11 Short Story: Jaeyline's First Date vs. Ciel's First Date

"Dad, it's fine! It's not like this guy can take me head-to-head," Jaeyline said, throwing her handbag over her shoulder.

"But he's still a guy! Are you sure he won't try anything funny?" Moray asked.

"I don't know why we're arguing about this. He's already there waiting for me. I'll be home before six!"

"Gina," Moray whined. "Tell her what a bad idea this is."

Gina just shook her head. "Have a fun time, daughter-dearest. If he tries anything funny, make sure he'll never be able to walk again," she said, a wicked and slightly dark glint to her eyes as she smiled at her daughter.

Jaeyline just smirked at her father's disbelieving face before hurrying out of the house. She jumped into the back seat of the family car and handed the chauffeur the address. "Hurry," she ordered.

"Yes, Young Miss."

Jaeyline was practically bouncing in the backseat as the car moved onto the streets. She checked her watched, then her clothes, then her makeup in the mirror. She'd dressed up in LEO Corp's newest design: red and white stripped dress that went to her knees, white stockings, shiny red heels, and her hair tied up in a graceful high ponytail with a metallic gold ribbon. The handbag she was carrying had a long strap to where it bounced against her lip as she ran out of the car, the stitching gold, the material a gleaming white saffiano leather.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. My father was being such a pain," Jaeyline said as she walked up to the table in the cafe.

"No worries, babe. Just glad you made it," Sam said. He had shaggy blonde hair and brown eyes the color of mud. He wasn't the best looking out there, but he seemed nice enough.

"So, how are you?" Jaeyline asked, settling down on the bar stool, putting her bag on the counter, noting the way his eyes fastened to it.

"Good, good. You ready to order?" he asked as a waitress walked up to them.

"How may I help you, Miss and Sir?" she asked, taking out a pad of paper and a pen.

"I'd like a black coffee made of the finest Italian beans you have, freshly ground, and a peach parfait," he said.

Jaeyline tapped the counter. Was he trying to impress her with money? Cute. No matter how much he had, his bank account-- no, his entire bank paled in comparison to her own debit account.

"Sir, we don't have those items. Would you like another few minutes to look over the menu?"

"You don't have the items? Then what kind of fucking cafe are you! You're supposed to be the best cafe in Europe, and you don't even have what I'm asking for?"

"Enough," Jaeyline snapped at him, grabbing his arm.

The waitress was in tears, running into the back crying. Customers in the cafe were whispering, glaring at Sam and even some at Jaeyline.

"What were you doing?" she hissed at him.

"It's not my fault the service they have is crap," Sam retorted.

"If you do another stunt like that again, I promise this will be the last time you see me," Jaeyline threatened.

Sam tried to placate her, but she just huffed. "Ok, ok. I'll keep my thoughts to myself. Happy?" he asked.

Jaeyline nodded.

"What may I get for you, ma'am?" a new waiter asked, walking up to Jaeyline.

"May I have the latte with extra foam and a bit of caramel?"Jaeyline asked.

"Yes, of course." The waiter turned.

"Hey! You didn't get my order yet," Sam snapped.

"Your order was dully noted," the waiter said without turning around.

"Settle down," Jaeyline hissed. She was happy to note that he didn't pursue the waiter further, but seconds later, she felt fingers trailing up her thigh. Jaeyline stiffened. This was barely twenty minutes into her first date... and this was her first and last for a long time.

"What is it, babe? Feeling... antsy?"

Jaeyline snapped. "I have three things to tell you," she said, hand closing around his. "Get your hand off me," she said, bending his wrist until it snapped. She grabbed his collar and hauled him to his feet as he shrieked. "Clench your teeth." She whirled around and slammed her elbow into his teeth, making him stagger. "And call an ambulance," she snarled as she jumped, hooking her feet around his neck and flipping him through the window. She'd been trained in both boxing and jujitsu, and excelled at both.

Jaeyline walked up to the waiter bringing over her latte, snatching it up from the tray and tossing a clipped package of five hundred hundred dollar bills on the tray. "Thank you for the coffee," she said. "Use this to fix the window. Think of the extra as my compensation for dealing with that jerk." Jaeyline tossed her hair over her shoulder as she strode from the cafe.

"Young Miss, you're done already?" the chauffeur asked.

"Yes. Can you bring me home? And have that man sued for sexual abuse," Jaeyline said, crossing her legs in the backseat.

"Are you sure there's enough of him to sue, Miss?" he asked wryly.

Jaeyline laughed coldly. "He'll wish there was."

"That's our Young Miss," he said, smiling.

Jaeyline just chuckled. These servants and helpers weren't just the normal hired hand. They were Codelia servants, trained to protect the Cordelia name and its secrets. "The one who will be my husband will need to know the difference between charming and foolishness, protectiveness and possessiveness. He will also need to know that I am not one to be belittled. I will not just lay down for my husband like a dog to her master."

Jaeyline smirked then. There was no one like that in the world. People would covet her, but never obtain her. She was a Cordelia. She loved games.

.

.

.

Ciel snuck out of the house only once in his life, when he was in sixth grade, to go on a date with a girl he liked.

"You're here!" Leslie said, running up to him and throwing her arms around him in a hug.

Ciel started, but the warm touch of her arms through his crisp white dress shirt calmed his heart. "Were you waiting long?" he asked gently, hugging her back.

"Nope. I just got here a few minutes ago. Anyway, what do you want to do?"

"Anything," Ciel replied, offering his hand.

Leslie giggled as she took his. "So gentlemanly. How about we go to a restaurant? There's a nice tea shop down the street."

Ciel caught a strand of her dark brown hair and tucked it behind her ear. He smiled brightly. "Let's go, then."

Her bright blue eyes sparkled. They were almost the color of his mothers, but for some reason, this girl didn't bother him.

They walked down the streets until they reached the small tea shop the same pale pink as the skirt Leslie was wearing, the lettering on the canopy the same light blue as her hair ribbon.

They entered and was seated at a small table, where they chatted about nothing in particular until their tea arrived. They spent another hour sipping tea and nibbling cookies before Leslie suggested going to the movies.

Halfway through the movie, Ciel sensed something was wrong. He grabbed Leslie's hand. "Hey... I'm not feeling so great. Do you think we can step out?"

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" she asked, following him as he sidestepped other viewers. "Hey-- what's wrong. Seriously. You're white as a sheet."

"Let's go. I think we should leave. It may be the smoke from the smokers," Ciel lied.

They left the theater and strolled through the streets, Ciel starting to think that his anxiousness was just a figure of his imagination.

"How are you feeling?" Leslie asked.

"Better. I'm so sorry for making us leave the movie early."

"Don't be! If you're feeling bad, tell me! That's what a girlfriend is for, after all."

Ciel smiled again. "Thanks."

"You're smile is spectacular, like the sun itself," Leslie said. "I really like it. Promise you'll smile more for me?"

"I promise. You and only you."

"No... but only show this smile to a person you really care about. Promise?"

"Promise," Ciel replied, smiling again. Then a hand closed around Ciel's neck, dragging him and Leslie into an alley in a flash of movement. Nobody noticed when the two kids vanished into nowhere.

"Foolish," a voice hissed, sending chills through Ciel's spine before something warm and wet hit his arms, splattering his hands and shirt red. The hand released Ciel, sending him on all fours as he coughed. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice you were gone?"

Ciel's body stiffened. "What did you do to Leslie!" he shouted, ignoring the fear and dread rising in his chest. He owed Leslie for putting her in danger.

"The little bitch you were with? Oh, well she won't be tainting my precious bait any longer. I made sure of that." Ciel's mother sneered at him. "Did you really think you'd get away with this? And look at what happened in result. It's all your fault she's dead."

Ciel looked to where Leslie was slumped on the filthy ground. "She... she can't be dead," he said quietly. "You can't have killed her."

"Bet."

"How could you! She had no part of this mess-" Ciel flew into the alley wall as his mother slapped him across the face.

"You have quite the tongue, my little tool. Maybe I should remove it," Acasia snarled, grabbing Ciel's hair and lifting him up. "How could I? How could you disobey your mother? I brought you into this world, Ciel, and I can take you out of it much more easily. Take this as a warning. I always know where you are and what you're doing. And anything that brings you happiness, I will readily destroy."

From that day forth, Ciel had two pairs of bright blue eyes haunting his every waking and sleeping moment. The first belonging to a monster that twisted him around until he felt like he was going to snap. The second to his first love, who would never see him smile again.

Even to this point... he hasn't smiled as brightly as he once did with that girl. And he would never forget her death, the name Leslie his personal reminder that it was his fault she was dead.