The Soul Collector

Ch. Five

"Assumptions are dangerous things."

-Agatha Christie

                                                                              ***

"I'm hungry," Sirius said, turning down the radio.

"What?" Galloway asked, looking over at him.

He sighed. "I'm. Hungry."

"For real?" Galloway asked. "Four more hours and we're home. Can't you wait?"

"I could always just eat you," Sirius said, a wicked glimmer in his eyes. He leaned over and sniffed delicately at her neck. "I'd bet you taste delicious."

Galloway smacked the back of her hand against his chest and he pulled away, grinning at her as his fangs lengthened. She just rolled her eyes. "I'm not Little Red Riding Hood so you can drop the Big Bad Wolf act. If you're really that hungry, we'll stop."

Sirius glared at her then. "I would never cry wolf about being hungry."

"Clever," Galloway said dryly, exiting the freeway. "What do you want to eat?"

"All of it," Sirius groaned dramatically, clutching at his stomach. He whined and batted his eyelashes at her. "I would kill for a bloody steak."

"Too bad we're not in Texas, otherwise I would have taken that literally." Galloway grinned at him, looking around for someplace that would meet his requirement.

She finally found what she was looking for and parked. Sirius closed his eyes as he sniffed at the air, and Galloway heard a low growl. She cocked her head. "Was that you... or your stomach?"

"Isn't it kind of one in the same?" Sirius replied, then shrugged, getting out of the car.

Galloway frowned, considering that. "I suppose it is."

They walked up to the small restaurant and Sirius held the door open for her. She smiled and said, "You know? I kind of miss that people don't do that anymore."

"Do what?" Sirius inquired, looking down at her. His stomach growled again as the warm scent of the restaurant wafted toward them.

Galloway shrugged, walking into the restaurant. "Hold the door open. Say 'hello' when you pass them on the street. I don't know. Stuff."

Sirius frowned lightly before he turned to the hostess, quietly requesting a table for two. They didn't speak as the woman led them to their table. 

"You're rather nostalgic for a Collector," Sirius observed once they were alone.

"Am I not allowed to be?" Galloway asked, scowling at her menu instead of Sirius. She glanced up and he shrugged, studying her over the top of her menu. She looked back down quickly and said, "You already know what you want?"

"Uh-huh," Sirius said a little sarcastically and she swore she could still feel his eyes burning into her. 

Finally, he sighed. "It's just different, I suppose. Most other Collectors I've met don't really...care all that much, I guess. About anything."

"Hazard of the position," she muttered.

Their conversation was suspended when the waitress came to take their orders. Galloway was amused by the fact that the woman barely looked at her, her eyes glued to Sirius.

"I would like a steak, about as close to alive as you can get it," he requested as he handed her his menu, never once looking at her. He was still watching Galloway, which seemed to kind of irritate the waitress, who finished off their orders before leaving them again.