"What can I get you three?"

The waitress with the cotton candy colored hair asks pad and pen ready to scribe our choices of beverage or sustenance what ever the case may be. Of course, I'm not sure how hungry I am sitting across from are would-be target as he sears holes into our heads with those eyes. He is very intense. I swallow and simply ask for a glass of water. Jo, sitting beside me next to the window of our booth, seems surprisingly calm and orders an Oreo milkshake and something called a sloppy burger. It all sounds extremely disgusting right now. How can she be so hungry with our possible demise looming?

"A coffee, please," Felix requests without even taking his eyes off us. I shrink a bit in my seat and stare at the sparkly teal linoleum tabletop.

The waitress leaves and everything is quiet again. Well, as quiet as a diner could be during the dinner rush.

My mother briefly worked here over a year ago. She was awful at it but she would bring me home food from time to time. It had been good, greasy, but good. It's one of those diners trying to recapture the '50s in its atmosphere. There is even a jukebox at one end but I'm pretty sure it is out of commission. Spying one of the brightly attired waitresses playing with her smart phone definitely kills the illusion.

Felix says not another word till the waitress returns with our drinks. I almost smile watching Jo's maniacal grin form when she eyes her monstrous milkshake, but then I'm shrinking down in my seat.

"You still haven't answered me. What did you two think you were doing?" Felix asks us both but I'm sure he's staring deep into my soul. I shiver a bit and look at his cup of coffee. He hasn't touched it yet.

I start to open my mouth with no clue as what might come out of it when Joanna jumps the gun. "Oh you know, just stalking you," she states like it is no big deal and not a criminal offense. I give her my shocked face and then look immediately at Felix ready for whatever his response to that is going to be. He looks a little shocked himself and then he just laughs, not just a small chuckle either. To surprise me even more, he picks up his coffee and actually takes a deep gulp.

Jo and I exchange glances that clearly communicate, "Holy crackers, he's drinking that coffee and why is he laughing? Were we totally wrong?" Or at least that is what mine should be saying.

Felix sets his coffee aside and entwines his fingers together atop the table before sincerely looking at us. "I don't suppose you will explain why the two of you might be stalking me? Something good that might persuade me not to report you to the authorities," he says with a slight raise of one of his dark eyebrows. Unlike previously when Joanna was so eager to speak, she wraps her lips around her straw and focuses solely on her milkshake leaving me to be the sole explainer of things. Traitor. She knows I am not good at these sorts of situations especially with what I might have to say in this one in particular. Oh yes, we have come to the conclusion that you might be a vampire and thought it would be a good idea to follow you out into the night like a couple of moronic teenagers in a horror flick. Sounds perfect.

"Um, well." I stumble out but have no idea how to continue. "Could...Could I ask you a question first?"

Felix furrows his eyebrows but nods never the less. "Sure."

I almost ask him the vampire thing but change my mind the last second. "What, exactly, is it that you do?" It is a pretty innocent question but could be vital to figuring out whether our little hypothesis was right or not. Though honestly I'm just stalling and trying to dredge up the courage to ask what I really want. I find it hard to look directly at him at this point and instead stare at his hands clasped around his mug of coffee. He has large hands with long fingers but they look nice and fair. I take note that his fingers nails are short now. So he can clip them? Well that rules out some theories, or he's just not a vampire and I'm delusional.

Felix doesn't say anything for a minute, like he's making a decision whether to say or not. Finally he clears his throat and his hands move. I follow them. He pulls something from the inside of his jacket pocket and places it down in front of me. It's a charcoal-colored little business card. I blink and pick it up, looking it over. In neat silvery white ink and a simplistic but elegant font it states clear as day:

                                                                FELIX CHEVALIER

                                                     private detective & occult expert

It all kind of makes sense now, the late nights, the dark clothing, etc. Doesn't it? There is an odd sort of Celtic knot type symbol in the corner though his name clearly suggests French ancestry. Though I think I remember reading France having Celtic roots too? I set it down and finally look up at him, feeling sort of silly. He has a slight smile and is staring directly at me once more. He raises an eyebrow at me, almost encouraging me to do something though I have no idea what. My spine tingles just a little.

Joanna snaps up the card now and looks it over and her brows shoot up. "Well that does explain some things," she mumbles out loud.

"Does it?" says Felix, while picking up his coffee again.

The waitress picks that moment to bring Joanna her burger and I can see I was right. It looks very disgusting and messy. Jo's face clearly displays delight however and she is already picking it up for a bite. I scrunch my face at her. "How can you eat that, Jo?"

She looks at me innocuously with a little bit of something on the sides of her mouth. "What? Can't a girl be hungry after stalking and spying on a would-be va—" she starts to say but I quickly cut her off with slightly wide eyes.

"Joanna!" I shout, trying to give the secret signal to shut-up.

She seems confused. "What?"

"Is there more you two are not telling me?" Felix asks.

"No! I mean, of course not...I mean," I say, clearly failing at whatever I am trying to say other than what I probably should say. "So, you're a detective?"

His expression clearly suggests he does not believe me for one second. Gratefully, he does not further interrogate me, and simply goes along with the redirection. "You seem surprised. In truth, you have detained me from an investigation with your little stunt."

Okay, now I feel really guilty. "I'm so sorry, it was...I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I was just concerned...I mean you are a little...creepy," I say stumbling over my words and reaching up to run a hand through my flop of hair nervously. I catch Jo giving me an incredulous look, probably surprised I didn't rat her out. It was her stupid idea in the first place. Sometimes, I'm just way too nice.

Felix seems a bit taken back by my observation. I can't be the first person to say this, right? Why do I keep putting my foot in my mouth? I feel awful enough already. However, I get some relief when he just laughs. "Creepy? Wow, alright, I shall forgive you for that, brat," he says leaning back in the booth and resting his arms along the back. His bluish lavender eyes, which are seriously ridiculous, look straight into mine as a genuine casual smile forms on his lips. Why is he always staring at me? The shivers start up again. It makes my toes curl and I have to look away, finally taking a sip from my glass of water. When I feel calm enough to look at Felix again, I notice he has a pensive look on his face and a crinkle between his thick eyebrows.

Joanna wipes her mouth clean of slop and finally decides to join the conversation, or at least break the awkwardness going on. "So what exactly does occult expert entail, Mr. Chevalier? Do you cast spells and run around naked sacrificing virgins?" She leans back crossing her arms under her chest. She seems to be changeling him or something, but I'm not quite sure to what. The occult thing is a bit curious. Though I still give Joanna a bit of a look to keep up our dynamic, her crudeness and my mothering.

Felix for the first time focuses fully on Joanna since we have been sitting in that diner. "Felix, please. It really isn't as glamorous or romantic as it sounds," he says casually in that velvety voice of his. "At least, I do not run around in the nude sacrificing virgins, Miss Joanna. I simply have knowledge and expertise on the subject, something I've studied extensively is all."

Not really a common thing to study, I think, but I don't voice it. I still have doubts he's telling the whole truth but I could still just be paranoid. I'm sure there are legitimate, rational answers for all the weird stuff.

"Uh huh, that's not exactly your run of the mill college major," Jo retorts back, giving him quite the leveled look. I can always count on her to voice my thoughts.

Felix has a very slight smirk on his face but he takes a minute to respond. "How's that painting coming along?"

"Very nearly complete," she says. I just feel all kinds of awkward with the dagger throws going back and forth here.

"Excellent, I'll have to come and see it then," he responds.

"Of course," she returns but adds, "Colin seems to like it quite a bit."

Felix's expression surprisingly falters a little and I catch him glancing at me. My cheeks feel warm suddenly and I take a sip of my water.

"So, Detective, got a girlfriend? Boyfriend?"

"Joanna!" I blurt out, surprised. I have discovered her name to be a common word in my vocabulary. Especially with an exclamation tagged at the end.

Felix's eyes are back on Jo. "No, I'm not attached."

Joanna is all smirks, burger forgotten for now, and eyeing Felix like a smug little something. Then suddenly she is nudging me towards the end of the booth. "Welp, I've got to use the latrine!"