Chapter 69 – Meeting a New Woman
After a while, Dante glanced down at his watch and noticed the time had slipped away faster than he expected. The lively chatter around the table, the clink of glasses, and the occasional burst of laughter had made the evening feel shorter than it actually was. He looked across at Lily, Ted, Barney, and Robin, offering them a warm, apologetic smile.
"Guys," he said, pushing his chair back slightly, "I'm already heading out. After all, my girlfriend is still waiting for me at home, so sorry I can't stay any longer."
Lily's face fell a little, her eyes widening in playful disappointment. "But you're already leaving? We could still have a lot more fun. The night's just getting started!"
Dante gave a small, genuine laugh and shook his head. "Well, sorry. I really have to go."
Barney leaned forward with that signature mischievous grin of his, elbowing Ted lightly in the ribs. "See, Ted? That's the price of having a girlfriend. You and I should stay single to avoid getting locked in that cage they call a relationship."
Ted rolled his eyes, already used to Barney's dramatic flair. "Barney, can you stop exaggerating and being so dramatic? He's just going home."
Barney shook his head solemnly, placing a hand over his heart as if delivering tragic news. "No. He's going back to the dark prison called a relationship, where he'll be locked up and prevented from having legendary adventures like you or me, my great friend."
Dante couldn't help but chuckle at the theatrics. "Yeah, so later you guys can tell me how your legendary adventures went, because right now I have to leave."
He turned his attention to Robin, giving her a softer, more sincere smile. "But it really was great meeting you, Robin. Now I see why Ted spoke so highly of you. Have a good night."
Robin returned the smile, her earlier surprise replaced by quiet warmth. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you too. Have a good night."
Dante stood up, giving the group one last wave. "So, see you another day, everyone."
Marshall raised his glass slightly, grinning. "Yeah, man. Good night to you too. And come drink with us more often."
Dante nodded, his smile lingering. "Sure, you can count on it."
With that, he said his final goodbyes and made his way toward the exit. The bar's noise faded slightly as he stepped back into the cool night air, the door swinging shut behind him. He paused on the sidewalk, taking in the sight of people walking past couples holding hands, friends laughing together, strangers hurrying home after long days. Ordinary life moving forward in its quiet, predictable rhythm.
Dante thought: Strange. After everything that happened gods, lightning bolts, vampires, nearly losing Bella I almost forget how full of supernatural things this world really is. But seeing them living this normal life reminds me how separate those two worlds feel sometimes. And now I think I should go check on Margaret and see how she's doing, to make sure she's not overworking herself again. After all, in the original movie The Proposal, she was really, really hard to deal with so much so that her employees hated her. She's very focused at times and ends up forgetting everything else, including herself.
He glanced up at the sky, noticing the slight chill in the air that signaled the night was getting colder. "And I think it's better to head to a deserted place soon so I can open the spatial portal to her house."
Dante started walking toward the nearest alley, hands in his pockets. As he moved, he thought: But honestly, I would never walk toward a dark alley if I were a normal person. After you become strong, certain attitudes you used to think were stupid become normal. I think this is the security that power brings—you stop fearing shadows because you know nothing in them can really hurt you.
He had just turned the corner into the dimly lit alley when a sharp scream cut through the quiet night.
"My bag! Thief! Help!"
Dante's head snapped to the side. A woman in a waitress uniform black skirt, white blouse, yellow apron was running after a man who had snatched her purse and was sprinting straight toward him.
Dante thought: A thief. Strange. After dealing with gods and vampires, dealing with a simple thief feels almost... mundane.
The thief was closing the distance fast, eyes wide with adrenaline and panic. Dante took one calm step forward then in a blur of movement too quick for normal eyes to follow, he appeared directly in front of the man. With precise control, he kicked the thief's leading foot out from under him. The man stumbled, arms flailing, and crashed face-first to the pavement.
Before the thief could scramble back up, Dante delivered a single, measured kick to his side not hard enough to break bones, but more than enough to knock the wind out of him and send him into unconsciousness.
Dante bent down, retrieved the purse from the thief's limp fingers, and thought as he looked at the unconscious man: It's a little difficult having to control the force so as not to hurt a normal person. I understand now why Superman lets people hit him. Controlling strength is really tedious.
His thoughts were interrupted by a breathless voice behind him.
"You caught him! Thank you! That bastard stole from me when I got distracted for a second."
Dante turned to respond and froze for half a heartbeat.
The woman standing there was beautiful in a raw, unpolished way: long black hair slightly messy from the chase, tired but sharp green eyes, and the unmistakable yellow-and-black waitress uniform of a struggling New York diner. He recognized her instantly.
So she's Max Black from 2 Broke Girls, he thought. And from the looks of it, she's not yet with her friend Caroline. After all, it's 2008, and if I'm not mistaken, they met in 2011. But wow, this world has so many people.
He smiled easily and held out the purse. "Here's your bag. I managed to get it back from him."
Max stared at him, mouth slightly open, as though she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. For a second she looked like she might faint.
Did I just get shot? Am I hallucinating? she thought. How am I looking at the most handsome man I've ever seen in my life smiling at me like this?
Dante's calm voice broke through her daze.
She blinked, took the bag with shaking fingers, and managed: "Thank you so much for your help. That piece-of-shit thief would have left me without subway fare money if it weren't for you."
Dante gave a small, easy shrug. "Then I'm glad I helped. I couldn't let a lady walk home, right?"
Max blinked again, stunned. He called me a lady. Is this guy on drugs?
Dante noticed the confusion flickering across her face and asked gently: "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
Max gave a tired, lopsided smile. "No. It's just that I'm not used to anyone using polite words like 'lady.'"
Dante chuckled softly. "I understand. I think I have to go now. So good night, miss."
Max shook her head quickly. "Max Black. You can just call me Max no need for that 'miss' thing."
Dante's smile widened just a fraction. "Then good night, Max. See you later."
With that, he turned and walked away, disappearing around the corner into the shadows.
Max stood frozen for several long seconds, clutching her recovered purse like a lifeline. Then reality crashed back in.
"Max, you idiot!" she hissed at herself. "You didn't ask for his number! What are the chances you'll ever see him again?" She kicked the unconscious thief lightly in frustration, cursing under her breath as she started walking toward the subway station.
On the other side of the city, Dante finally found a secluded spot an empty loading dock behind a closed warehouse. He raised his hand, and the air shimmered as a spatial portal tore open, revealing the familiar interior of Margaret's high-rise apartment.
He stepped through.
The lights were low, the city skyline glittering through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Margaret was slumped forward at her dining table, face resting on a stack of paperwork, completely exhausted. Dante's expression softened instantly. He crossed the room silently, slid his arms under her, and lifted her with effortless care.
She stirred slightly as he carried her to the bedroom.
He laid her gently on the bed, pulled the covers over her, and slid in beside her, wrapping his arms around her from behind. Margaret shifted in her sleep, nestling closer without fully waking.
She cracked one eye open, voice thick with sleep. "Welcome back, dear."
Dante smiled against her hair, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "Yes, thank you."
They closed their eyes together, the quiet rhythm of their breathing slowly syncing as sleep took them both.