Chapter 8 - Taking New Sides

At the stroke of nine in the morning, Amanda knew Noman was coming. It was visit hours after all.

When a knock on her main door sounded, she expected it was him and indeed she was right.

“How’s my witch?” Noman asked nonchalantly as he stepped inside the room.

Amanda gave him a smile and sat up. She had already told herself not to inform him about her bodyguard. After all, Jonathan was in the balcony, away from view, unless Noman would want fresh air and open the balcony door then that’s it.

“Hi, Dom, ” she cheerfully greeted. “I’m doing good. How’s your sleep?”

“Great darling. I feel better now, rejuvenated, ” he answered whilst putting a paperbag full of fruits and crackers on a table.

“And your papers?”

“Almost done.” He turned to meet Amanda’s gaze and then gave her a grin. “And how about your night last night? Did the Master climbed up in your bed?”

Amanda groaned and threw a pillow at him. “No, of course not!”

Noman chuckled, returning the pillow on her bed. “Just checking. You’re still injured after all.”

“We just talked and...may had had a little bit of argument, ” she confessed, directing her eyes down the floor.

“Ohhh, juicy, ” Noman’s ears immediately perked up. He neared her and perched on the edge of the hospital bed. “About what? Tell me the details.”

“He doesn’t want me to leave Bath. Basically, he wants me to stay indefinitely inside the mansion after my hospital discharge.”

Amanda’s telling earned a scowl from her best friend.

“But you need to return to New Zealand!” he complained.

“I know, ” Amanda sighed. “That’s exactly what I told him.”

“And?”

She tossed him a forlorn look.

“You could move a heavy boulder with a fork but not him.”

Noman twisted his lips and rolled his eyes heavenward.

“Gosh, Caitlin, his possessiveness is both a turn-on and a problem.”

Amanda jabbed his shoulder in response.

“I’ll try asking him again later, and well, among other things...” she trailed off, thinking of a certain vampire outside her room.

This caught Noman’s attention even more. “What? What other things?”

Her eyes betrayed her and unconsciously stared at the balcony door. Good thing her best friend was still oblivious of the bodyguard’s presence.

“Oh, nothing of import, ” she replied quickly. “Just the usual stuff when I move in with him.”

“Speaking of which, oh God, I couldn’t believe you’re actually living with him for good! How are you going to break the news to your step-dad?”

Amanda returned to lay on her bed and placed a hand on top her forehead.

“I’m not sure how, but I know he’ll agree. He supports me in everything I do. I’ll just have to leave out Cord being a...you know and me being a witch.”

“Sounds reasonable to me, ” Noman replied, moving close to the glass window just to check out if the weather had deteriorated. When he left the apartment, the sun was still strong in the sky, but when he stepped out of the cab after arriving in the hospital, the weather had turned rather cloudy.

“This place is just stuffy. Cord should really allow you to stay in my apartment for the meantime. I can’t imagine you staying another day here!” he complained again, still looking beyond the glass window. Suddenly, a movement from the outside caught his attention. He frowned and decided to investigate.

“My thoughts exactly, Dom, ” Amanda replied whilst looking at the ceiling, her attention all swimming on her little argument with Cord earlier. By the time she noticed what Noman was about to do, it was already too late.

“No, wait!” she cried out just as he opened the balcony door.

“Oh my...” was Noman’s first words, his eyes looking up and down on the vampire before him. “Hallelujah...”

He stepped back once and then looked at Amanda with his eyes suddenly housing mischief.

Amanda could almost see the cogs in his head turning.

“Do you know there’s a man-boy in your balcony, Cait?”

“Errr...yes.” Amanda nodded hesitantly.

“And why is he here or well...there?” He pointed his finger towards the half open balcony door.

Jonathan’s face suddenly popped out and Amanda almost face-palmed herself.

“He is my bodyguard. He is here to ensure my safety as per Cord’s order.”

Noman held back a wicked grin. “Wow, both romantic and frightening, ” he remarked and then, opened the portal wider. “So, when are you...going to introduce him to me?”

Clearly, his best friend was enjoying her discomfort.

“I wasn’t planning to...” Amanda trailed off, but as soon as she saw Noman’s eyes turning to slits, she immediately backpedalled. “Well, I can introduce you two now.”

“That’s sweet.” Noman nodded generously. He turned to look back at Jonathan who remained silent and unmoving and then, bobbed his head.

“What are you standing there for? Come inside you.”

“May I enter Ms. O’Malley?” Jonathan asked, genuinely seeking her permission.

Amanda didn’t want to, but hell, she’d rather eat up her words than to face her best friend’s wrath. Clearly, Noman liked this new sideshow if his sticky eyes were any indication.

“Yes, you may, ” she answered.

“Jonathan, this is my best friend, Noman Ashgar. He is a professor at a prestigious university in New Zealand and is an avid fan of the Avengers.”

“Bucky Barnes to be exact, ” Noman cut in. “Say, you actually look like him, but ten years younger.”

Amanda inwardly laughed at Noman’s cheesy pickup line.

“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment Mister Ashgar, ” Jonathan, clueless, replied.

Noman stepped closer and reached for the vampire’s right shoulder as if dusting dirt there but in truth he couldn’t keep his hands from touching him.

“Please, call me Dom, ” Noman said, using his seductive voice.

“My bodyguard’s name is Jonathan Abram, Dom. And I think it’s only right to tell you, he is a vampire.”

“Sweet macaroni, ” his eyes bulged but only for about two seconds, and then he grinned. “I mean, it is sweet to meet you, Jonathan.”

“Likewise Mister Dom, ” Jonathan replied with a smile.

Noman almost fainted hearing his name. Though he didn’t like the ‘Mister’ before it, it will make do.

Amanda on the other hand both enjoyed and cringed at her best friend’s obvious fascination with the vampire. She’d thought that after what happened to him in the party at the Vitalis Castle he’d learn to avoid vampires, but with what was happening now, she thought otherwise.

“Well then, introductions had been made, ” she announced, standing up from her bed. “Why not you go back to your station, Jonathan?”

“Yes, Ms. O’Malley, ” the one addressed dutifully nodded.

“Wait, what?” Noman voiced out, quickly halting the man with a palm up. “Caitlin, you want to roast this poor creature there and under the sun no less?!”

“He is immune to the sun, Dom. He’ll be fine, ” Amanda crossed her arms to her chest, making sure her intraveous line wouldn’t kink.

“Nope, that just won’t do!” Noman shook his head. He turned his attention to Jonathan and snaked an arm around his elbow.

“Here, come inside. You shouldn’t listen to witches. They’re all vengeful.”

Amanda rolled her eyes heavenward and kept herself from laughing. She was supposed to be angry with him for messing up her decisions, but she just couldn’t. Truly, this was her best friend in action. Once he laid eyes on a target, he’d never stop until he charms him.

“Sure. Just go on ahead and act as if I’m not here, Dom, ” Amanda flipped her hand midair when she saw him guiding the poor helpless vampire onto the leather seat.

“Pshhh, Caitlin. You should be more kind to your bodyguard, ” he chastised. “He’ll be taking care of you until your discharge. And I’ll be happy to accompany both of you too.”

“I thought you want me to stay in your apartment?” she quipped, one brow up.

Noman acted clueless. “Did I say that? Hmmm...I don’t remember.”

“Oh God, ” Amanda shook her head and took in a deep breath.