“As if humans haven’t murdered each other since the dawn of man.”
He shrugged. “Well, I didn’t say it was logical. Statistically, she is more likely to end up dead at the hands of a human than a vampire. But I won’t fault her for her fear. I don’t know what she has been through. And I don’t care enough to know, or to even attempt to try to change her opinion. I’d waste too much time if I tried to do that anytime I came across a human who hated or feared me, simply for what I am. As long as she doesn’t mess with my food or ignore me, I’m fine with ignoring the reaction.”
The sad part was that there were many times he could not ignore it. Foxx had come across plenty of businesses and people who had decided to not provide him service. And…it was legal in most places. As the law stood, businesses could decide not to serve paranormals due to fear of life. It didn’t take much to claim that either. And there wasn’t much one could do about it.
While it didn’t matter too much restaurant-wise, the law had made the medical field a nightmare to navigate. Many doctors would not accept paranormal patients. Many hospitals, under the claims of understaffing, lack of ability or knowledge, and not having the space or equipment, would not accept paranormals, even in emergency cases. The hospitals that did accept his kind were far and few between, sometimes hours away.
While, no, paranormals weren’t exactly human. The fact is that the medical emergencies they often found themselves in were human enough. Most species' organs were identical to humans. So, those who had passed for human before, with the coming of P.E.A.R., now found themselves in danger of dying from simple wounds and infections.
It was a mess, one that Foxx had been keeping an eye on, hoping things would get better. Because while he understood there were some species where helping them would be difficult without specific medical knowledge, the fact was, most didn’t require any new knowledge at all. At least that excuse was used less now, since they started forcing all who were currently in the field, or studying, to take mandatory paranormal anatomy classes, among others. Of course, it didn’t change the fact that hospitals and doctors were still allowed to refuse them.
Foxx sighed. This was supposed to be a fun outing, but now he was in a bad mood.
“They have good desserts here…” Harlow slowly said, sounding super uncomfortable. “Or so I’ve been told…and I've seen people eat. I don’t really eat much sweets.”
He couldn’t help but smile at Harlow’s awkward attempt at making the mood better. “Well, since she left the menus, might as well take a look.”
* * *
Foxx glareddown at the mess that had become of his dining room. His one-of-a-kind table, a piece made specially for him, had been turned into a rubbish heap. The light-colored wood that had blue-green resin going through it in a way that looked like a wave, was covered in dark grease and oil stains. And there was metal and who knew what else sitting randomly on top of his matching blue-green chairs. All because Harlow had disassembled who knows how many guns and weapons all over the area.
He had only been in the shower for thirty minutes! Just thirty minutes in total to shower and get changed before he made dinner. How did the human have the time to do all this?!
Eyeing a piece of metal close to the edge, he gave in to the urge to knock it off. He swiped at it with his hand and sent it clattering to the floor.
Harlow looked up at him, eyes narrow. “Why are you such a cat?”
“I’m not a cat!” He waved his hand at the table. “Look at what you did to my table! Did you not even take a moment to think, hmm, maybe I should put a cloth down?!” he snapped, with his hands on his hips. “All those black smudges better wipe off!”
Harlow looked down at the table and then back up at Foxx, his expression empty. “It’ll wipe off…”
“IT BETTER!”
“What’s for dinner?”
Foxx stared, baffled at the audacity of this man. “Eat a granola bar, Mr. Healthy, as I’m making myself some fattening cheesy alfredo macaroni and cheese!”
Spinning, he stomped off to the kitchen and began to slam cabinets and doors as he got things out forhisdinner. Men!
Alastair leaned in closer to Foxx and whispered, “You really fucked him?”
Foxx snorted and took a sip from his blood-laced white wine. “Technically, he fucked me.”
The vampire shoved him gently. “You know what I meant.”
“Yes, and it was soooo good. Is so good. Like ‘best sex I’ve ever had’ good,” Foxx gushed, spilling all the tea. Hopefully, not loud enough for Harlow to hear from where he was sitting across the room, reading another one of those stupid newspapers of his—boring old man.
Alastair leaned back. “I’m judging all your past lovers so hard right now. As he is hot, but certainly not all that.”
“He is ‘all that’ and more in bed. Outside the bedroom…well, that’s another thing entirely.”
His friend shook his head and took a sip from his own glass. “So, how is the whole living together thing going? I will say I’m surprised you haven’t tried to kill each other yet.”
“It’s been…interesting,” Foxx said with a frown. “The man literally turned my dining room table into a metal heap the other day… No drop cloth, just grease stains everywhere. He cleaned it up, but really, where was the thought process?”
“He does look like the type of man who wouldn’t care about stains on his furniture,” Alastair said. The vampire brought his glass back to his lips to take another sip.
Foxx huffed. “That’s not even the worst part! The human has gotten it into his head that I am a cat.”
