by Lillian Grey
Inside a low a mix of purple and blue tinted light illuminated the room. People or I assume Vampire all looked at us and then back towards the four men on a short strange playing a melodic Jazzy tune. I could see men smoking in a corner playing poker, another couple wrapped in each other just enjoying the sounds.
“Who here is human?” I asked in a low whisper,
“You are, and no need to whisper, they can all hear you no matter what.”
“Oh,”
“You said you could dance, so lets dance,”
Alik led me to a dance floor where a few other couples were swaying to the tune. He took my hand in his and placed a hand low on my waist. I just began to react to his movements and we were dancing. There was no space between us as we moved around the dance floor and I didn't mind. The air was thick with the sound of music as the piano slowly danced around notes, inviting the guitar to join in the graceful movements, all the while the bass kept everyone in line but for the Saxaphone, who let its presence be known in bold unique movements swept up in the passion of the moment.
“I want you to try something for me,” Alik says,
“What,” I answer a little breathless.
“Close your eyes and just move don't watch anything just feel.” I did as he asked and closed my eyes for a few seconds and it felt the same then every never in my body came alive, Alik then moved my hand around his neck and placed a second hand on my waist and I think he knew what I was feeling as his fingers began to play on my skin. “Let the music control your movements focus only on mytouch. I did as he asked and I could feel his fingers move and him guiding me around the dance floor almost in slow motion, the graceful dips and slow spins excuses to explore my body with his hands. I felt things on this dance floor I had never felt, or thought possible. “Open your eyes,” he whispered and I did. What I thought was slow motion was blinding speed and I felt it all, meaning I was moving on my own. However I could only focus on it but for a second or two and we slowed. I was breathing hard and he smiled down at me, I saw we had the attention of the room, to the point the musicians had stopped playing. “Come on lets sit,” Alik guides me to a booth where we sit and he waves to a bartender who brings over a plate of strawberries.
“What just happen,” I ask him.
“That was as close as you can get to feeling what a true Vampire would feel without being one, all of your other senses shut down so everything focused on just touch. How was it?”
I blushed in the low light, “amazing, your hands…” thinking about it made me shiver.
“Try this, he said picking up a strawberry, close your eyes again.” I did as he asked, he placed a hand on my thigh where the slit of my dress ran its course up to my waist, I ignored where his hand was moving as I began to smell the strawberry. “Vampire can resist blood easy but the smell will make us want it, almost like a survival mechanism for those of us who stop eating. You're still human so food will cause close to that.”
“Uh huh,” I said going along with it, everything that was his touch on my inner thigh was clouding out everything. In the back of my mind I smelled the strawberry dipped in chocolate but when it touched my lips I could taste so much that I had been missing my whole life. My tongue moved to taste and wrapped around the strawberry biting off the bottom. The flavors on my tongue fired off explosions of flavors, sweet, sour, tangy. I knew I was breathing hard and that when I felt Alik get too close, I swallowed the strawberry and felt his lips on mine. His scent filled me and everything he was I wanted. In the back of my mind I knew we were in a crowded lounge, but I didn't care, I wanted him.
“Open your eyes,” he whispered softly into my ear and I did. What had come over me faded as I looked into his eyes, I mean I really looked into his eyes and I saw more than the smooth gold colored irises, I saw a cold calculating machine, but also the man he was, so gentle and kind. He slowing took his hand from under my dress, all the while I stared into his eyes. “I moved you between each sense leaving sight for last.”
“You did more than that,” I was still breathing heavy. “I didn’t know sensations like that where possible.
“Much more is possible,” he said moving to my neck when I felt his lips move across my skin.
“Down boy, we are in public.” I said lightly pushing him back.
“Would it make a difference if we weren’t?” The idea made me shiver again, temptation was through the roof.
“No,” I said and I think I saw relief flash across his face.
“I didn’t think it would, come on I should get you home.”
“We just got here,”
“Its been almost five hours, its close to midnight. Your parents trust me, I wouldn’t want to break that just yet.” and he flashed me a smile. I had lost all sense of time. He slid out of the booth and held out a hand for me and I took it, we made our way across the floor to the door where the doorman opened it for it with a slight bow. I fidgeted in the car the whole time he drove me home, we had light conversation here and there but nothing too heavy. Until he stopped outside my house. “I should admit I had another reason for taking you there tonight.”
“Other than letting yourself be vampire?”
“It was a way for me to show you off, you earned a lot of respect tonight even if you don't know it. You said no to vampire.”
“It was hard,” I said softly.
“Was it,”
I felt him get close but didn’t look at him till he was almost on top of me. “Hardest things I have ever done but just not yet.”
“I can wait.” He sighed, and again I felt as if he was relieved about something. He was out of the car and at my door the next instance and I stood, he walked me to the door then kissed me. “Goodnight Vanessa.”
“Good night,” I said slowly closing the door.
Relationships like these must be why people say love hurts, I wanted to really care for Alik I did but I just didn’t yet, I wanted this night to really help me understand him but it just added to the confusion. The next day I didn’t hear from him except for a ‘good morning’ text message, and a ‘sweet dreams’ later at night. We had already made plans for him to help us move in at school but I was wanting to see him. I didn’t even get the good morning the next day.
Alyon Alik
Chapter 20.0
How do you make a girl you love, love you back with so much going against you. You can’t...
“Hello,” I was expecting Sam’s call.
“Hey Alik, so I have good news and bad new,” she told me. I didn’t think this would be good either way.
“Okay, how about the bad first?”
“I couldn’t get into her room to get at her drawings,” I gave a sigh. “However,” she said loudly in response to my sigh, “I do have something she made for me. They are quickly sketched copies, but I still have enough for you to work with.”
“What does it look like?”
“It was designed for a car lover so the garage is the largest room in the whole thing, but you have to see it to really get a good sense. I will bring it to Masteria in an hour.”
“Perfect, thank you.”
Samantha Marie Castillo
Chapter 21.0
Vanessa might be lying to herself about how she felt about Alik, but I could tell she really loved him. She is just one of those girls who likes to torture herself where love is concerned. I, on the other hand, thought Alik was good for Vanessa, but that was only if my feeling that he was hiding something was wrong. In part that is why I picked to go to him at Masteria in the day. I wanted to get to know Alik a little better with Vanessa not around.
The beautiful black Aston Martin was parked outside, but there were also a few other cars I wasn’t expecting; I began to get nervous. In the daytime, the tent looked not less impressive, but it didn’t hold the same vibe that made you feel like dancing just walking up to the opening.
“Hello?” I called out as I walked in.
“Hi,” came a female voice behind
me, causing me to jump. “You must be Sam, Alik is waiting for you follow me.”
“Oh,” was all I could think of as we walked.
“I’m Alison by the way. Nice to meet you,” she spun, holding out a hand for me to shake while still walking backwards. I shook, her grip was light but very cold. “Are those the plans?” she asked. I was worried she was going to trip when we hit the stairs, but she just kept walking backwards.
“Yeah, they were the only ones I could get. Vanessa is very protective of her work,” I said, still unsure about this girl.
“I wish I had a guy to build a house for me,” she said dreamily.
“This is for her? He didn’t tell me that.”
“Well, it is and it isn’t. That’s why it’s so sweet.”
“Oh, I see what you mean. Yeah.”
“Yeah, I haven’t seen Alik this sweet in a long time.”
“Have you known him long?
“Since I was a little girl. His mom took me in.”
“He has only ever said that he has one sister,” I was confused.
“Oh, he does. I’m not his sister. My parents weren’t the best and Lilith helped me get emancipated and gave me a place to live. I think I impressed her when I lied about my age to get a job at one of her hotels.”
“But you said you knew Alik since you were a little girl.” We reached Alik’s office.
“I have, he used to make me laugh when I was crying because I didn’t want to go home after school. He would get me an ice cream and make me feel better,” she reminisced.
Wow, was Alik like he is now as a kid too. I guess I could see that. “You never tried...”
“To get in his pants? Of course, all the time when I got older. I kind of lost touch with him in middle school and it was a stroke of fate that I was able to find him during that interview. He came out of the elevator and it was a little shocking for both of us. I think he talked to his mom and got her to call me back, but she won’t admit to it.”
“Is all of his family so giving?” This girl might be my way into Alik’s head.
“No, giving wouldn’t be a word I’d use. You have to be useful to invoke this sort of kindness out of Lilith.”
“Lilith?”
“Alik’s mother. She can be a ruthless person, but very sweet underneath. The hardest thing is to know which is the act and which is the truth with her.”
“Is Alik the same way?”
“He is his mother’s son.”
“Alison,” Alik said as she walked into the office, she was still walking backwards.
“Hey you!” she shouted, bouncing over to give Alik a kiss on the cheek.
“Why are you here?” he asked. I had to hide my shock.
“Just talking about you with my new friend here,” she teased. “I was just leaving however.” She came over and gave me a kiss on both cheeks. “Maybe I will see you later,” she smiled and made her way out the door.
“I’m sorry for her, the new liberties my mother has given her has made her bold lately. She’s my mother’s spy on how my new business is going, she also has a big mouth,” he shouted the last part after her. “But anyway you said you found some plans for me?”
“Yes.”
I was sort of in a daze by Alison’s kisses, I snapped out of it when he brought up the plans I was still holding. “She did these about a year ago, I asked her to design me a house.” I laid the plans out over his desk. “My favorite part is the four car garage with a glass wall leading to the bedroom so I can always see my cars. The loft’s are just to break up the space in each room with the ceiling hitting almost 18 feet in places. Other than that, it’s very open to natural light with all the glass and double skylights,” I explained as I walked him through the floor plan.”
“With all these open spaces and glass how is it held up?”
“Exposed I beams that add to the modern feel while keeping the walls up. Also this glass is double pane with a steel skeleton and insulating vacuum pockets to keep it warm or cool.”
“It’s... just perfect,” he said, still looking over the plans.
“I know you like your cars and that’s what made me think of this.”
“Can I borrow these?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you.” He gave me a tight hug that caught me off guard. Alik then rolled up the plans and put them back into the tube I brought them in.
“Do you seriously intend to build this?” I just had to know.
“I’ve been looking for someone to design my new house, who better than Vanessa?”
“You really love her, don’t you?”
“I do.” It was sweet how he said it, but with what Alison had just told me, was this the true Alik or the act?
Vanessa Stanton
Chapter 22.01
I wouldn't say I was sad, more disappointed at the wasted day as I did nothing but sit around the house. It was late the night before we moved, I was getting ready to get into bed when I heard a tap at my window. I went to find out what it was and found Alik outside in my backyard, waving for me to come down. I tiptoed past my parent’s room, down the stairs, into the kitchen, and out into the back.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?" I asked, confused. “Wouldn’t a call work?”
"I wanted to talk to you, in person."
"It couldn’t wait until the ride to Cornell tomorrow?" My emotions were all over the place but I didn’t want him to know that.
"Sam will be with us. It’s really important, actually," he said, moving over to the hammock that sat in a corner of the yard between two orange trees. He motioned for me to join him. I lay next to his cool body and he placed his arms around me and was silent for a while. It should have felt awkward, considering what I had just been thinking, but as always, when I’m in his grasp, I just can’t help myself. I felt safe, like nothing could harm me no matter the situation. "Have you given anymore thought about becoming vampire at all?" he finally asked.
"I have..."
"What were you thinking?"
"Maybe after college… I’m not really sure,”
“Just remember it has to be me, who changes you that is.”
"I thought you didn’t want me to be associated with death the way you are."
"That’s why it has to be me, if my mother is too deeply involved with your new life, she will force you down that path. You aren’t just anyone to me now. A lot has happened since Sam brought you to Masteria that night."
"Alik, you know I…" I started awkwardly, trying to get free from his arms, which were like steel bars now.
"I know you are confused right now and don’t feel for me the way I have come to feel for you.”
“It’s not like that, but I can’t guarantee my feelings for you.”
“Can you tell me why?”
“Can you tell me there are no reasons for my doubts?” He was silent and didn’t move and I took that as a confirmation. “I don’t want to start this if it’s just…”
“Your attraction to a predator bred and raised to attract women?” Self-hatred filled his voice when he said that.
“No, if it’s just going to hurt us in the end.”
“Is there no hope?”
“I don’t know; I don’t want to give you an answer to that. So please don’t make me.”
“For all my years of my existence, I’ve been alone..." he started.
"You’ve had Lilith and June, haven’t you?"
"My mother and June have been around, but they have never stuck with me. We are a ‘family’ apart. I’ve never been able to just talk with either of them. You saw how I get around my mother; we disagree on so much, but it doesn’t mean I love her as a mother any less. It’s just that we can’t help but be mean to each other. I couldn’t tell her what I’ve told you without feeling like I will be getting a smart remark back or a cold calculated response that I didn’t need in a moment of weakness. June is so serious at most times around me that I can’t really relax around her; I�
��m her brother and she looks up to me. With you, I’m alive again, no longer a monster. I’ve told you what a life around my mother is like and I want to keep any obligation you feel to serve her to a minimum. It will keep you safe.” I lay there against him silent for a while and he didn’t seem like he was in a hurry to break the silence. “Can I just stay close to you if nothing else? You keep me grounded.”
“I do like you close. Your touch is comforting, your voice soothing, but I can’t do anything but hurt you this way.”