Pushing open the large wooden double doors, Gideon stepped into the building. His enhanced eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room as his hand grazed the side of the wall, seeking a light switch.
After a moment of moving his hand up and down, he found the familiar indent of the switch, quickly flicking it on as he stared ahead.
The old bar was simply quiet. It was nestled deep where the air tasted of pine and distance.
A pale sunbeam, narrow and faint, slipped through cracks in the heavy wood beams overhead, laying strips across the wooden floorboards. Every plank showed deep scrapes and worn spots, evidence of countless patrons shuffling through the years. The walls, built from solid logs, released a dry, earthy smell, the scent of the forest filling the air.
The bar counter itself stretched a good distance along the left side of the building. Its polished surface was worn smooth in the middle from countless elbows and spilled drinks. A row of sturdy, round stools lined its length, their dark leather tops showing faint cracks from years of use. Their heavy iron bases anchored them firmly to the floor.
Warm, soft light spilled from the yellow lamps hanging down, carving out long shadows that stretched across the floor. To the right, worn leather booths lined the wall, their dark cushions showing the indentations of countless bodies that had seated themselves there. The whole place exuded a strong, rustic charm, a deep comfort drawn from the raw timbers and the gentle way the light settled on every surface.
"It's even better in person," Gideon said as he slowly walked through the bar, his footsteps quiet as his eyes scanned the room. "If I cleared out the bar stools, reupholstered the booths, and repaired the gaps in the woodwork, this place would be perfect."
Moving down to the back end of the building, Gideon pushed open the storeroom door. The faint smell of spilled alcohol hanging in the air left a sour taste in his mouth. "Need to get a deep cleaning here and some repairs so the books stored here are always in good condition."
The storeroom's condition wasn't bad, but Gideon had done some research. He realized that books, especially older ones, needed a climate-controlled location to ensure their long lifespan. He also wanted the building to have internet, knowing that establishments in his previous timeline offered free Wi-Fi to attract more customers.
Stepping out of the storeroom, Gideon moved to the staff room and entered. A small table sat in the corner with a chair tucked into it, while a leather couch sat on the opposite end, probably left by the previous owner as a place to relax after a long shift.
"I'll get new furniture here, add some rugs, plants, and a computer for logging data for the store."
Happiness radiated throughout Gideon's body as he left the staff room and sat down on one of the old, worn booth seats. Taking his phone out of his pocket, along with the note holding Esme's phone number, he entered the number and listened to the phone dial out.
"Hello? This is Esme." A soft, gentle woman's voice spoke as the call connected. Gideon paused momentarily, a jolt of surprise apparent on his face as he heard the melodic voice.
'Damn, Edward was right. They really are built to draw a person in; even their voices are unique.'
"Hello Esme, I'm Gideon Cain. I'm sorry for calling out of the blue, but Mallory down at Stanley's Real Estate gave me your number."
"Oh, Gideon, yes, Mallory mentioned you'd be calling. How can I help you?" Esme replied, her voice a soft, inquiring note.
"Well, I was hoping you'd be interested in meeting to discuss a business opportunity. I've recently bought the old Hog's Head bar, and I'm in need of someone with a fine eye for interior design and decorating," Gideon spoke, his request genuine. "To be honest, I'm a bit over my head with the scale of it all, and I genuinely hoped for your assistance."
The line was quiet for a few seconds before Esme spoke. "I'm not really taking on new projects at the moment, but I'd be happy to come and have a look. If it's something that sparks my interest, then we can discuss it further."
Her reply was reasonable. The Cullens were known to keep to themselves; though they still maintained the visage of upstanding citizens, they usually erred on the side of caution when mingling with the human population, especially in their hometown.
"Lovely, would you be free to stop by now? I'm actually checking the place out."
"Sure, I'll be there in thirty minutes. I'll see you soon," Esme said, ending the call. Gideon was left to sit in the bar, planning out his next interaction.
Placing the phone down, Gideon began tapping his finger on the worn wooden table, his eyebrows creased in thought. 'System, what's the deal with people who can read minds? Edward and Aro could come near me and figure out my past, and in connection, God and yourself.'
A crisp, metallic ding sounded in Gideon's mind.
[Beings weaker than the creator himself are unable to find out about the existence of him, or the system that he has modified and bestowed upon you. Your memories and thoughts regarding the knowledge of your current world are also shrouded.]
He exhaled slowly, a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and scratched the back of his neck as he nodded in understanding.
'Now all I need is to figure out a way for Edward to not read my memories in general. Maybe the further I sync my template, the greater my mind will enhance, allowing me to do multiple thought processes at once.'
As powerful as they made Edward in the series, especially leaning towards his special ability, Gideon had always wondered why others didn't attempt to find a way to circumvent his mind reading.
It wasn't as broken as they had mentioned, as Edward could only read surface thoughts. And though it would be difficult for a human to change the way they thought, a vampire could think multiple things at one time, which would confuse him.
Once again, the saviour of Gideon's worries sounded out.
[Being an immortal from the Fountain of Youth, Ban's very being is fundamentally different from a human or even a standard vampire in some ways. Your cells and very life force, are constantly renewing. Edward's telepathy works on human (or human-derived, such as shifters) minds. Ban's unique physiology, driven by perpetual regeneration, means your "thought process" or "mental structure" simply doesn't align with what Edward's power is designed to perceive clearly. It's not a conscious block, but an inherent incompatibility.]
Gideon chuckled at the well-worded response the system had given him.
He wasn't sure if it was a fully sentient being, but through his random questioning, he had realized that it would answer things pertaining to its own existence and what it can do for Gideon. He couldn't ask it about the time, or location, or hidden knowledge, but the capabilities of the template were tied into its core functions.
'If what you're saying is accurate, that might mean Alice didn't see my arrival, or won't be able to see futures involving me. As she's never been... my kind of immortal/human, so she doesn't hold a connection to me.'
Hearing the faint sound of a car driving down the road, Gideon stood up and walked to the entrance of the bar. Opening the door, he stepped outside and watched it come down the driveway slowly.
A silver Mercedes-Benz S-Class quietly rolled into the small parking lot in front of the store, its engine humming faintly before cutting off as it parked close to the front doors.
Walking further into the lot, Gideon watched Esme Cullen close the car door and turn to face him.
She had pale, beautiful features: a heart-shaped face and long, billowing caramel-coloured hair. Amber eyes shone with kindness, though there was some stiffness hidden deep inside. She was small and slender, with a graceful curvature to her body, carrying an almost ethereal grace in her stillness.
Smiling gently, she walked towards Gideon.
"Hello Gideon, it's a pleasure to meet you." Her words were soft, but under the gentle and somewhat motherly sound, there was a hidden allure.
"It's a pleasure, Esme. Thank you for taking time out of your day for me."
Gesturing to the door, Gideon led Esme inside and directed her to the booth he was sitting at previously. His eyes subtly watched her, paying special attention to her movements through the room—the controlled steps, finely tuned, human-like motions that blended into a seemingly perfect façade of her image.
Taking a seat, both of them faced one another.
"Well, how about you first tell me your plans with the bar? It will give me a better understanding of what you're envisioning." Esme said, placing a notebook on the table and opening it up, pen in hand, ready to write.
"My vision might be a little unconventional. I'm hoping to turn this place into a bookstore, but also have a portion become something reminiscent of a library, where people can come and read a book, maybe use a laptop to work, or even to relax in silence. I'd also like a small coffee station, making this place an odd fusion of bookstore, library, and café."
Esme nodded as she listened to his words. Her pen flew across the page, capturing his vision. As Gideon watched, she paused, looking around the bar, a thoughtful nod or a slight shake of her head accompanying her notes.
"That's quite the project you've got in mind, though it could become something beautiful for this town." Smiling, she looked down at her notes. "Given your vision for a warm, rustic atmosphere, I'd certainly recommend keeping wood as the core element."
Gideon turned to her notes, watching as she began describing the changes she would make to the store that aligned with his idea. They discussed removing the booths and replacing them with something more comfortable, such as smaller couches with side tables. This in turn would open up the place more, giving room for bookshelves to be dotted across the walls of the entire front side of the store.
They also spoke about removing the bar, along with the bar stools, and replacing it with a smaller version for the cashier to be seated at. From there, they moved to the staff room, where Esme gave Gideon a couple of suggestions for furniture and layout.
"That would be a rough outline of what you could do here." Esme said, closing the notebook and folding her hands on the table as she watched Gideon.
Nodding in understanding, he leaned back into the booth and smiled. "Am I safe to assume you're interested in being hired? You pretty much gave me a complete consultation within the last hour."
Esme laughed at his words, her amber eyes lighting up with amusement. "I'd be happy to help. Though I hope you understand you'll need to get the initial renovations completed and the building repaired slightly before we start."
"Of course, I have someone in mind to do that this week. I've even started advertising the store a bit," Gideon said, a slight chuckle following his words.
"You certainly work fast," Esme commented, a hint of admiration in her tone.
"More like lucky. I ran into one of the high school kids in town yesterday, and he said he'd spread the word around his friends that I'm needing some spare hands. Speaking of, you mentioned about having kids. Are any of them interested in a job?"
Knowing this was a stretch, Gideon still asked as he wished to maintain a certain level of friendliness with everyone, and it wouldn't harm him to know more of the vampires. He had no objection to being involved with the supernatural world, but he would maintain a healthy level of socialising with them regardless of their... immortal issues.
"The kids are pretty independent, so I don't know if they would be interested. I'll let them know though." Flashing a warm smile, Esme stood and picked up her belongings.
"I should probably head home. You have my contact information, and I can send you the contract later in the week, if that suits you?"
Following her, Gideon merely nodded as they both exited the store. "Of course, thank you again. I'll get everything signed after the renovations are completed."
Waving her off, Gideon watched as she entered her car and drove out of the parking lot.
Scratching the back of his head, Gideon closed his eyes momentarily as the tension he felt in his body began to ease.
Though he knew Esme was the most passive of the Cullens, the syncing of Ban's template made him acutely aware of the danger levels of people. His body involuntarily wound tightly throughout their whole meeting, a defense mechanism to ensure his safety.
'I need to be more careful around them. For now I'm stronger than any human, but I can't compare to their speed, strength, or durability. I need to train to increase the sync rate.'
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