Vampire Cultivation System in a Hidden World of Monsters

Marco put up a fuss because it was a big night for them and closing during open hours harmed business to customer relationships. He argued and raised his voice until I handed him $50,000. That was more than they made on a good night, and the night was already half way over.

He said that would cover them for the night and the harmed business relationships. I handed him another $10,000 so no one gave any of us, including Johnny's men, a check at the end of the night. It was nicer if no one had to worry about who was paying what.

I asked him if he would give Alice an extra special Tour of Italy. As you have probably guessed a Tour of Italy, or Italian Journey, is a full course meal that showcases different regions and styles of Italian cuisine. Marco promised to give his favorite Italian Journey, the Nonna's Secret, a seven-course experience based on his grandmother's treasured recipes from the Italian countryside.

It sounded heavenly. I wanted this night to be absolutely perfect, so I asked that he decorate the table however he would like but to make it special. He smiled knowingly and promised to create his signature romantic setting—white linen tablecloth with deep red trim, hand-rolled beeswax candles imported from Tuscany, and fresh flowers arranged in antique Murano glass vases.

Each place setting would feature his grandmother's hand-painted plates, passed down through generations of his family.

I made Johnny and his men eat in the rooms in the back where the owner, his family, and other special guests would eat. I wanted the restaurant completely empty except for me, Victoria, Alice, the owner, Marco, and necessary staff.

Me, Victoria, and Marco waited for Alice in the lobby. When Alice entered she made an entrance. She was elegance and grace incarnate. That was probably a by product of being a performer for nearly two centuries. You really learned how to move your body.

I say this not as someone who was checking her out. I say this as someone who admires style, and boy did she have style. She arrived in a elegant black maxi dress with a halter neckline that accentuated the curves of her thinner taller body. This was juxtaposed by her blue pixie cut hair.

She put Victoria and I to shame in terms of elegance but we made up for it in style. Victoria wore tight red leather pants with a black button shirt completely unbuttoned and tucked into her pants.

I wore a black suit, with a black shirt and a gold tie, which matched my eyes. Midas wore a tuxedo, with a white shirt and a gold bow tie. I hadn't manifested Midas yet, but I was hoping to show him off this evening not only to Alice, but also to Victoria.

Even she hadn't seen him yet, so I wanted him to be presentable and adorable as many women seem to prefer their animals. The clothing made most of his eyes blind. The open collar framed just two of his eyes and his mouth.

I kept my domain aura off. I wanted the atmosphere to be perfect for everyone including me, and my domain would just get in the way.

When Alice saw Victoria, her whole face lit up. She was so happy to see her. She ran up to Victoria and gave her a big hug, lifting her into the air. Victoria hugged Alice back but she looked surprised and overwhelmed.

She expected a lot of possible reactions from Alice, but this was not one of them.

"It's so great to see you!" Alice said. "How have you been? You have to tell me everything!"

"It's great to see you too! You have no idea how nervous I was to see you. I thought you would hate me for how things ended up," Victoria said.

"I could never hate you Victoria! I was hurt when you didn't come back, but I was never angry with you. I just thought you found something better," Alice said.

"Nothing could ever be better than being with you. Being your friend was the best thing I ever experienced. The memories we shared are what have kept me going all these years. The men certainly aren't what did it," Victoria said laughing.

"Oh my god, have you seen men? Animals, the lot of them," Alice said.

"I couldn't agree more!" Victoria said.

"Ladies," I said, interjecting.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"What?" They both said at the same time.

"Marco is graciously waiting for us to sit down so he can begin serving us. Let's have this conversation over dinner," I said.

"Oh yes! I'm so sorry Mr Marco!" Alice said, shaking Marco's hand excitedly.

"Please, just Marco, and don't worry about it! From what I'm hearin', you two haven't seen each other in what, a lifetime?" he said, gesturing expressively with his hands.

"Make that three lifetimes," Victoria said.

"Three lifetimes? You beautiful young ladies? Neither of you look old enough for that!" he said, still gesturing with his hands. Experience more on empire

"No offense intended to anyone, but they're much much older than they look," I said.

"I'll believe it when I see a birth certificate, eh!" he said. "Now enough with the chit chat. Let's get you ladies wined and dined!"

Marco sat us down in the center of the dark and cleared out dining area. There was only one table in the center of the room, dressed in the promised white linen with deep red trim. The hand-rolled Tuscan candles cast a warm, intimate glow across the antique place settings, creating the perfect atmosphere for reunion.

"Now, I'll bring your first course out in just a minute." Marco said as he walked into the back, leaving us alone.

We kind of stared at each other for moment. I said something stupid to break the silence, "So suck any good necks lately?"