The Demon Bride

Chapter Five - Greyson

Greyson was thrilled to hear Ava's voice; being away from her for two weeks felt like years to him. He was desperate to see her, even though he knew he would be at her house shortly. His job requires me to travel to different locations, something he can't truly help. His hands won't stop shaking. He has a secret. One that he's unsure if he can keep from her since they tell each other everything. Honestly, he made a huge mistake during that trip. He wishes it never happened. It wasn't his fault; he was threatened. But would she even believe me?

He needed to make this up to her and find the best way to explain the situation. He heard rumors about it during his childhood years. T-T-T-That bastard, what an evil man, he stammered. He pulled over to the right side when he spotted a thin, tall guy. He was selling black ripped jeans and a white ripped shirt. He seemed like a guy trying to make an honest living, but a bit shady. He drove up to his wooden stall and placed his order.

"Goodnight, Sir. What's the cost of the bouquets?" asked Greyson.

"Which ones are you interested in?" answered the tall tin guy.

There were many beautiful selections: orchids, lilies, iris, mixed roses, red roses, transvaal daisies, and sunflowers. He purchased the bouquet of sunflowers; it was Ava's favorite, and she would be thrilled to have them.

"The Sunflowers," Greyson added.

"That would be fifty bucks, please," he responded.

Greyson handed him a fifty-dollar note from his wallet, arranged the bouquet on the passenger seat, and resumed driving. He truly hopes she likes the sunflowers, but he can't allow her to be in that state, or she will know something is up. Their families have a terrible past, one that Ava knows nothing about, but that's a story for another time. He was a few minutes away from her house and panicking; his hands were shaking so badly that he swore he would crash.

He parked his black BMW 320i in front of her house, stepped out, and leaned against the passenger's door. He then took his cell from his right jacket pocket, inserted her contact, dialed it, and held it up to his right ear.

"Ei querido, estou lá fora," he said to her in Portuguese.

"Hmmm, speaking my language, Tudo bem, querido! Eu já vou sair," she responded in English and then Portuguese.

Ava was outside in two minutes; she looked beautiful, an American and Portuguese woman. Her parents met during vacation; her mom was American, and one of her mom's cousins committed suicide, and it took a toll on the family. The case was unsolved; it's still a mystery to this day. He gifted Ava the bouquet of sunflowers and gently planted a kiss on her cheeks; then he opened the door for her.

"Oh, why thank you? You're being rather nice tonight; is it because you missed me or because you did something?" She breathed while squinting her eyes.

"N-N-No, I just missed you a lot," he stammered.

Shit, she knows something is up. I can't lie. "So, where are we heading?" He asked calmly while still panicking.

"Maddy said The Crimson's bar and restaurant," Ava answered.

"Oh, that's the new restaurant, and the bar is not too long open," he added.

"Yes, I hope we reach there on time," she added.

"We will, don't you worry," he reassured her.

They finally arrived; he drove up to the valet, handed him the key, and opened the door for Ava. A standard sight with its name displayed in three-dimensional, toughened glass doors with "Welcome, pushed to enter" displayed in white, we soon approached the security.

"Goodnight, sir, we have reservations," Ava breathed as she showed a tall African man wearing a black suit on the paper.

"Alright, ma'am, please this way," the man responded to her, opening the door.

"Go to the counter where the woman with ginger hair is standing, and she will show you to your seats," he continued.

They entered and did as we were told; we visited the ginger-haired woman in the skirt suit. Ava again explained that she had reservations, and the woman was quite polite. The woman escorted us to our seats and told us the waitress would be with us shortly.