A Vampire's Kiss

by Alexis Taylor

  Quickly, he showered and got dressed. Then he came into the living room and saw the aftermath of yesterday’s partying.

  Lying on the sofa, asleep in a sensual embrace, were two of the girls who had come with Veronica last night. One was in her bra, while the other was completely naked. Ryan smiled – he guessed those two had some bisexual tendencies.

  Empty liquor bottles stood on the coffee table, and others still were knocked over on the floor. There were a lot more than he remembered having. It looked like the party continued in the living room for a long time after the clubs had closed.

  Ryan tiptoed to the door, careful to be quiet so as not to wake anybody up. He saw that Jamie’s door was closed, but noticed a gap in Brett’s. A little curious, he peeked in, and found Brett lying in a deep sleep in the middle of his bed, his arms extended over two female shapes behind him. Ryan had to smile again for his friend – it looked like he got the threesome he was looking for.

  Ryan picked up his key and stepped out the main door, closing it gently behind him. Then he jogged down the stairs, through the hotel lobby, and onto the street. The sun was up, the air was clean, and there was not a cloud in the sky. Ryan breathed in deeply, taking in the warm, salty air streaming from the ocean.

  The street around him had a few people going about their day – mostly locals, he figured. He stopped one older gentleman and inquired about a good breakfast café. Unfortunately, the man didn’t speak any English, so Ryan had to try again with somebody else. The next woman he stopped didn’t understand him, either, but he made a few signals with his hands designating food, to which she nodded happily and pointed him in a direction away from his hotel.

  Ryan strode down the street, enjoying the good weather and clean air. There weren’t many cars whizzing by, here, and everything seemed so much more peaceful – serene, really – than what he knew back in Boston. The local town people definitely had an enviable laid-back air about them, and Ryan enjoyed it. Especially compared to the always-go-go-go attitude of New England.

  Ryan found the café at the end of a street three blocks from his hotel. He looked in through the clear glass panels, and saw that it was about two-thirds full. He walked in, and instantly felt at home. The air inside was warmer than out, and smells of coffee and breakfast pastries wafted through the air. The din of conversation hung over the sounds of clinking dishware and shouted orders, and relaxing Spanish music played in the background.

  He walked up to the counter, where a young, pretty girl stood waiting to take his order. He flashed her his best smile.

  “Hello, sir,” she said in impeccable English only slightly marred by an accent. “How may I serve you today?”

  “I’d like a coffee. Black.”

  “Ok, no problem. What size would you like it?”

  “Whatever’s the biggest you’ve got.”

  “Ok, sure.” She input the order in her machine. “Is there anything else you’d like?”

  “Yea, you wouldn’t happen to have any breakfast meats, would you? Like hams or sausages or bacon or anything like that?”

  “Actually, our chef makes a great breakfast in the American style. I can place an order for you with him, no problem. Special order.”

  “Alright, so that’ll be off the menu then?” She nodded, and he continued, “Great. I want… ten pork sausages, twenty strips of bacon, and a few pieces of ham thrown on top.”

  “Wow,” the girl said, “all that? You must have a big appetite.”

  “Bigger than you can imagine,” Ryan said suggestively. The girl blushed, and looked down at her machine.

  “Would that be all?” she asked him once she put the order in.

  “Yup, absolutely. I think that’s enough for me.”

  “Ok, you can sit down and I’ll bring your order to you once you’re ready.”

  “Great. Thanks.”

  Ryan walked over to an empty table and sat down. He would have never thought that he’d be out so early in Ibiza, yet here he was, waiting for breakfast at a busy café hours before any of his friends were up. Neither did he think that he would have such pressing concerns on his mind while on vacation. Like figuring out what was happening to him. That nearly uncontrollable… urge… that came over him when Veronica was on top of him, with her neck so slender, so exposed…

  Ryan shook his head gruffly. No. He couldn’t start thinking about her neck again. It was a dangerous path where stray thoughts could come unbidden. But even the barest slip of a thought about her neck made him go crazy with desire. Even right now, sitting alone at a table with nothing even remotely stimulating around him. He had to control his thoughts. What the hell was going on?

  “Ryan?”

  He looked up, and saw the last person he expected standing a few feet away. Veronica. What was she doing up so damn early?

  “Hello, Veronica,” he said stiffly. He had to grip the sides of the table to make sure he could restrain himself. She smiled somewhat awkwardly, and closed the gap between them with a few quick steps. Please don’t let her sit down, Ryan begged in his mind. But fate wouldn’t answer his pleas, and he found himself facing Veronica as she sat on the other side of the table.

  “I… wouldn’t have expected you out so early,” he said.

  “And I wouldn’t have thought I would bump into you here,” she answered. Then she leaned forward intently and looked Ryan in the eyes.

  “Listen,” she began, “I wanted to… apologize… for anything I might have done last night.” Ryan could see her cheeks begin to color. “I don’t know what I did, but it must have been something to have you react that way. And...” she paused for a second, choosing her words carefully, “…I don’t think I should have yelled at you that way after. So I’m sorry.”

  Ryan sat back, absolutely dumfounded. He had been the one to throw her off him, and he had been the one who initiated everything between them in the hotel room. He should be the one apologizing to her. And yet, here she was, looking earnestly at him, waiting for a response to her apology. Something about it all endeared her to him in a way he would not have expected.

  “It’s alright,” he said. His words came out rigidly, as if he couldn’t quite find the right thing to say. “Don’t worry about it. There are probably things I shouldn’t have done, as well.”

  Ryan thought that would alleviate her concern, and hopefully allow her to let him be. He didn’t want to be this close to her, when just the scent of her perfume made his heart race. He didn’t trust himself. Instead, however, she reached across the table and took Ryan’s hands in hers.

  “You know,” she said shyly, avoiding his eyes now, “what we did last night… I haven’t ever… that is, it was new…” she cleared her throat, “…to me. I’ve never done that before.”

  Ryan’s eyes widened in surprise. Was she telling him she was a virgin? Never in a million years would he have guessed it, what with her mannerisms and style of dress. She didn’t look quite like a girl who got around a lot, but Ryan had been absolutely sure she’d had a decent amount of experience. And now she was sitting here, telling him that she had never had sex before? A deep shame wormed its way into Ryan’s heart. She had been a virgin, and he had fucked her like an absolute animal. No wonder there were tears streaming down her face last night. Ryan felt like the biggest shit in the world.

  “Wait, Veronica,” Ryan whispered discretely, “are you telling me that last night was your first time?” She looked up to meet his eyes momentarily, nodded shyly, and looked back down.

  Jesus fucking Christ, what a mess this all was. Ryan felt unrelenting remorse that he had treated her so decidedly unromantically her first time. But hell, he had no idea! He had to make it up to her, somehow. The way she just sat there, looking as vulnerable as ever, having admitted her most personal secret to him at a serendipitous meeting in a breakfast café… the whole thing just tugged at his heart. Was he developing feelings for this girl?

  “Veronica, I’m… sorry. For the way I treated you. I
had no idea – honest to God I didn’t – and if I had, I would never have done what I did, the way I did it.”

  “It’s ok,” she giggled kind of awkwardly. “To be honest, it was kind of fun.”

  “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it…” Ryan said. “But still, that was not the right way for me to do things. I want to make it up to you.”

  “You do?” she looked up at him through those deep lashes. She reminded him of a lost child, vulnerable and exploring completely unfamiliar territory. Ryan felt, unexpectedly, deeply responsible for her. For what happened to her. For her wellbeing.

  “Yes, I do. I want you to know you’re not just another one-night stand to me.” Yikes, that came out completely unlike he had meant it. “I mean, I think there was… something… between us last night. Something unexpected and, and maybe… magical?”

  “You felt it too?” She sounded both surprised and relieved. “I thought it was just me. And then I thought it was just because it was… well, you know… my first time.”

  “Absolutely not,” Ryan assured her. He found himself gripping her hand back just as tightly as she was holding his. “And again, I want to make it up to you. Let’s start tonight. Let me take you out, somewhere proper, where we can get to know each other for real.”

  “I’d love to,” she sighed, but then looked at Ryan sadly, “…but the thing is, I’m leaving in a few hours.”

  “Leaving? Where?”

  “Leaving Ibiza. This was only a quick trip for me. My dad’s an airline pilot, so I get free tickets anywhere I want to go. It made coming here easy.”

  “But where are you going? Back to Boston? School doesn’t start for another week!”

  “No, actually, I have to go see my sister in Italy. My dad’s going to be there, too. My flight is later today, in a few hours. I was planning on getting my things from the hotel and heading to the airport right after I ate here.”

  This was all happening so fast for Ryan. His mind raced with possibilities. He was starting to feel something for this girl, he had to admit, and now for her leave like this, completely out of the blue… no. He wouldn’t just let her get away.

  “Let me come with you,” he said.

  “What?” she sounded completely shocked.

  “You heard me. Let me come with you, to Italy.”

  “Are… are you sure?”

  “As sure as I can be. God knows I need to get out of this place, as well.” If only she knew half the truth to that, she would have gotten up and walked away, never speaking to him again. Lucky for me she doesn’t, he thought selfishly.

  “Um… ok, I guess. Actually,” she cleared her throat, “I think that would be great!”

  “I think it would be great, too,” Ryan smiled. Maybe getting away from Ibiza would free him from that accursed urge that he couldn’t trust himself with. Then again, maybe being so close to this girl, the one who sparked that unnatural desire within him, could make it worse. But he thought he could handle it. Feelings he would have never expected definitely were being developed for her, and at a very rapid pace. Much quicker than he felt about any girl before. There was just something about her…

  He found himself staring at her neck, and shook his head roughly. “When’s your flight?”

  “3:00 PM.”

  “Do you think I can get on as stand-by?”

  “With me? No, I don’t think so – it’s a full flight. But I might get you a ticket for one later today.”

  “I’m paying, of course.”

  “Uh…?”

  “No, come on, I insist. I’m not going to have your dad pull favors for me quite yet.”

  “Ok.” She beamed at him. “I can’t believe this is happening. Everything’s moving so quickly.”

  “I know,” Ryan smiled, and pulled his hand away from Veronica’s as his breakfast was placed on the table. “Thanks,” he said to the serving girl. Instead of replying, she sniffed at him, and stalked away. Ryan wondered what that was all about.

  “I think I’ll leave you to eat, then,” Veronica said.

  “What? You’re leaving already?”

  “I only came in to get a drink, and it’s been waiting on the counter for me for ages,” she smiled. “Plus, I really have to go back if I’m going to make my flight. I’ll call you before I leave to arrange everything for you to come, ok?”

  “Ok,” Ryan said, and Veronica smiled and got up. She hesitated for a second, then ducked down to give him a small kiss on the cheek. The smell of her body made Ryan close his eyes and shiver with desire. When he opened them, she was already walking away. He watched her hips rock to and fro, mesmerized by her body shape. She waved to him once she got to the door, and left the café.

  He looked down at his breakfast. The huge portion of meats made his mouth water. So then. It looked like he had taken a girl’s virginity on this trip, nearly sunk his teeth violently into her neck, and was now going to leave to a different country with her. Definitely not an expected turn of events. Chuckling cynically at the oddity of it all, Ryan picked up a fork and dug in.

  ~

  CHAPTER NINE

  Half a day later, Ryan found himself standing in the Ibiza airport, bags packed and ready to board a flight to Italy. Jamie and Brett had been surprised at his sudden departure, but when he explained that he was leaving with Veronica, they smiled knowingly and bid him a happy farewell.

  Truth be told, Ryan was relieved to be getting out of Ibiza – despite all his success with girls here. Things had just gotten too strange for his liking. He wasn’t the type to believe in demons and magic and scary things that go bump in the night, but there was an undeniable… force… that had affected him in Ibiza. He hoped that going to a different country would let him forget all the strange events that had transpired here.

  He boarded his flight, which turned out to be a small plane, with room enough for maybe fifty people. And it was only half full. Veronica had booked it for him, telling him to show up at the check-in desk at the airport with money for the flight. He brought over $400USD in cash, and was surprised when the flight attendant told him it was just 50 Euros for the flight. Ryan suspected Veronica had something to do with that, but he didn’t bother arguing for the full rate.

  Veronica had also given him the address where she was staying. She told him it was a villa that her family owned on the outskirts of Rome, and that any cab driver would be able to find it for him – as long as he provided the address – with no problems. He didn’t know the arrangements there – and wasn’t really looking to meet her family quite yet – so he decided long before that he’d take up residence in a nearby hotel.

  A few hours later, the plane touched down in Rome. The airport outside was surprisingly empty, allowing Ryan to quickly get his bag from the flight and hail a cab.

  “I’m meeting a friend here,” he said, handing the driver the written address of Veronica’s villa, “but I want to find a hotel nearby, first. Do you know of any good ones in the area?”

  “Ah, only the best for you, my young American friend,” the Mediterranean cab driver said in a friendly tone. “I’ll get you to the best hotel this land has to offer.”

  “Well, actually, I’m on a bit of a budget,” Ryan admitted.

  “No problem, no problem. I will know something perfect for you!”

  “Sounds good,” Ryan said, and sat back in his seat.

  The cab took off, and Ryan’s eyes wondered out the window, where he took in the sights and sounds of a new country. He had never been to Italy before, nor had he had any real aspirations to come here. That is, before this head-spinning spring break trip.

  Another half hour went by, and Ryan’s cab was winding up the roads of a mid-sized town, and came to a stop at a traffic light at the top of a hill. Ryan looked outside lazily, and his eyes swept over a pale brunette standing at the side of the road. Something about her tickled his memory, but she was facing the other way. Slowly, as if in a dream, she turned her head around, and Ryan’s eyes slid o
ver her face. Then he stopped himself, and did a double take. He thought his eyes deceived him. Was that Giselle standing there, of all people?

  “Hold on,” he told the driver, and fumbled to take his seatbelt off. Then he recklessly threw the passenger door open, nearly causing a car in an adjacent lane to crash into him. The driver skidded to a stop and angrily started yelling obscenities at him, but Ryan had no time to spare.

  The brunette was walking away – not exactly in a rush, but not slowly, either. Ryan wanted to catch her before she got far. He ran after her, almost coming within shouting distance, before she turned off into a side alley. He doubled his speed, and ran to the entrance of the alley.

  “Giselle!” he shouted just as he rounded the corner. But when he looked down the side street, it was completely barren. There was not a trace of anybody there, nor any evidence that anybody had been there. Dammit! He was sure it had been her, but now he wouldn’t be able to find out. Dejectedly, he made his way back to the cab, where the driver was looking at him quizzically.

  “I thought I saw a friend,” Ryan explained.

  “Ah. The young lady with sleek black hair and lips the color of roses, yes?”

  “You saw her too!”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “So I wasn’t imagining things,” Ryan muttered. “I lost her in one of the side roads.”

  “A good omen, then.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I know those type of girls,” the driver began seriously. “I’ve seen their type around. I have a feeling you would do best staying away from her.”

  “What? How come?”

  “Just a feeling,” the driver shrugged, and turned back to stare intently at the road ahead of him. His mannerism told Ryan he wasn’t about to clarify.

  They drove off, and not long after, the driver pulled up in front of a quaint multi-story building. Nothing about its appearance would make it stand out from any other around here for Ryan, but the driver told him that inside he would find fine accommodations for his price point. Ryan thanked the driver, paid his fare, and walked through the front doors of the building. Sure enough, a front desk stood in the middle of a decorated lobby, where a yawning attendant greeted Ryan in what must have been Italian.