Sweet Nightfall

by Kathryn Vegas

  Adam exited the freeway and made his way down familiar roads to the home he had shared with Rebecca. He turned into a gated community, rolled down his window and put in the code to open the gate. The heavy wrought iron swung silently open. The houses were spaced far apart with well-manicured lawns. Each estate was nestled perfectly into a couple of acres. The community was built with a French countryside inspiration. In the dark you could see into each home through their oversized windows. Their crystal chandeliers shimmered as he drove by. The road curved around another beautiful villa.

  “Don’t you miss this?” Rebecca asked.

  “Of course, it’s an amazing place to live, but there’s more to life.”

  Rebecca rolled her eyes.

  Adam turned into the next driveway. The landscape was lit to perfection, showing off the trees and shrubbery that lined the driveway. He pulled up to the entrance, a ten-foot tall double door imported from a derelict French castle. It’s wrought iron accents added to its impressiveness. One human could never open one of those doors on their own. It was as much a defense mechanism as it was a design element. Adam put the car in park and waited.

  Rebecca moved in closer behind Adam and firmly ran a hand down the front of his chest. She whispered in his ear. “Come inside, Adam. I’ve missed you in my bed. You can go back to your human life tomorrow. A human woman can’t take your full strength like I can. You have to miss being able to fuck the way a vampire can fuck.”

  Oh, man. Stay strong . Adam struggled with himself.

  “You know I can take anything you dole out, baby.” Rebecca practically purred in his ear.

  You have got to get out of here .

  Adam grabbed her hand to stop its descent. Rebecca’s lips brushed the side of his neck. He could feel himself hardening.

  Resist! He took a deep breath and pushed the hand back over to her.

  “I’m sorry. It’s not happening.” He wanted to say it firmly but by the end, his voice caught. He knew she could tell she’d gotten to him. She chuckled.

  Fuck.

  “Alright. Tonight I’ll let you go, but if you get hungry for it, you know where to find me. I can satisfy you in ways they will never be able to and you know it.” She opened her car door and stepped out. She slowly walked around in front of the car. Her silk dress billowed in the wind and clung to her body with every step. She wore no undergarments. Her breasts only covered by a layer of red silk. Adam groaned. Rebecca smiled but did not turn back. She seductively stalked her way to her front door and opened it with ease.

  Adam breathed out heavily once the door shut behind her.

  You did the right thing. Shake it off.

  The memory of that delicious body of hers riding him hard, meeting his every thrust...

  Stop. Cancel. Put the car in drive and go, you dumbass!

  The drive back to his place was long and depressing. It seemed now to be a cramped neighborhood of small houses with tiny, neglected yards. Adam pulled into his garage feeling defeated. He clicked the garage door to close.

  Who am I kidding! I can never have the life I want. What normal human woman would want to have a family with a fucking vampire? You’re so fucking stupid!

  Adam felt his anger growing with each moment. His breathing was erratic and the familiar thirst reared its head. He knew he needed to calm himself down. Going into a rage right now could hurt innocent people. They didn’t deserve what he could do if he were to ever lose control.

  Just breathe. She got to you. It’s all right you have eternity to find The One. Rebecca is wrong.

  Adam slowed his breathing and concentrated on hope. He focused on the first memory of his parents that popped up; Christmas when he was eight years old. He’d watched the video of that Christmas so many times, that the memory was ingrained like it was yesterday.

  He was wearing Spider-man pajamas when he ran downstairs to see what Santa had brought. His mom’s hair disheveled, as she held the camera capturing the moment. His dad stood beside her smiling with a bulky VHS hand held camcorder on his shoulder. That year Adam had asked Santa for the Nintendo Power Pad set with the zapper gun. Santa had never let him down, but he was prepared for disappointment just in case. He’d heard that parents were fighting over them at stores and they were hard to find. Adam slowed down as he approached the Christmas tree.

  The tree was twinkling with strands of multi-colored lights and dressed with handmade ornaments. Every ornament he’d ever made with clumsy kid hands hung proudly from the branches.

  “What do you think, buddy? Did Santa come through?” Dad asked. Adam’s dad was larger than life, where Adam got his height and broad shoulders.

  “I don’t know, Dad.” Adam said worried.

  “Start opening, sweetheart.” Mom said. Her kind face and big green eyes looked at him adoringly.

  Adam didn’t want to go for the bigger looking present first. He didn’t want to seem greedy and what if it wasn’t the Power Pad. He excitedly began to open a present labeled “from: Mom and Dad” while his parents enjoyed watching his joy.

  “RAD!” Adam exclaimed over an Optimus Prime Transformer.

  “You like it?” Mom asked, even though it was obvious.

  “It’s awesome! Thank you!!” Adam ran over and hugged her. Dad’s camera followed him, capturing mom in all her morning bed head glory. She made a face at Dad and motioned for him to get the camera off of her.

  “Keep digging. Let’s see what else is under that tree.” Dad exclaimed, smiling.

  Adam decided to take a chance on the big one that was labeled “from: Santa.” He had a strong suspicion it was the Power Pad set. He looked up at his parents. They looked back at him almost as excited. He tore into it like a wild animal.

  “YES!! OH MY GOD!” Adam yelled. “Santa got it for me!! LOOK!! MOM! DAD! LOOK!!” They of course were already looking.

  “Wow buddy, you must have been good this year!!” Dad zoomed in on Adam’s happy face, chuckling at his son’s amazement.

  “That’s so cool!” Mom was always supportive.

  “Can we hook it up now?!!” Adam asked excitedly.

  Tears rolled down Adam’s face as he sat in his garage reliving one of his favorite memories. A smile remained on his lips as he pictured his mother running on the Power Pad while unbeknownst to her, Dad had the camera rolling. Her hair wild and curly, wearing her pajamas, she tried her best to beat Adam in the race. They were both laughing as she started losing, but her competitive nature was strong. She dropped down to her knees and cheated by using her hands to hit the pad’s buttons faster than her feet could ever run. Dad was laughing his head off in the background. She won the game.

  “No fair, you cheated!” Adam was appalled.

  Mom rolled on the floor laughing, then looked up to see Dad had been recording the whole time. The memory of her shocked face made Adam laugh out loud. It always did.

  Chapter Seven

  Sara stood in front of the mirror inside the sleep clinic’s employee bathroom. She’d finished her shift and had sent her patient home. No longer wearing her scrubs, she was dressed in her new jeans and a fashionable V-neck t-shirt. Her chestnut hair was down, full and thick, hanging past her shoulders.

  Hazel dropped her off last night. It had been a week since her ride with Adam. She’d thought of little else since, especially at bedtime. Sara had obsessed her entire shift over requesting an Uber to take her home this morning. Would it be Adam? To be safe, she had played out all possible conversations in her mind until she had worked herself up into a basket of nerves.

  Sara applied a new lip-gloss and inspected herself.

  I’m looking casual, not too fancy, but not Plain Jane in my scrubs.

  What am I doing?!

  I’m not doing anything. I just want to see a cute boy. That’s all. It’s no big deal.

  He’s so out of my league. What am I thinking?

  I just want to see his pretty face! I can do what I want!

  Sara grappled with her
self.

  She grabbed her phone off the counter, tapped the Uber logo and requested a ride before she could talk herself out of it.

  Adam had time for one more ride before dawn. He opened up his Uber app and made himself available. Within a couple minutes he got a notification. It was the sleep clinic again. He remembered his rider from last week. She was a cool woman. The Dumb and Dumber joke on the five star review she’d left him was cute.

  He accepted the ride and arrived at the clinic 10 minutes later.

  The chilly winter breeze burst through the open door. She smelled of vanilla and something very earthy, a subtle spicy fragrance. Adam took a long breath in to enjoy it.

  Sara hopped in the back of the black Durango. Her hair bounced around as she got comfortable and put her seat belt on. He hadn’t noticed before. It was a rich chestnut color that curled at the end. She was wearing a thin, loose fitting V-neck t-shirt that showed off her cleavage. Her hoodie was open. Adam had an urge to take care of her and zip it up.

  “Hello again,” greeted Adam.

  “Good Morning.” Sara replied as she shut the door, “Brrrr! It’s so cold!” Rubbing her hands together she cocked her head to the side questioning, “This seat is awfully warm though, was it vacated recently?” She laughed.

  “I remembered to turn on the seat warmer for you.” He turned around to look at her.

  “Oh my goodness! This is nice!” Sara exclaimed as she sunk down low into the seat absorbing it’s warmth. She put her hands under her thighs, “Ahhh yes!” She exaggerated.

  Adam chuckled. He enjoyed watching her make a big deal about the warm seat. She found joy in little things. It was cute, and so very human.

  Adam put the car in drive and made his way out of the parking lot. The sky was still black in the early morning. The few cars left in the lot were frosted over.

  Sara’s heart was beating fast. Adam could hear the blood pulsing through her body. This combined with her infectious joyful demeanor, conjured thoughts of drinking from her and sharing her vibrant life-force. He was used to such thoughts and knew how to quickly cancel them. Luckily, he had already fed tonight and could easily swat away bloodthirsty thoughts.

  She seemed nervous as the silence lagged on. Adam watched her in the rear view mirror as he stopped for a red light. The red illuminated her face in the darkness. Her big blue eyes expressed uncertainty.

  Why is she so nervous?

  On some level can she tell I’m a monster?

  Is she frightened?

  Sara hesitantly broke the silence. “Is it okay with Uber if you drive us through the coffee shop I like?” He watched her bite her lip awaiting his response.

  “Of course. Which one?” The light turned green. Adam glanced back to see her satisfied smile. Her eyes sparkled with excitement when he passed under a streetlight.

  Why that look in her eyes?

  Hmmm. Maybe not scared, but attracted?

  Is she trying to make this ride last longer? Interesting.

  “Cool! Thanks! About two blocks more on the right. My friend owns it, so I try to support her whenever I can.” Sara explained. “There it is, Sweet Beans.” She pointed to the little freestanding coffee cart sitting in the middle of a parking lot.

  “You’re friend owns a bikini girls coffee drive thru?” Adam questioned.

  “Yup!” Sara smiled knowingly. “You’re going to love it!”

  “I’m sure I will,” Adam replied nodding.

  Adam pulled into the empty strip mall parking lot. The little drive thru stall was lit up like a Christmas tree. The sign flashed “Sweet Beans! We get you going with espresso and eye candy.” It had pull up windows on both sides. Adam pulled up to the window that was free.

  “What would you like to order?” Adam asked.

  Sara hit the button to roll down her window. “Oh when they see me they’ll know.” She smiled at him.

  The young woman inside saw the Durango pull up. Her jaw dropped a little when she caught sight of Adam in the front seat.

  Sara had to call attention to herself, “I know, right?!” Sara said. The barista’s big eyes turned toward Sara. Understanding each other immediately, they both raised their eyebrows at each other and started giggling. “Stacy, this is Adam, my extremely super handsome Uber driver.” Sara winked at Stacy.

  Adam shook his head at the ladies and good naturedly rolled his eyes.

  “Nice to meet you, Adam.” Stacy struck the cutest pose, leaning out of the window to show off her lovely cleavage held only by a string bikini. Her skin immediately covered in goosebumps, her nipples erect.

  Sara laughed at Adam’s awkward silence.

  “I want my usual. Adam your drink is on me. What do you like?”

  Adam finally got his voice back, “Black coffee. Thank you.”

  “Anytime. How’s your morning hon?” she asked Stacy.

  “It’s going pretty well. Fun customers and good tips. Now you and Mr. Uber are here. You look cute this morning, by the way.” She raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow at Sara and went to work on their drinks.

  The customer at the opposite window drove off. The second barista waved eagerly at Sara and stared at Adam before she started helping Stacy with the drinks. The two young women giggled and whispered to each other.

  “How’s the coffee here?” Adam asked Sara, lacking any other suitable thing to say.

  “Hit or miss.” Sara shrugged with a laugh. “But the baristas are always on point,” She said as Stacy bent over to pick up a cup she dropped. From their vantage point in the Durango, they didn’t miss an inch.

  “I can see that.” Adam replied with a smile.

  Sara chuckled. Stacy handed Adam a black coffee.

  “Thank you.” Adam said.

  Sara handed Stacy a ten and indicated for her to keep the change.

  “You’re so sweet. Thank you!” Stacy gushed.

  “How are finals going?” Sara asked.

  “They are killing me!” Stacy dramatically exclaimed. “I spent the whole night finishing a paper. Fell asleep at two, then had to be up at four to be here. I’m like dying right now. Why are you Ubering?”

  “Hazel has my car while she’s at her dad’s. She dropped me off. It turns out to be a win/win situation.” Sara cocked her head in Adam’s direction.

  “It sure is.” Stacy agreed.

  The second barista finished Sara’s drink and handed it to Stacy.

  Adam couldn’t wrap his head around the familiarity and friendliness of these bikini clad baristas and his passenger.

  Maybe she’s a fun lesbian?

  But her eyes told him a different story every time they happened to meet in the rear view mirror. She seemed a bit embarrassed every time he caught her eye and would quickly look away.

  Stacy put a couple chocolate covered espresso beans on top of Sara’s drink and handed it out to her.

  “Thank you, sweetheart! See you later. Have a Merry Christmas, Mister Uber!” Stacy said as Adam pulled away. Adam rolled up both their windows.

  Sara held her drink with both hands and took a sip. “Ah yes, this morning is a hit.”

  “Good. I’m glad.” Adam smiled at her in the mirror. Sara looked into his eyes and audibly sighed. He watched her contented face for a few seconds.

  Adam could smell her coffee. It was sweet and nutty. The smell of coffee and hazelnut mixed deliciously with her own vanilla fragrance.

  “You should go back when you’re not on the clock and see if Stacy is free for a date,” Sara said. “I know she’s not seeing anyone. You already have being gorgeous in common.”

  Adam raised an eyebrow as he turned back onto the main road. “Does she have an Instagram following?”

  “Yes…” Sara hesitantly said.

  “I’ll pass.” Adam responded. “I’m done dating young women with followers to please.”

  Done with young women… but not women…

  Adam’s brain started mulling over this new revelation. I haven’t
tried actually dating women that are my real age.

  He looked in the rearview at Sara enjoying her coffee with abandon. She closed her eyes as she sipped, her face reflecting pure pleasure. Adam felt his body respond to the expression on her face. He imagined her lying on a bed underneath him with that expression.

  Whoa, buddy. Calm down.

  He readjusted his position in the seat to take the pressure of his jeans off of his dick.

  Sara sipped her delicious hazelnut latte. She knew she was going to regret drinking it since she actually needed to nap when she got home, but getting it was her only idea to make the ride last longer. She mulled over what he just said. “I’m done dating young women with followers to please.” What could she say now? She knew what she wanted to say.

  How about giving an older woman a try? What I could do to you boy.

  Oh my god, you are being crazy. He’s twenty-four years old! Don’t embarrass yourself.

  She opened her eyes and caught him staring at her in the mirror his green eyes inquisitive. Awkwardly she averted her gaze.

  What the hell was tha t ? You have to get this back on track. Be witty.

  “Okay so no more Instagram models.” Sara racked her brain for a segue to another topic. “Look at you, you don’t need any dates set up by an old lady like me.”

  Sara could tell by his reaction in the mirror that he didn’t like what she had said.

  Crap. Pull it together!

  “…I tell you one thing. I’ve never had a better view of the baristas than in this Durango.” She said tapping the leather seat beside her. “It’s like I’m looking down on the world. I’ll never forget how she picked up that cup she dropped.”

  Adam started laughing, “I was beginning to question if the car payments were worth it. But after this morning they are.”

  “Damn right it’s worth it!” She exclaimed. They both laughed together nodding their heads.