Krimson Mind: The Krimson Cycle Vol. 1

Chapter Fourteen - Krimson

James took me to a little 'mom and pop' diner called "El Leon's". The owners, Pete and Maggie, had decorated it as a shrine to their very large extended family and to Pete's career as a semi-professional fighter.

On the South wall of the place was a life-sized mural of Jesus Christ. Surrounding His head and outstretched hands, were hundreds of wallet sized photos of children, teens and adults, clearly all of which were Hispanic. And if you were crazy enough to ask her, Maggie would put a name to every single photo and tell you a short, but cute story about each and every one of them. James had warned me before we even entered the diner, not to ask about the photos.

"What photos?" I asked with an amused grin.

"You'll see them. Just don't ask Maggie about them." He warned me again.

To the right of the mural of Jesus, hung a large, framed photo of a very young Pete in full boxing gear. The photo was old, and it was taken on black and white film. But that didn't take away the hungry look that Pete had in his eyes and in his body language when the photo was taken. Surrounding the picture frame, were old newspaper clippings, that told the reader of Pete's wins and his losses over fifteen years of life inside the ring.

The diner had a lunch counter, on which, Maggie had an extensive collection of pig statues. Some of the pigs were dressed in costumes, while some were not. Maggie informed me personally, that she had been collecting swine statuary for longer than she had been married to Pete. Which, she told me, was going to be thirty-six years next February.

The whole diner made me feel as though I had been invited into their dining room at their house, instead of a business. And I quickly discovered that I was enjoying every second of it. James was not having such a good time, however. This was because Maggie was giving him a hard time.

Because we were the only customers in the tiny diner, Maggie hovered near us. She was a great conversationalist, and I found myself glad to be able to enjoy a normal conversation just before dinner. It was odd for me to find myself enjoying so many things that I've taken for granted over the centuries. I realized that I didn't want to give this little bit of normalcy up.

"I'm so glad that you have finally found a girl who will put up you, Niño!" Maggie exclaimed in a grandmotherly fashion.

"Come on, Maggie! I'm not that bad!" He looked to me for support. "Am I Rose?" He asked me using the name that we both agreed to use in public.

"I don't know. You have your moments." I laughed.

"You just take care of her." Maggie ordered him. "You take of her like my Pete does for me. If you do, she'll stay with you forever." Maggie said with her thick Hispanic accent.

"She's right, you know." I said giving James a very serious look.

James burst out laughing with full on, red-faced embarrassment.

"That's my Niña!" Maggie laughed. "Now, what are you both having?" Maggie asked as she was absolutely beaming with pride.

We placed our orders as we both tried to stop laughing. James was having a tostada. I ordered a chicken chimichanga that was smothered in green chili. It probably wasn't the best thing to order on a date, but I was curious about just how good Pete's cooking was. James had bragged about Pete's mastery the entire drive to the diner. I was glad that as a vampire I could eat regular food and not have some horrible reaction to it. Vampire's, as a rule could eat stuff, we just didn't get any nutritional benefit from it. It was simply another way for us to blend in so that we could survive.