Kiss Me Undead

Chapter Seventeen || The Meeting

Chapter Seventeen

The Meeting

"Thank you, Mrs. Stackhouse." Bill said. "If you'll pardon me for a moment..." The vampire stepped down from the pulpit and walked over to a flag-covered cross. He removed the flag, which caused the crowd to gasp. Bill grabbed the flag pole and put the flag back on the pole. "As a patriot of this great nation, I wouldn't dream of putin' myself before Old Glory." He said as he placed the flagpole on a pedestal stand that was beside the altar.

A slight smile formed on Reine's lips as she watched the vampire. She was happy he was showing the crowd that a cross wouldn't harm him. She was sure it relieved a lot of the members.

"As you can see, I did not burst into flames." Bill told the crowd. The group of people began to laugh at the comment. "We vampires are not minions of the Devil. We can stand before a cross, or a Bible, or in a church, just as readily as any other creature of God."

"Wha...how was I supposed to know?" Mrs. Fortenberry hissed at her son. Reine bit down on her lip and tried not to laugh. She hoped that the woman's worries were gone now. Rae knew the more she got to know about Bill, the less nervous she felt about him. He had shown restraint while being around her. Which made her slowly trust him.

"I am honored to stand before you tonight. Vampires have traditionally been very private, perhaps to our detriment. But I believe, if we reach out to one another, that we can coexist..." Bill's eyes landed on Sookie for just a moment before his gaze locked on Reine. "...and even thrive together."

Pausing, the man cleared his throat as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He was nervous about speaking in front of these people. If he were honest, he wasn't sure how they would act towards him. "I served in the 28th Louisiana infantry," Bill continued. "Formed in Monroe in 1862, under Colonel Henry Gray. It was there that we learned the value of human life, and the ease with which it can be extinguished..."

***

Once the meeting was finished, the members stayed behind to enjoy the food and conversation. Reine stood in the aisle talking to Riven. "This is ambrosia." She informed the young man as she picked out a maraschino cherry and plopped it into her mouth. If she were truthful, it wasn't her favorite dish. But being from the south, it was a staple of every good gathering.

"That's not ambrosia." Riven replied as he looked over the food. It didn't look very appetizing. "Ambrosia is a golden..." Before he could continue, he noticed a large woman that smelt of too much floral perfume make her way over to him and Reine. "Reine, would you be a dear and take a picture of Bill and I?"

"Of course, Mrs. Fortenberry." Rae said as she took the camera. Mrs. Fortenberry and Hoyt positioned themselves around Bill. Bill wrapped his arm around Mrs. Fortenberry's shoulders and Hoyt stood behind Bill, giving the camera a thumbs-up. Reine snapped a picture and returned the camera to the woman. "Here you go." Rae handed over the camera with a sweet smile on her lips.

"Thanks so much, Reine." Mrs. Fortenberry said just before she and her son left the vampire to talk to the other members.

"You did a really good job tonight." Reine told Bill. "Were you nervous?"

"Just a little." Bill admitted as his eyes traveled from Reine to the young man that stood next to her. His scent differed slightly from Reine's, but just as mouthwatering. The vampire's fangs extended, and he quickly shut his mouth to hide them.

Reine placed a hand on Bill's upper arm. "Bill, it's okay." The girl tried to reassure her friend. She was sure after the meeting he needed to take a breath. The poor man received an old photo of his family. Which made him tear up earlier. If she were in his place going over all the memories would be hard. She wasn't sure if she would be able to do it. "I'd like to introduce you to someone. This is Riven. He just came into town. Riven, this is my friend Bill Compton."

"Nice to meet you." Bill held out his hand for the man to shake.

Riven took hold of the vampire's icy hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you as well."

"Are you two havin' a good night?" Bill asked the couple.

"Yeah, so far it's been a nice night." Reine answered.

"Well, let's hope that continues." Riven added with a smile. "It has been an interesting first date." The man admitted. "I would have never imagined taking you to a meeting for a date."

"Have you two known each other long?" Bill questioned the couple.

"We just met this afternoon at my party." Rae confessed. Normally she wouldn't go out with men she just met. She liked to get to know them first. However, there was something about Riven that drew her in. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something unique about him.

"Your party?" Bill inquired.

"It's my birthday today." Reine divulged.

"Well, happy birthday." Bill smiled. He could remember his eighteenth birthday. His father and mother made it into this big gathering. Attempting to find him a wife.

"Thank you." Reine replied as her grandmother made her way over to them. She hadn't noticed, but everyone had left for the evening, leaving Bill, her grandmother, Riven, and her behind.

"Well, are you two ready to go? I'm beat." Adele admitted.

Reine nodded, "Alright." She told her grandmother. "I'll see you later, Bill." She said as the three of them left the church and got into the car.

When they arrived at her house, her Gran was ready to jump out of the car. A smile crept to her lips as her Gran hurried and got out of the car before Reine could even turn it off. "It was nice to meet you, Riven. I hope you have a good night." Adele told the young man. "I'm gonna head inside."

"Alright, I'll be in, in a minute." Reine told her grandma as she turned off the car and got out. Rae was quiet for a moment as she watched her Gran head inside the house. "Thank you for asking me out tonight. I'm sorry this wasn't your normal date." The girl apologized.

"That's alright. It'll be one that I remember." Riven laughed. "I hope you had a good night. I'll let you get inside. Happy Birthday Reine." Riven said as he made his way over to his car.

"Good night, Riven." Reine said as he got into the car and drove away. Once he was gone, Reine headed inside to see what her grandma was doing.