Dhampir Secrets

by Lewis, Shirlee

  The line moved faster than I thought it would. At the counter Tony paid for our tickets and the attendant pointed to the theater on the left and said “Number two.”

  Tony leaned down and whispered, “Let’s sit in the back.”

  Choosing seats at the back of the theater, we sat in the middle of the row and the view of the screen was perfect. I sat down only for Tony to say, “Save a seat for me, I’ll be right back.”

  I watched Tony walk down the flight of stairs, just before rounding the corner to the hallway; he turned toward me, winked and smiled before disappearing.

  The opening credits started and I didn’t notice when he returned. “Here you go, sweetie” and handed me a bag of popcorn and a drink. Twice in one day he had called me, sweetie. Beaming from the inside out, I knew this nick name was going to stick and I loved it. Tony put the armrest between us up and moved as close to me as the chair would allow. Putting his arm around me he rested his hand on my shoulder. The movie was just beginning.

  “Jess,” he whispered, in my ear.

  When I turned to look at him, he kissed me.

  “What,” I said, after the kiss.

  “I’m having a good time,” he whispered.

  “Me too,” I whispered back. “Are you watching the movie?”

  “No, I’m watching you.”

  Tony didn’t watch any part of the movie because all of his attention was on me. I know because, every few minutes, he would whisper my name or tap my shoulder to distract me from the movie to give me a kiss. I have to admit I wasn’t totally concentrating on the movie either.

  After the movie Tony opened my door for me. Getting in he said, “I’m having a good time getting to know you, but I leave for Davenport the day after tomorrow.”

  “Do you know when you might be coming back?” I asked, curious.

  “I haven’t a clue,” he said, reaching for my hand.

  “I hope you’ll come back and visit me.”

  “I plan on doing that very thing,” he said.

  Arriving home, Tony came into the house with me. Before I took my keys and cell phone to the kitchen, he grabbed me up in his arms, lightly kissed my neck pulling my shirt down off my shoulder.

  “You’re skin…sweet as roses,” he whispered and then went to my lips.

  Wrapping my arms around his neck I gently ran my fingers through his hair pulling his lips closer to mine. From my lips, he kissed my face, neck and shoulder moaning in between each kiss.

  “Tony, I have a bedroom.”

  Releasing me from his hold, I took his hand and led him to my bedroom. Slowly unbuttoning his shirt, I slid my hands over his shoulders and let it fall to the floor, staring at his masculine chest. Tony went to my lips again gently guiding me toward the bed. In the heat of the moment, Tony and I made love for the first time, before he left for Davenport. It was the best night I ever had. One I wasn’t going to forget….soon. Tony spent the night.

  In the morning, rolling toward Tony, I wrapped my arm around his waist as he lay sleeping. Rising up on my elbow, leaning toward him, lightly kissing his chest, he opened his eyes. “Good morning to you too, sweetie,” he said rolling toward me.

  “Good morning.”

  Getting out of bed, I went to the kitchen getting a pot of coffee started. Tony came in with his pants on, leaned up against the door frame with his hands in his pockets watching as I puttered around the kitchen getting my breakfast.

  “Ah, you’re up,” I said when I noticed him in the doorway.

  “I hate to rush off, but….”

  “Your morning fix, right?”

  “You could say that,” he said as his eyes looked me up and down.

  “I enjoyed last night, by the way. Thank you,” I told him pouring coffee into my cup.

  Tony turned to leave, but I caught his arm. Turning to me, I gave him a kiss and said, “Have a great day!”

  “You too Jess, you too.”

  Tony left.

  Tomorrow Tony would be leaving, but today was Mrs. Johnson’s funeral. Sitting on my sofa, I heard a car door slam. Looking out the window, a car was parked in the driveway at Tony’s and a man was getting out. Tony came out on the porch and shook the man’s hand; they briefly spoke before getting into the car and driving away. “Hmmm…Tony wasn’t due to leave until tomorrow,” I said out loud.

  Mrs. Johnson’s funeral was at two o’clock and I needed to get ready. Showered and refreshed I put on my black slacks and black cashmere sweater. Dug in my closet until I found my comfortable black pumps for all the standing I would do today.

  Arriving at Baker and Sons Funeral Home ten minutes before the service started, I saw Tim standing by a mulberry tree with his head down moving his foot back and forth on the grass. He didn’t hear me walk up. “Tim,” I said. He jumped a mile high. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “Thanks for coming today, Jess. Aunt Francis thought a lot of you. She always talked about how nice you and Mike were to her at the hospital. She said she would tell you her old stories, and you always listened without seeming to be bored.”

  “You’re welcome, Tim. I thought a lot of your aunt, too. Looking at my watch, it was time to go into the parlor. Putting my arm in Tim’s, together we walked in taking our seats in the front row. There was a light tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see Mike.

  “May I sit with you?” Mike whispered.

  “Sure, Mike,” I said, and scooted over so he could sit next to me. I looked around to see if anyone else showed up, but Tim, Mike, and I were the only ones.

  Reverend Coplen started the service and talked about Mrs. Johnson’s charity work and the kindness she gave to the community. The service lasted about ten minutes.

  “Mike and Jess, will you ride with me in the family car to the cemetery?” Tim asked. “I don’t want to ride alone.”

  “Sure, Tim, we’ll be more than happy to,” Mike answered for the both of us.

  Mike and I rode in silence to the cemetery with Tim sobbing during the ride and when the car pulled up beside the plot. Reverend Coplen had a small grave side service. Mike and I said our good-byes and waited at the car for Tim because he needed a few minutes alone. Tim climbed into the backseat and started crying harder. I put my arm around him to comfort him, but he cried all the way back to the funeral home.

  “Tim, Jess and I are going to the diner. Would you like to come?” Mike asked.

  Tim nodded his head yes.

  “Can you drive, or do you want to ride with me?” I offered.

  “I’ll drive myself so I can go home from there,” Tim said in between sniffles.

  At the diner we all had a small lunch. Nobody said a word. I couldn’t help but look at Tim because he was all alone now and how I wished he would find someone to make him happy and soon.

  Pulling up to my house, I noticed a few weeds and tall grass growing by the fence I had missed. The sun popped out of the clouds after the funeral, so I decided it would be a good day to finish getting my yard ready for winter. Changing into my old jeans with holes in the knees, a tan sweater and my yard gloves, I headed out to get started.

  I’d been working for a while and was about to finish up when the car Tony got into pulled back in the driveway. Tony got out, and the car left. He didn’t look at my house like he always did. Instead he went straight into his. Taking off my gloves, laying them on the porch, I walked over to the Morisons’. Before I knocked on the door, Tony opened it with tears in his eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Come in,” he said in between tears. “I have some bad news.”

  Inside, I sat in the arm chair and Tony took the recliner across from me with his head in his hands. I couldn’t take it anymore seeing Tony upset, so I went over to him and sat on the arm of his chair. Putting my arm around him, he laid his head against my chest.

  “I received a phone call from the state police in Texas this morning and I had to go down to the police station,” he told me. “
My uncle and aunt were killed in a car crash on their way home.”

  “Oh Tony, I am so sorry,” I said, hugging him tighter.

  “Looking at the pictures to identify them was horrible. The car you saw leaving was a lawyer,” he said, and the tears became harder.

  With no words to console him, to help make it easier, I held him tight until he felt ready to talk. I know exactly how he felt, because I had gone through it myself. I wanted to be here for him to comfort him because when my parents died, I had to get through it alone and I wasn’t going to let Tony be alone. My parents had been on their way home from Portland when a car sideswiped them. My mother was decapitated and my father thrown from the car fifty feet and hit a tree.

  “Apparently, they left a will. The lawyer wants me to go to Portland tomorrow so he can read the contents of it,” he said, looking at me. “I hate to ask you, but could you take me?”

  Kissing the top of his head, he wrapped his arms around me holding me tight. “You don’t have to ask. Of course I’ll take you. What time do you have to be there?”

  “Nine-thirty.”

  “It’s a two-hour drive. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

  “Thank you, Jess. I appreciate this.”

  I stayed with Tony until he fell asleep in the recliner. Quietly, I slipped out of the house and went home.

  Chapter Six

  Before seven in the morning, I was knocking on Tony’s door with no answer so I knocked louder. He came to the door, wiping sleep from his eyes reminding me of a big teddy bear. “Are you ready to go to Portland?”

  “Be right there,” he said.

  Watching him walk to the hall and disappear, I went back to my car waiting for him to come out of the house. Wearing a tight fitting polo shirt, his masculinity shone through reminding me of the night we made love. In the car, he turned on the radio. Okay, he wasn’t up for talking. Driving to the outskirts of Portland I asked, “Where do I need to take you?”

  Pulling a business card from his back pocket he read, “Styles and Son Law Firm.” The address for the law firm happened to be easy to find since I was familiar with Portland.

  “I’ll meet you at the café around the corner when you’re done,” I said and walked to it. Before taking my first sip, Tony walked into the café, saw me and came over to the table with a surprised look. The waitress came up to take his order. “He’s fine,” I answered for him. “What is it, bad news? Good news? Why are you back so soon? Are you okay?” Every question rolled off my tongue.

  “My aunt and uncle left me the house, all the contents and five million dollars.”

  “Wow! What are you going to do?” I asked.

  “I haven’t decided and the funds won’t be available for another week. It does, however, give me more time to be with you,” he said, taking his flask from his back pocket, quickly took a drink and placed it beside him on the bench.

  The waitress came back over to the table with the coffee pot. Putting my hand over the top, indicating I didn’t care for anymore. Finishing my coffee, Tony and I headed back to Mayville. The drive was better going home. Tony, whose spirits had lifted, kept looking at car lots as we drove past.

  “I didn’t realize they were so fond of me.”

  “Apparently they were,” agreeing with him.

  “Do you think you can pull into that car lot?” he asked, pointing up the road.

  “You’re going to buy a car?” I asked pulling into a BMW dealership.

  He did need one and I was pretty sure his feet were getting tired of walking while I was at work.

  The car salesman greeted us before we got out of the car. Just like a car salesman, I thought. “What can I do for you today? Any particular car in mind?” he asked, grinning from ear to ear. The car salesman walked us all over the lot. Being a nurse you’d have thought I was used to a lot of walking, but today my feet where killing me.

  Tony picked out a BMW 335is Coupe, metallic blue with a sunroof, a beautiful car. He told the salesman he’d be back in a week to pick it up. The salesman gave him his business card shaking Tony’s hand.

  Tony stayed quiet until we reached Mayville city limits then looked over at me and smiled.

  “What?”

  “I was thinking about moving here,” he said.

  “Here? Why? This is such a boring town. You might not find enough to do in a small town,” I said, smiling.

  Grabbing my hand he intertwined our fingers together. “I think I can find a lot to do,” kissing the back of my hand. “But, I do need to go to Davenport and get my affairs taken care of. You know, put my house on the market and have my things shipped here. I shouldn’t be gone for more than a week,” he said.

  “When will you be leaving?” I asked.

  “I was thinking about leaving in the morning. The sooner I get this done, the sooner I’ll be back near you,” he said, kissing my hand again.

  Picking up my cell phone from the console, Tony called the airport to reserve a seat for the earliest flight tomorrow morning. Laying the phone back in the console he intertwined our fingers, leaned over and kissed my cheek.

  Glancing down at the gas gauge, my car needed gas, so I stopped at the Gas-n-Go to fill up. Tony waited in the car.

  The clerk, a black-haired nineteen year old boy called ‘Max” according to his name tag, whom I’ve never seen smile, always acted like it was a bother for you to be in the store, but not today, he acted like he had a chip on his shoulder, but different. He was a weird kid. I hurried and paid for my gas and went back to my car. Before leaving the gas pumps I looked up to see him staring straight at the car and his stare gave me the darn right creeps.

  Dropping Tony off at his house he said, “See you in a bit.”

  “See you!”

  Tony brought a photo album over, full of pictures of his aunt and uncle showing me their trips to Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana.

  “I called my mother today and broke the news about Uncle Rick and Aunt Jan. She’s very upset and wants me to visit her in England soon. I told her I had things to do here, but I would as soon as I could. If I decide to go, would you go with me?” he asked.

  He didn’t beat around the bush about anything, just like me.

  “Tony, I don’t know. Besides, I have a job I can’t leave just like that,” I said, snapping my fingers.

  “It won’t be right away and I wasn’t going until spring, but I would love for you to go with me and meet my parents. My mother would love you the minute she met you because you are a lot like her.”

  “What about your father?” I asked. After all he was a vampire, and I had never seen or even been around one.

  “He would be happy for me no matter what I did. So, what do you think? Will you at least consider it?” he said, making his smooth lips frown.

  “I was thinking about my vacation not too long ago and I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but I will think about it for you, okay?”

  Tony placed the photo album on the stand beside the sofa, turned to face me, pulling me close to him, lightly kissing my neck bringing me into a passionate mood requiring the bedroom. “I don’t want you leaving,” I said with a raspy voice and chills running up my back.

  Tony laughed, picked me up in his arms and flew to the bedroom lightly kissing my neck. Gently laying me on the bed, he said, “Let’s not think about that now. We’re here together, just you and me, and that’s all we need,” and the kisses intensified on my neck.

  Lying on the bed catching our breath, he said, “I have an early flight in the morning. Could you be so kind as to take me to the airport?” he asked.

  “I’ll be more than happy to.” I said still panting.

  “I better go and pack for my trip.”

  Tony leaned over and kissed me before getting up to leave.

  Lying back on my bed, thinking how I didn’t want him to leave, but he did need to get his affairs squared away in Davenport. My last thought before I fell into a deep sleep was that Tony was going to be liv
ing here beside me, and it gave me a sense of security.

  In the morning, I took Tony to the airport. Before boarding the plane, he hugged me tight and kissed me. “I’ll be back in a couple of days.”

  “I know.” I said.

  “A week at the most, but I don’t want to leave you alone that long. I’ll call you tonight,” he said, and headed down the ramp to take his seat on the plane.

  “Call when you get in and I’ll pick you up,” hoping he heard me.

  Standing at the window in the terminal, I watched the plane take off with tears coming to my eyes. I didn’t want Tony leaving, but I knew he had to get his affairs straightened out in Davenport so he could move down here. Wiping the tears, I went to my car.

  Since I had nothing to do, I went to Miller’s Diner. Sitting in my usual booth, I looked out the window and pictured Tony walking up to the diner, meeting him for the first time, and being afraid he was the burglar. I had to laugh to myself.

  A new waitress I had never seen before came over to my table.

  The diner changed hands so often it was hard to tell who was who, except for Malinda. She was the only waitress who had been there the longest, going on three years.

  “May I get you something to drink?” the waitress asked, in a southern voice.

  “Coffee will be fine, black. Thanks,” I said, and turned back to the window.

  The waitress brought me my coffee.

  I sat there thinking about MaryAnn and Sharon and already missing Tony. When will the burglaries come to an end? Finishing my coffee, I decided to go by the police department. Officer Sean sitting at the desk behind the counter looked up when I came in. “Hi Jessica, what can I do for you today?” he asked, getting up from his seat and heading to the counter.

  “My neighbor will be gone for a few days and I’m a bit uneasy being by myself with the burglaries. Could you have an officer patrol my house?”

  “Sure, I’ll have Hank patrol every hour on the hour,” he said, putting his elbows up on the counter.