by T. F. Walsh
“Hon, there’s a spare toothbrush in the cabinet. Please use it while I get your towels.”
I made a face but did as instructed. Raf set a pile of fluffy towels on the small table next to the tub and turned off the faucet. The foam rose almost a foot over the top. The sweet fragrance slowly replaced the horrid stench that seemed to have permanently permeated my sinuses. I couldn’t wait for Raf to leave.
Raf went to the door. “I’ll go check on Wee Willy.”
I shucked my clothes and made a pile to wash later, shoes included, then slowly sank into the frothy warmth of the tub.
The water was just this side of too hot, absolutely perfect as far as I was concerned. I know hot water isn’t supposed to be good for your skin, but it is great for sore muscles and even better to soothe the soul. Mine needed a good soothing. The bizarre events of the past few days rattled about in my mind. My actions seemed so foreign, yet everything had worked out … until tonight.
To distract myself, I began to make a list in my head of questions to ask Raf. One: Rent? My eyes began to flutter. Two: Dating customers or staff? Yawn. Three … But like counting sheep, each addition drew me closer to oblivion.
Has anyone ever accidentally drowned in a bathtub? I felt like a limp rag. If someone pulled the plug, I would go down the drain with the water. A blissful sigh escaped as strong fingers eased the knot of tension from my shoulders … my eyes popped open!
Bubbles? Yes, I still had bubbles.
“Raf?” I tried to turn my head, only to have it returned to its former position by an unseen hand.
“Don’t fidget.”
How would Dee handle this?
I’m a modern woman. Raf’s my friend, new friend yeah, but friend nonetheless. How was this any different than having Dee in the bathroom with me? Well, let’s see here, could be ’cause Dee’s a woman and Raf is, well he is a guy, but he’s into guys — not me. Right? There was a glass of red wine on the table next to the towels. I reached for it and downed it in two swallows. Raf refilled it. Gulp …
“Raf, honey? Can I ask you a question?” I felt him rise.
“Sure.”
“You, I mean, well … this is kind of a — a well.” Spit it out Connie! “Raf you only do guys, right?”
He moved the stool to the foot of the tub and reached into the water. He paused, looked up into my eyes and smiled.
“Yes, Honey.” He drew my right leg from the water and began to massage my foot.
I tried to relax.
As roommates and friends we would confide in each other, do each other’s hair and nails, and borrow each other clothes. I could do this. I would learn to be a confident, modern, liberal woman … I reached for the wine glass … or a lush. Whichever came first.
CHAPTER 6
It occurred to me when I awoke in my sumptuous bed — I had no memory of getting there. I could accuse the wine, but I had no headache. Maybe I had a head for it? I didn’t drink — much — and had never really put wine to the test. What woke me? I stretched slowly and found I was loose as a goose.
A thumping to the right of the bed caused me to roll and peer over the side. Willy lay on a large pillow made from the same white fuzzy hide as the rug downstairs. The steady thump of his tail on the floor had been my alarm! I fell over the side, barely missing him.
“Willy, baby! You’re wagging your tail!” I crushed him to me not believing my own eyes. He wriggled and snorted until I released him, his tail thumping happily. He licked away my tears of happiness. Realizing it had been several hours since his last break, necessity pushed the miracle aside. “Honeyboy, we’ve got to figure out how to get you down those twisty stairs.”
A little over a year ago Willy had been fine when I left for work, but I returned home to find his rear paralyzed. Perhaps he fell or jumped off the furniture. I couldn’t afford the specialist fees for a laminectomy. Guilt still weighed heavily, but money wasn’t the only issue.
Dogs often made a complete recovery with full function after surgery. Unfortunately there also were those left quadriplegic or stroked on the table. Spinal surgery was risky business. Finances aside, I wasn’t willing to take those risks with Willy. He had adjusted well to his cart but hadn’t wagged his tail since the accident. Now the appendage thumped up a storm! Woohoo!
My attire, silk drawstring PJ bottoms in navy and a black tank, seemed presentable. My toenails were red. When did that happen? After rolling the pant legs twice so I wouldn’t trip, I scooped Willy off the pillow and we began to wind our way around the staircase. Fortune again smiled on us. We made it to the second floor without incident. Okay, now what?
A note from Raf taped to the elevator door read: “The key card is on the entry table. You need it to open the garage door. It locks automatically. Cool huh? Car keys are in the bowl, etc., etc.” It was pretty long note, but suffices to say I got the use of his car to move my meager belongings and buy some food. Did vampires eat real food? If not, did they miss it?
Without a greenbelt near, newspapers would have to do for now. Oddly, I found Willy’s diaper dry. He didn’t have the muscle control to completely empty his bladder. His paralysis made him prone to urinary infections so I had always been fastidious in my attentions.
I’d no choice but to wear the pajamas since I had no idea of where Raf slept during the day and no intentions of poking around on my own just yet. Please Lord, don’t let me get stopped by a cop or have a wreck.
We loaded into the elevator. I hit the button on the key fob to unlock the car doors and the headlights flashed, briefly illuminating the dark garage. Lucky for me the car was an automatic or I would have been screwed. I turned the key, put it in reverse, backed out of the slot and turned toward the door. The headlights shone on a metal arm with a black box at the end and I swiped the keycard through it. The garage door opened and I pulled out, waiting to make sure it shut behind me. Now what? I had no idea where I was.
The street was one-way, as many downtown are, so my options were limited. I knew I needed to head west … about an hour later we hit I-630. The good news was we found a McDonald’s in our search, which supplied us with food as well as directions. Willy and I each ate a cheeseburger. He didn’t want pickles on his.
By the time we turned off Lawson Road, I had reviewed the packing list in my head several times. We stopped at Ted’s One Stop for some sturdy egg boxes. Luckily I didn’t have much to move because Raf’s car is really small, although the trunk seemed pretty spacious. I discovered when I pulled into my drive all my mental planning had been wasted.
“I tried to stop her,” Dee called from her front porch. “There was just no holding her,” she continued as she walked across the lawn. “Cindy moved in last night.”
“So I see.” All my worldly possessions, such as they were, sat in boxes on the tiny front porch. I found myself very thankful it hadn’t rained last night. “Everything’s out?”
“Yeah, I’ve got Willy’s food over at our place. I was afraid coons might get in it. Want some iced coffee since you have nothing to do?”
“Sure. Let me load this stuff up. Can you get Willy’s cart? Might as well let him tool around while we work.” Dee pulled the cart from the backseat and I strapped Willy in. He was off like a shot, running the fence line barking at the neighbor’s cows like a demon dog.
“Is his tail wagging?” Dee asked in amazement. She paused from loading the box of CDs and DVDs in the back seat to stare. “Well hot damn!”
“ … A miracle, right?” I grinned from ear to ear. “Is Buffy in there?”
“I double checked.”
Dee knew I loved my Buffy DVDs. “What am I going to do without you?”
“Connie, you’ll see us. More than you want, most likely.”
“Uh huh, sure I will. I live with a gay guy. Jimmy’s really going to visit often.”<
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“Sweetie, you live with a gay vampire who sleeps all day. Jimmy won’t be seeing him. Anyway, you know he does as he’s told.”
She grinned when she said it, but it was true nonetheless. Jimmy worshipped the ground Dee walked on. Her word was his law.
“Maybe I can get you to train one for me?”
“Sure, but we’ve got to find you one first,” she agreed. “ … Ready for coffee?”
“You bet. Willy, come!” If his lolling tongue was any indication, he was ready for a drink, too.
It should have been a leisurely visit; our work being done for us and all, unfortunately, the morning paper lay on the table. Dee glanced at it as she poured the coffee into tall ice filled glasses. Our little incident made the front page.
CORPSE FOUND IN DUMPSTER BEHIND NEW MIDNIGHT SUN TANNING SALON.
Foul play is suspected in the case of a dismembered corpse found in a dumpster behind the newly opened Midnight Sun Tanning Salon. The salon, the first of its kind, has a mixed clientele catering to both humans and vampires. An unnamed employee of the salon is reported to have discovered the corpse while on a break.
When asked if this could have been a hate crime, Mr. Thomas Thornton, owner and entrepreneur is quoted as saying, “I certainly hope not. We have had absolutely no problem among our clients or any of the local establishments. If anything, our opening has brought in more customers for the other twenty-four hour businesses in the River Market Area.”
Mr. Thornton, a member of our local vampire community, has many holdings in this area and is well known for his philanthropy.
Detective Rebecca Elms of the Little Rock Police Department, had no comment to make at this time. The remains have yet to be identified.
The accompanying photo of Becki and Tom was quite good.
“You were going to tell me when?” Dee asked.
“I honestly forgot about it with all this moving crap.” Strangely, I had. Am I due for a psych consult? “I really didn’t see the dismembered part. I saw a face and a hand but didn’t realize they weren’t connected.” I shuddered. “It was dark back there.”
Dee’s eyebrows formed a V. “A dead body just slipped your mind?”
My answering shrug raised them to a pyramid, but nothing more.
“I’ve got to go before my disks warp.” I wanted to get my stuff stowed before Raf rose. I was up for a Buffy Fest and wondered if Raf was acquainted with the phenomenon.
I let Willy roll to the car, gave him a squeeze, and discovered his bladder remained empty. After unbuckling him from the cart, I placed him on a towel in the floorboard. Dee kissed my check and passed me the sack of dog food, which I managed to wedge into the backseat.
“I’ll invite you over when I get settled. It’s a great place.”
“You better.”
Of course we got lost on the return trip, too. I’d need to wait for Raf to rise before going to the grocery store otherwise everything would spoil before I found my way back home. We stopped for directions at a mom and pop diner this time. The problem with one-way streets is they don’t always run the direction you need to go. As I drove all over creation in Raf’s jammies trying to find my way home, I wondered why I hadn’t changed at Dee’s. That mental eval loomed closer.
We pulled into the garage, and after the boxes were stacked in the tiny elevator, there was barely enough room for Willy and me. A miss-punch sent us to the third floor instead of the second. Imagine my surprise when the door at the end of the hall turned out to be an elevator not a closet. And here I had wiggled down those stairs with Willy.
I carried the boxes into my bedroom where most would remain. Dee’s rental had been furnished, so all I owned were clothes, personal items, a small TV, and some kitchen stuff. From the brief look I got of the kitchen, I’d probably need those. Cindy, hadn’t bothered to remove hangers, but rather accordioned my clothes into the boxes. She really was in a hurry to get moved out of her Mom’s. We’d have to discuss our matriarchs sometime. I bet hers won’t seem so awful when she hears about mine.
My meager belongings took little time to put away. A few pair of jeans, several sets of scrubs, soon to be returned to the clinic, some knit tops, and a few pair of shoes. One pair beaded thongs, two pair athletic shoes, one white, one black, and one pair of old beat up cowboy boots. From another box I extracted the contents of my former dresser and frowned.
Despite being a girl on a limited income, I love fancy lingerie! Whenever there was a lingerie sale you’d find me at the front of the line waiting for the doors to open. I bought quality at the lowest price and took good care of it, unlike Cindy who appeared to have upended the drawer into the box, leaving everything helter-skelter.
Cussing under my breath, I carefully rearranged my delicates and placed them gently in the dresser. My closet looked half empty and the bureau, completely so. I certainly had room to expand my wardrobe although I had neither time nor money to shop, nor the inclination, for that matter. Where did I go that fancier clothes were needed?
I told Willy to stay as I put his bag of food and the box containing the kitchen items back in the elevator. Returning, I placed him in his cart and let him roll along to the elevator with me.
It was almost suppertime. I located Willy’s food dishes, his little doggie placemat and set them in what I hoped, was an out of the way corner. Once the dishes were filled, Willy rolled into place and began to chow down. A good cow-chasing session always stimulated his appetite. As he ate, I explored the kitchen cabinets.
Surprised to find a nice set of new pots and pans, I added my cast iron skillets, a necessity in the south. There were plenty of glasses, including the lovely stemware I drank wine from last night. Good, because most of my stuff was of the plastic variety. I pulled open a drawer to find only a corkscrew and a bottle opener. Okay, we needed silverware to replace my odds and ends. I tore the flap off the cardboard box and began to make a list.
“Need help?”
I squealed, hand to heart. “Honestly Raf! Do you have to sneak up on me like that?”
“Sorry Honey.” His grin told me otherwise.
“What are you doing up? It can’t be dark yet.” I would be hard pressed to prove it with no windows in the entire building. In July, dusk arrived late.
“Honey, I’m an early riser. As long as I am out of the sunlight what difference does the time make?”
“Oh. Gotcha. No windows, no direct doorways outside and no skylights.” I nodded. “Good to know.” He must have been up for a little while because he was dressed in jeans and a tank top.
“You going to wear that … ” He waved his hand indicating my borrowed P.Js. “Forever?”
“I didn’t have anything else. Thanks, by the way. I’ll change after I take Willy out. Then you can take me grocery shopping.”
“Really, why would I want to do that?”
“Cause you’re my roomy and I’ve already been lost twice today. Damn one way streets!”
“Well, we’ll have to get you all straightened out then won’t we?”
I picked Willy up, cart and all, grabbed a plastic bag and stepped into the elevator. “Be right back.”
With Willy’s cart supporting his weight, I removed his diaper. I stared in utter disbelief as he relieved himself unaided.
Had some shift in his spine resulted in these rapid improvements? Was this the miracle I’d hoped for?
We retraced our steps back into the blackness. Only the tiny light on the elevator guided my way. A fumbled effort unlocked the portal, Willy rolled right in and we were back in the kitchen in no time.
“Raf, you need to show me the light switch in the parking deck because I can’t see my hand in front of my face down there. Can I leave Willy with you while I shower?
Raf shut the refrigerator and turned with a bottle of Razorback Red i
n his hand. He stuck it in the microwave and pressed the button. “Sure, doll.”
“Why don’t you have a heater?”
Heater was slang for the vending machines that dispensed the blood substitute. With certain preservatives added and the ‘blood’ maintained at the correct temperature, it would keep for up to three months, any longer, and it had to be frozen. Since porcine hemoglobin was used, the temperature had to be one-hundred-one to one-hundred-one-point-five degrees to maintain its integrity and, according to vampires, flavor.
The microwave dinged and a voice from behind me answered sleepily, “We ordered two. Only one came in, so we put it at the salon. Ours is on backorder.”
The ‘Red’ flew through the air. I turned as it passed my head to see it caught by the boss. He stood pale and bare-chested with bed-head, in a pair of silk pajama bottoms similar to the ones I wore.
He lifted the bottle to me and with a lopsided grin that would have done Elvis proud said, “Good ee-ven-ing.”
It was the worst imitation of a vampire, imitating a man imitating a vampire, I ever heard. I grinned back, until I remembered I wore nothing at all under my pajamas and I suspected, neither did Tom. I turned on my heel.
“Which bathroom should I use?”
Raf took his own bottle out of the microwave. “Same as last night, second door on the right. Need help?”
“I got it, thanks.”
I ran up those twisty stairs with the sound of masculine laughter following in my wake. I had a real good idea how a mouse must feel when cornered by a cat. Handsome cat.
The Buffy marathon was now on hold until I had answers to the jumble of questions rattling in my brain. Raf better be ready to spill!
CHAPTER 7
“You’re living with your boss!” My brain screamed as I shut the door to the bedroom. I grabbed a pair of denim shorts, a white tee with one red rose embroidered from neck to hem — the rose matched my toenails — and the first white bra and panties I came across then the beaded thongs Dee gave me for my birthday and laid them on top of the box marked personal items. The possibilities of life with two vampires reverberated through my mind as I hugged the wall all the way to the bathroom door, trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible.