“It’s where she chose to work. Taking care of others comes naturally to her, when she came into our family she made a decision to go back to school for her degree.” Given her unique talent, it made perfect sense.” Images of her at the hospital and other clinics played out as he shared his memories. I was lost in the moments replaying in my mind, seeing my mom and others she’d helped.
“It’s a story for another time. And I’ll leave you to the shower, then.” The link went silent and I was confused by his words.
“Why?” I asked as the steam wrapped around us.
“Because the water’s still running.” His delicious mouth grinned, tempting me to reach for him. The link hummed with his thoughts, which only intensified the situation. But in the background his worries were still loud and clear. With that he kissed my forehead, leaving me to enjoy the a hot shower on my already overheated body.
By the time I got out, my fingers were shriveled up like prunes. Even with all the steam in the air I felt a chill, and quickly got dressed. I walked out front to find the yard blanketed by the first snowfall. The silence was heaven as I stared out the French doors. The aroma of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls called my name. I strolled into the kitchen and found Andrew humming away, packing up to-go boxes.
“What’s going on here?” I asked, as Andrew turned around, handing me my own platter-sized sweet bread.
“For you, madam. The rest are bound for the rescue mission.” He beamed from ear-to-ear.
I jumped in and helped, closing the lids and stacking the containers in boxes.
Andrew’s smile was so sweet, touching his eyes, reminding me of a happy dwarf. “From what I’ve been told, they enjoy my recipes, though I must take their word for it.”
“Trust me, these are awesome,” I said between bites as downed mine. Suddenly the cinnamon roll tasted like cardboard. I so wanted to finish it; it had been so good, but something told me not to. Memories of the returning licorice ice cream were enough to put my plate down.
“There are those who are less fortunate, and we have the ability to help them. It’s the right choice.” His caring words touched my heart.
“You are a rare person indeed, Andrew. Let me help you pack these up. What car are you taking?”
“Oh my, I don’t drive, not at my age.”
I giggled, I’m sure he was much older than he appeared to be. Just then I sensed someone else in the room with us. His cool hands wrapped around my waist as his lips found my cheek.
“I see you two have been busy.” His eyes were now bright and clear, and his mood considerably improved.
“See what a good breakfast can do for a person?” I chided him. He seemed confused at my words.
“What? Did someone die?” For an instant darkness overtook his features and just as fast was replaced with a grin as he got my joke.
“No, no one died, but I could always nibble if you’d like,” he purred into my ear. I flushed red as Andrew passed by, smirking.
Geoffrey glanced at my half-eaten roll and raised his eyebrow in question. I beat him to the punch.
“I’m full already, besides I’m trying to lose a few pounds.” I’d always been a bit curvier than the average stick walking around Seattle. He grumbled under his breath and I took a step back, noticing that Andrew had disappeared.
“You are perfectly fine the way you are.” I knew how to fizzle this little tiff. I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and his smile returned.
I could hear faint noises from other rooms and wondered what the rest of the house looked like. He caught my curiosity and said, “I’d love to give you a tour, if you’ll let me?”
“Lead on, dear man, lead on.” I smiled as we went hand-in-hand down the spiral staircase in the kitchen.
His private den was beautiful, with teak and mahogany throughout. Over- flowing shelves of books, maps, drawings, and sheet music were magic to behold. We passed his in-home recording studio that housed not only the electronic versions of every known instrument, but conventional instruments as well. He drew a bow across a gorgeous violin, making sweet notes float in the air, making it look easy.
He caught my thought and said, “Years of practice, my love.” He showed me several of his memories, playing the violin and other instruments in different venues. It was like having my very own private musical tour.
Next were the other residents’ rooms. Robert was sitting at a keyboard, pencil in his mouth, working on more music. His headphones were in place and he glanced up, acknowledging us briefly, then jotted something down. Tracy sat with him, adding notes here and there, and then they’d both chuckle in unison, like they were finishing each other’s thoughts. You could see how much they adored each other in the simple movements between them: his hand on the small of her back, her light touch to his shoulder. This definitely wasn’t your typical house full of vampires, at least not in my mind.
Across the hall I could hear the hum of computers. Pepper sat behind a huge old schoolteacher’s desk with piles of journals and stacks of papers. She was studying two huge monitors while writing down notes of her own, the mouse pointer on the screen only stopping briefly when she caught sight of us.
“Geoffrey, have you seen… Oh, hi, Megan. So I take it our patient is feeling
better? See, I told you she’d be all right. I swear he doesn’t listen to a single word I say.” She walked over to us, flicking his ear like a little sister would. She pulled me into an unexpected hug, her perpetual happiness radiating in her smile. I felt instant warmth toward her.
“It’s nice to see you again. He’s giving you the tour then? Good.” She winked at him and he rolled his eyes.
“We’ll see you later, Pepper,” he said as she turned to prance off to her desk.
Across the way explosions and flashes of light came from what looked like a huge gaming room. In the center on a raised platform sat Mitch with two huge flat screens displaying what appeared to be a massive online game of World of Warcraft. He hollered something as we passed.
“He’s just a big kid at heart, seriously.” We waved as we entered yet another room. This was instantly my favorite, the most amazing find. I stood in awe,
staring at an in-ground pool, at least twenty-five meters long. The air smelled of chlorine—and I was in heaven. Swimming had always been my favorite sport, though I’d never had lessons and was self-taught. The air was warm, almost balmy, though there was snow on the ground outside.
“Oh my God, you have a pool… in your house, underground.” I stood back and had to admit I was impressed.
“It doesn’t get much use though.” He seemed totally unimpressed by it, like he’d forgotten it was here.
“I haven’t used it very much. But please feel free.” He gestured to the deck, and I wanted to accept his offer, but there was a little glitch.
“Just one problem. I don’t have a bathing suit.”
“That’s not a problem, doesn’t bother me in the least.” His words dripped with some serious intention, as he slithered his arms around me, kissing my neck and nibbling on my ear. I had to state the obvious.
“Well, I’m glad you don’t have a problem, but uh, I’m not as comfortable with it.” I couldn’t hide my emotions of insecurity if I tried; they bled across the link, causing even more embarrassment.
He gently turned me around and the tenderness in his face told me he understood.
“I was only playing with you. Besides, I’m sure Pepper has an assortment of choices, just through that door.” He kissed me gently, and as I turned, I could still feel his desires.
“What’s mine is yours to enjoy… everything.” His statement left little to my imagination.
I found a changing room, with suits lined up for use. I found a once-piece Speedo and quickly pulled it on. I’d never been one to wear a two-piece, lacking confidence at the mere thought.
I grabbed a towel and made a beeline for the edge of the pool. He was already in the pool, floating effortlessly, looking tempting. Water glistened on his body, making it even more challenging to behave. There was no shallow end, so I dove in, relishing the silence water always held for me. On and on I pulled, stroke after stroke I made my way to him.
Water suits you. It makes you happy. His silent observation came and I found answering easy.
I’m in heaven. I held my position, with my head just above the surface, just inches from him. The sensual tension was radiating through the air. I dove under, waiting in the perfect silence. Through his sight I could see him making his way towards me, feeling the water flow over his skin as well. He gently took my face and kissed me. His body was even more flawless in the water, if that was possible. He was careful not to give into my growing desire for his taste, and I found other things to do with my own mouth, nibbling and caressing his neck and chest. My hands glided over his porcelain body. Instead of caving into our wants, he dashed away, teasing me to follow him.
You’re so mine. My words growled across the link as I pushed off the pool floor, flutter kicking as fast as I could. Tag after tag we darted across the pool, the stretch and pull of my muscles enjoyable, not tiring. His smile came easily, as did mine as we teased each other. It felt effortless being with him.
But suddenly it hit me, then him. How long had I been under? Had I held my breath this long? Something wasn’t right. Then I realized I was growing hungry, but I had eaten. His eyes shone through the dimly lit water as he floated in front of me. Curiosity, then concern crossed his face.
It’s not hunger you’re feeling.
Then what? My own words reflected his worries, as well as mine. We surfaced as I gasped for air, my anxiety rising with us. A brief image shot across my eyes and he winced. He wasn’t hungry—it was his thirst that I had felt, his thirst that now had me craving something to squelch the fire that burned my throat.
“Let’s find Pepper… now. Are you all right to walk?” he asked, grabbing the towel for me. I was at a loss of words. I nodded. His desires and natural instincts, both physical and emotional, were crossing the link, causing me to feel and want the same things as he did.
I got dressed on autopilot and joined him. We quickly found Pepper, who had been digging for information on the mythology of the link. Evidently I wasn’t supposed to survive being exposed to his venom.
“Digging into our history is not encouraged. Only the elders of the Inner Circle have access, but there are ways around that,” she said as she explained what we had feared. I was experiencing everything he did, the good and the bad.
“Geoffrey, you’ve got to be careful. Any more exposure to the toxins and I don’t know what to expect. But Megan, don’t worry, we won’t let anything happen.”
Am I turning? I couldn’t even say it out loud. This wasn’t what I wanted. I began to pace, wringing my hands and running them through my wet hair.
It’s not what I desire either, love. He finished my thoughts.
“Megan, everything about you is perfectly normal: your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing… all normal. Just from my findings here,” she pointed to the monitor screen along with a stack of papers, “… I’d say you’re immune to the toxin’s effects, which I’ve never seen, but the old mythology and fables say it’s possible. If you are the true link, then it won’t affect you.”
She wasn’t telling me everything and even I could pick up on the huge elephant in the room.
“But I’m feeling what he feels, I’m craving… what he’s craving. That’s not normal.” I swallowed down the bile threatening to come up.
I chanted to myself, “Okay, gotta chill out, slow down, walk it off…” until I felt the rhythm of the words work out the stress. Geoffrey took my hand, trying to reassure me. I clouded my mind with images to hide my fear and anxiety.
“I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you, not even me.” His words sent a dark chill to my heart because like it or not, even with these complications, I was no longer willing to live life as I had before meeting him. He was now a part of my soul as much as I was a part of his—and I wasn’t looking back.
Chapter 18
The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving were a challenge. The lack of intimacy, not even being able to kiss each other, forced us both to suck it up and make the best of it. We went on several dates, including my very own personal tour of the Experience Music Project—EMP, as we locals call it. For hours after closing, we wandered the enormous halls and displays, and Geoffrey gave me firsthand accounts of the musicians and their music. He took me on my first ferry ride across Puget Sound to Tillicum Village for a salmon feast that was to die for—and I mean that literally. The salmon was heavenly to taste, complete with a yummy butter and lemon sauce, but human food was becoming an agent of evil for me.
We learned from Pepper that this was yet another consequence of being the link. Not only did human food taste like shredded paper, my body wasn’t absorbing the nutrients like it once had.
I kept my edginess as far from my thoughts as possible so as to not hurt his feelings. It’s not like he wished this for me, but I was beginning to have my doubts about what lay ahead.
“Hey, gorgeous! What are you and Geoffrey doing after work?” Dawn asked one night as we stocked before opening.
“Just going for a walk, something mellow,” I said, actually sounding bored, which wasn’t a good sign. I had asked Geoffrey if we could take a stroll down on the waterfront—just a plain walk, without any vamp special treatment.
“You two seem a bit off lately. Anything you want to talk about?” she asked, using her best social worker voice. She was still working on her degree, and she was always reaching out, trying to help anyone and everyone, but I was bored with that. And thinking that her kind gesture was annoying was another sign that I was on edge.
“No, but thanks. I’m good. What’s new with you?” I asked, trying to change the subject. She said something about Ian and then school, maybe even something about going out, but I was having a hard time focusing on anything but the cravings—for Geoffrey, to have plain old regular date with him, for intimacy—were becoming harder and harder to ignore. I did the best I could to follow along, but then I realized she’d stopped talking, waiting for a response to a question that I hadn’t heard.
“So you do have green hair,” she laughed as she caught me ignoring her.
I bit my lip in guilt. “I’m so sorry. I just zoned out. Hold on—you said that you and Ian are going out, right?” I tried desperately to pick up the thread from her previous comments.
She handed me a Coke and smiled. “As I was saying, Ian finally moved in, leaving those obnoxious roommates behind.” She beamed at him, and he winked from the other end of the bar. He was her cutie now, and she was clearly seeing cupids dancing around his blond head and blue eyes. “It made sense for him to move in. His roommates were awful—so lazy! Plus, we’re together so much now because of school and classes.”
“He’s in college?”
“Yeah, didn’t you know?”
“No.” I felt stupid. I’d been working with both of them for a while now, and it made me realize how out of the loop I was.
“He’s trying to catch up on his credits. He wants to be a lawyer, ‘public defender number one,’” she said, raising her index finger into the air.
“That’s awesome!” I fake-gushed. She and Ian had hooked up and I didn’t even know about it—let alone the fact that they’d moved in together. Her happy moment forced me to realize how self-absorbed I’d become. I was so focused on Geoffrey and all my other issues that I stopped noticing all the changes in the world around me.
Off and on through the first set, Geoffrey would catch my eye, playfully teasing me, then he would focus on to some girl in front of the stage. I wasn’t one to have the ugly green monster visit, but ton
ight the ingredients for a full recipe were brewing. He tried to reach for me through the link, but I just closed him off, not wanting to look like an idiot.
As the night dragged on, “sorry” became my go-to phrase as I kept dropping order after order on too many customers to count. I just couldn’t find my groove, literally. It was the busiest night of the week, and halfway through it I had to run interference for the ghoulish twins, Gabby and Gerti. Their petite stature, blond hair, and small, heart-shaped faces truly hid their darker side.
They kept drooling over Ian, which was par for the course, but for some reason it was gnawing at me tonight. After Dawn had pecked Ian on his cheek, I saw them approach her—and didn’t like the predatory look in their eyes.
“Dawn?” I shouted over the crowd at the bar.
“Yeah?” she said, making change for the drinks she had just handed out.
“Switch places with me, please?”
She took one look at me and didn’t miss a beat, grabbing my tray and squeezing my shoulder. Even she could read the stress, which meant it was bad. At least behind the bar I could mask my inability to walk and balance. But even that didn’t last long.
“Megan, darling. You-hoo! Over here!” the twins called, snapping their
fingers. From time to time they’d actually order a snack or a real drink. They always played up to Ian—and he ate it up, too. If only he knew just how much they’d eat him up, I grimaced internally. But tonight, with their eyes nearing black, I just couldn’t take their usual flippant attitude and snide remarks.
“What d’ya want, Gertrude?” I blurted out behind a fake smile.
“Oh! Somebody’s a bit bitchy tonight. Didn’t get any last night?” she snapped back.
Her sister was a mirror image of her. “Darling… do tell us…” she started.
“…where Ian is,” Gabby finished.
They reminded me of Thing One and Thing Two from The Cat in the Hat, annoyingly cute, yet useless. Gerti, as we had nicknamed her, would begin the sentence as Gabby would finish it.
The Stage Page 22