‘Thanks a lot Kezza.’ Taff walked up behind her and pretended to be annoyed. ‘Hi Madison.’ He kissed her cheek. ‘Alright, mate. I’m Taff.’ He held out his hand to Alexandre who shook it and smiled.
‘I’m Alex. I am pleased to meet you.’
‘Come over and sit with us, Trav’ll be here in a bit.’
They sat around a low circular table and Taff went to get them some drinks. Alexandre asked for a beer, even though he wouldn’t be drinking it. Kerri introduced them to her friends who all seemed to be as loud and bubbly as her.
Madison found out that Travis had downplayed the evening to her, as he was actually supporting the headline act, a big-name DJ from Manchester.
‘Wow, that’s amazing,’ Maddy said.
‘Yeah,’ Kerri agreed. ‘It was your party that did it. Loads of people said how good the DJ was that night and the club actually tracked Trav down and offered him a trial night. Now he’s got a regular thing going. Okay, enough talking, come and dance.’ She tried to pull Madison to her feet, but Maddy resisted. She didn’t want to leave Alexandre on his own.
‘You go,’ Alexandre said to her. ‘I like these people. I will be fine.’
‘Sure?’ she asked. He pulled her to him and kissed her. She instantly wished they were somewhere else, somewhere private where that kiss could continue.
‘Sure,’ he replied.
‘Put her down. I’ll bring her back later,’ Kerri called over her shoulder to Alexandre while dragging Maddy away by the hand.
Madison danced with her new friends. She felt elated. Here she was with the most gorgeous, handsome man on the planet. He loved her and she loved him. It was like a chick flick cliché but she didn’t care. Life didn’t get much better than this. Maddy didn’t recognise this tune but she knew she would remember it as the soundtrack to a perfect moment of happiness.
She noticed two blokes dancing a bit too close to them, so she and Kerri moved off slightly to the side to avoid them. But it looked as though they were intent on sleazing up against them. One of them brushed his hand across Madison’s back and she gestured to Kerri that she wanted to move to a different spot.
‘I need a wee anyway,’ Kerri said to Maddy. ‘Coming?’
Maddy nodded and they escaped to the Ladies.
‘Ugh, what a couple of pervs,’ Kerri said when they reached the loos.
‘Why do I always attract the weirdos?’
‘Uh, hello! Alex is not exactly what I’d call a weirdo,’ Kerri said.
‘You know what I mean. If I’m on a bus or a train, you can guarantee the creepy nutter will come and sit his arse down right next to me.’
Kerri laughed. ‘Ditto! We better not go out together again. We’ll end up attracting a meeting of Freakshows Anonymous.’
‘D’you think it’s safe to go back in the water?’
‘Yeah, they’ll have moved on to someone else by now.’
They used the loos, re-applied some lipstick and made their way back out to the other girls. After a couple more tracks, Maddy grew anxious about Alexandre and she started to make her way back to the VIP area. As she threaded her way through the crowd, she felt a hand grope her. She turned around and recognised one of the sleazy blokes from the dance floor.
‘Can I buy you a drink?’ he asked.
‘No, but you can keep your dodgy hands to yourself,’ she spat.
‘No need to be rude,’ another voice said. Madison spun around and saw the other man. They were both in their late twenties, not unattractive, but with no sense of style whatsoever and Maddy could tell they were total creeps.
She tried to push past them and continue on her way. The last thing she wanted was to start any trouble and she definitely didn’t want Alexandre to see what was going on.
‘Where are you going?’ the shorter one asked.
She ignored him and tried again to walk past.
‘It’s rude to ignore people,’ he said.
‘Yeah, we’re just being friendly,’ the taller one added.
Maddy sized them up. They were pretty solidly built and looked like they could handle themselves. They didn’t seem the type who would run away from a fight. She prayed she could get rid of them before Alex spotted them.
‘Look,’ she said. ‘It’s nice you want to chat, but I’m not interested. So please. Can you just go and find someone else to talk to? I’m already with someone.’
‘But we don’t want to talk to anyone else,’ the short one persisted. ‘We want to talk to you.’
‘She does not want to talk to you,’ Madison was both relieved and worried to see Alexandre arrive at her side. ‘I believe you owe the lady an apology.’
‘Who are you?’ the taller one asked.
‘Apologise,’ Alexandre repeated.
‘Leave it, Alex,’ Madison tugged gently at his arm. ‘They’re just a couple of losers.’
‘You are right,’ Alexandre agreed. ‘Let’s go.’ They began to walk away.
‘Hey, mate!’ the taller one called to him. ‘Mate, okay. You win. I’m sorry.’
He came up to Alexandre and put his arm around his shoulder, patting him in a placatory manner. But then he reached up to Alexandre’s head and yanked it backwards, trying to punch him through the jaw with his other hand. Alexandre instinctively anticipated each move before it happened and threw the man to one side without breaking a sweat.
The shorter one pulled out a knife and waved it in front of Alexandre. People around them had begun to notice the fight breaking out and a couple of girls screamed when they saw the knife. The area around them cleared.
The short one tried to stab Alex in the chest, but Alex took the man calmly by the neck and held him off the floor, away from him. In the meantime, the taller one had recovered. He also had a knife and tried to stab Alexandre in the back. But the knife failed to pierce his skin. It slipped down and cut the man’s hand.
Alex threw the shorter man across the floor where he smashed into the side of the bar. Alexandre reached his hand around behind him and picked up the other man by his shoulder. He tossed him casually in the same direction as his friend.
Six bouncers suddenly appeared through the crowd and two of them picked up the dazed men from the floor. Alexandre remained unharmed and unfazed, standing calmly, like a marble statue.
Madison had been hysterical while the men had attacked him, screaming at them to stop and calling out Alexandre’s name. Now she ran to stand protectively in front of him, crying and shouting uselessly at the bouncers.
‘He didn’t do anything! Those blokes just attacked him!’
‘Can you move out of the way please,’ one of them said to her, walking slowly up to Alexandre.
‘It is alright, Madison,’ Alexandre said and then he turned to face the approaching bouncers. ‘Please, I do not wish to hurt anybody else.’
The suited men smiled to each other at his words. They’d heard it all before. As the first one approached Alexandre from the right, Alex’s hand shot out and swatted him away like a bug. Although the music was still playing loudly, a crowd had gathered.
‘Gonna have to ask you to come with me,’ one of them said to Alexandre. ‘Don’t want any more trouble.’
He took Alexandre’s arm but the vampire just shrugged him off. The force was such that the bouncer crashed backwards into a crowd of onlookers. Madison screamed.
‘Come on, Alex! Let’s just go!’ She turned to the remaining two security guards who charged at Alex from both sides. ‘No! We’re leaving. Please, just stop!’
Alexandre almost smiled, but still he didn’t move. His feet were planted in exactly the same spot and, as the bouncers made contact with him, he repelled them with a flick of his wrist and a jab of his elbow. All four men were now out cold.
‘Come on, Alex,’ Maddy said. ‘Before someone calls the police. Please, let’s just go.’
‘Of course,’ he turned to her and put his hand on the small of her back, guiding her through the cro
wd which parted in front of them. As they left, more security turned up, speaking frantically into their walkie talkies and looking nervously at Alexandre.
‘We’re leaving,’ Maddy said to them as they approached.
Alexandre didn’t even appear to have noticed them.
‘Please,’ Maddy pleaded with them. ‘Please just back off. We’re going. It was those other guys anyway.’
Security walked behind them at a distance to make sure they vacated the premises.
‘Mads, you made it!’ She heard a voice above the noise of the club. It was Travis sitting at a table with some people Maddy didn’t recognise. He walked up to her. ‘Did you get a look at what was going on over there? I didn’t see it but something was going off.’
‘Yeah. Trav, I’m really sorry but we’ve gotta head off early.’ She kept moving towards the exit, mindful of the bouncers watching them. She didn’t want anything to kick off again.
‘What?’ Travis exclaimed. ‘You can’t go now. I’m on in half an hour. Can’t you hang around a bit longer?’
Maddy inclined her head towards the four or five dark suits who subtly escorted her and Alex out of the building.
‘Oh! Shit man. No worries.’ Travis looked warily at Alexandre who stared back at him intently. ‘See you later then, Mads. Take it easy.’
He sat back down with his mates and she left them to their speculation and gossip.
Her mind whirled. What the hell had just happened? Those men had knives. Were they on something or what? Poor Alex. He must think her world was a terrible place.
‘Are you okay?’ she asked, once they were outside.
‘I am fine,’ he replied.
‘Those men. They were mental. I think there was something wrong with them. That’s not normal behaviour,’ she gabbled, trying to make sense of what had happened.
‘I will find you a taxi and then I must leave you for a while,’ he said without emotion.
‘Alex, no! Please don’t go looking for them. Please. It’s so not worth it. They’re scum. Just let them go. The bouncers will sort them out anyway. They had knives. They’ll have been arrested or something. Please. Don’t leave me.’
Her last words did the trick and he softened slightly.
‘They were not good men,’ he said. ‘But they were weak.’
‘You were amazing. So calm. You just stood there and defended yourself. You didn’t even get angry.’
‘I was angry that those men spoke to you in such a manner and I was furious that they dared to lay their vile hands on you.’
‘Well, thank you for defending my honour, Sir,’ she said in her poshest voice.
‘You are most welcome, Mademoiselle.’
‘You do know we’ll be barred from that club for life?’
‘Good.’ He put his arm around her and they walked for a while until they came to a taxi rank.
She spent the night downstairs with him and fell asleep curled up against his cool hard body as he stroked her hair and brooded on the night’s events.
‘Did you get any?’ the shorter one asked his colleague.
‘Yeah, I got some.’ The taller one opened up his hand to reveal a couple of dark brown hairs he had pulled from Alexandre’s head.
Chapter Twenty Six
*
Over the next few days Alexandre and Madison stayed close to home, trying to put the ugly nightclub incident from their minds, content just to talk and be together. Madison gave Esther and Morris a couple of weeks off, so she and Alex could really relax and be themselves.
Maddy reversed her sleeping habits so she could spend as much time with him as possible and they fell into an easy routine. They kept the shutters to the house permanently closed during the day, and at night they ventured out under starry moonlit skies. They wandered among the deer, paddled in the river and mountain-biked across the fields and through the woods. Constantly kissing, always touching, unable to stay apart.
Madison taught Alexandre how to drive and he loved it, picking it up instantly, reading the manual and fiddling under the bonnet, trying to figure out how the engine worked. He also taught himself how to ride Ben’s little trail bike and Maddy laughed at the huge vampire tearing up chunks of lawn on the little vehicle. She promised to get him a full sized motorbike that would suit him a bit better. Alexandre told Madison to get some horses to go in the stables and he would teach her to ride.
‘I will turn you into an excellent horsewoman.’
‘That’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but I never got the chance. And when I got the money, I was too scared to actually do it. I mean, I haven’t got a clue about horses. I wouldn’t know where to start. But I’ve got this image of me on a horse, galloping for miles across fields and streams. Stupid, I know.’
‘Not stupid at all. We will turn that image into reality. It will be my pleasure and privilege to help you.’
They talked of all their dreams and passions, of their favourite things, their phobias; all the little things that made them who they were. They stepped out of reality and created a self-contained world, running on their own timetable with their own rules.
Ben went to school during the day, but Maddy made sure she was there for him in the mornings and when he got home. Sometimes Alexandre would join them and sometimes he would retire downstairs and leave them to it. It was as near perfect as it could be.
Alexandre had not needed to consider his relationship with Madison any further. She was his life and there was no turning away from her. All thoughts of honour, respect and propriety were silenced with kisses. But kissing was as far as they had taken things and they were happy with this for now. Just touching each other’s skin was enough, sending currents of desire pulsing through their bodies.
They were in awe of each other; every inch was fascinating and beautiful. From eyelash to shoulder, from cheekbone to hip, earlobe to pale thigh, it was all compelling and irresistible.
Esther had not been at the house for ten days now and Madison was brought back to earth with boring practical issues. She desperately needed to get some shopping.
‘We’ve got no milk for Ben’s cereal tomorrow,’ Maddy observed, peering into the empty fridge. ‘In fact we haven’t got a lot of anything. I might head into Tetbury and get some bits to keep us going till Esther gets back. Oh, I wish she didn’t have to come back. But even though I hate to say it, me and Ben really need the old bag.’
‘She is not as bad as you suggest, Madison. She is always very courteous towards me.’
‘Yeah well that’s ‘cos you’re a hot looking vampire.’
‘This is true.’
‘I actually think she hates me.’
‘Do not be ridiculous. Why should she hate you? You are her employer, but you do not treat her as such. She just goes her own merry way around the place. I should think she likes you very much.’
‘Well anyway, whether she loves me or hates me, she won’t be back for three more days, so I don’t have to think about her. Is there anything you want from the supermarket?’
‘Wait until sundown and I will come with you,’ he said, putting his arms around her and pulling her close with a lazy smile.
‘The one in Tetbury closes in half-an-hour,’ she replied, kissing the side of his jaw. ‘But if we go to the big Tesco, we can go for a drink after. Well, I can have a drink and you can just pretend.’
‘There is a quaint public house in the valley not too far from here,’ Alexandre replied, his thumb stroking the soft skin on her back, underneath her top. ‘The New Inn, I believe it is called. We can go there.’
‘It’s a date.’
They decided to go to the pub first. The New Inn lay nestled at the base of a steep-sided valley and Madison had to negotiate her way down The Devil’s Elbow, a particularly narrow country lane with blind-cornered hairpin bends and steep gradients.
Eventually they reached a picture-book Cotswold stone building with a swinging sign proclaiming it to be The New Inn,
and Maddy eventually found a space in the car park. The cosy bar was surprisingly busy considering the difficulty it took to reach this out-of-the-way spot. The sharp tang of warm beer hit her nostrils and Maddy instantly craved a packet of salt and vinegar crisps.
‘And can I have a lime and water too?’ she asked, sitting at a corner table that had just been vacated. Unsurprisingly, the barmaid served Alexandre within two seconds of spotting him at the bar. He headed back to Maddy with the drinks and crisps, putting them onto the table. A rotund woman walked up behind him, picked their drinks up and placed them back down with a loud bang onto a couple of coasters.
‘That’s what those are for!’ she said and went on her way, scowling at the customers who all laughed at her ill humour.
‘Don’t mind Polly,’ a middle-aged man said to Maddy and Alex, smiling at their surprised faces. ‘She’s the landlady and this is her on a good day.’
‘Shall we sit outside?’ Maddy asked Alexandre, who was taken aback by the woman’s rudeness. He nodded and they went out into the garden.
The hills stretched upwards on all sides, topped by fuzzy green woods and an indigo sky. In the long narrow garden, tables were dotted amongst trees and flowers. Lanterns and fairy lights hung prettily from branches and tantalizing garlicky smells emanated from the kitchen. A low buzz of chatter merged with the occasional swish of the wind through the leaves and an owl hooted in the distance.
Madison and Alexandre sat down, their fingers wet from their glasses, entwined across the faded table.
‘Isobel and Jacques will adore you,’ Alexandre said.
‘How d’you know? They might not like me at all. I might not be good enough for their big brother.’
‘Believe me, they will think you are wonderful. Isobel will be picking your brains about all the current fashions and Jacques will be awed by your modern beauty.’
Madison laughed. ‘Awed by my beauty? I like that.’
‘I wonder what to do about them. I miss them so much, but I am too scared to experiment with their lives. To expose them to daylight is a terrifying thought.’
‘I can’t imagine what you must be going through. If it was Ben, I’d be going insane.’
They would like this Inn. They are very sociable and always love to be where around people. But we would never have frequented this type of establishment in France, in my time.’