by T. F. Walsh
Raf’s laughter filled my head as I closed the bathroom door and shot the lock. There had been enough surprises for one day. Locating an empty drawer in the vanity, I shifted some stuff around in the linen closet and had my feminine products stashed away in no time. I shucked the pajamas and climbed into the tub, whirling the lacy shower curtain to engulf me.
Five minutes to shower and shave my legs and underarms, another five to dry my body and hair, perhaps five more to dress and apply a little mascara and lip gloss. I’m pretty low maintenance. My reflection in the long mirror showed the white of the tee set off my tan — which was holding up well so far — and my eyes. White always made my eyes their bluest. The lace detail of my bra barely showed through the thin material of the tee. What am I thinking? Sexy but demure, Dee would say. Uh-huh.
As I carefully maneuvered the stairs, Raf and Tom continued shootin’ the breeze. Tom hadn’t changed, bed-head still in place, his broad back toward me and a half empty bottle on the bar in front of him. Raf noticed me and his red lips drew back in a rather toothsome smile. He gave an eyebrow waggle and nod. Tom turned around.
Tom’s dimpled smile came slower. I thought the red-lipped fangy smile a tad unnerving on Raf, but the one I got from the “Boss” caused heat to flare through me. I sizzled from the top of my head to the tips of my red toenails, with the strongest sensation somewhere slightly below center. I smiled back.
Since we had time to kill before we could safely go to the store, I could dive right in to my Q and A with Raf, but with Tom in attendance — my courage waivered.
“Anything I can drink?” I pointed to the fridge as I walked toward them.
Raf pulled a glass from the cabinet and then stuck his head in the refrigerator. “Hum, we have red or … Red,” as he pulled a wine bottle from the shelf and filled the glass.
I took a sip and was pretty sure it was the same wine as last night. Slightly sweet, it tasted of something other than grapes. As I rolled it around in my mouth, a hint of cherry settled on my tongue … or maybe I was just hungry. Reminded I hadn’t eaten since our stop at McDonald’s before noon, I sipped the wine slowly. Parts of last night were fuzzy if not missing all together. I didn’t want a repeat.
“This is good.”
“If you say so,” Tom said as he sipped his own beverage.
“Mind if I ask some questions?” I directed to both of them equally. They continued to stare at me, so I continued. “I seem to be the only one in the dark about our living arrangement. I was under the impression I would share the loft with Raf? Is there anyone else I should know about?”
Raf glanced at Tom. When Tom didn’t volunteer, Raf shrugged. “Honey, this is the boss’s place. When I told him you lived on the dark side of the moon and didn’t have a car … well, we figured this would work out fine. It’s close and we aren’t much trouble.” He took another sip from his bottle.
“Is that all you guys a — consume?” I waved my hand to indicate their bottles. “I mean, I love Dr. Pepper but if that’s all I drank, I think I would get sick of it after a while.”
“A valid analogy,” Tom commented as he stretched.
Whoa baby! I took a gulp of my wine. All those rippling muscles made it hard to focus on the dialog.
“I for one will admit I miss a good steak, even the aroma of one cooking.” Tom closed his eyes as if savoring the memory. “Unfortunately, our digestive systems don’t function as they did in our other lives.” He thought for a moment before continuing. “We absorb what we need from, this,” he held up his now empty bottle, “like a human on a liquid diet. With you, after a diet of liquids, solid food must be reintroduced slowly to give the digestive system time to retrain itself. The foods must be broken down and the solids disposed of. Our internal organs no longer function. Solid food would have nowhere to go, no way to be eliminated.”
“Well that sucks!” I said without thinking. Raf giggled.
That was the most the boss had said since my post interview salon tour. He seemed okay with shoptalk but not so much with the personal stuff. Maybe he was shy. The western drawl was still in place, but not the ‘aw shucks, howdy ma’am’ stuff. Did he think a good old red neck cowboy would be accepted more easily?
“Can’t you a least flavor that stuff? There are all kinds of artificial flavors out there if the real stuff won’t do.”
“We add flavoring. This is AB negative.” Tom told me.
“So you make the pig blood taste like human blood? O-kay! I was thinking more along the lines of fruit flavors. You could even add some liquid smoke and get that steak flavor you’ve been missing. Or would that be pork chop?” I pondered that for a moment, and then shrugged. “It could work, right?”
“I’ll speak to my research and development people,” Tom said thoughtfully. “We haven’t had any difficulties with our ‘blood types’ so I don’t foresee any problems. You may have hit on something, little lady!
“Oh puh-lease! Let’s not start that again. You own an R&D lab?”
If a vampire can look embarrassed, he did. “Several.”
“I think our roomy figured you out, Boss,” Raf choked back a laugh.
“We’re not stupid. I can tell when he’s faking it.” That didn’t come out right.
“Boss, you need to get going if you plan to get painted before work,” Raf reminded.
They exchanged a look I couldn’t read, possibly because they were vamps or perhaps because of the glass of wine on my empty stomach. Tom handed Raf his bottle and went quickly up those twisty stairs.
I tore my gaze away from the way the silk clung to Tom’s ass to say, “Raf, we need to get to the store. I’m starving.”
“We can’t have that. I’ll get my shoes and we’ll go.” Raf came around the bar and headed for the stairs. His toenails were the same red as mine.
I made Willy promise to be good while we were gone and took him out of his cart. Leaving him in it unattended frightened me. What if he turned over and no one was there to help him?
Raf showed me the light switches in the garage. One was beside the elevator the other by the big garage door. Why didn’t they have a motion sensor? Did they work on vampires? As we started backing out, the elevator door opened and a deeply tanned Tom exited. He climbed into a big, black Hummer.
“So, y’all have a spray booth here?” I asked.
“And a bed,” Raf stuck in the keycard and we were out the door in a flash. “I’ll give you the guided tour when we get back, okay Hon? You seemed too frazzled last night.”
I was not. I handled finding the corpse extremely well. “I appreciate the — extra attention. I’m not really used to that sort of thing.”
“Really!”
“I’m not a prude. We don’t know each other very well yet and that was … pretty intimate.”
“I forget myself sometimes. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I’m a touchy, feely kind of guy. I felt a connection. When you’ve been around as long as I have you learn not to take your feelings for granted. Just think of me as your brother.”
“I’d rather not.”
“You have a brother?”
“Not exactly.” I changed the subject. “So how long have you been around?”
“Oh Honey! I’m older than mud,” Raf quipped as we finally pulled into the Kroger parking lot.
My stomach growled so loud I’m sure people in the next county heard. I sprang from the car and ran for a cart. Raf followed and seemed a little dazzled by all the produce. He started adding every fruit imaginable.
“Whoa! It’ll spoil. Pick me out a couple of whatever looks good. Just a couple,” I warned. I left him to it. “I’ll be right back.” I headed for frozen foods.
Skillet dinners in every combination flew into the basket. Garlic chicken is my favorite. I swung back around for Raf before contin
uing to the staples aisle. Flour, sugar, corn meal came next followed by doggie treats and coffee. Raf inhaled the rich aroma of the coffee aisle.
“Okay, that’s all I can think of.”
Raf’s eyes swiveled from me, to the cart and back. He wisely kept his mouth shut. Maybe being a vampire increases your I.Q.
The total almost gave me a coronary. I should never shop hungry. Gas prices were driving up the cost of everything. I told myself, with the exception of perishables, the food should last for a month or more. Raf offered to pay but I refused. Why pay when he couldn’t eat anything?
We still hadn’t discussed rent.
I assumed my last active brain cell had suffered an untimely death. It wasn’t like me to jump into anything without a great deal of thought — yet I had done just that. My bond with Raf notwithstanding, new vampire roomies should have been fodder for considerable rumination. Perhaps I needed change in my life and jumped at the first opportunity?
“Hand me a banana, Raf.”
He pulled one from the stalk, passed it to me and closed the trunk.
“I honestly don’t know how you find your way around town, especially at night,” I said as we sped through the dark.
“I have ESP. What are your plans for tonight?”
“To eat. I thought you might help me put away this stuff while I cook. Ah … it won’t bother you if I eat will it?”
“Not at all. Don’t worry about me.”
“Okay, if you’re sure? We can watch Buffy. Do you know about Buffy?”
“Who’s Buffy?”
“You’ll see.”
The drive back was short and uneventful with Raf at the wheel. We made quick work of stowing the groceries. It would have gone faster if Willy had stayed out of the way. I gave him a chewy stick to divert his attention.
Raf zapped a bottle of Red and went upstairs to set up my DVD player and TV since they had a huge flat screen hidden by the ‘library’. One whole section of books just slid to the side and presto! Electronics must be a universal guy thing.
I pulled one of the fancy no-stick skillets from under the counter, peeled off the price sticker and washed it. I grabbed my bag of garlic chicken, dumped it in the skillet, put on the lid and then ran upstairs to get the Buffy DVDs and take off my shoes. Willy’s eerie howl made me look over the railing as I exited the bedroom. He was sitting right where I left him, staring into the corner and singing an octave too high — like he does when he hears a siren.
“Hush, Willy! What is it, you dumb dog? I don’t hear anything.” I followed his gaze. “Raf?”
He cowered in the darkness of the corner by the desk, eyes dilated, lips drawn back and fangs fully exposed. What the hell? Then realization hit me. Garlic chicken … seriously? I sprinted to the kitchen and snatched the skillet from the stove. Now what?
Grabbing the keycard from the table, I jumped in the elevator and hit the button. As soon as the door opened I slapped the light switch and ran to the garage door, inserting the key. When the door rose I hurled the skillet — and my dinner — into the night.
“Raf, I’m so sorry! Drink this please,” I held the bottle to his lips. “Please?”
He sipped once, then again.
“I’m sorry, what can I do?”
He shook his head, the dark brown of his eyes beginning to show around still engorged pupils.
The kitchen exhaust fan had to suffice since there were no doors or windows to air the space.
“Can you warm another bottle?”
“Sure Raf, honey. Let’s get you settled.” I led him to the sofa, and then scurried back to the kitchen. He finished the first before I got back with the next and looked better for it. It makes me weird, right, that I can say he looks better with bloodstains on his teeth? “Can you forgive me? I wasn’t thinking.”
He drained the bottle before he spoke again. “You eat, and we’ll watch Buffy.” He seemed almost normal. Almost.
“Are you sure? This is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You get that part, right?” When he nodded I hesitantly hit PLAY.
A peanut butter sandwich and glass of milk comprised my meal. I sat on the sofa with Raf’s head in my lap, trying not to get crumbs in his hair.
I fell asleep somewhere during season three with all my questions still unanswered.
Have you ever awakened abruptly, certain you had forgotten something important? You were supposed to pick up Aunt Millie at the bus station, but you were so engrossed in the newest vampire novel that you totally forgot?
As soon as my eyes popped open, I knew I hadn’t taken Willy out since before we left for the grocery store the night before! I rolled over and off the sofa I went. Rather than wake me, Raf left me where I lay, covered by a plaid throw. I righted myself and was nose to nose with Willy. His thumping tail made me smile. I pulled on my sandals and reached for him.
“I’m sorry Willy. I’m a bad Mom,” I whispered in his ear. “And you have been such a good boy.”
I snatched the keycard and opened the elevator. Down we went. Open door, turn on lights, stick card in gizmo and daylight! The sun shone brightly, bouncing off the windshields of the sparse traffic. I positioned Willy, but again my assistance proved unnecessary.
“Wow kid! Good boy!”
A call to Julie Smith was in order as soon as the clinic opened. While thrilled by the exciting developments in Willy’s condition the past couple of days, I wanted someone knowledgeable to agree he was improving before my hopes got too high.
As I scooped him into my arms, I spotted the empty skillet by the curb. Some stray dog or cat ate well last night. Retrieving it, I found it un-dented, although badly scuffed. Maybe the mark could be buffed out? If not, I owed my roomies an expensive new skillet.
CHAPTER 8
Wake up already! I’d showered and dressed for work to save time. Willy ignored my pacing. He seemed pretty tuckered out after our play session.
We had rolled and tussled, tugged and pulled, even played a little fetch, with me doing most of the fetching. Julie had been cautiously optimistic of Willy’s sudden improvement when I called but warned me he might relapse at any time.
“Keep using the cart. Don’t let him overdo it.” She cautioned.
I held on to my miracle with both hands and waited for a sign he knew his bladder was full. Mid-day I quashed the urge to take him outside, and absently ate a bowl of chicken noodle soup and a peach.
When he finally began to fidget and whine we headed for the elevator. Seven hours had elapsed since he last went out. His tail went into overdrive when I praised him. He’d felt the urge. Willy could feel! With a prayer for his continued improvement, I called Dee to share the news.
“Fantastic! Is he on a new medication?”
“No. I don’t know what’s happened. You need to come visit, I have something for you.” I gave her the condensed version of the infamous garlic chicken episode.
She was very consoling about my blunder … after she laughed her head off. Her own contact with vampires had been extremely limited — she was pretty sure.
“Bye, Connie. I’ll see you in a couple of days. Oh, Cindy said to tell you she owes you one.”
“Good! I’ll call her on it if I need to switch shifts with someone. Bye, girl, give Jimmy my love. Oh and Dee? I almost forgot to mention, I have two room-mates.”
“Really, what’s the other one like?”
“I’ll have to get back to you on that. But his name is Tom. Bye, Dee!” I heard her screaming as I hit OFF. Ha! That would give her something to chew on for a while.
I hung up the kitchen phone, turned and collided with Tom. If he hadn’t grabbed me, I would have gone down.
“Sorry.” I said reflexively. “No, I’m not! You guys need to stop sneaking up on me. I’m too young for a heart attack.” Could you
put some clothes on?
He yawned. “Old habits,” he muttered as he stretched languorously and I watched in fascination as the muscles rippled across his chest and neck. He stepped past me, headed for the fridge.
“Allow me.” I removed a bottle of Red from the fridge and zapped it in the microwave for a minute.
Tilting the bottle back and forth, I made a show of removing the cap before plunking the RR down in front of him. Leaning back against the cabinet I sipped my diet Dr. Pepper and waited.
Tom yawned again and ran a hand through his hair, then picked up the bottle and brought it to his lips. “Thanks.”
Not even a lisp. Is it the proximity to blood that made his fangs descend or just the thought of feeding?
Tom took a sizable swallow and his eyes opened wide. The next sip he whirled around in his mouth before swallowing. He didn’t seem mad.
“What have you done?”
“Who me?” I hadn’t been brave enough for a taste test, but Willy seemed to enjoy the flavor. “Do you like it?”
“Memories of rare grilled steak — almost.”
He dimpled again when I pulled the bottle of Liquid Smoke from behind my back. He was wide-awake now and I had his full attention!
“Wait a minute. Why couldn’t you smell it?” Vampires possess a keen sense of smell. They could track better than a bloodhound.
Tom raised an eyebrow then drawled, “Must be the garlic.”
Well, I did ask. “Sorry, Boss. I didn’t think.”
“Stop that.”
“What?”
“My name is Tom.”
“And at work?”
“Well, I suppose I can make an exception there, but I’d prefer you use my name.”