Chapter Ten
Violet
“What? How? But? That can’t be,” Violet stammered as Claire led her to a chair.
“I know, it’s a lot to take in,” Claire said.
It was more than a lot to take in. It sounded like her friend drank some of the crazy Kool-Aid, too, but Claire wouldn’t lie. Violet could tell from her face that she was sure of what she was saying. That was the only thing that kept Violet from running out the building screaming like her hair was on fire.
She was on the verge of saying as much to Claire when her friend held up one finger. “Wait. I’ll be back.”
Violet clutched the armrests of her couch as Claire went to the back to fix them a pot of tea. When she returned, she thrust a cup in Violet’s hand. “Drink this. It’ll make you feel better.”
Violet took one sip and sighed. The warmth was comforting. “Go ahead,” she said watching her friend. In a just universe, it was Claire’s turn to pace, but instead, she sat across from Violet with her hands clasped in her lap. Her only tell for nerves was her bouncing knee.
“I don’t know where to start,” Claire admitted.
“Start with the fact that you’ve known about dragons your whole life,” Violet offered.
“You know how I'm afraid of swimming, right?”
Violet wasn’t sure, but she wondered if her friend was having a mental break. "Yeah,” Violet said sarcastically, “and what does that have to do with dragons?”
Claire took a deep breath. "For as long as my family history goes back, there have been dragons in it."
“You’re not making any sense,” Violet said tucking her hand under her chin.
“I’m a fire maiden. As is every other woman in my family. It’s genetic. Some families have a high rate of producing them, but for other people, it can just randomly pop up.”
“And a fire maiden is…?” Violet asked.
“A human that can bear dragon babies.”
“You lost me. You’ve been popping out dragon babies?” She asked, her eyebrows practically touching her hairline.
“No,” Claire said on the brink of laughter.
“Then how do you know what you can or can’t do with dragons?”
“I have the mark.” Claire stood. “This is the fire maiden mark. Everyone has the same mark just on different parts of their body,” she said pulling her pants down to reveal her right hip bone.
There was a black mark that looked like a burn. Violet always said it looked like a dragon.
“You told me that was your birthmark,” Violet said squinting her eyes in suspicion.
“It is and so much more,” Claire said, pulling her pants up and sitting down. “I was born with it, and it just happens to mean something.”
Violet didn’t like the idea that Claire had kept something that big from her, but at the same time, it’s not like Vi would have believed her. It seemed implausible, even now, after seeing something that looked a lot like a dragon.
“So, where do the dragons come in? Have you ever seen one?” Violet asked.
“Of course, I’ve seen one. I’ve seen a bunch of them. You have, too!” Claire said with excitement.
“What? No. Just Frank, and I think I was hallucinating.” Violet said waved her hand in the air as if to rid herself of the stupid notion.
“Not as dragons, silly. You know Frank can shape-shift. Katherine’s a dragon, and Frank’s annoying friend, Desmond, is a dragon. Probably some more friends that I don’t even know.” “Look, I know you don’t believe me, but I think you need to. What would convince you?”
Vi rubbed her forehead in thought. “I don’t know, Claire. It’s a lot to take in. My accountant’s a dragon, my best friend is going to have dragon babies. It just doesn’t make sense.”
“When have I ever lied to you?” Claire asked, and her leg stopped bouncing.
“Never. Not even that time in tenth grade when you lost my favorite pair of pliers.”
“Exactly,” Claire said, “even though I knew it would break your heart and you would probably stab me with my own crystal pendant.”
“Claire, I just… this is too much. I’ve never seen anything like that before. How can I be with a man like that? He has a wild animal inside of him.”
“So? Don’t we all?” Claire pleaded.
In a way, she was right, but there was so much Violet didn’t know. What if he hurt her?
As if reading her thoughts, Claire said, “You know he would never hurt you, right?”
Violet thought about it and nodded. “I think so.”
Claire thought a moment, and Violet hoped she wasn’t so committed to Frank and this entire idea of dragons that she’d willing try to convince Violet to be with someone or accept something she didn’t want to accept.
“Do you like him?” Claire asked.
“What do you mean?” Violet asked.
“Frank. The man. Do you like him?”
Violet thought about it, seeing his hard jaw, his blue eyes, and the way he went out of his way to make her smile. “Yes. I like him…a lot.”
“Then give him a chance. Is that too much to ask?” Claire asked.
What did giving him a chance mean? Did that mean talking to him, going on a date with him, or accepting him and all his crazy dragon business?
“It wouldn’t be too much to give him a call,” Violet amended.
“Just tell me you’ll give him a chance,” Claire said, holding Violet’s hands.
“I don’t know.” As much as Violet wanted to, her heart waged war with her mind. She liked Frank, and aside from the peculiarities of him moving his neck instead of his head, becoming oddly drunk off cheese, and having the capability to turn into a mythical creature, he was great. He was kind and polite, which was rare in men these days. Chivalry wasn’t dead to Frank, and even though she was put off for him lying and keeping such big secrets, she could understand why. That was a huge secret to keep.
“Fine,” Violet huffed. “I will give him another chance. Though I doubt he would ever talk to me again.”
“I don’t think that’s true.” Claire stood to collect their empty tea cups.
“It is! I ran away from him. He won’t want to be with a coward, Claire. Plus, he might think I’m repulsed by his dragon. I’ve made a fool of myself.”
“Jesus Christ, Vi!” Claire snapped. It seemed like her reservoir for soothing had run out. Maybe she’d used it all for tip-toeing around the dragon topic and seeing Violet come around to the idea, she was done. “You’re being ridiculous. Those are all just excuses. Just call him already,” she said. Violet’s head snapped up.
Violet knew Claire was all about men doing the chase but these were troubling times and it was time Violet put her big girl panties on. Violet nodded and fished her cell phone out from her pants pocket to call before she lost her nerve.
Frank answered on the first ring. “Violet?”
“Hey Frank,” she said taking her strength from Claire who was giving her thumbs up and smiling for encouragement.
“I am so sorry,” he said, though, his words were lost in background noise.
“I can’t really hear you. Where are you?” she asked.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m at a friend’s house. Let me step outside for a minute.”
“Oh, if you’re busy, I can call you back,” she said, being polite though Claire put her hands on her hips and scowled.
“No,” Frank said adamantly. “I’m right where I want to be right now.”
Violet’s heart fluttered. “All right. Now, what were you saying?”
“I was saying I’m so sorry,” he said. “I should have... I don’t know. Said something?”
Violet put him out of his misery. “Frank, no. You don’t have to apologize. There’s no reason to say that. I’m sorry for running away. I was just…” She didn’t want to admit it and make him feel guilty, but he pieced it together anyway.
“Scared.”
“Yeah,” she admitted. “Not of you. I know you would never hurt me, Frank. It’s just, I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
Violet sighed long and hard. Nothing about this conversation was easy.
“I understand,” Frank said. “I really do, Vi, anybody would have been afraid. It’s not something you see every day.”
Violet chuckled despite feeling overwhelmed and awkward. It somehow broke the invisible ice, and she was able to relax.
“I could have thought of a better way to tell you than that. I just couldn’t think when you put me on the spot like that and…. My dragon likes you.”
Violet’s brows lifted in surprise. “Oh?”
Frank chuckled deep and dark. “Yeah. He wanted to meet you.”
“Has that ever happened before?” Violet asked, desperately wanting to know the answer to that.
“No,” Frank said, enticing her to fall for him just a little even more. “Never.” He let a beat of silence pass first and then added, “You’re not alone in being a little frightened here. In over three hundred years, my dragon has never been so… I don’t really know how to explain it. So adamant to meet someone.”
Violet blushed and was glad Frank couldn’t see her face.
“Maybe we can meet again someday…” she said softly. “Maybe with a warning and not in a cramped office. And one day soon you’re going to tell me how you’re over three hundred years old and look like you’re in your late thirties.”
Frank sighed, and his voice dropped an octave when he said, “You don’t know how happy it makes me to hear you say that. I would like that very much, Violet.”
“I’m glad… but, Frank?”
“Yes?” he asked quickly.
“I need to know you’re not keeping any more secrets.” She wanted to say, I can’t be with someone who doesn’t always tell me the truth. But she didn’t because she didn’t want to assume or make him feel pressured, so instead she added, “I don’t like lies.”
“There aren’t anymore,” he said. “I promise. I’m just not good at telling people my secrets because I’m so used to keeping them.”
Violet understood that on a visceral level. She had parts of herself that she wasn’t sure anyone could tolerate or want to handle.
“I get it, Frank,” she said.
“But no more moving forward,” Frank agreed.
“All right.” Violet smiled.
“Is it too soon to ask you out on a date?” Frank asked.
“I would have to say you’re late to asking,” she said giggling, “but if you’re asking, the answer would be yes.”
Frank said something but it was drowned out by other men calling his name, and she could hear him move further away.
“Well, go ahead,” she said. “I’ll be seeing you soon?” She had to clarify, since he hadn’t actually asked her yet.
“Definitely. Violet, would you give me the pleasure of your company at dinner tomorrow night?”
She gasped - tomorrow night was so soon, and she found she couldn’t wait to see Frank again, even though she was scared. There was too much she didn’t know. She could only hope his dragon didn’t decide to meet her again while they were at dinner.
“Of course.” She leaned forward in her seat.
“Perfect. I will be counting down the hours,” he admitted, and Violet was touched by his vulnerability.
“Good night, Frank.”
“Good night, my flower.”
Violet hung up the phone and stared at it in her hand. Claire’s shrieked and jumped up and down.
“Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!” She shook Violet’s shoulders. “What did he say?”
Violet was still in shock. Her head was swimming, and she realized she had forgotten to breathe. “He asked me to dinner.”
“What? When? Where?” Claire was barely able to sit still. “Come on, girl, don’t make me beg for the details!”
“Tomorrow. At seven,” Violet said, still processing everything that Frank said.
“Damn, that’s not much time. Okay. Come on. We can work with that. We need to go get you ready.” Claire got to her feet.
“I don’t need to get ready. I’m ready enough.”
Claire scoffed and looked like she was thinking about throwing Violet over her shoulder if she didn’t get up. “You are not ready. We have a lot of work to do.”
She sounded so sure, but Violet shook her head. “Frank likes me just the way I am,” she said with confidence, though her cheeks heated.
Claire gasped. “You like him. You really like him!”
There was no point in Violet trying to hide it. It was written all over her face. “Yeah. I do.”
Claire settled back down in her chair and turned serious. “Like, can’t wait until those cobwebs are knocked out—like him, or falling in love with him—like him?”
Violet, sometimes still shocked at Claire’s antics, despite their years together, shook her head. “I don’t know. Both? Maybe? I just like him,” she said as an explanation. “Why does it have to be anything more than that?”
“Wow,” Claire said.
“What?” Violet asked, wanting to cover her face. She suddenly felt like a spotlight was on her, and she wanted to hide, even though it was only her best friend.
“I’ve never seen you like this before,” she said, in awe.
Violet wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, but she had never seen that look on Claire’s face before. It was a mix of satisfaction, awe, excitement, and a twinge of jealousy, which shocked her since Violet couldn't remember a time that Claire had been jealous of her.
“I think this might be it.” Claire shook her head with a smug look.
“What might be it?” Violet didn’t follow.
“It!” Claire said as if that made it clearer.
“You found him. I told you husband shopping works,” she said as if this entire thing was a product of her excellent work. She crossed her arms over her chest with a smug smile.
“Told you, he was on the way. You just never know when he’ll find you.”
“I’m not buying anything you’re selling,” Violet said, standing and getting ready to leave. She didn’t want to let Claire take any credit for this, even though it had been Claire’s idea in the first place. She was already feeling possessive of Frank and their relationship. Some of that must have shown on her face because Claire laid a hand on her arm.
“Wait a minute. I’m just really happy for you. And maybe a little jealous, even though I thought you were going to get there first. I guess I didn’t think about how it would feel here.” Claire put her hand over her heart and looked at Violet. “I’m sorry, I’ll stop teasing.”
“Thanks.” Vi couldn’t stay mad at Claire for long, especially when she was so enthusiastic.
“Well let’s get out of here, girlfriend,” Claire said unlocking her door.
Violet stood and smiled. Yes, she did have a dinner to get ready for and Frank wouldn’t be the only one counting down the hours. Violet knew no matter what she said, she wouldn’t be able to stop Claire from helping. There were just some things Claire wouldn’t leave Violet to handle alone, like shaving her legs, curling her hair, and wearing the right shoes. Violet realized the merit in some of those suggestions, which was why she kept Claire around. She needed someone to push her out of her comfort zone.
With Claire’s help, she felt a little like a plucked chicken but she was date ready, with an outfit picked out and a style pinned up to be worn during the day, and at night when the pins were taken out she would look sexy and sweet, rather than practical.
Vi was as ready as she could be, all that was left was getting a good night’s rest and trying not to think too hard.
“Easier said than done,” she thought as she brushed her teeth, wondering how she was going to get anything done tomorrow. She really should think about hiring an assistant manager if she was going to keep being distracted and planning date nights with Frank. “Oh, well.”