47. The Coldest Star

Orion visited the café during its midday rush, his entrance causing his admirers to swoon. Smirking, he removed his sunglasses - allowing them all to admire his perfect face.  Zahira was sat on the till this time. She served a customer while watching Orion as subtly as she could. He ordered a coffee cake slice, like usual, and then headed her way to pay. Zahira took a deep breath and clasped her hands together. She was prepared for this encounter.

She said the price to him in a clear voice – and was a little overly proud of herself for this simple feat.

"Are you free this evening?" He asked her. Zahira froze, like a deer caught in headlights.

She was no longer prepared for this encounter.

Slowly, she nodded her head. "Give me your number." He confidently directed.  "I'll text you a time and place to meet me."

Zahira blinked.

"Why?"

Why did he want to meet her? Was she in trouble?

Orion sighed, seeing that she wasn't making a move to give him her details and that a queue was building up behind him.

"If I give you my number, will you call me?" He handed her his business card. Zahira accepted it, feeling lost. "You have to call me." He held her gaze, his expression stern. "Or I'll be annoyed."

"Ok..."

Orion moved on to find a table. And Zahira's heart was left refusing to calm down. Why did he want to see her tonight? Did he want her to help with something? She grimaced, hoping it wasn't related in anyway to blood pouring out of the sky...

Zahira felt sick with nervousness for the rest of her shift. Crippled with anxiety, she didn't look over to where Orion was sat at all – even though he stayed for over an hour.

Her shift ended and Zahira stood at the traffic lights, waiting for them to turn green. She had her phone in her hand and was staring at the screen.

She hated making phone calls. They were much, much harder than talking face to face. This call was stressing her out.

In that moment, she was very close to hating Orion. What had she done wrong to deserve being mentally tortured in this way?

He picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?" It was unmistakeably Orion's voice and he sounded bored.

"Hi, err... you told me to call you..?" Zahira was sweating. She should have sent a text. But then she'd have agonised over what to type...

"Meet me on Castle Hill." He gave her the name of a specific bar and a time to meet him.

"Ok..." Then he hung up.

Zahira bit her lip. Should she change her clothes? She didn't know what to wear. She still didn't understand why they meeting. This couldn't be a date. And he couldn't want to be friends. Neither of those things made any sense. Was he going to critique the way she cleared tables? That seemed more likely - but also strange.

The bar Orion had chosen was one of the poshest on Castle Hill. Zahira entered the place and immediately felt like she didn't belong. She'd also dressed entirely wrong. She hadn't wanted Orion to think that she thought this was a date. So, she'd dressed as un-date like as she could. Which involved a very baggy Disney t-shirt. This place wasn't baggy t-shirt style, let alone one with Cruella De Vil's face across your chest.

Zahira had entered new depths of embarrassment. It wasn't helped by Orion's opening comment.

"Your outfit is terrible."

Zahira winced.

"Sorry."

Frowning still, he handed her the drinks menu. Zahira could have cried, she felt so out of her depth.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Zahira Sandhu."

"I'm Orion, son of Poseidon."

"Yes, I know." He was on the news, a lot. Also, on every newspaper and magazine. He was like the city's version of batman. Their very own mysterious superhero determined to rid the world of monsters. Or gangsters, as was the case in their city.

They got their drinks and Zahira felt like people were looking at them. She shrank in her seat. They were probably thinking how out of place she looked. Orion looked stunning. He was wearing a casual suit, with his hair styled back away from his face. When he moved close, Zahira got a whiff of his cologne and her stomach erupted with butterflies.

"You know the Mad Dog." He observed. Zahira hung her head. Was this what he wanted to talk about? She knew that Orion had made a promise on the city's Town Hall steps, swearing to wipe out the gangs. The city's 'monsters' as he'd called them. She didn't know if that was possible.

"Not well..."

"He's your landlord, isn't he?"

She nodded.

"How did you know that?" She asked nervously.

Orion didn't answer her question.

"He lowered the rent for you this year, why?"

Zahira couldn't look Orion in the eye.

Whatever she did, she couldn't give him information on the Mad Dog. She knew what happened to people who betrayed the gang.

"That's... he was being kind. I couldn't pay it." She wrung her hands nervously.

The truth was, that one month she hadn't been able to pay. The Mad Dog had visited and she'd expected to be kicked out. Instead, he'd offered to lower her rent in exchange for her occasionally lending her place to the gang. Zahira hid whatever they asked her to hide, for how ever long they needed.

And tried not to think about it.

Her hands were damp with sweat. If Orion had figured this out, was she about to be arrested?

"That's nice of him." Orion observed, mildly. Zahira glanced up at the Star Immortal. He was gazing at her intently, with his chin resting on his hand.

"You already knew my name. Why did you ask it?"

"No, I didn't."

"But if you knew who my landlord is-"

"Thank you, for coming out with me tonight." He interrupted her. "I'd have been lonely without your company." He raised his glass to clink against hers and Zahira awkwardly complied. She took a large gulp of her drink.

Perhaps alcohol would make her feel less nervous.

"How long have you worked at the café?" Orion asked her.

"Not long." She took another gulp, happy to have something to do with her hands.

"What were you doing before?"

"School."

"School? You're younger than you look."

"Err..." Zahira wasn't sure how to reply to that.

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"Good."

"Good?" Zahira frowned, puzzled.

Orion looked at her like it was obvious.

"This is a date, Zahira. It's good that you're at least eighteen."

"Huh?!" Zahira's eyes widened in alarm. This was a date?!

She finished her drink, too agitated to drink slowly. Orion was quick to refill her glass.

Zahira was still processing this information. How was she on a date with this man? He was so out of her league it was insane! That he was even talking to her was a miracle. She glanced down at her t-shirt and her cheeks burnt with shame.

"Have you never been on a date before?"

"I...I have." She lied, not wanting to sound like a kid.

"Liar." But he was smiling. "You're very pretty with your hair down like that, you know." He complimented. Zahira gulped her drink. She was starting to feel the alcohol hit her. Perhaps she should have eaten something before she'd come out, but she'd been too nervous to eat. She was starting to feel light-headed.

By the time they left the bar, she was struggling to walk straight.

"I'll take you home." Orion offered, guiding her into the backseat of a cab with him. Zahira giggled at nothing in particular. She was having a great night.

"It's handy that you know where I live." She slurred, as the taxi brought them to her road. She hadn't had to give any directions at all.

When they reached her flat, Orion got out of the taxi too. "Why are you getting out?" She asked, blinking in confusion. He reached her side and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"You're drunk, Zahira." He explained in a soft voice. "I have to help you inside."

Zahira considered this and shrugged. She supposed it made sense.

The taxi driver left and Zahira and Orion entered the apartment block.

"I'm on the ground floor." She rooted around in her handbag for her keys and accidentally dropped a packet of mints. Orion deftly caught them.

"Allow me." He took her handbag and retrieved her keys. Zahira leant against the wall for support as he unlocked the front door. She really was very, very drunk.

"Come on, baby." Orion instructed, shepherding her inside. "I'll get you a glass of water." He looked around the apartment with interest, quickly trying to make sense of the layout. Zahira staggered forward and flopped down on the sofa.

"The world is spinning." She mumbled, her face smushed up against a cushion.

Orion didn't reply. He was looking around the place. Oddly, he wasn't just looking in her kitchen cupboards. Zahira turned her head and blearily saw Orion search through her belongings in the living room before retreating in the direction of her bedroom. Zahira wanted to sit up, but the walls really were spinning around her. She heard the sounds of boxes being lifted and cupboard doors being open and closed.

Finally, Orion emerged – looking dissatisfied.

"Come on, baby, you have to sit up. I need to check the sofa under you."

"Have you lost something?" Zahira asked. Her limbs wouldn't obey her in sitting up. Orion lifted her up in his arms, taking most of her weight to succeed in his mission.

Zahira's gaze focused on Orion. Their faces were really close. She breathed in the scent of his cologne. Her heart was pounding. This man had a strange effect on her. It was shallow. But he really was incredibly attractive. His skin was flawless. Her gaze roamed along the fierce line of his jaw and up his perfectly sculpted lips. Her face felt flushed. Had her apartment always been this hot?

Zahira leant forward and kissed Orion's neck. He made a small sound of surprise. Closing her eyes, Zahira continued to plant kisses along his throat and down to his collarbone. Orion's hold on her changed. He placed a hand behind her head to reangle her face, and crashed his lips against hers. Zahira's excitement levels were astronomical.

She was kissing the Star Immortal! She kissed him back, responding enthusiastically. Orion lowered her back down on the sofa, this time with him on top of her. The kissing continued and Zahira ran her fingers through his hair. This kissing was insane, it was like fireworks were going off inside her heart. She clung onto him, not wanting to be separated. Orion's hands explored her waist and her body tingled with anticipation.

Orion's phone vibrated noisily in his pocket. Orion growled in frustration and abruptly pulled away. He glared at the phone and read the caller ID. Reluctantly, he got up off of the sofa and created some distance between him and Zahira.

"Yes?" He snapped at whoever had called him. "No, there's nothing here... I'll visit you tomorrow to discuss strategy.... Don't call me again tonight."

He hung up the call and looked up to return his attention to Zahira. But she was fast asleep.