by Cd Hussey
"What can I get for ya?"
"Do you have any wine back there," Julia glanced at the nametag pinned to the bartender's white shirt, "Cindi?" The 'i's had hearts instead of dots.
"Sure do." Cindi spun on her heels and grabbed a couple small bottles from a low shelf at the back of the bar. She held them up. "Chardonnay or Merlot?"
The single serving wines were not Julia's favorites, but unless she wanted to drop in at Luxure and have some more of that amazing Pinot Noir (tempting but probably a bad idea), she had no business being picky. "The Merlot is perfect, thank you."
Cindi pulled out a wine glass and unscrewed the wine bottle. "So what brings you to N'Orleans?" she asked as she poured the burgundy liquid into the glass.
"Work conference. I'm here for the week."
"Did'ya just get here?"
"No. I got in on Sunday."
Cindi slid the glass to Julia. "Havin' a good time?"
Julia took a sip of the wine. It was better than she expected and definitely hit the spot. "Um..." She swallowed an oversized gulp and had to clear her throat to keep from coughing. "Yeah, I am."
Cindi laughed. "That didn't sound very convincing."
Julia didn't think she was that transparent. She was having a good time, or trying to. "No I really have. It's just, well, there's been a lot of strange things happening."
Cindi laughed again. Her laugh was husky but inviting. "Girl, you don't know the half of it. I started workin' down here about 10 years ago, and I've never seen so much crazy shit."
Julia hadn't come down to socialize, but Cindi's easy demeanor changed her mind. "Like what?"
"Shit, ghosts, crazy voodoo stuff, vampires..."
That definitely peaked Julia's interest. "Vampires? Really?
"There's a whole freakin' clan of them down here. You know that girl that was found dead this morning?"
"The one that was drained of blood? Yeah, it's got me a little spooked."
"Well, she's like the third one they've found like that in the last two years."
Third, like in three? That didn't help ease Julia's mind. At all. "Wow. Really?" Didn't the NOPD suspect a serial killer or something? The paper had been so blasé about it.
"Ah, don't let it scare ya, girl. Most of the ones they find dead like that are obviously into some freaky stuff. You don't have anything to worry 'bout."
Because nice, normal girls didn't go for vampires or patronize their bars. Where did that put Julia? She wasn't sure anymore. She never had been.
"So, do you believe in vampires?"
"Well I can't say for sure, but it wouldn't surprise me. Like I said earlier, I seen the craziest shit since I started workin' down here. And I know there's a bar where they all hang out over by the cathedral somewhere."
"I think I stumbled into it last night."
Julia did want to talk to someone about Armand and La Luxure. Cindi was easy to chat with, but more importantly, unlike Clare, she was a neutral spectator and already believed in vampires.
"Shit. You did?"
Julia nodded. "I mean, if there was a bar for vampires this was it."
"What was it like?"
"Kinda what you'd expect, I guess. The people were all gorgeous and slinky and the music was dark and sexy. The bartender was kind of an asshole, but I actually had a pretty good time, and I met this guy-"
"Oh girl! You met a vampire? No wonder you're spooked."
"Well, I can't say for sure he's a vampire," Julia said with an awkward chuckle. "I mean, I don't know that I even believe in vampires."
"But you can't say for sure that he isn't."
No. She couldn't. "It's so ridiculous..."
"Not in New Orleans. I told you, if it's crazy, it's in the Quarter." Cindi winked. "So, what's this guy like? Is he cute?"
Julia twirled the wine in her glass before taking a drink. She wasn't trying to release any bouquets or anything, but it gave her something to do with her hands.
"Absolutely, completely, drool worthy," she said.
"What's he look like?"
"Tall and built, with a few tattoos and some piercings. He's got longish brown hair that's a little curly, and he's pale, of course, with these sexy, full lips and gorgeous, hazel eyes." The image of Armand standing in the cemetery flashed in her mind, wool coat hugging his broad shoulders. With perfect clarity she saw him watching her with his multicolored gaze, a lazy smile on those perfectly kissable lips, his fangs just peeking out at the corners. "Mmmmmph," she finished, shaking off a shudder and clamping her legs against the moist warmth pooling at her core.
Cindi laughed. "Oh, girl, you better be careful. He does sound delicious." Her black liquid lined eyes grew serious and they landed on Julia with concerned intensity. "But do you think he's dangerous?"
Did she? There was certainly an air of danger about Armand. But Julia couldn't tell if it was a suck every ounce of fluid from your body until you're nothing but a pale shell of a woman danger, or a break your heart danger. She wanted to think it was the latter. "I don't know," she answered instead. "I mean, he's never done anything to indicate he would hurt me." And he hadn't. Besides some weird quirks, scary long teeth, and Julia's over-active imagination, Armand hadn't given her a reason to fear him. But just because he hadn't killed Eve didn't make him safe. After all, Eve was the third blood-drained murder victim. That meant there'd been two others.
"Well, just trust your instincts. I once fell in love with this gorgeous biker. Tall like your boy, long blond hair, tattoos. He'd just gotten out of prison for killin' a man in a bar fight, but I wasn't fazed. And the first time he laid his hands on me, my gut told me to get the hell out, but I didn't listen. Two years and many broken bones later, I finally left him, but it wasn't easy."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Hey, just remember that when you're hooking up with this guy. If any time your inside voice is telling you to run, listen to it. I love a bad boy too, but a pretty girl like you's got to be careful. There's no shortage of men, sweetheart. Never forget that."
Julia smiled and sipped her wine. Maybe there wasn't a shortage of available men, but there definitely seemed to be a shortage of interesting ones.
As a yawn slipped out of her mouth, Julia struggled to cover it. The wine was working its magic. "Hey Cindi, can I get my tab?" she asked just as two, twenty-something guys that looked like they just stepped out of the frat-house walked in.
"Hey boys? How's it going?" Cindi called as she set a few napkins down. "Don't worry about it," she said to Julia in a quiet voice. "I think you're covered." She jerked her chin at the visors and tossed a quick wink at Julia. "What drinks can I fill ya up with?" she said loudly, and Julia took the opportunity to slip from the bar.
Regardless of who ended up paying, she went ahead and tossed a ten on the bar and headed through the French doors to the courtyard. She responded to the, "Hey, don't run off!" comment from one of the men with a simple "Good-night", and ignored the responses that followed. Her pillow was calling, and she had enough to think about without dwelling on a few juvenile comments.
Chapter Seven
Smoke from a fog machine hung like thick mist over Luxure's dance floor, casting shrouds of white over undulating dancers. Julia lounged on one of the luxurious black sofas that bordered the room, her head swimming in a languid, red sea.
A strobe light blinked, making the dancers' smooth movements broken and stilted. From across the room, she watched as Armand came towards her. Even in the flashing pulses of light, his stride was sensual, graceful. He stopped in front of her and she tried to rise.
"Don't," he said. "I want you seated."
It was probably best, since her legs were too heavy to lift her body. Instead she leaned forward, captivated by the bulge of his cock as it strained against his tight leather pants. With a mischievous grin, she glanced up at him in question.
"You may," he said.
Eagerly, she reached her hand forward and palmed the firm length of his cock.
Even through the thick leather, she could feel it throb, begging to be released. Armand's guttural moan was deep in his throat, sounding almost like a growl. He rocked his hips against her hand as she stroked him through his pants.
When she moved to undo the button, he pulled away. "Not just yet. You must have patience."
"But I'm wet with impatience," she pouted, rolling her hips on the couch as her core pulsed in hungry anticipation.
His lips parted in the tiniest of smiles. "I know. I can smell you."
Slowly, he lowered to his knees. She parted her legs for him as he inched up the skirt of her silky red dress. "These," he breathed, hooking his fingers under the edge of her panties, "have to go." With a quick tug, he tore the fabric free.
She gasped as the cool air hit her overheated loins. Pushing her hips towards the edge of the couch and her knees further apart, she eagerly waited for whatever was coming next.
The sexual energy in the room had grown exponentially, and it wasn't only coming from Julia and Armand. It oozed from the other vampires as they gathered in a semi-circle: watching, grinding, waiting. Spreading through the bar, it mixed with the fog, creating a thick blanket of lust and desire.
Julia couldn't be bothered to care if a dozen or a hundred people watched. She focused her eyes on Armand. With a devilish smirk, he shoved her legs as far apart as they would go. Slowly his mouth opened and a long, thick tongue rolled out. He dove for her, thrusting his tongue into her until she was completely filled.
She came immediately, the pleasure waves peaking and then never quite dying as he slowly fucked her with his tongue. He had her pressed firmly into the back of the sofa, the muscles of her inner thighs stretching and straining as he pushed against her knees. She rode the orgasm as long as she could, rocking her hips with the endless surge of electricity that convulsed through her body.
Once, she managed to crack open an eye. The dancing in the bar had turned to fucking. The 1940's pin-up girl stood in a black velvet dress, her pert breasts exposed while one man devoured her neck, and another was on his knees before her. The giant bartender was bending an onyx haired girl over the bar. A slim, androgynous man was getting his dick sucked by a similarly androgynous man. The bar was thick with sex and even if Julia wanted to take more of it in, she couldn't as Armand's huge tongue caressed her G-spot and she came again.
She was panting when he finally slid his tongue from her. Releasing her legs, he rose slowly, the tongue retracting until it resumed normal size. "Now," he said as he unzipped his pants and freed his cock. Taking a handful of hair, he jerked her head back, exposing her neck. "It's my turn." Sinking his teeth and cock into her at the same time, the room exploded with blinding light as every nerve in her body was electrified.
* * *
Lying in a pool of sweat, Julia awoke with a start. Her body was on fire, perspiration oozing from every pore. "Jesus," she muttered, shoving the comforter aside and crawling out of bed. She had to get these fantasies under control. Not only were they cluttering her mind with their ridiculousness, they certainly weren't helping ease her sexual frustration.
She padded to the bathroom, splashed water on her overheated face, and then wiped down her skin with a cool, damp washcloth. She stared at her image in the mirror for a long time. What was wrong with her? Instead of being terrified of Armand like any sane person, she was dreaming about vampire sex and running around like a horny teenage boy. Why was she so obsessed with him and the strange world he lived in? Why couldn't she just go to the police like a normal person, do her civic duty in assisting the authorities with finding Melissa Schwartz's killer, and move on?
Julia sighed. There was no point trying to decipher all the strange things she did right now. It was late and she was exhausted. After drinking a large glass of water, she headed back to bed and climbed onto the dry side.
Clamping her eyes shut, Julia tried to push every sexual impulse deep into her loins where they belonged, and concentrate on falling back asleep. It was an impossible task. She tossed and turned for the rest of the night, unable to turn her brain off. Every weird encounter she'd had in the last few days kept replaying in her mind. From the tarot reading and bartender Cindi's stories, to Luxure and Eve, to her encounter with Armand in the cemetery and then at the café, to the way dread-guy filled her with trepidation; the memories were relentless as they pitted fantasy against reality.
She needed to know the truth, needed to know if she was crazy or if there really was something out there that was more than human. She wouldn't be able to rest until her questions were answered.
* * *
Fighting her way through fatigue and the monotony of the morning speakers, Julia was the first one to pick up her notes and jet out of the conference hall. She'd deliberately sat near the exit so she could make a quick escape at lunch.
Dave caught her just as she was about to sneak out of the hotel lobby. "How are you feeling?" he wondered as he jogged up to her.
She clutched her stomach in an automated response. "Better. Thanks."
"Do you want to get some lunch?"
"I'd love to, but I've got to run some errands." The look on his face told her he knew she was blowing him off. Again.
God, she hated being so rude. Didn't she tell herself yesterday when she'd blown him off the second time that she'd try to be more social? So he'd been weird about Armand. She couldn't really expect anything different from him. Generally speaking, engineers were conservative by nature. Every guy she worked with in Alton would have regarded Armand the same way Dave had, and she would've shrugged it off. Why should Dave be any different?
And wasn't she the one freaking out about Armand's humanity and questioning whether or not he was safe? Pots could not call kettles black.
Rude or not, she desperately needed to get down to the Square. There were too many unanswered questions that she was pretty sure a certain fortune teller had the answers to. There was no reason to be a complete bitch though.
"I'm going to the parade tonight," she told him. "Why don't you and Mike and Beth join me?"
That perked him up. "There's a parade?"
"Yeah, a Halloween parade. The route isn't far from here."
"That sounds fun. Do you want to get dinner first?"
Actually, she just wanted to grab a piece of pizza and chill in her room for a while. "Unfortunately, I've got an obligatory check-in call with my sister that's bound to take at least an hour." That wasn't a complete lie. She was planning on calling Clare. "The parade starts at 7:30. Why don't we hook up for drinks first?"
"Sure. Want to meet at Pat O'Brien's?"
Julia clutched at her stomach again, this time with a grimace. "Um..."
"No more Hurricane's for you, eh?"
She gave him a half-cocked smile. "If I never have another Hurricane I will die a happy woman."
Dave laughed. "Well, okay then. Hmmm," he tapped his freshly shaven chin. "How does the Absinthe Tavern suit you?"
"Perfect. I've always wanted to try Absinthe."
"Great. See you at 6?"
"Sounds good," she said as she headed for the door. "See you then."
It was warmer today than it had been since she arrived in New Orleans. So much so, that even though she'd draped her coat across her arm, she was sweating under her long sleeve shirt as she briskly walked towards the Square. Maybe it was just the humidity. The air was so thick with moisture that even the breeze was stifled.
The Square was bustling with activity. Paintings hung in colorful rows on the wrought iron fence surrounding the central park, and dozens of tables with fortune tellers and caricature artists crowded the stone streets. A brass band played upbeat jazz tunes at the foot of the cathedral. Even in the clutter, she immediately spotted the Rom.
And he her. Their eyes met for one brief second before he turned and started walking in the opposite direction.
What a bunch of bullshit. Shaking her head, Julia jogged after him, weaving through the crowd, dodging children an
d people snapping endless pictures of the iconic church.
"Wait," she called when she was barely 10ft behind him. He didn't slow, and Julia was pretty sure he even kicked his stride up a notch. Well, two could play that game. Lengthening her jog into a sprint, she cut around a group of obese tourists fanning themselves with folded maps of the city while complaining about the heat before skidding to a stop directly in front of the smarmy fortune teller.
He started to turn away. "Please," she begged. "Just talk to me. I have so many questions. I'll pay you."
"I don't want your money. It's tainted."
"What are you talking about?" Julia said exasperated. "I haven't done anything."
Finally, he turned towards her. "But you will. I've seen what you become."
"And what is that?"
"Even to speak of the most unholy act brings bad luck." He shook his head and spit on the ground next to her. "Don't play dumb, you know what you're getting into, I see it in your heart."
"This is ridiculous."
"You know what happened to that girl, don't you? You saw her the night she died."
"How -?"
He smiled at her shocked expression. "I saw it in my tea leaves."
This entire conversation was like a page from some bad sci-fi book.
"Just stay away from me," he said with firm finality, spitting on the ground again. He flashed the "horn" gesture at her, fingers pointed downward, before turning and disappeared into the crowd.
Julia rolled her eyes. So much for getting answers.
She glanced around at the few fortune tellers set up near her. Maybe one of them would share a little insight. Except every time Julia managed to catch their gazes, each and every one immediately, and very deliberately, looked away.
"Fine," she said out loud to them, not caring that she probably looked like a loon since no one was actually looking at her, and she was talking into the air. "Whatever. I'll find my answers somewhere else."
She headed towards the cathedral and sat on one of the metal benches facing the entrance to the massive, off-white church. What a pain in the ass. Couldn't the fortune teller just give her one direct answer? Like, "Aaack, you're going to turn into a vampire!" Or, "You will meet a sexy vampire and fall for him." Or even, "You are a crazy bitch, filled with delusional fantasies about said, sexy vampires." Instead, she got some vague mention of an unholy act. For all she knew, this unholy act could be sex before marriage or a hit off a bong.