by Cd Hussey
"Sounds good. Let's go." She started to turn, but he grabbed her arm. It was the first time he'd ever touched her, and heat rushed to the space beneath his fingers.
"Not so fast," he said, but she barely heard him. All she could think about was how good his flesh felt against hers, and how wet having his fingers wrapped around her arm was making her.
Maybe she was drunk. She shouldn't be this turned on from such an innocent touch.
"It's still very early," he was saying. "The Cell isn't even open yet. Why don't we enjoy the parade and head out afterwards?" His voice was this melodic drone in her ears that made her want snuggle into his arm and just listen to him purr.
"Julia?" He squeezed her arm, and her eyes snapped open in surprise. She didn't even realize they'd been closed.
He was looking at her curiously. "I'm sorry," she said in a self-conscious mumble. "I just spaced off. Your voice is very soothing."
He grinned again and slowly released her, trailing his fingers down her arm in a tingling caress. "You did hear me though?"
She glanced at the ground, embarrassed that she was acting like a star-struck schoolgirl. Again. "Yeah, Cell, too early, not open, stay and watch the parade."
He actually chuckled. "That's good to hear." He glanced towards Dave and the others. "Why don't you socialize with your colleagues for a bit."
"You aren't leaving?"
"No. I'll be right here. But if you want to be cordial, interacting with them might be a good idea."
She flushed. "Of course." Stepping up the curb, she headed back to the huddle that was Dave, Mike, and Beth. Pausing just before she reached them, she glanced over her shoulder towards Armand. "Stay," she mouthed, flicking her finger at him.
Wearing a broad smile, he held up his hands in surrender. She laughed, and joined the waiting and watching trio. "Cheers," she said when she reached them, holding her cup of milky green alcohol high. "What a great parade."
Beth met her cup enthusiastically, but the men were more reluctant. Dave had barely taken his eyes off Armand, who now had his back to them.
"So what's with your buddy?" Mike asked.
"Armand?"
"Sure. Whatever."
"He's just a friend of mine that lives down here. We were supposed to meet up later to go to this bar." She was surprised how smoothly the lie came out. This trip was making a decent liar out of her. She wasn't sure if she liked that or not.
"I didn't expect to see him here though," she continued, her words high and bright. "It was a nice surprise." The encounter with Armand had left her beaming and Julia was unable to keep the giddiness from her voice, even as she tried to subdue it.
"Which bar?" Dave wondered.
"The Cell. It's a Goth bar." She assumed. "But you guys are welcome to join us if you like." Julia tried to put enough emphasis on the word Goth to discourage them.
Mike wasn't keen on the idea. "Hmmmph."
Unfortunately, Beth was. "Oh, that sounds awesome. What a great way to spend Halloween." She leaned into Mike, pressing her hand against his chest. "C'mon, it'll be fun."
"Yeah, I'll go," Dave piped in. Julia was pretty sure her smile was turning into a grimace. This wasn't exactly working the way she hoped.
Reluctantly, Mike nodded in concurrence. "Okay fine. Goth bar. Sounds great." He rolled his eyes and took a long drink of beer. "Can we watch this fucking parade now?"
Chapter Ten
The mismatched group stood on the Decatur sidewalk until the last of the floats and brass bands had sauntered by and a police car brought up the rear. Armand stood separate from them, a few feet back and on Julia's right. She and Beth stood at the face of the curb, Mike and Dave crowded behind them.
A couple of times during the parade she tried to move closer to Armand, but Dave always managed to step between them, usually under the guise of reaching for tossed beads. She eventually gave up, resolving to simply enjoy the moment as it was. Every so often she'd glance back to make sure Armand was still there and he always was, his gaze ready to meet hers. In spite of the distance between them, there was an undeniable connection. Words were unnecessary, and with a few lingering glances, a knowing smile, and the occasional wink, they were able to have a complete, albeit silent conversation.
Once the parade finally passed, there was a strange vacuum in energy that was painfully apparent even with the chorus of drunken shouts. The crowds broke up, and people spilled onto the street. Curb to curb was lined with abandoned and broken beads, discarded plastic cups, and other dirty, crumpled throws.
Julia wrinkled her nose. One thing she detested was litter. "What a mess."
"It is a waste isn't it," Armand concurred. The moment the crowd had dissipated, he moved closer to her, pushing through the thick tension clogging the air between Dave, Mike and himself. "The city sweeps it, and I wouldn't take throws away from our parades, but it's such a waste of resources."
So, Armand was an environmentally conscious vampire. She supposed he had an even greater interest in preserving the planet than most, considering how long he'd lived. Based on the picture she'd seen in the museum, he was at least 100 years old.
"Are we headed to this bar or what?" Mike barked.
"Certainly," Armand replied tersely.
"Well, let's go, man. I need a drink."
Sorry. Julia mouthed to Armand. She'd never felt so embarrassed for being associated with a group of people before. It was her fault though. She should have excused herself from the others the moment she'd known she wanted to spend the evening with Armand. She might not blame Mike for being pissed at the forced situation, but he didn't have to be such an ass about it.
Armand led them through the dark French Quarter streets, Beth and Julia at his side, Dave and Mike at least 20 steps behind them. At Julia's request, Armand pointed out historical buildings and points of interest as they passed. He was an excellent tour guide. His deep, strangely accented voice was captivating, and he seemed to know every detail about the city. Every block held something fascinating, but Armand's delicious purr could make even the dullest fact sound mesmerizing. He should host PBS shows or teach boring subjects. Julia could have really used him during some of her college classes. She certainly would have found "Concrete Design" more tolerable - and maybe even gotten a better grade - with Armand behind the podium.
Either that or she would have spent the entire class shooting googly eyes at him and drooling on her notes.
"What is that building?" Beth pointed to a massive light gray building on the corner surrounded by a formidable, solid fence.
"It's the Ursuline Convent." Armand stopped and the women followed his lead. "Do you see how all of the shutters are closed on the top floor?" he said in a slow, quiet voice that drew Julia and Beth closer. "Legend has it, hundreds of years ago, when New Orleans was merely a lowly port city filled with pirates and whores, young women from French convents were sent here to help spread the word of God in our temptuous town. The plan backfired and many of the girls were raped, killed, or something worse." A small smile slid across his face and he cocked his eyebrows. "Their coffins are said to be stored in the attic of the convent, and ever since, the shutters have remained closed.
"They say," he continued in a voice so quiet Julia had to move her ear close to his mouth to hear him. "There are vampires up there."
He would know.
"Who are they?" Beth wondered, her forehead almost touching Julia's.
Armand shrugged. "Legend. Lore. Locals." He tossed a wink at Julia. "Now I don't know about vampires, but this is the south, and it gets damn hot in the summer. Heat builds in an attic. It would make sense to open those shutters to vent it. So either they're trying to keep something out, or keep something in."
"What are you guys staring at?" Mike asked, resting his hand on Beth's shoulder. The moment he touched her, she screamed.
She spun and smacked his chest. "Don't scare me like that!"
He held out his hands in defense. "What?"
> With a huff, she started down the street. "Let's go. I need a drink."
"Well, are you done with your scary stories?" Dave asked Armand, his tone snide.
"Stories? How can you be sure they're merely stories?"
"Please man, spare me." He shoved past Armand, aggressively brushing his shoulder as he did. "Beth is right. I need a fucking drink. Desperately."
"Julia," Armand held his arm out, indicating for her to follow.
She shook her head at him. "You are evil," she said with a grin. A wink was his reply. "You know, you're going to get Dave so riled up, he's going to start pissing on his perceived territory."
"Should I get you a rain coat?"
"God, I hope not."
"Armand! Dude, are you taking us to this fucking bar or not?" Mike shouted from across the street.
"Your friends are lovely," Armand muttered as he pushed his silky stride to maximum lengths. Julia had to jog to keep up with him.
"Colleagues," she reminded him. "Big difference."
"Noted." Ignoring the icy glares from the men, Armand breezed past them with more grace than Julia could manage in her little finger.
The next block looked familiar, but Julia wasn't sure when she'd been there until a gorgeous trio approached them. She recognized the perfect pin-up girl wearing red angel wings and the man she'd been with the other night. The third in their group was a man with spiked, bleached blond hair, and black eyeliner. They might have been in costume, but it was hard to tell.
Luxure was on this street.
"Armand!" the woman cried. They alternated kisses on the cheek and Julia felt strangely jealous by the common European greeting. She noticed Dave roll his eyes.
"You're looking beautiful, Angel. As usual." He inclined his head in turn toward each man. "Ash. Hail. Happy Halloween."
The holiday salutation was exchanged and Angel glanced around at the group. Grinning, she bit her lip, the bright white teeth a stark contrast against the shimmering red gloss. Her dark eyes lingered on Dave, and she wetted her lips. "Mmmmm, are you bringing in fresh blood?"
Armand laughed. "Not quite."
Julia was surprised by Angel's overt declaration and even more surprised when the beautiful woman's deep brown eyes settled on her. "Well, maybe not all so fresh. You were at Luxure the other night."
Julia nodded.
"Angel, this is Julia." Armand made no effort to introduce the others.
"Nice to meet you, Julia," Angel said. "I thought you looked familiar. Although," her eyes trailed over the length of Julia's body, "I think I like this look better."
Julia felt her cheeks warm under Angel's approving gaze. Vampires had sex appeal mastered, that was for sure.
"Well, I'm afraid we need to get on our way," Armand said.
Angel's perfect brow wrinkled. "Aren't you heading to the bar?"
"Not tonight."
"Not at all?" Armand shook his head. "Oh, well, I suppose we'll manage," Angel pouted.
"I'm sure you will," Armand said with a grin.
After exchanging parting words, the two groups continued on their separate paths. Julia watched Angel and her companions walk down the street towards Luxure. If there had been any doubt left in Julia's mind about the humanity of Armand and now, Angel, it was dispelled. The woman moved with perfect, cat-like grace, even in 5" heels.
Her companions seemed more human. The dark haired one, Ash, must be a repeat meal since Julia had seen him the other night and watched Angel lick the blood from his weeping wounds. Maybe Armand's brand of vampires could feed off humans without killing or "turning" them.
That would support her subspecies theory, and certainly made the fantasy of being with Armand even more appealing.
Unfortunately, it was still just a fantasy.
They passed through Jackson Square and Julia looked for the Rom fortune teller. Would he freak out if he saw Armand? Judging by his reaction the last time she'd seen him, she imagined he would. Luckily, he wasn't there.
"Hey, let's stop for a drink," Dave said, not waiting for concurrence before disappearing into a large, open air bar. Mike and Beth followed and Julia glanced at Armand.
"Do you want something to drink?" she asked.
"No, thank you." Of course not, why would he? "What about you?"
"I think I'm okay." She still had a little Absinthe sloshing around in her cup and the earlier ones were creeping up on her. Her head still felt surprisingly clear even though she knew the alcohol was altering her senses. It must be one of the unique, fabled properties of the Green Fairy.
"Your know," she started, her eyes on the bar containing the other half of their awkward group. "We could make a run for it while Dave and crew are occupied."
"You mean, just turn and sprint for cover?"
She turned to his grinning face. "Why not?" She glanced around. "We could hide behind the arches of the Cabildo Museum and wait. I'm sure they'd give up pretty quickly."
"What happened to being cordial?"
"I don't care anymore."
He cocked an eyebrow. "No?"
"No." Julia bit her lip. "Well, a little."
"And after they've lost interest, where would you like to go?" he asked in a low, husky voice. His hazel, lust filled eyes locked on hers, sending her heart into overdrive.
"Anywhere you want," she replied breathlessly. "Anything you want."
A grin spread across his face, his fangs gleaming in the murky light. "That's a dangerous proposal," he whispered, leaning close to her.
"Should I be frightened?"
"No. You should be turned on."
She waited for him to kiss her, anticipation charging through her veins, turning her stomach into a quivering, quaking mess.
"Okay guys, you ready to hit it?" Dave's voice burst in, inconveniently interrupting them. It was the third time he'd managed to do so and was, frankly, getting old.
Armand looked equally irritated. With an audible sigh, he pulled back. Giving Julia a pained smile, he said quietly, "We should have run when we had the chance."
It was only a few short blocks before the hand painted sign of The Cell greeted them. The doorman's eyes popped when he saw Armand. He blinked a few times. "Armand," he said startled. "I'm surprised to see you here."
"I do venture away from my comfort zone from time to time, Kindle," Armand replied with the tiniest of smiles.
If the bouncer had any color in his skin, he would have blushed. "Of course. Of course." He said hastily and inclined his head through the dark doorway into the even darker bar. "Enjoy your time."
As Julia followed Armand inside, she heard the bouncer ask the rest of their party for cover and IDs.
The Cell was similar to Luxure in many ways, from the long, narrow alleyway leading to the front door, and the small courtyard entrance, to the dark, gothic feel, to the pulsing music vibrating through the floor from somewhere upstairs. But that was where the similarities ended. Where there was a sleek, sexiness to Luxure's décor, The Cell was more haunted house, with faux stone walls, metal cages, and bleeding candles. She didn't think the decorations were for Halloween, either. There was definitely a permanency to them.
There were a few of the patrons that possessed the same lithe, graceful glamour that oozed throughout Luxure, but most looked like Dave and Mike. Those that were similar, seemed to recognize Armand, sometimes nodding towards him, but more often just staring as he passed, like he was some celebrity or royalty.
Taking her hand, Armand led her upstairs where the crowd thickened considerably. Before him, the crowd parted, and they eased through the throngs of writhing dancers crammed onto a tiny dance floor.
Maybe it was the electricity in the room, but every nerve in her body was lit on fire.
"I realize it's a little packed up here," Armand said into her ear. "But I thought you might appreciate the energy."
"I love it."
"Do you want something to drink?"
"I suppose Absinthe is out of the question
?"
"Afraid so."
"Wine...?"
"Of questionable quality."
"Beer?"
"Beer is good. Any particular vintage?"
"Abita?"
Armand flashed his teeth. "Perfect. I'll be right back."
She watched the crowd fall away from him as he made his way to the bar and then turned back towards the dance floor. Beth, much to Julia's surprise, was standing right in front of her.
"Mike's being a complete dick," she complained.
"What's going on?"
Beth shook her head. "He's having a stupid argument with some guy downstairs." Quickly, she took in her surroundings. "This place is awesome. Do you want to go dance?"
Julia glanced in the direction Armand had gone. He was busy talking to a man that looked suspiciously like another vampire. She turned back to Beth. "Let's go. It looks like he'll be busy for a little bit."
"So, what's going on between you two?" Beth asked as they picked their way through the mass of people.
"I'm not sure."
"Well, he's fucking hot. And he's obviously into you."
Julia bit her lip as she smiled, and tried to keep the blush from rushing to her cheeks. Armand, the super sexy vampire, was into her, Julia, the boring, nerdy engineer. She wanted to squeal and jump up and down while clapping her hands. It was like being in high school all over again.
"Is it really that apparent?"
"Oh my God, yes," Beth said. "And I hate to say this, because Dave's my friend and he's pretty into you too, but you gotta go for Armand. There is just something about him. I mean, I don't normally go for freaky types, but he is super fine, and I think you two are awesome together."
Julia was surprised by the statement. "Thanks, Beth."
The music pulsed and Beth's body pulsed with it. "This bar is so fucking awesome!"
Beth had the right idea and Julia followed her lead, letting the drums drive her hips, and the melody flow through her core. It felt good to let go and just feel the music. She was tipsy enough that every beat went straight into her body, and she didn't care who watched her dance or how silly she might look.