Cove noticed that Marigold was working more than usual, despite his many attempts to spend time with her. When they did run into each other, their interactions were brief and unusually shallow. Marigold had always been terrible at hiding things and he had learned over the years to read her just as efficiently as the men's magazines that he loved so much. Not to mention, the entire house reeked of vampire, so he was just waiting for the opportunity to confront her about the web of lies that she had been spinning for these past few weeks.
"So are we ever going to get sushi, or are you going to continue to bail on me?" He couldn't hide the snarky tone underlining his question. He watched her eyes shift from his to every object in the kitchen, while she stumbled over a poor excuse as to why she wouldn't be able to go out with him tomorrow. The words were on the tip of his tongue. but he would have to push his personal feelings aside.
Marigold was spared the first time, but even after everything that had happened, she was defying the generous warning that he gave to her. So, instead, he finished packing his lunch and headed out the door to work, but not before looking back at his friend. Tonight would be the last night that she would call him a friend, and for that, he tried his best to only remember the best times they shared together. He slowly closed the front door, hoping that one day, she would be able to open the door for him again.
After Cove left, Callisto appeared at her back door, another rouse so that her nosy neighbors wouldn't see another man slinking around after Cove left for work. They spent the night talking and laughing on her back porch, watching the night sky until she feel asleep against his shoulder.
Marigold awoke to her alarm instead of Cove, and wondered if he had decided to pick up overtime. On her way out, she noticed that his lunchbox and badge were on the kitchen table. She wanted to check on him, but something convinced her to send a text on her way out instead.
"So you and Cal are getting kinda serious I see," Zora said in passing, as she was locking the door for the evening.
Marigold nearly dropped a container of herbs at the statement.
"Marigold, I'm a teenager who doesn't take work seriously and watches way too many rom-com movies; of course, I noticed."
Marigold slowly turned to see Zora sitting in a chair next to the front door, petting Judas, patiently waiting for her to confirm. A forced smile spanned across her face while she felt her heartbeat quicken. She went to open her mouth, but to her surprise an inaudible squeak came from her lips.
Deep breath, Goldie
. Her chest rose and she closed her eyes before giving a subtle nod toward Zora.
"I knew it! Tell me everything--you can't keep this to just you two!" She zoomed across the shop and held Marigold's shoulders in her hands.
"Well, actually, Zora..." Marigold could see the excitement deflate from her as she threw her head back to release a dramatic sigh.
"Oh, so you both are a secret. We've all seen this part of the movie, Goldie. It doesn't end well." The concern was apparent in her voice, as she lightly shook Marigold's shoulders.
"It's a secret because I need it to be right now." Saying that out loud made her stomach drop.
"Ohhh, I see." Zora's face said it all. Her facial expressions entered the conversation before her words ever did.
The judgment was loud and it was knocking at her insecurities door.
The moment was broken by Marigold receiving a text from him saying, "I'm waiting outside when you're ready." They were going to his house tonight for a change of pace, and she had been nervous all day.
Zora left as Marigold picked up Judas to place him in her bag to lock up.
She walked out to his black SUV parked a block down and got in. Every time she saw his car, she found herself walking a little quicker to see him sooner. There he was, sitting there looking as beautiful as always, dressed in all black, a sweet smile meeting her as she got into the passenger seat. Classical music was playing lightly in the background, as she waited for him to buckle her seat belt and for Judas to climb into his car seat in the back.
"Do you listen to anything besides classical music?" she asked, with notes of exhaustion in her voice.
"I'm over a hundred years old, Marigold. Classical never changes and I appreciate that." He leaned over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.
Tonight would be the first time that Marigold would be visiting his home, and to say he was nervous, would be an understatement. Callisto was a wealthy man, he came from old money, but being in organized crime for all those years afforded him access and luxuries that he knew many wouldn't see in his lifetime. Marigold included. She lived a humble life and truly enjoyed every Earthly moment, regardless of capitalistic gain or loss.
His previous girlfriends would never dream of living a life such as hers, which is where he always felt disconnected from them. How many Michelin star restaurants could he take a beautiful model to, hoping to have a conversation deeper than celebrity gossip and where you two would be vacationing the following month? One woman after another, they grew bored of each other and then the relationship became nothing but social currency and sex for them.
Tonight would be the first night that Marigold would see the stark comparison of their wealth difference and he couldn't deny the nagging part of him that was hoping it wouldn't change the richness of their relationship.
The drive to his house was filled with conversation, laughter, and Marigold singing along to the radio station that she made him listen to whenever they were together in the car.
"We're almost there," Marigold looked out the window and saw lines of large trees and a man-made lake, with stately houses wrapped around it. Her eyes grew wider and wider as they came to a gate. She knew that Callisto was wealthy, but only because Zora would make comments about his car, that she found out was a Maserati, and the belt he would often wear, where she discovered the H stood for Hermes. It didn't make any difference to her because he never made her feel less than for buying everything second hand and choosing to do things herself rather than buying it.
"You live in this neighborhood?" she crudely blurted out, as her brown eyes grew wide before he entered a code for the gate to open. The houses were three times the size of hers with perfectly manicured lawns.
"It came highly recommended to me."
He parked in a driveway and before them, the lights of the first floor illuminated the vastness of his house. She sat there taken aback and overwhelmed by the realization setting in for her. Why was he choosing to spend his time with her when he could have any woman he could want, who could measure up to his lifestyle.
They both got out of the car, with Judas trotting closely behind Marigold. Callisto grabbed her hand gently to guide her inside the house. Marigold's eyes were soaking up the beautifully crafted interior as she stood frozen. Between all of the beautiful paintings decorating the walls, and the white stone staircase that wrapped around itself to the second floor, it was hard to focus on just one thing to marvel at.
"Cara Mia, would you care for something to eat or drink?" she heard a distant voice ask from another room. She walked towards his voice, and entered the large kitchen that looked like a traditional Italian kitchen that had been imported into his house.
"I would like some water," she replied, sitting at one of his bar stools.
