Catherine

"I'm not going."

Damon turned his eyes away from the television as I walked in from the kitchen, a glass of apple juice inhand. He invited me for poker night back at The Garage. I turned him down instantly. Why would you want to invite a woman during poker night? I don't even play poker.

"You're not the only girl there you know. We have female reapers, bonbon. They'll keep you company."

After reconsidering it for about a hundred times, and giving up on finding an adult reason not to go,I decided to just tell him the truth.

He kept looking back at the television as a woman walked slowly on the seashore while her one true love awaited her, holding a rose at the far end. He admitted on liking the reality shows they have on TV. From the girls fighting over one bachelor to couples dating naked.

"But I already told the guys you were coming." He extended his hand and pouted, pointing towards what I was holding. I handed him my glass and he took a sip before mouthing a thank you. He gave me a wink before turning his attention back to see the reality couple hug just in time for a perfect, golden lit sunset.

"What am I even going to do there?"

***

"This doesn't look like poker night."

I turned to see Damon smiling widely as he took in the Garage's cheery aura. Considering the fact that this place has more male than female ratio, rowdy would've been the more appropriate term.

"It's more of a family gathering of sorts. The guys just think it would be manlier to call it poker night. We have four tables for that. Now, face me." I frowned as he turned his body towards me, as I did what I was told. My eyes widened as he placed his hands on my shoulder, my body slightly shaking. He all but grinned at me as he regarded my confused face.

"It wouldn't be any fun to just see them like this. They like you, you know."

I grimaced as I remembered the last floral blouse I had on during my sleepover.

May it rest in peace.

"Damon! About time ye got here! Michelle's been drinking a little too much as usual. I swear that man's brain doesn't know when to tell his stomach to stop." The woman slapped Damon on the back and turned to grin at me.

"Well whattaya know. Catherine Wright. Thought ye'd never show up after that reaper fiasco and meeting his stepmama last week. The guys' been betting you'd go bonkers, ye know, living with this fellar," she slapped a hand on Damon's chest to emphasize her last words. The latter groaned and pushed her away from him.

It was still new to me that whenever my eye was closed, I saw Benjie as a woman. But once Damon explained that nobody wanted to see a dead relative walking past them, they were physically changed to be somebody else. Damon was an exception since he was alive. Unless he was willing to undergo plastic surgery.

The point here is if a person's eye is open, they see Benjie as he is - a man with the kindest eyes and a toothy grin. But when an outsider's eye is closed, they see him as a woman with curves that would make any man beg on his knees, and me eventually calling her Gina.

Gina must've seen the look of disapproval I gave Damon and turned to him.

"Her eye not open?" Damon all but shrugged. Gina placed a hand on her hip. The ancient gesture that women used whenever she's about to make a point and she knows she's right.

"I think it would be best to just keep it open. She could've just screamed her lungs out when she saw Sabina's goons, knowing how hideous those bastards were. " my head turned from Damon and Gina.

Damon looked at me, his face telling me that he's actually considering it.

"I think that would be best." this was probably more to himself than to me or Gina. She winked at me before clapping her hands once.

"Great! Now open her eye." with these words, most of the people who were playing poker on the two poker tables near us paused and gave us their attention.

"Come on Damon. It's not like you haven't kissed a girl before." One man shouted from one of the tables. The others laughed as I looked down at my hands. I know I should've just stayed at home. Suddenly, reading my dust-collecting dictionary sounded more appealing than interacting.

I felt someone nudge my shoulder. Gina was standing beside me as Damon stood a couple of steps in front of us.

"Don't worry. It's tradition to humiliate the boy every poker night. He's a gentleman, he knows what he's doing. Most of the time." this was a hushed whisper as Damon grabbed a can of cola from one of the poker players.

"Hey guys!remember the first time we got him a woman?"

I felt like a rabbit, my ears would've shot straight up. Most of the guys from the makeshift bar area started listening as the so-called tradition begun. From the looks on their faces, I can tell they know the story.

"Poor girl went straight out of her body. Poor lass had to be tracked down for a week." the men roared in laughter. From this angle, I could only see Damon's back(obviously) and is that a hint of redness on his neck?

"Shut up Michelle."

The guy named Michelle all but laughed and raised his beer bottle. This one could be a woman if he did get my eye open.

Damon gave me a fleeting glance before Gina took me by the elbow and pulled me towards the man of the hour.

"What chu gonna do now boy!" my eyes widened. These men are unbelievable.

"I am not going to open her eye just for your entertainment." with these words, he placed an arm on my waist and pulled me closer to him.

"He can't even say the word." Again, Michelle.

I frowned as the men pounded their fists on the table. Their words were unclear at first, but as their pounding got louder, so did their voices. And it was much clearer now.

"Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss"

I squirmed from Damon's hold. This is not what I signed up far. Where are the female reapers when you need them?

I could feel the heat rising up to my cheeks. I thought it was just Damon getting all the attention. Why was I pulled into this. He cleared his throat. It made me feel a tinsy winsy bit better when I found out that I wasn't the only one feeling uncomfortable from all of this teasing.

If you ever think of repainting your walls a shade of red, you can take the color of our faces into consideration.

Reaper Red and/or Berry Awkward.

"Well?" Gina was standing with the guys now, eyebrows raised as they expectantly waited for the big K.

I don't know where the courage came from but I found myself facing him, my hands on his cheeks. Considering the height difference, he was leaning forward to meet my eyes.

"Get this over with please." the crowd whooped and whistled when they heard my words. Oh how the tables have turned as I saw Damon's eyes widen in shock. This was what I must've looked like whenever he teased me.

"Bonbon?" It was a question. I'm giving him the chance to end his misery so we could all move on and play cards. I mean it's not like I haven't been kissed before. I trust Gina's words. That he's a gentleman and he knows what he's doing.

Most of time.

"Don't you bonbon me." with these words, his confusion was slowly replaced with a look of amusement. There was this ringing sound in my head. It might be telling me that this might not be the smartest decision to make. But then again, it seems like I haven't been making smart decisions since he came along.

"I'm going to kiss you now." he warned me as he placed his hands over mine. The sound of pounding fists were slowly fading as his face inched closer to mine. Or maybe it was just me and a couple of romance novels every Saturday night spent alone.

This is really it.

I closed my eyes just as I felt his warm breath fanning my face.

Let's just get this over and done with.

Then it was over. The crowd boo'ed as I looked up to meet his eyes. He couldn't. He was shooing the men with one hand.

"You guys told me to open her eye. I don't see why you're still complaining." After a couple more complaints,bthey finally decided that the show was over and started going back to their games, occasional protests about someone cheating.

Well for the record, he did kiss me. Like how he would kiss me just to open my eye.

The good 'ol forehead.

I took a deep breath as I again took a look of the place. Not much of a difference when my eye was closed. Only this time, I could see them for what they really looked like. Benjie must have walked off somewhere because he was gone when I looked back.

"He's watching a tree. It's almost her time." I frowned as Damon took my hand and introduced me to the guys we passed.

And he wasn't lying when he told me there were female reapers. They seemed to get along just fine with the others, nothing prim and girly.

"I'm going to get you a drink." I grabbed his hand before he even took a step.

"What's wrong with the drinks here?" Leaning closer, I whispered near his ear. Almost his ear. I'm wearing flats.

"Is it for reaper's only? Like holy beer or something?" Damon looked down at me and started laughing. Not really sure on what's funny, I laughed a little before he poked my nose.

"They're the usual beer you could get on any pub. It's just that you and alcohol don't go well together." he raised his hand that I was holding and stared at it.

"We have nice hands." Before I could even say a word, he raised it to his lips and gave the back of my hand a quick kiss. "I'm going to get you a drink." he smiled and gave my hand a gentle pat before walking through the crowd of reapers, occasionally patting somebody's back.

I, on the other hand was left standing here with a bunch of men and women. What the frick frack just happened. It was funny though. I thought the kiss was after you gave the girl a drink.

I walked towards their bar and sat down. I panicked when I saw someone chasing a laughing drunk with a knife.

"Don't worry. He's going to stab him this time." I whipped my head towards the gruff voice coming from the bar's counter. If Raf and Mikey looked like Yettis, this one looked like big foot. Not really but he was so...hairy.

Wait what.

"Don't you follow the commandment? Uh, thou shall not kill?" He cackled before sliding a beer straight to my hands.

"That only applies to the living. What's yer name again? That boy doesn't know how to handle women." I smiled before offering him my hand.

"Catherine Wright." he shook it, almost knocking me off my stool in the process.

"Mitchelle Moore. These assholes just like making fun of my name." He took another swig of his beer and smiled at me. I wouldn't even dare call him Michelle.

"So what are yer hobbies?" I took a sip of beer before starting this conversation with reaper Big foot.

***
Damon

"So I sayz to him, why would you put it on the microwave?" she slapped her knee as she wiped an invisible tear from her left eye."Get it? Microwave?" I nodded my head just so she would stop slapping my arm.

Every joke.

She just couldn't wait till I got her a decent drink. It was partly my fault. I should've left her with Alice since she was the only sane one there.

No. I just had to leave her near Mitchelle.

I was only supposed to get her a drink but got pulled by Thomas. The nasties we locked up seemed to sense Catherine's presence. Couldn't blame them. It took a couple of hours to lock them farther away from the gathering. A couple of hours before seeing Catherine staring as Mitchelle tattoed one of the guys, beer in hand. The moment she gave me that lazy drunkard smile, I knew there was no stopping her.

After that incident with Sabina, I just couldn't shake the feeling that someone's going to get her again. I was lucky to even come in time. It just felt like having to look after her at night wasn't enough. If the nasties were brave enough to take her during broad daylight, then I'm going to keep watch on her any time that I can. Of course,stalking her would be a very bad idea,and telling her about it would definitely put her on a looney's hospital. Benjie was right. It was safer to get her eye open. The nasties may be unfeeling sickos but they care more about their appearances more than anything else. Unless they shed off that perfect skin, open eye or not, they wouldn't be seen for the nasties they really are.

"My uncle told me that cows only produce milk when their pregnant." I glanced to see her resting her head on the window.

It was a wise decision to use my truck. More leg room for me.

"Oh?" she smiled and turned to me,her eyes droopy.

"Yeah. Just like humans. Always thought they always had milk. Guess s'wrong." she looked down at her blouse.

"Did you know that breasts aren't the same size? The other ones always bigger or smaller." I gave her a nervous laugh.

"I've seen perfectly sized breasts. They're the same size."

She snorted before pointing a finger at me. "Silicone can do wonders." This time, I laughed a little too loud. She gave me a wistful smile and closed her eyes.

Why are we talking about breasts.

We got back to the apartment with her singing Queen songs. I had to cover her mouth with my hand as we climbed the stairs. She had a nice voice but belting out We Are The Champions at midnight wouldn't be appreciated.

She groaned as I finally got her slumped on her-my bed. I'm not getting her a door now. She sat up,her hair a mess as she looked around. Without another word, she took the ends off her blouse and raised it. I turned around just in time to see a glimpse of baby pink.

"Pull on the covers, bonbon." I ordered her and she gave me a giggle and an aye aye sir.

I risked a glance to see her lightly snoring,the straps of her uh, undergarment showing.

I frowned as I noticed something on her arm. I don't know if I should laugh or get mad at Mitchelle. She was wearing long sleeves, that's why I failed to notice it before. I poked it.

It wasn't the real thing. She would've flinched if she felt pain. And that pain may be gone but what's on her arm wouldn't.

"It was nice of you to take me out. Thank you." She murmured before burying her face on a pillow.

"You're not going to be thankful tomorrow." I pulled the covers higher on her body and picked up her blouse, throwing it on a chair.

Once she sees her arm, there'll be hell to pay.