Erica
I was covered in bubbles from the Jacuzzi jets and feeling like a celebrity myself living the high life, when the bathroom door burst open.
"Thank God for bubbles or you'd be getting another view of my naked body!" I squealed.
"Never mind about that. I just heard the most ridiculous conversation when I was hanging around outside the band's door. If I hadn't seen Noah heading down the corridor I'd have got more information, but… oh Jesus, it just makes no sense… unless, oh of course," she took a moment to hold her waist, shouting, "stitch."
"Okay, crazy lady. Take a seat on the loo and tell me what you're on about… in English this time, instead of mumbojumbo."
Thudding down onto the loo seat, Freya turned to me. "It's okay. I think what I overheard must be a new part of their stage performance. They're building the paranormal element in. Panic over. Thought I'd gone completely insane for a moment."
"You've spoiled my bath so please humour me by telling me what you actually overheard."
"Funny thing is actually… he mentioned us and that can't be part of the act."
"Freya! For fuck's sake."
"Okay, okay. So I heard Zak say he liked you but he had to sleep with you in his dreams to take some of your soul, or some guy called Don would hurt us both. And he was sad because his cock wanted to just sleep with one woman, not tons. Something on those lines. That's crazy, right? My ears must need syringing."
It was good now that Freya was muttering on and on and on as my heart had stopped beating and my brain had frozen in shock at her words.
Dreams.
Taking souls.
Last night.
Now I must be having some kind of brain fart.
Freya was still talking. "They said he was an… oh what was that word? An incubus. That's it."
I managed to compose myself enough to speak. "Freya, have you eaten yet today?"
"Erm, no actually. I couldn't face it after my hangover."
"Yeah, well you've just walked out of your bedroom and come out with a pile of crap about the band, so you're in some kind of still asleep, but slightly awake dream state." I lied.
"What?"
"Freya, you're going on about hanging around near the band and you've not left the suite yet. You just got up. I told you I was going in the bath and you went back to bed."
"Did I?" She was looking so confused, bless her, but it was nothing to what was running through my mind.
"Did you party a little too hard last night? Take a little something?"
"I may have had a joint."
"Eat. Go back to bed. Then you'll realise how ridiculous you sound saying Zak is an incubus trying to take my soul."
"Yeah, I think you're right. Sorry, Erica. I think I need to calm party girl Freya down. Tonight, I'll stick to coke, and I do mean the fizzy drink. Okay, try to forget I was here and enjoy the rest of your bath."
She backed out of the room and I dunked my head the whole way under the water. I even let a jet thud into my head in the hopes that when I came back up, I'd have different thoughts.
Because the ones I had now were telling me that I needed to look up incubi, though I already knew that they were male demons who appeared in women's dreams and sucked out their soul. But he said I'd sleep all day and I hadn't. I was wide awake.
As I sat there a while longer, I just didn't know what to do. This idea was preposterous. I got out of the bath and went to our room to get ready. Freya was back under the covers asleep. I left a note on her bed and I set off downstairs, arranging for a driver.
There was only one place I could get answers as to what Zak really was and that was at Sheol. If I called in there on the pretence of looking for bar work, I could ask a few questions about Zak. It was the best idea I could come up with, so grabbing my bag which included my attack alarm for safety, I made my way across London.
As I sat in the back of the car considering the fact that I was potentially putting myself into the line of someone who might have threatened to hurt me and Freya, I did start to reconsider my position. But, come on, if that was true, then Zak was an incubus and last night's dreams had been him coming to raid my soul instead of coming for enjoyment.
I'd always been a nosy bitch anyway. This guy held information about my biggest obsession, information I didn't know and that made me take risks. Freya always said I was too uptight and played too safe. I'd needed vodkas to get near the band when I'd first met them after all. The new improved Erica was brave and stood up for what she wanted.
And I’d had the most fabulous shagfest ever last night so if it all went wrong I could die happy.
I sniggered to myself. As if. It would go like this. Ask about a job, get an application form or a no. Ask if it was true Zak had been a bartender there. Leave.
"We're here." The driver said. "Shall I wait nearby?"
"Yes please, if you can find anywhere. I doubt I'll be long. If I'm going to be longer, I'll call you, okay?"
He nodded, got out of the car and helped me out and then I was walking into the club.
Pushing the door open, inside I could see the lights were subtle and the place empty. I could hear a vacuum cleaner being pushed around in the distance and a man was polishing the countertop of the bar.
"Can I help you?" He shouted out.
"Hey." I waved. "I was wondering if you had any jobs?"
"Not here." The man said hurriedly. "So off you go."
Rude.
"Can you just tell me, did Zak Jones work the bar here?"
"Oh Lord, you're another of those groupies. Piss off out of here. Right now, lady."
A voice came from the back of the bar.
"Who do we have here, Grayson?"
"Too late." He mumbled under his breath.
A tall guy with dark hair walked towards me. He looked like the singer who'd done the duet with Taylor Swift with all the pastel colours in it. He was stunning to look at.
He held out a hand. "Hello there…?"
I held out my own. "Erica. Erica Daniels."
"And what brings you into my club today, Erica?"
His club? This was Zak's boss?
"I came in asking about a job." I said, at the same time Grayson announced I was a groupie.
"Why don't we have a drink and we can chat more?" He said. "I can tell you anything you want to know about Zachariah. I've known him since he was eighteen years old."
"You have? Did he bartend here?" I asked.
"No. I met him here though. He came into the club one night, and I offered him a job."
"Which was?"
He tilted his head to look at me. "How well do you know Zak? Really?"
"I run The Paranormals fan club." I confessed.
"Ahhhh, oh why didn't you say so when you came in?" He turned to Grayson. "Get us both a drink will you and bring them over to our table. Tea for me, and what would you like Miss Daniels?"
"I'd love a coffee please; and call me Erica."
Any nerves I'd had were gone now he'd welcomed me as the fan club girl.