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Chapter Twenty-One: Date Night:

Stella met Mike at the end of his driveway around six o'clock. She gave him a little smile.

"So where to?" Stella asked. Mike shrugged.

"Where ever," he said. She looked at him funny.

"Not very romantic, are you?" she joked.

"Hey, I'm old," he said with a cigarette in his mouth. Stella stuck out her tongue.

"No!" she said.

"Yes, yes," Mike replied. "I am." Stella smiled at him.

"Let's talk about this in a warmer place," she said.

"Sure," her date replied. They went to the nearest bar. Mike paid for both drinks. The pair tuned out the pounding music around them. Stella turned to him with her cigarette in hand.

"So tell me," she said. "I know how I got to Japan. But what about you? How was an American demon in a Japanese Hell?" Mike lit up his second cig.

"Ah, some paperwork got mixed up," he said.

"And it never got fixed?"

"Nope."

"Oh…"

"Yeah." Mike took another puff. "But, not too bad though."

Stella eyed him. "Oh? How so?"

"I got to meet Emiko, Hotaru, and Kazue. Sure, they drive me nuts, but that's their job." He turned to Stella. "And you?"

Stella turned her head to face him. "What about me?"

Mike gave her a little smile. "Why are you here? In Japan, I mean."

Stella sat back eyeing the ceiling. "Ah, that."

"Yeah that."

She let out a little chuckle. "Whew! Where to begin? Well, there was a man."

Mike leaned in, intently. "A man? What about him?"

She tossed back her head. "I was young and stupid. Met him in New York. It just kind of happened, you know?"

"Okay… and then what happened?"

Stella sighed. "My parents hated him."

"Why?"

She pressed her lips together. "I'm a wolf demon."

"Okay… so?"

"He's… whew-wee." Stella looked around before leaning into Mike's ear. The truth only took three words to say. He gave her a funny look.

"How was that even possible?" he asked. Stella shrugged.

"Like I said," she said. "It just happened. One day, he invited me to Japan. I said yes without a thought." She curled her fingers around her cigarette as she flicked out the ashes. "My parents cut me off. They fucking cut me off, man. I didn't care; I was dumb and in love."

"Let me guess," Mike said. "It didn't turn out well." Stella shook her head.

"The worst!" she said.

"Want to talk about something else?" he asked.

"Yeah." Stella remembered her previous curiosity. "Say, how old are you really, Mike?"

He let out a nervous laugh. "Back to that again, huh?"

"Come on! You can tell me!"

"Why are you so interested in my age?"

"Just cause."

"Just cause why?"

"You said you were old and now I have to know."

"You really want to know?"

"Yeah."

Mike flicked out his cigarette in the ashtray on the bar. "Fine. I died in '69."

"Okay, what year were you born?"

"1941."

Stella's jaw dropped. "Wow! So you were twenty-eight when you died."

Mike's face went grim. "Yep."

"And you're in your sixties now?"

"Please don't remind me."

Stella chuckled. "Alright." This felt nice for a change. No rush, no pounding; just two adults talking. Maybe something could happen. Mike glanced at his date.

"Hey Stel," he said.

"Yes?" she asked.

"You want to get out of here?"

"Why?"

"Too noisy."

"And go where?"

Mike shrugged. "Anywhere, anywhere quiet."

Stella gave him a little smirk. "Why do you want to go to a quiet place?"

"Felt like it."

She repressed a snicker. "Oh! I see. Naughty boy!"

"What?"

"You know what!"

"Geez. Must everything be sexual for you and Lucy?"

"Well, do you want sex or not?"

"Maybe… Depends!"

"Depends? On what?"

Mike took hold of her wrist. "On where this date will go."

Stella gave him a little smile. "My place or yours?"

"Yours, definitely! I don't want those girls eavesdropping on us!"

Stella laughed. "Fair enough, Fair enough."

"Shall we go now?"

"Hold it, cowboy! Let me finish this smoke!"

"Of course."

Stella gave him a little smirk. "Thanks, man."

Mike gave him a small salute. "Sure." Outside, someone who wanted to give Stella hell watched them.