and wait until he comes home, or leave because he might well regret that he opened up to me last night.

Common sense said he should get out of there. Simeon suspected Vergil had revealed more about his past life to him than he had to anyone since he arrived in this world.

In fact I know he did. After all, talking about it would let the listener know he was not human. He’d no more open up to a mortal about what he is than I would.

He got up, dressed quickly, and went downstairs to the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, he chuckled to himself. There were several kinds of liquid there but no blood.

Ah well, I guess orange juice will have to suffice for now to quench my thirst.

After pouring a glass he wandered back into the living room. He hadn’t really taken a look at it last night. He wasn’t too surprised to see plants on open shelves set in the large windows at both ends of the room, or the flowers on the table in the dining room. Vergil was an elf and would have the inherent elven love of all things natural. There was little in the way of furniture, the two armchairs with the table between them in front of a fireplace that was flanked by bookshelves, a small but surprisingly sophisticated entertainment center on the wall between the kitchen and dining room doors with two more chairs facing it.

Very minimalistic.

He wondered it that was a protest against how Vergil had grown up. From what he had told him last night he was used to luxurious surroundings, even if some of his time spent in them had been as a slave.

Crossing to the bookshelves he perused some of the titles, unsurprised to find both books relating to Vergil’s work and ones on horticulture. He chuckled when he found one section holding a wide selection of fantasy titles, wondering if Vergil found them as amusing as he found the stories about vampires.

He finished the juice and returned to the kitchen to wash the glass and put it away where he found it.

“Are you always so neat?”

Simeon turned to find Vergil standing in the doorway. He looked better than he had last night, more relaxed Simeon thought. “I am. Not OCD about it, but sort of ‘a place for everything and everything in its place’ neat.”

“I wasn’t certain you’d still be here when I got back.” Vergil crossed to the refrigerator and began to take out the makings for supper, cocking an eyebrow in question as he did.

“I’m not much on eating,” Simeon admitted. “Not that I can’t but after living as long as I have all food seems… the same, and rather boring to be honest.”

“Understandable. Humm, I might have…” He dug deeper in the fridge. “Ah ha” He held out a plastic-wrapped steak. “I think it’s still good. I can sear it for you; I mean if you want to stick around.”

“Just how long has it been in there?”

When he checked the ‘sell by’ date Vergil winced. “Too long.”

Simeon laughed. “Then I think I’ll pass.”

After tossing the steak into the garbage, Vergil asked, “But you’ll stay?”

“Sure, why not. I do have to go to work but my hours are flexible.”