“Why didn’t you burst into flames when we walked out into the sunlight?” she finally asked, breaking the spell which had caught hold of Raymond.
He turned to look at Alex and answered, “Myth.” She appeared almost embarrassed asking. Her adorable smile said as much to him. He could only imagine how awkward this conversation was for her.
“You look about 22 or so. And I know you fought in the Civil War. How old are you?”
“My 200th birthday is coming up soon”
Alex’s mouth dropped open and a slight gasp escaped her lips. “That’s a long time.” She drank a sip of her latte. “I’ve seen you before, many times. I’ve seen you at the White House, at the Pentagon … I’ve seen you also at the FBI headquarters. Now that I think about it, I’ve seen you everywhere. And yet, I didn’t remember you at all. How is this possible? I know I would have remembered seeing you, so don’t lie to me. What is going on?”
“Your memories of seeing me are flooding back. We’re predators, Alex. We slip into the background and are forgotten immediately. It's just part of our nature. Unless you talk with one of us directly, you won’t notice us. Well, your short–term memory does, but your long–term memory soon forgets us.”
Weird. Even from across the table he picked up on the fear from her thoughts. He wondered what caused such a response. He thought about touching her hand for a better reading, but as he put his hand on the table the fear intensified.
“Does garlic repel you?”
What an odd question. He expected a question about humans being turned into vampires. Even a question about his lack of body warmth seemed fitting. Garlic? Weird. “Garlic smells bad. Tastes even worst. But it does not repel us.”
“What would repel you?” Her face turned white. Panic threatened to overtake her. He felt the wave of fear hit him like a tidal wave.
“Are you asking what would kill us, Alex?”
“No.”
He sensed the lie as it radiated off her thoughts. “Why the falsehood? It’s a valid question. The answer to which the director should know.”
She cleared her throat. “OK. So how do you kill a vampire?”
He smiled and shook his head. “I respectfully reserve the right to abstain from answering that question until you officially accept the position. I’m sure you understand.”
Her eyes narrowed and it took a while for her response. “OK. What if I were attacked by a vampire, what would help me escape? Holy water?”
Raymond shook his head. “Holy water would only make your attacker wet. If you accept the position you will be given weapons to aid you in subduing a vampire.”
“Subduing? Not killing?”
“Again. That is for a later discussion.” He noticed sweat forming across her brow. “Alex, are you afraid I will attack you?” Her silence was not reassuring. Hell, she didn’t look like she was breathing.
She sat motionless until the coffee cup slipped through her fingers. Coffee splashed onto her lap and she jumped up in response. When Raymond offered to help her, she brushed off the offer. “I’m fine. Thanks for the coffee, but I probably should head out now. Can I drop you off someplace?”
“Alex, calm down. You’re safe here with me. I’m sure you have more questions you want to ask of me.”
“Baby steps. I need some baby steps here. We have a week. I want to review … ah, gather my thoughts. … I just need some distance.”
Fight or flight response was in full effect. She needed to leave, and right this minute. “We should meet tomorrow sometime and keep talking. Maybe lunch?”
“Yeah. Sounds good. Maybe I can call you, or you can call me.” She grabbed her purse and a handful of napkins.
“Alex, relax. You don’t have to take this assignment if you don’t want to. I’ll call you tomorrow and we’ll have lunch.”
“OK. I’m fine. That sounds good.”
“I can get my own ride home. Why don’t you just go?”
“That works for me.” She got up and quickly left Starbucks, leaving Raymond alone.
*******
Her heels warded off her nearing panic attack by clacking quickly on the floor as she raced out of Starbucks. She could hardly breathe. Good Lord. If what Raymond said was true, she could take it two different ways. Either hunky, good–looking men did exist, but were invisible to her since she forgot them the minute she saw them. Or there were predators are all around her and she just didn’t know it. Neither sounded good. Shit, maybe her attacker all those years ago wasn’t human. It would explain his hulking size. Christ. Ignorance really is bliss.
Why did Raymond stare so intensely at her? He said he wasn’t hungry. It wasn’t like she felt like a slab of meat when his eyes glared at her, but the feeling was still unnerving. She wasn’t even sure he ever blinked.
His eyes were so compelling and beautiful. That’s probably how they control you. Hell. She should have made sure there were no mind games during their time together. Had she been controlled? She thought it unlikely. Why bother compelling when you are giving full disclosure? That wouldn’t make sense.
He said he wouldn’t hurt her. Of course, what else would she expect him to say?
His eyes never stopped looking at her. It would be flattering if she had been on a date, but this wasn’t a date. She had never dated anyone as handsome as Raymond before. He was out of her league. Oh, that’s right. He probably only dates vampire women. God. Why did it even matter? He was an immortal. A different species. A species that had the broadest shoulders she had ever seen, and sculptured muscles to match. Strong and masculine. Powerful.
She blinked her eyes to stop the daydream. Distance. She needed distance from these large, hulking men. She fumbled with car keys and was grateful to speed away.
Alex did not return to her office. Instead, she headed for the gym. She needed to run and get some adrenaline going. Her female–only gym was a sanctuary. She couldn’t wait to get there.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Alex enjoyed working out at the gym. Exercise always empowered her. The running, the lifting of weights … she loved it. She worked out several times a week and her training showed. Many times she would grab dinner from the gym cafe downstairs before she headed home. Not only would the meal be healthy, but the already prepared food kept her from having to cook a single meal for herself.
The time was earlier than usual for her to be at the gym. She took her gym bag to the locker room to change. She grabbed a hand towel and refilled her water bottle as she entered the cardio room. Rows and rows of stair climbers, treadmills, bicycles, and every other piece of equipment lined the room. The back area stored the free weights, which she was also familiar with. The usual crowd had not arrived yet and she got on a treadmill without having to wait.
From the second she left Raymond at Starbucks, her mind raced with thoughts, ideas and images. Vampires. Who would have thought? Here in Washington D.C. Of all things, the government has known for ages. Alex began her run on the treadmill starting out on a warm up speed. A great government secret revealed to her, and she waited for someone to yell “April Fools.” It just wasn’t April, and Uncle Sam usually didn’t have much of a sense of humor.
After warming up, she increased the treadmill speed. She thought of her attraction to Raymond. At the time of the earlier forgotten sightings of the man, she had wondered what department he had worked in, what his name had been, and whether he was single. And now she knew which department. She knew a lot about him already and there was so much more to discover.
All those sessions where she whined to Micki about wanting a real he–man, she had envisioned Raymond. She just didn’t realize it at the time. She thought he had been invented by her imagination. “Butch Manly” was how she referred to him when she thought of what she wanted in a man. He excited her in so many ways. Physically, he was the measuring stick that all other men did not measure up to. She wondered if any man could be fairly compared with an immortal hunk like Raymond.
A
nd, as always, you find a man and he has a flaw. Raymond was a dead, soulless vampire. A handsome dead soulless vampire that she had fantasized about for a long time. God. She could really pick them.
Not a problem though. She knew never to fish from the company pier. Plus, it wasn’t as if he was attracted to her. Hot men usually didn’t find her attractive and now in her late thirties she had resigned herself to a life of unmarried bliss, or at least she was trying to. She had hopes in her early twenties of finding Mr. Right, but the night of the attack changed all of that for her. Thanks to Micki’s help, she could get past that dreaded stalker, and now she dreamed of finding a Mr. Butch Manly of her own, but one that wasn’t a vampire.
She criticized herself for not being strong enough to ask him more questions while at Starbucks. She reminded herself she needed to be professional. Raymond and Ben were going to be team members and she had to leave it at that. It was bad enough to lust after a coworker, but just shameful to lust after dead ones. The idea sounded crazy hearing it in her head. Maybe she needed to talk with Micki again.
She couldn’t get the image of Raymond out of her mind. Alabaster white, flawless skin with piercing teal eyes. Dark hair that was just long enough to run her hands through. A strong, muscular jaw. And his lips, they looked soft and inviting. Her heart raced, and not due to the workout.
She usually worked a full hour of cardio and lifted weights while at the gym, but after a 30–minute run she decided to go home and Google vampire lore. She wanted to prepare for their next meeting.
*******
Raymond walked into the dining room at Fang Manor just as his sister, Sulie, began unpacking a box of antiques she had recently bought. “What did you pick up for the house?” Raymond asked as he peeked into the box. He noticed a lace tablecloth, a vase, miscellaneous books, and a set of salt and pepper shakers. Other than a cursory glance, he paid the items little attention.
“Not much. The vase is nice. It’s vintage and made of porcelain, I think.”
Raymond shifted the tablecloth aside and found the vase. He lifted it out of the box and ran his hand down the side of the off–white stand. The vase felt heavy and the handiwork exquisite. The outside contained porcelain rosebuds along the base and he traced them with his fingertips. Fifteen little roses adorned the vase. Roses. Delicate and beautiful.
He swallowed hard as he looked away from the vase. Tears filled his eyes as he cleared his throat.
Delicate. Fragile little things wilting before their time — way before their time. So temporary in their existence. Without knowing what he was doing, Raymond’s fist tightened around the vase until the porcelain shattered in his hand. Shards of the vase pierced his flesh causing his blood to drip onto the tablecloth in the box.
Sulie let out a surprised squeal, then grabbed the tablecloth and wrapped it around her brother’s bleeding hand. “Let me help you,” she said.
“Suzanne Leigh, leave me alone,” he growled. Raymond noticed the coldness of Sulie’s eyes when she heard him use her full name, instead of the nickname he had given her when they were only children.
In a stern voice she said, “Raymond, come with me. I want to wash you up.” She looked at her brother, who no longer noticed her presence. “Raymond! Let’s go get you cleaned up. Now.” She gently put her hand on his elbow and led him into the kitchen to the sink.
As she worked removing porcelain shards from his hand, she asked, “How did you get home without a car?”
He blinked once, then again. “William was downtown. He picked me up, and then left to find Jackie and the kids.”
She ran the water at low-pressure as she pulled his hand under the stream. Blood pooled around the drain and his hand healed as the shards were removed. She removed a large porcelain splinter from his thumb and he winced. “Where were you when William picked you up?”
“At the National Mall. Walking around.”
“Were you with the new director?”
Raymond paused. “No. She left.”
“Ben said she was nice. Did you like her?”
“Yes.”
Sulie turned off the water and dried his hand. “Where did you go with her after Ben left?”
“Starbucks.”
“Did you have a pleasant talk with her?”
“Not really. She left early.”
“Why did she leave you alone at the coffee shop?” she asked placing a bandage on his nearly healed hand.
“I don’t know. I guess we were done talking.”
Sulie’s eyes narrowed in on her brother. “You noticed the vase I bought. Did you like it?”
“It's nice. Beautiful roses. …” He made eye contact with her. “I’m sorry I broke your vase, Sulie. I’ll replace it.”
“I don’t want the vase replaced. Tell me about the roses, Raymond.” When he didn’t respond, she led him outside to the gazebo. The bandage was already not needed. His skin had already healed itself, but sometimes people need to see a wound to admit that one exists.
Once settled on a bench, she leaned over the side of the gazebo and picked a rose from the bush. She handed the flower to Raymond and asked again about the roses.
He stared at the rose in his hand. “They were beautiful red roses.”
Something was wrong. The vase had yellow roses, and the one in his hand was more orange than anywhere near the color of red. “What is the significance of red roses?”
“They were her favorite.”
“Who? Captain Brennan?”
He blinked. “No. Wilma. I planted them for her on her birthday. She was pregnant with Sterling.”
Sulie shook her head, remembering the past. “Yes. You planted them in her garden. The flowers were beautiful. Tell me about the roses.”
He caressed the petals of the rose. “She would pick the roses in full bloom and put them in a porcelain vase, and set it on our table for our evening meal. She loved the roses.” He sniffed the rose in his hand.
“Raymond, why did you destroy the vase with the roses on it.”
“I don’t know.” He glanced away from his sister. He could have blocked the guilt he felt from Sulie, but either didn’t want to spend the energy or he felt too raw to hide his feelings from her anymore.
“Raymond, do you regret giving Wilma the roses?”
“No. Of course not. The rose bushes were a present for her,” he looked at his sister in disbelief.
“Why do you feel guilty about the roses?”
“I don’t feel guilty about the roses. They made her happy.” He paused a long time before continuing. He took a deep breath. “I wanted to be a good husband to her.” His eyes filled with tears.
“You were a good husband to her. She told me so herself.” She gently rubbed his shoulders and back.
He smiled back at her with that acknowledgment. After a short pause, he admitted, “I’m attracted to Captain Brennan, and I don’t want to be.” He shook his head. “I really don’t want to be attracted to her. I don’t want to dishonor Wilma. My memory of her is all I have.”
Sulie’s eyes lit up to the confession. “It’s healthy to see other women, Raymond. You’ve been alone a long time. You’re young. It's only natural to have an interest in the opposite …”
“I don’t need a shrink. I’m fine,” he said, cutting her off. He started to get up, but she pulled him back down onto the bench they shared.
“People who are fine don’t go around breaking vases.” Sulie allowed that to sink in. Then she continued, “You’ve been in mourning over Wilma for way too long. It's okay to move on.”
“Thanks Sulie. I know your heart is in the right place, but I don’t want to discuss … moving on.”
As he got up to leave, she quickly asked, “Are you afraid of replacing Wilma in your heart?”
Raymond stopped in his tracks.
“A heart can hold a great deal of love. You can have a relationship with someone else without the new feelings taking away from what you had with Wilma.”
&
nbsp; He turned and looked at his sister. “It’s not that easy. Wilma meant the world to me. No one else could come close to what she means to me.”
“Yes. She meant a great deal to all of us.” Sulie stressed the word ‘meant’. “No one will ever mean the same to you as Wilma did. She was a special individual, and your relationship with her is unique. A relationship with someone else would be different. It could be just as nice, just as wonderful … but it will be different. A new relationship should be different because this person is different from Wilma. You’re a different person today than you were all those years ago.” She paused as she noticed Raymond had played with the rose so much that several petals had fallen off into his hand. “But I want to hear more about this woman. ‘Alex’, right? Tell me about her.”
He hesitated, but then broke the silence. “Alex is different. You’re right. She’s easy to talk to and I felt a connection with her the moment I laid eyes on her. It was the same feeling I had when I first saw Wilma. It’s hard to explain. Like a door opened and I have to walk through it.”
“That’s good Raymond. You are entitled to find love. You’ve been alone a long time and raised a child on your own. I don’t think a relationship with someone else could ever erase the memories and the joy you had with Wilma. Plus, you shouldn’t forbid yourself love just so you can preserve the love you had with her.”
He gazed down at the mostly destroyed rose in his bandaged hand and handed it to her. “Thanks for taking care of my hand.” That was all he said before he left her in the garden and headed back into the mansion.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Raymond inwardly laughed. Alex had suggested a picnic at a park for their next meeting, and had insisted on packing herself a lunch since Raymond wouldn’t be eating. Outdoors? Raymond needed to explain the dangers of the sun on his delicate vampire skin to her.
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