“Interesting.”
“Annoying, really,” she admitted.
“At what age are you considered … an adult?”
Bijou laughed. “At least one hundred.”
His eyes widened as he stopped. “Wow. That’s…”
“Old?”
Oliver chuckled, the sound like the rough scrape of gravel. As though he didn’t do it often.
“How old is your father?”
“Five hundred and twenty,” she said easily.
“So no time limit on the ability to reproduce?”
“No, though females are only fertile once every few years.” She figured that was God’s way of keeping a handle on reproduction of the species.
“Here we are.” Oliver opened the door to reveal an enormous theater room.
Bijou preceded him inside, her eyes wandering the space. There were several rows of plush leather recliners, all with consoles between them, facing a white screen that was the full width and height of the wall, a good thirty feet across, maybe twenty feet tall. The walls on each side were covered in thick black drapes that hung from ceiling to floor, a few well-placed sconces providing light.
“Something specific you’d like to watch?” he asked, heading over to what appeared to be a laptop positioned on a table at the back, right next to what looked to be a fully stocked concession stand complete with a popcorn and soda machine. “Thanks to Apple, we’ve got anything and everything you could want.”
She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d watched a movie. “What sounds good to you?”
“I’m more of an action guy myself.”
Bijou found that sweet. Having experienced plenty of action in her lifetime thanks to the war between vampires and shadow beasts, she wasn’t sure their definition of action was the same.
“How aboutHobbs and Shaw?” he suggested.
She’d never heard of it, but she found herself nodding, figuring it would be nice to hang out with someone her own age for a change. She liked the idea of making a friend here at the mansion, especially if she was going to be here for a while.
After he hit a few buttons on the laptop, Oliver joined her, then motioned her down a few steps. Bijou followed his lead, moving to the second row of seats before easing down into the luxurious recliner.
“There’s a blanket and pillow in the console.” He lifted the edge to prove it. “And if you want popcorn, simply push that button.” He pointed to a silver button on the top of the console. “Aheurospwill deliver it.”
Bijou grinned, getting comfortable as he punched another button on the console, dimming the lights as the movie began playing on the screen.
As she relaxed, she focused on the movie, forcing everything else from her mind, but it wasn’t easy. Thoughts of Reve drifted in, reminding her of the male she missed with all her heart. The male who’d vowed to love her for eternity only to disappear as soon as he learned who her father was.
Oliver chuckled at something on the screen and Bijou peeked over at him. She studied him in profile for a moment before glancing back at the screen.
Perhaps Oliver would be a good distraction from the heartbreak she’d endured. It would be nice to have someone to confide in, someone who would share their own personal experiences. That was something she’d never had with Reve. As much as she’d wanted them to be together, he’d never really been the sort to open up.
And maybe, if Oliver was open to the idea, they could do a little digging into that dark spot she sensed within him. Perhaps they could reveal that part of himself he probably didn’t even know he was hiding.
Chapter Seventeen
Orianna had no idea what had happened, but when she came to, she was sitting on a buttery-soft leather sofa, half a dozen men and a few women standing around. Their expressions reflected the same thing: concern mixed with more than a little confusion.
“There you are,” Eclipse whispered, brushing her hair back from her face.
Feeling like a spectacle, Orianna dropped her feet to the floor and sat up quickly. The move had her head spinning, but she ignored it. Or tried to. For a second, the room went topsy-turvy, her stomach lurching with the sensation. She inhaled deeply through her nose, out through her mouth. A repeat of that a few times and the vertigo lessened.
