The Shape of Things to Come (Hypernaturals 15)

Not Worried

Carol and DeWayne could live pretty much anywhere, at any lifestyle level they chose. Carol is old enough to have tucked away several fortunes.

A police captain does not make a lot of money, but as Carol works as a 'security consultant', any living above their means is easy to explain away. In the human world, people do sometimes pay attention to things like that. Especially if they are worried about corrupt cops. DeWayne tells people that ask he is a 'kept man' because his wife makes so much more money than him.

He enjoys their discomfort. There are so many levels to that discomfort and he loves the mind-fuck. Especially since they do not know the half of it. How much older she is than him. Stronger. How males and humans are viewed inside her community. Not that Carol feels that way about any of it.

Sort of. Vampire Carol did go after human DeWayne like a guided missile. She beat out everyone, including Vera. That is saying something because Vera usually gets her man (When Angel says it's OK: How that marriage works.). Carol wanted him and she was going to have him. She did and she does.

Carol and DeWayne chose to be fairly modest in their choice of house. Not that it is cheap in this part of town. They paid far more for this house than I did the much larger Casa de Gato, but that is all location. This is in-town. Just north of UT, these houses go for a small fortune even though most are old and a few have been torn down and replaced with more eclectic works of modern architecture.

The Carol/DeWayne and little Sonja abode is an older structure. The classic Central Texas limestone exterior, and smallish: Probably about 350-370 square meters at a guess. It not as if I ran around their house measuring it. It is immaculately updated. Interior walls were removed to make it more open plan. A few bump-outs for an expanded master bathroom and such. A nice covered back porch with a hot tub.

The master bedroom has a queen-size bed in it, which is weirdly small after seeing our double king, but it's Carol, DeWayne, and Sonja here, and that's it. Little Sonja's room has a bunk bed in it: I guess for having friend's sleepover or something.

DeWayne and Carol entertain here as part of his Captaincy. The political part means they entertain. Being who they are, they do it 360 degrees: people that work for, with, and above DeWayne in the department are often invited over for 'beer and a game' types of events. The updating living room is visually open and brightly colored. The seating arranged to form a conversation pit around the coffee table, but open to the large screen TV on one side.

Morgan and I are their only guests right now, and we invited ourselves. Given who they are to us, in human terms that means family dropped by.

We finished dinner, but Sonja is still snacking on carrots. Cruising around the room, returning for carrots, cruising off. Back and forth. A baby trying to stay awake because there are guests in the house. I am very familiar with the way that looks.

"Going to be weird, being on this side of the reveal." DeWayne commented.

"Well, you are going to be more than on this side of it. You are going to talk about what you think about turning to Janie. Any fears you might have about it." Carol told him.

"I am not afraid of the turn. I am afraid of what comes after that. Like: What if people on the force start asking me questions. It's not just at work. We have them over all the time." Dewayne said.

"What questions? You are going to look that same. You forget my husband that your wife is on Crew. I'll have you looking exactly like you do now, more or less."

"I presume you mean hair color and gray shots, not that you are going to be adding latex appliances for laugh lines." Morgan said.

"No. None of that. That's fine for a short-term undercover, but not for the rest of a career as a cop. No. Over time I'll whiten up his hair. Throw in a few white eyebrow hairs for effect. DeWayne doesn't wear a mustache so that makes that part easier." Carol studied DeWayne's face as if it were an upcoming art project.