Dhampir Secrets

by Lewis, Shirlee

  “Have you been to see about getting your car?” I asked, remembering that he had ordered one.

  “No, I haven’t. I’ve been busy taking care of you, sweetie,” he said, grabbing my hand and intertwining our fingers.

  “When will you get to Portland to check on it?” I asked.

  “I’ll get around to it, but there’s no rush, you won’t be able to drive for a while. While you were asleep I went to Portland, paid for my car and the dealership is holding it for me.”

  “At least you had a chance to get that done.”

  Malinda was on duty when we arrived at the diner and happy to see Tony and me together. “How are you feeling,” she asked, sitting my coffee down.

  “I’m much better. Tony has done a wonderful job of nursing me back to health,” I said, smiling at him.

  “Tony, when we get back, I’d like to see my house?”

  “You’ve been talking about it in your sleep. Cleaning and missing it but let’s wait until the morning. We’ll go after breakfast, okay?”

  I nodded yes.

  Getting back to Tony’s, I stood on the porch looking at my house, thinking the morning wouldn’t get here fast enough.

  In the morning after breakfast, as Tony promised, we walked to my house nervous for fear of the mess waiting for me. Tony opened the door with a huge smile on his face. A television and stereo were in the living room. “These aren’t mine!”

  “I replaced them and the microwave.”

  “Thank you, but you didn’t have to,” giving Tony a kiss and hug.

  “I know I didn’t. I wanted to.”

  Slowly I went to the hall expecting to see blood everywhere, but it was clean. Making my way to my bedroom, knowing this was the messiest room of all, I was shocked to find it clean. “Who cleaned?” I asked, turning to look at Tony.

  “I did. I didn’t want you to come home to a dirty house and reliving the nightmare.”

  “My bathroom, you clean it, too?”

  “I sure did. I wanted everything spotless before you came home because you deserve a clean house. I scrubbed while you slept.”

  “How can I ever repay you for all that you have done?” I asked.

  “You don’t. I’m happy to do it for you.”

  Grabbing Tony in my arms, I flung myself on him, wrapping my legs around his waist and kissing every square inch of his face until I reached his lips. Tony walked us over to the bed.

  Tony pulled my shirt over my head with his eyes glowing and said, “It’s been to long Jess,” and went straight to my neck.

  Home felt good after being at Tony’s. The way it was before Tony came into my life, but I couldn’t see spending my life without him now.

  Doctor Lucas called to check on me. I was ready to get back to work, but he wouldn’t release me until he examined me so I made the appointment to see him the next day.

  The silence in my house was deafening so I walked over to Tony’s, but he wasn’t home. I turned to go back home bumping into him and he had the saddest look in his eyes. “Are you all right?” I asked.

  “No, I’m not,” he said, hanging his head.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Let’s go inside,” he said walking into his house.

  Sitting in the armchair, I waited for Tony to tell me what was going on.

  “Jess, I don’t know how to say this, so I’ll just go ahead and say it,” he said looking toward the wall.

  I sat quietly waiting for him to continue.

  “My father called, he needs me to return to England.”

  “Why?” I asked nearly in tears.

  “He’s having a problem and needs my help.”

  “How long are you going to be gone?”

  “That I don’t know,” he said with sadness.

  “Well, can’t he take care of the problem without you?”

  “It’s complicated Jess.”

  “Well….well….I guess if you have to go. When are you leaving?”

  “Tonight and I don’t want to leave you.”

  Getting up from the chair, I went to Tony wrapping my arms around him tight. “I don’t want you to leave,” I whispered.

  “Jess, if there was any way around this, I wouldn’t go, but….”

  “But you’re needed in England.”

  Tony nodded.

  “Well, I guess that’s that,” hugging him tighter.

  Tony wouldn’t tell me what the problem was; just that he had to go and help his father without knowing when he was coming back, so I had no choice but to accept the fact Tony was leaving.

  “Jess, if I could take you with me, I would in a heartbeat, but….”

  “You have to go alone and I have to work.”

  Tony nodded.

  A car horn honked outside.

  Getting up I looked out the door to see a yellow cab at the curb.

  “You’re leaving now?”

  “Jess, believe me when I say, “I’m going to miss you so much. Be safe and know, I will think of you every day.”

  “Can you at least call me and let me know how you are?”

  “Sweetie,” Tony stood up, wrapped his arms around me continuing, “Where I’m going there’s no cell tower. To answer your question, it will be impossible to call.”

  Leaning my head against his chest the tears started with no way of turning them off.

  “Jess, look at me.”

  I looked up at Tony.

  “I promise, if I get a chance to call I will.”

  The cab honked again.

  “I have to go.”

  Tony leaned down and kissed me long and hard. Wrapping my arms around his neck, squeezing as tight as I could to prolong the kiss, but Tony reached up, took my arms from around his neck and said, “Be careful Sweetie.”

  Tony picked up his suitcase and I followed him outside. Opening the cab door, he placed his suitcase on the seat and sat down.

  “Tony!”

  Tony looked at me.

  “I’m going to miss you too,” I said.

  Tony smiled, blew me a kiss, and closed the door. The cab pulled away from the curb and I ran to the middle of the street in time for Tony to glance out the back window. Tony looked to have a tear in his eye. I watched as the cab turned onto the highway. Tony was headed to England.

  Slowly walking back to my house, I turned to see if maybe, hoping, Tony had forgot something and was coming back, but all I saw was an empty road and trees. Wrapping my arms around myself, I sat on my porch looking toward Tony’s house and then I cried harder. How was I going to live without him until he returned? When was he coming back? I missed Tony.

  The sun setting brought a chill and I decided to go inside. Before I closed the front door, I glanced at his house hoping he would walk out the front door, but all I saw were closed curtains making the house look cold and lonely without an ounce of life.

  Inside, I took my cell phone from the counter and every once in a while I opened it to see if, maybe, I had missed a call from him, nothing. Taking my phone to the bathroom, I laid it on the counter while I took my bath and then I took it with me to bed thinking Tony surely would call me when he was in England, but in the morning no word from him.

  Doctor Lucas released me to go back to work starting Monday. I would have been fine with it if it wasn’t Wednesday. I went straight to the tenth floor to Mr. King’s office.

  “Jess, it’s good to see you looking like yourself. What can I do for you?”

  “Can I start tomorrow?”

  “You don’t have to start until Monday. I just got off the phone with Doctor Lucas, and he said Monday. Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure,” I said. Under my breathe I mumbled, “The sooner the better.”

  “Okay,” Mr. King said throwing up his hands. “I’ll let Michelle know you’ll be back tomorrow. Wanda on five is taking tomorrow off so Michelle can fill in for her. Is everything fine?”

  “It couldn’t be better,” smiling stiffly. “I miss work,
and I’m eager to get back.”

  “See you in the morning.”

  In the morning I got up around seven, my usual time and smiled all the way to work. Tony hadn’t called, and I tried to stop worrying about him, without success.

  Back at the nurse station, I sat down in my old chair, turned on the monitors for Mr. Wilson and Mrs. Fairfax’s room. All was quiet and it was the longest twelve hours I’d ever worked, but it felt right to be back on the tenth floor.

  Mike stepped off the elevator, noticed me and said, “Hey Jess, glad to have you back at work,” with a huge smile.

  “Glad to be back. I missed this,” I said, looking around the nurse station.

  “We missed you. How are the ribs?” he asked, putting down his coat.

  “They are as good as new. I’ll see you in the morning,” I said, grabbing my coat and purse.

  Christmas lights were strung all over the lobby of the hospital. The Christmas tree was lit up. Standing in the lobby looking at the tree, I decided I wanted one. I haven’t put a tree up since my parents passed away. Christmas wasn’t the same for me as it was for everyone else. Tonight I wanted a tree.

  Mr. Green’s Christmas tree lot was located on the other side of town from my house. It took me ten minutes to get there. Mr. Green helped me find the perfect tree. He put it on top of my car and tied it down. When I got home, I struggled to get the tree off my car, I couldn’t help but laugh. Finally getting it down, I dragged it into the house. I went to the spare bedroom to get my mother’s decorations and tree stand from the closet. I moved the sofa from in front of the picture window and set the tree up.

  Opening the box, I found an ornament lying on top, a brass Christmas tree holding a picture of my father, my mother, and me, hanging it at eye level in the front. It was the last picture taken before they passed away.

  The hospital’s Christmas party was Friday evening. We had drawn names out of a box to buy a gift for. I ended up with Mark Malone’s. Mark was thirty years old. He was the janitor for the third floor morning shift of the hospital. Not knowing what he liked, I bought him a dark blue tie with stars on it.

  Watching him open it made me smile. He was so happy to have a tie you would have thought it was his first. He got up from his seat and came over to where I was standing by the bar.

  “Would you like a drink?” he asked.

  “No thank you, Mark. I don’t drink.” Tonight wasn’t the night I wanted small talk. I wanted to be alone, I was missing Tony. “Excuse me,” I said, and went to get my coat.

  Slipping out of the party early, I went home. Thinking about Tony had me sad again, he had been gone a week, and I missed him dearly.

  I didn’t have to work in the morning so I went to my car. I ended up driving to Portland stopping at Marshall’s Discount Mart to pick up household items I was running low on.

  I drove back to Mayville arriving at the town limits around one in the morning. Turning onto my street, I drove slowly in front of Tony’s house. With no sign of life, I went home.

  Chapter Nine

  Mark Malone was starting to get on my nerves because for a solid week every time I turned around, he was grinning at me and the only relief I got from him was my days off. I’m never mean to anyone so I would smile back and go on about my business.

  Hearing the elevator doors open, I looked up from the desk to see who was coming and I should have known: Mark Malone.

  “Can I help you?” I asked when he got to the desk.

  I was wondering if you’d have lunch with me?” he asked, leaning on the counter.

  “No thank you Mark.” I said, trying to be polite.

  I watched him walk back to the elevator, turn around and wave. I half-smiled thinking, will this guy get the hint I wasn’t interested in him.

  Mark Malone was sitting by the coke machine when I walked into the cafeteria, he waved for me to join him at his table, but I acted as if I hadn’t seen him. In the cafeteria line, I ordered a salad and tea, walked over to the table by the window and focused my attention toward the mountains while I ate. Taking a bite of my salad, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Mark gathering up his lunch and heading over to my table. He pulled out a chair and sat down.

  Is there a reason you’re at my table?” I asked.

  His cheeks turning a light pink and then he said, “I’d like to know if you’ll go bowling with me Friday night. Its midnight bowling and they turn off the lights. You bowl in the dark. It will be a lot of fun.”

  “Mark, I know about midnight bowling, but I have plans Friday.”

  “It’s not a date or anything like that,” he said. “If you’re seeing someone, I understand. I just thought you’d like to bowl.”

  “I don’t think so, Mark, but thanks for asking.”

  Mark quickly thought of another solution. “I bowl on a league, and we’re in need of another person. The league starts in a couple of weeks. It’s a twelve-week league. Would you be interested?” Mark asked.

  “Mark, I don’t think so, but thanks for asking,” I said feeling like a parrot.

  Not giving up he said, “If you change your mind, just let me know. You know where to find me.”

  Mark left to put his lunch tray away and I rolled my eyes.

  After lunch, I went back to work. Mr. Wilson was being moved to standard care on the second floor because his cancer was in remission and Mrs. Fairfax’s family had moved her to a hospital in another state to be closer to them. The floor now empty of patients made the time pass slowly. I spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on paperwork.

  My last day at work before my four days off, I stopped by the diner to visit Malinda. A waitress I didn’t recognize was working. “Where’s Malinda?” I asked.

  “She took the night off.” She said in an irritating backwoods accent.

  “Thanks.” I left the diner.

  I drove to Malinda’s, noticed her lights on so I stopped. Malinda was coming out of her house as I was getting out of my car.

  “Hey Malinda, did I come at a bad time?” I asked.

  “I was going to visit Mike. Would you like to come?”

  “I don’t want to intrude.”

  “You won’t be intruding. He bought a scary movie and asked me to watch it with him. I know how you like them.”

  “Are you sure it’s okay?” I asked.

  “I’m sure, Mike won’t mind at all. Come on, Jess it’ll be fun,” she said, encouragingly.

  Deciding to join them, I drove my car so I could leave from Mike’s once the movie was over. On the drive to Mike’s I thought of Tony. I missed everything I knew about him. His face, his voice and his smile, but as the weeks crept by I found it harder to remember.

  Arriving at Mike’s, I waited until Malinda pulled up and got out of her car before I got out of mine. Meeting her on the porch, we went inside.

  Mike’s house was simple; a sofa, coffee table and television, a regular bachelor’s pad. Mike was coming from the kitchen and smiled when Malinda and I walked in.

  “Hey Jess, I didn’t know you were coming,” he said.

  “I invited her, Mike. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “The more the merrier.”

  Mike and Malinda sat on the sofa. I sat on the floor leaning up against the sofa. The movie didn’t scare me at all.

  Frankenstein would pop his head out from behind a building and people would scream. Malinda jumped every time his face appeared or she saw a shadow. It was more for Mike’s benefit so she could grab him. When the movie was over, I said my goodbye’s and headed home.

  Before I turned down my street, I turned my headlights off. Driving past Tony’s house I did my best not to look. But naturally, I looked. Was I ever going to see him again?

  Slowly opening my car door, I hesitated. Staring at his house, trying hard to remember his smile, his hard skin, the way he walked, the way he looked at me and his voice when tears flowed down my cheeks, Was I losing Tony? Placing my hands to my face I let the tears g
o. I don’t know how long I sat in my car.

  “Jess,” I heard Tony say softly.

  I looked up and saw Tony standing in front of me. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I focused on his voice.

  “Jess, are you alright?” I heard him ask.

  Standing up from the seat wiping my tears and trying to focus, I looked where I heard his voice, but I was the only one here. Looking around I didn’t see him and his house was dark. Closing my door, I walked up to my porch, looked back over at his house, nothing had changed. Going inside I went straight to the sofa and cried. Tonight, I was missing Tony.

  Tony arrived in England around seven in the morning. His mother waiting beside the limo asked, “Tony, dear how was the trip?” giving Tony a hug.

  “I forgot how long it was,” Tony laughed. “Where’s father?”

  “He’s waiting for you at the blood bank.”

  Jason, limo driver/butler, drove Tony and Jennifer to the blood bank. Jennifer stayed in the limo. Jason would drive her to the mansion.

  “Mother, I need to visit with you later tonight.”

  “What about, dear?”

  “A change in my life.”

  Tony closed the door and watched the limo drive away. Before entering the building, Tony, putting his hands in his pockets, looked toward London thinking about how much he missed Jessica, but needing this time away to understand his feeling’s and to make sure he was making the right decision.

  He took his cell phone out of his pocket. Opening it looked at Jessica’s name and number. Closing his phone, he walked inside.

  “Son, I’m glad you’re here. Your mother told me yesterday you were coming. Let’s sit and have a bag,” Victor motioned toward his office.

  Victor and Tony entered the office closing the door. Victor walked over to an icebox sitting in the corner, grabbed two bags of blood and handed one to Tony.

  “How has Canada been treating you?”

  “I haven’t been in Canada. I’ve been in Mayville.”

  Victor took a drink, “You’re mother told me of Rick and Jan’s passing. What do you plan on doing with the house now you’ve inherited it?”