Greystorm Chronicles 5

         Dorean leaned against the bar; his steel gray eyes scouring the room for anything that had potential for the night.  He sipped on a glass of absinthe as he watched drunken youth grind on each other throughout the club.  He had to admit, this new age and attitude suited him.  He definitely liked the 21st century, so far.

          “You’re slipping a bit ol’ boy, these are common folk.  I haven’t seen one spoiled little debutante the entire time we have been here,” the pale figure next to him hissed.

        “No one made you come along, Oscar.  You could have stayed at home.  I wouldn’t have held it against you.” Dorean spoke into his glass.  He was not going to have a moral debate, in public, with someone that only he could see and hear.

        “I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t want me to be.  I have to make sure you aren’t responsible for another ruined life.” Oscar turned and faced Dorean, his hollow eyes narrowed as he scowled.  The effect of the burning gaze was lost on Dorean.  He smirked and continued to drink.



        Dorean locked his eyes on tonight’s game.  She was roughly about 5’6”, with pale skin, and just enough curves to make her stand out from the rest of the young women.  Her black hair swayed back and forth as she danced.  Dorean was enthralled, at least for tonight.  Oscar stopped staring daggers through him and followed his gaze.

          “She’s too young for you, you know that, right?”  Oscar grinned a bitter grin as he spoke.

        Dorean rolled his eyes, “They are all too young for me Oscar.  Hell, there isn’t one in the world, no matter the age, that isn’t too young for me, even if she’s eighty and on her deathbed, she’s going to be too young for me.  Now shut up and enjoy the ride, or go home.  I’ll be there shortly.”

        Oscar’s face scrunched and contorted in his anger.  He had been a witness to Dorean’s arrogance and decadence for far too long.  Still, he stayed, if he went home he might miss the moment that the great Dorean Greystorm was put in his place.

        “I’ll be at the bar if you need me,” Oscar seethed.  The torture of the fact that he couldn’t have a drink just made him all the more bitter.

        Dorean didn’t hear the sarcasm from Oscar’s lips; he was honed in on the girl and walking slowly towards the raven-haired beauty he had chosen.



        Anna loved dancing, and she loved the fact that her friends dragged her out against her will.  She had to admit, for the first time in weeks, she was having fun.

        “Hmmm, looks like someone’s checking you out,” one of Anna’s friends shouted over the music.

        Anna kept dancing and tried not to blush.  She never thought about hooking up tonight.  She was just here to have fun.

        Another friend gawked, “Oh my God!  How lucky can you get Anna?”

        “Who is it?”  Anna refused to turn around, she didn’t want her would be suitor to see her face turning red as a turnip.

        “Girl, you have none other than Dorean Greystorm checkin’ you out.  What is he doin’ in a place like this anyway?  He can get into any club he wants, why is he slummin’?”  Anna’s friend sounded bitter as she mused.

        Anna had heard of Dorean; he was one of the richest and most powerful men in the world, and no one knew exactly why.  He had quite a reputation as a womanizer as well.  He was cute though, and Anna thought she might be able look past his reputation for one night.  She locked eyes with him, and swore she saw him flinch when he saw her face.



          Dorean almost choked on his drink, and could hear Oscar laughing back at the bar.  What was she doing here?  Had it already been a lifetime?  What should he do now?  He really wasn’t prepared for this yet, but it would be rude if he walked away now.

        “And this is why I tag along, old friend.  I get to see priceless moments like this one.  I get to see you face your demons,” Oscar chuckled as he spoke.

        Dorean had never wanted to punch Oscar more.



        Anna didn’t know what to think; Dorean had been staring at her for a good five minutes and looked extremely uncomfortable.  She wondered what was running through his mind.  Did he think she was pretty?  Why did he look uncomfortable while he looked at her.  Should she go say something to him?  He was verging on looking depressed about something.  Why was she so intrigued by him?  And why did she feel like she knew him better than she knew she did?  She decided to stop playing twenty questions with herself and go talk to him.



        Dorean wasn’t sure what to do.  First all the old feelings flooded back, and now she was headed his way.  This had the potential of becoming a nightmare scenario for him.  Maybe Oscar was right; maybe he should have stuck with the decadent debutantes he had grown accustomed to.  He knew that Lindsey or Paris had no chance of being the reincarnation of his long lost love.  While he was stuck in thought, he lost the girl in the crowd.  Maybe she lost interest or something.  That would be super.



        “Come here often?” Anna shuddered at how cliché she sounded.

        “Ummm, no, kind of a new scene for me,” Dorean stiffened as he turned to his right.  He hated it when they snuck up on him like that.

        “So, are we just seeing how the other half lives, or is bedding heiresses getting too boring?” Anna winced as she spoke.  That sounded really rude.

        Dorean chuckled.  No matter how much the body changes over the millennia, the attitude always stays the same.  "Would you think less of me if I said ‘Yes’?”

        Anna looked down and pushed her hair over her right ear.  She really didn’t want Dorean to see her blush.

        “I don’t normally do this, but do you wanna go somewhere and talk?” Anna fumbled over her words like a schoolgirl.  She was having a hard time even making eye contact.

        “Certainly, I know this great little coffee house a couple of blocks away.  It’s great for late night conversation.”  Dorean extended his hand.  This was going better than he had hoped.

        As they left, Dorean shot a look at Oscar and grinned.  Oscar shook his head and scowled.  He knew what the smile meant.  It meant don’t wait up, and don’t mind the noise later.  He was really starting to hate his afterlife.



        Dorean and Anna walked down the dark street towards the coffee house he had mentioned.  The discussed the changing times and what it was like having a black president.  Their conversation was light and fun.  Dorean hadn’t had this much fun in the better part of a century.  Anna couldn’t believe this was the same guy she had heard about all over the news.  He wasn’t as big a jerk as she thought he was going to be.  They were both so engrossed in their conversation that neither of them saw the three dark figures walking up behind them. 

        “Give me all your money, NOW!” One of the figures shouted as he put a knife to Dorean’s back. 

        Dorean shook his head.  This could not be happening.  “No problem, here you go, go buy yourself a new car or something”  Dorean handed over his massive money clip.  He had to do whatever it took to keep this guy from starting a fight.

        “Woo Hoo Hoo Hoo!  Damn son, what kind of idiot are you to walk around with this type of wad?  Empty the girls purse, too.  We be makin’ bank tonight.”  The thug mused as he started to count Dorean’s money.

        Anna screamed as the other two thugs grabbed her and her purse.  Dorean punched the thug that had a hold of Anna, sending him crashing to the ground.

        “No need to be rude here son, just take what I have given you and leave.  Do it now before I change my mind and kill you just out of spite!” Dorean fumed.  His eyes narrowed on the apparent leader.

        “Shut up bitch!” the leader spat as he pulled out a gun and shot Dorean in the chest.

        Just as quickly, Dorean slit the leaders throat with a knife that seemed to come from nowhere. The other two thugs stopped wrestling with Anna and watched their friend die.  They looked at each other, looked at the wound closing in Dorean’s chest, and ran.  Anna looked at Dorean in shock.  She knew that bullet had to have  hit him.  But he was still upright and alive. 

        “Well, this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but I suppose the cat’s out of the bag now.  Anna, I’m immortal, and our meeting tonight wasn’t by chance.” Dorean spoke quickly and deliberately.  Anna looked like she was going to faint.  This wasn’t quite the first impression he wanted to make.