Not a date? Ha! Antoine would prove Iris wrong. He needed to make this night epic while keeping an eye on her too. Blood-thirsty baby vampire's mama. Probably more keeping an eye out than date. Especially if that's how Iris feels. He couldn't really be upset. She was right. She didn't know him. It didn't mean that he didn't. Being the vampire king had perks—Antoine could dispatch other vampires to help research people. Basically, he already had a file on Iris. Tony had started the file first but Antoine made sure it got updated. Antoine knew Iris in both definitions of the word. She just knew very little of him. It was an unfair starting place. Maybe he should compel her to remember what happened that night to ease his soul. Suddenly, Iris's sweet voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Where are we going, Antoine? What's your plan?"
"I bet you are hungry. Let's start with some food."
"Sure. I could eat a stack of ribs dry and down a DP soda."
"I know someone who makes the best barbecue in Dallas. Let me call my driver."
They shortly after left in his shiny black car sitting awkwardly together in the backseat.
"So, Iris. You know very little about me. Go ahead and ask any questions you want."
"Okay. What's your full name?"
"Antoine Elias Gastropf. And yours?"
"Iris Day Morgan. Next question, hmmmm..." It was hard to switch from someone you just had a one-night stand with to your CEO and boss. Even harder when you were having his baby and knew nothing about him. Iris thought hard about the important questions.
"Will you do a paternity test please?"
"Already in process. I remember you from that night. One of my friends noticed you one day and realized that you were pregnant. I already submitted my sample to your doctor. Just waiting on results."
Well if that wasn't creepy it just made Iris more uncomfortable. How is it that his friends noticed that she was pregnant. She wasn't showing too much at about 7 weeks. At least she would be able to confirm soon that he really was her baby's daddy. Now what to ask.
Before she knew it, the driver had pulled into a fancy driveway. They were in the fancy rich area of Dallas. This was a mansion they had just pulled up to. The driver opened the door and Iris jumped out. She couldn't help but gawk at the sheer size. This could fit about twenty of her small apartment in here. Hell, maybe 50. The outside was made of light gray stone bricks. Door was double with two beautiful mahogany doors with stained glass windows on them and around the outside of the house. The garden to the left of the rounded driveway had all the best Texas wildflowers. Blues, pinks, whites, and purples covered the deep green grass. Iris had only dreamed of places like this. Suddenly she stopped her zoning out and asked Antoine a question.
"I thought you were taking me for barbecue not to your house. I am not going for another sex night."
Antoine couldn't help but laugh at Iris's phrase "sex night." He breathed and replied.
"Of course we are not going to do it. I promised to give you a chance to get to know me. I am a chef. I meant myself for barbecue. I am going to fix you dinner at my place."
"Oh." Iris blushed and her cheeks turned tomato red. "Sorry. I misjudged you."
"No problem. Let's head on in so I can start cooking."
Iris followed Antoine through the doors and into a giant entryway. She followed his instructions to leave her shoes at the door. He lead her to the right around the hallway and to the kitchen. He pulled out a chair and let her sit at the dining table. Antoine then proceeded to open his fridge and pull out meats, vegetables, and ingredients for a barbecue sauce. He planned to add some O Negative blood to the sauce. He knew that baby would be starving and Iris's human diet would not be enough. However, he wasn't ready to tell her about vampires. After all, today was the "not a date." He needed her to trust him. Antoine decided that the best choice would be to have Iris leave while he cooked. Then he could easily slip the blood into the barbecue sauce.
"Iris. It's going to be boring for a little while as I prepare our food. We will have plenty of time to talk after the food is ready to eat. I noticed you liked the look of my place. Can I interest you in a tour of my abode? I will have my house manager, Martha, escort you."
House manager?! Geez. He was rich. Iris was now perfectly curious to the rest of the house. She loved architecture and interior design as a hobby. She was definitely going to accept his offer.
"That sounds great. Just let me know when the food is ready." With that reply, Iris followed Martha to view the rest of the mansion.