Love me or hate me it's still an obsession

Chapter 18

"A bar?" Effie asked, grimacing. She did not look best pleased at what she could see from the car window.

"What's the problem? It's nice in here. Somewhere local to your flat too." Ace got out the car, grabbing his keys and shoving them in his pocket. "You coming or what?" he said, resting his hand on the roof of the car as he bent down to see what she was doing.

"Yeah, fine!" Effie unclipped her seatbelt and got out, pushing the door closed as she stared up at the weird looking bar in front of her. "You sure they do food? It looks like a cocktail place."

Ace nodded as she walked up to him, putting her hands across her body shivering. He took his jacket off and put it round her shoulders, not knowing how she was going to react. She smiled at him and pulled it tighter round her, "thank you."

Ace smiled back and walked in front, joining the long queue as they entered the waiting area. A young Chinese man whispered something to his colleague and walked over to Ace and Effie beaming, "no, please Mr Wesley, you don't have to ever wait. We have a table just for the two of you in a nice peaceful area. Not too loud", he turned to face Effie, "he doesn't like it too loud when he comes."

Effie grinned, trying to contain her giggles as they followed the man to their table. Effie was astounded at the décor inside, it was like what she imagined a movie set to be like. The walls were wacky, full of vibrant colours and patterns and as she glanced at the bar she noticed all their different objects collected on the sides for the cocktails. She eyed one as it went past on a tray and she watched eagerly at the theatre of it being presented to the people sitting down. Effie looked at the woman and man sitting quietly next to the people who had ordered the theatrical cocktail and felt a dark feeling set across her chest. The woman had bright pink hair but that's not what Effie noticed; she couldn't stop staring at the woman's deep purple eyes which caught hers instantly as she walked past.

The young Chinese man showed them a small private booth with circular cushions around a semi-circle table. Ace grabbed some cash out his wallet and casually passed it to him, offering his thanks. The young Chinese man left, thanking Ace profusely as Effie took Ace's jacket off her shoulders and looked down at the menu, "wow, I am actually starving. This food looks great!"

Ace nodded, "it is all amazing actually. I know it doesn't look like much but it really is. You see the cocktails by the bar?" he asked, pointing across her to where a barman was making a scene creating a magical smoking cocktail in front of a group of young girls screaming eagerly at him. Effie put her head in her hands as she looked down at the menu, scanning all the deliciousness that was leaping out at her. "So, we gonna talk about that blood in your flat yet?" he asked, not leaving the matter as a closed subject. He was determined to find out, especially after what happened with Rita and he hadn't even shared with Effie the mysterious call which was why Rita was left in the office on her own in the first place.

Effie sat up and rolled her eyes, "argh, you don't give up, do you?" she said in frustration. He stared at her waiting for more. "Well, as you guessed, yes it was my blood..."

"It was Cade wasn't it? I'll fucking kill him..."

Effie put her hand on his, resting on the part of the round seat between them, "no, it wasn't. I came back to my flat last Monday and it had been trashed, someone had been looking for something but whatever they wanted they didn't find because nothing had been taken. The picture of my family I have on the side was smashed on the floor. There was blood because I cut myself trying to clean it up."

Ace looked at her even more worried than before, "someone broke into your flat and you didn't tell anyone? You didn't call the police?"

Effie shrugged, moving her hand away from Ace's, "what's the point? Nothing was taken. Yeah I was scared and I started to get these weird messages on my phone, so I took the day off as I just needed some space from everything... From you, actually."