To say that my relationship with Rashid was off to a bit of a rocky start is definitely an understatement. Rashid is my own personal James Bond, only better. James Bond is a fictional character, for starters. Rashid – obviously! – is not. He works for a super-secret ancient society called the Talamasca, and they observe the supernatural. “Only watching, never interfering” is their motto.

After my boyfriend Remy was shot in front of my eyes when I was 16, I ended up as a homeless kid on the streets of my hometown, New Orleans. I earned a living by selling my body. I hated it, but I didn’t have a choice. Two years later I encountered my first vampire, Louis de Pointe du Lac. He offered me money in exchange for my blood. I accepted, and at first it seemed to make my life a whole damn lot worse than before, but then – for reasons I still don’t quite understand – Louis and his husband, Lestat, took me under their wings. Metaphorically speaking, they can’t transform into bats or anything. Not that I know of, anyway.

At one of Lestat’s concerts – he’s a vampire and a rock star – I saw Rashid for the first time. He’d been sent there to keep an eye on things. As they do. Somehow I ended up on the radar of the Talamasca, and they want me to work for them and spy on Louis and Lestat. The vampires are my friends now, so the answer is no, but recruiting me is Rashid’s assignment. So I did the most logical thing any sane person would do in my position and asked him out on a date.

We’ve been dating for a bit more than a month now. After some dancing back and forth, we had our first kiss today, and it ended with a visit to the ER for me. And a second, epic kiss in front of the hospital.

We’re rudely interrupted by the honking of our taxi driver, who probably lost his patience with us a while ago. We hurry to get into the car. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a figure standing near the entrance to the parking lot. It’s Chaz, aka Dr Pratt, the ER doctor who patched me up, having a smoke, giving me and Rashid a thumbs-up.

We make a quick stop at Rashid’s hotel so he can grab a few things. He’s spending the night at my apartment to keep an eye on me. Chaz said I probably don’t have a concussion, but as a safety measure, someone should stay with me. Rashid volunteered, but we’re under strict doctor’s orders: no physical activity. None. Kissing seems to be okay, but no sex. For at least 48 hours.

When we arrive back at my apartment, I’m exhausted. It’s well past midnight, and I got up at the break of dawn to prepare everything for my proposed BBQ/picnic date with Rashid. My place looks a mess since we left in such a hurry, also not helped by my timid little kitten Bruno, who apparently devoured some of the food items left on the counter. I sigh because I know this needs to be cleaned up before I can think of attempting to go to bed. I’m a chronic insomniac, so sleep doesn’t always come natural to me.

I start picking up dirty dishes and half-empty bottles but Rashid takes my wrists and gently pushes me in the direction of my bed.

“I’ll clean up. You rest.”

“But…!” I start to protest, but he’s having none of it.

“There’s a rule in my family: those who cook don’t clean up. You cooked; I clean up.”

I have a few more things to say in protest, but I’m actually too tired to argue. I head for the bathroom first, brush my teeth, take some Tylenol for my headache, then slip into my PJs. It’s actually the only pair I own, and I’ve never worn them before. But I have a guest, so I’m making an effort. Unfortunately, there are superheroes in chibi style all over them. Josie, my sister, gave them to me last Christmas as a joke. Well, they definitely don’t scream sexy, which is good in the current situation.

Rashid sees me coming out of the bathroom, and he’s definitely amused but makes no comment. I just growl at him and crawl under my duvet, which has magically re-appeared on my bed. I must have dozed off for a moment when I feel the mattress dip slightly next to me. I open my eyes to Rashid sitting on the edge of the bed. My apartment is dark; only a soft shiver of light comes from the windowfront that’s overlooking my terrace.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you.” He says, lightly touching my forearm.

“Come to bed,” I invite him, patting the space behind me.

“I really don’t mind sleeping on the floor…” he starts, but I give him a stern frown.

“Remember what Dr Pratt said. You need to monitor me closely in case of seizures. Now how would you do that if you slept down there?” I indicate the floor with one finger.

He chuckles softly, and I’m glad to see this personal side of him again. The one that allows me to see his emotions.

“Okay, for medical purposes then.”

He walks around the bed to get in from the other side, and I turn around to face him. It feels surreal to have him here with me, in my bed. I remember Mari’s comment about the real course of the night, and I have to suppress a giggle. This is not what she had in mind, but it comes damn close.

It’s too dark in my room, and there’s only a soft glow from the window behind Rashid. I can’t see his features clearly, but I know his face so well by now I could draw every line blindly. My fingers go in search of his under my duvet. I find them and let my hand just rest there with his. If I could have one superpower, I’d want to be able to freeze time, to stay forever in this moment. Just me and Rashid.

I lean in to kiss him. It’s no big passionate kiss, just tender and affectionate. He responds to it, carefully, keeping it light, following my lead.

“What was that for?” he asks when I pull back.

I shrug. “No reason.”

I’m saying thank you. For being here with me. For making my world just a little brighter by being in it.

I don’t say any of it out loud; instead, I ask, “Do I need a reason to kiss you?”

He raises an eyebrow, pondering my question for a moment, before he says, “Wanting to kiss me would be a good enough reason.”

I grin. “I do want to kiss you.” And I do it again. Maybe words aren’t necessary. This is enough. Just this. Just him.

I let my head rest on his chest. I can feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. I wish there weren’t layers of fabric between us, but it’s probably for the better, keeping temptation at bay. I can feel his fingers brush through my hair. It’s soothing, and I start to drift off.

“Are you tired? Shall we go to sleep?”

I nod and automatically shift away from him to give him more space. Immediately I feel a little colder and lonelier in my bed without his arms around me.

“Would it be weird if I asked you to hold me while I sleep?” I whisper after a moment.

“Absolutely not. For strictly medical reasons, of course?” Rashid asks, and even in the darkness I can see his mouth twitch.

“Of course.” I confirm with a serious face.

After some shifting and turning to find the perfect position, we both laugh. Too many long limbs make the logistics difficult.

“Do you want to turn around?” Rashid suggests.

I do, and he moulds his body against my back, gently tilting his hips so his crotch isn’t pressed against me. His arms tuck around my chest, anchoring me to him. He presses a kiss against the back of my head.

“Comfy?” He asks. I nod in response, and I fall asleep, wrapped in the warmth of him.

When I wake up, the sun is fully up. I can’t remember the last time I slept so long without interruption, without nightmares. Rashid feels me stir and places a kiss on my neck.

“Morning, sleepyhead.”

I turn around and snuggle up to his chest. I can feel it vibrate as laughter runs through it.

“Still sleepy, eh?”

“Mhmm…” I murmur. I’m actually not; I just don’t want to leave this bed and his embrace. “Can we just stay right here until the end of time?”

“I wish…” There’s an undertone in his voice and a sadness in his eyes that are too serious for my remark.

“Do you have to leave? Go back to your hotel?”

He hesitates, his hand smoothing my hair back.

“How’s your head?”

“My head is fine… why are you not answering my question?”

He sighs. “I have to go back to England. The motherhouse is calling me back.”

I stare at him. Being with Rashid these past few weeks has been such a dream; I conveniently forgot he came here for a job. To recruit me. I forgot that we live on borrowed time and that he’d have to return to his real life eventually. His life isn’t here; it’s on the other side of the world. His job, his family, his friends. I probably kept him here for too long already.

He sees the shock on my face and rubs my cheek with his thumb.

“I’ll come back. As soon as I can. I promise I’ll come back.” He leans his forehead against mine. “They just want a report from me. In person. They’re getting a little impatient, that’s all.”

“Impatient with me?” I’m guessing. “Are you in trouble?”

I see a wry smile spread across his face. “No, don’t worry.” He laughs. “I’m too valuable.”

“Do they want my answer? I should have told you sooner…”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve known your answer a very long time.”

“Really…?” And here I thought I’d been cleverly stringing him along.

“Remember the night at ‘Le Vingt-Trois’? When you went clubbing with Louis and Lestat? I could see the way they treated you. They really like you, you know. They are your friends and you are the most loyal person I’ve ever met.”

It is a little weird, if you think about it, the amount of time Rashid spent stalking me before we talked for the first time, only a few weeks ago.

“Were you there for me?” I frown.

“Not everything is about you, Dupree!” He grins. “No, I was actually in New Orleans on some witchy business; you guys just happened to cross my path.”

“So, it was total coincidence?”

“More or less,” he admits. “I can’t really say more. But I didn’t know you’d be there. That part was coincidence. I recognised you from the concert and got curious and lingered maybe a little too long. You were not supposed to see me.”

I turn back around again, presenting my backside to him, mumbling something about “annoying spies keeping secrets”. In truth, I just don’t want him to see how upset I am. Everything had seemed perfect, and now I’m hit with the reality that our lives happen on two different sides of a fucking ocean.

“Why don’t I make us some breakfast, and we’ll talk?” Rashid suggests. I shrug a little indifferently, and Rashid rubs my shoulder. A few moments later, I can hear him rummaging around my kitchen. I hide my face in my pillow. It feels like my time with Rashid hasn’t even started yet properly, and I can’t believe it’s coming to an end already. After all the doubts I initially had, I had just started to dare to hope. And now…?

I can feel his hand on my shoulder again.

“Wendell,” I hear Rashid’s voice as he squeezes my shoulder. “Come on. Look at me.”

I do, and I can see Rashid squatting down next to my bed.

“I’ll be back soon, I swear. This… us… is so new, and we don’t know yet where this is going, but I want to explore this. I want to give us a chance. Unless you don’t want this?”

“I do, of course I do! But there’s a fucking ocean between us!”

He actually laughs. “The fucking ocean was always there. And can be conquered with a mere 10-hour flight. And the planes go both ways. Maybe you can visit me in London?”

My eyes bulge. “Me? In London? I’ve never even been outside this city except for one lousy school trip to Baton Rouge. I don’t even own a passport!”

He laughs again and kisses my forehead. “Then it’s about damn time you got one, Dupree.”

He takes both my hands and pulls me up. “Come on, let’s eat. I’m starving!”

Rashid has arranged the leftovers from last night on the counter and added some items from my fridge. It’s a frikkin breakfast buffet. Bruno sits in a corner wolfing down a full bowl of kibbles. Rashid hands me a steaming mug of coffee. Gawd, he’s perfect! He just thought of everything while I was having a mini-meltdown. I put the mug away and slip my arms around his waist.

“Thank you. I wish you could stay and make my breakfast every day.”

“You’re welcome, Dupree. Maybe one day I will.”

He cups my face with both hands and captures my mouth with a kiss. Lukewarm coffee is awful, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.