by P. Mattern
And even though they’d had ’the talk’ recently and decided to be friends, he couldn’t be sure she didn’t still consider him her ‘boyfriend’. And that could be a ticking time bomb. As a jealous human she’d thrown a plate of food at him ,a lamp and a few pieces of cutlery.
As a jealous vampire ex-girlfriend he anticipated that she could do far worse.
His third consideration was Fressenda. He felt inexorably drawn to her, and had been since he had first set eyes on her. Her whole presence was intoxicating, she smelled of vanilla and cinnamon, her beautiful violet eyes tilted up at the corners when she smiled,and when she’d yielded to his kiss at the club he’d made up his mind that he would have her, at any cost. It was too bad about Charley Rabbit, but since Charley had attained ‘normal’ by virtue of his vampirism it would be up to Charley to find a new lady.
Before he had time to exit his vehicle his text alert went off, and he was elated to discover it was Fress. His heartbeats quickened as he read ,”Come to me. Let’s make a plan.”
Instantly all the rest of Daniel’s problems receded as he contemplated Fress’s message, with a smile playing around his lips, mentally he was taking a victory lap and shouting ”YES!!!!”
Quickly he typed in his reply.
“I will come-anytime, anywhere. And if you’re with ME, I promise you will too.”
Pressing send ,his blood pumping furiously ,he knew that he would see her that night.
At the cottage, Fressenda answered the door, pleased to see Merilees’s happy smile on the other side.
“Brrrrrrrr it’s getting cold.”Merilee fussed ,removing her hat and scarf and unleashing her blonde halo of curls. Although African American ,her hair had naturally turned blonde the night she had been turned ,and had been that color ever since.
Fress couldn’t stand it.
“Are we okay?”she asked, taking both of her friends hands in hers. “It’s really fine with you if Daniel and I see each other?”
Merilee nodded.”That’s the very reason I wanted to talk with you in person,vis-à-vis,because I knew you had concerns. But…”Merilee shrugged her shoulders,”It’s fine with me.”
Fress looked both apologetic and relieved,”Meri you KNOW if I thought it bothered you one iota I would stay away, you have to know that. I value our friendship too much.”
“And I yours.” Merilee confirmed, hugging Fress.” Bff’s forever. Girlfriends over dudes anytime. But one reason I insisted we meet this afternoon is that I have a question for you, also.”
“A question?” Fress pulled back ,a quizzical look making her lovely brow pucker.
“Yes.” Merilee affirmed.”Did you know Charley asked me out?”
Fress’s jaw dropped so quickly that it took her several seconds to regain her composure. Flashes of conflicting emotions invaded her consciousness :first ,shock ,that of all people Charley would think to ask her BEST FRIEND out so soon after their breakup. Secondly ,suspicion that Charley’s choice of Merilee had been prompted by his anger that she had kissed Daniel. Lastly ,a part of her was just sad that after meaning so much to each other neither of them had missed a beat trying to connect with other partners.
Fress’s shocked expression wasn’t lost on Merilee.
“I know,”Merilee said soothingly ,slipping her arm around Fress.”I was as shocked as you are. And not the least bit interested by the way. Not because he’s your ex, Fress. But because even though he’s about as good looking a male vamp as was ever created, there’s simply no chemistry as far as I’m concerned. None.”
Fress drew in a breath, realizing she’d stopped breathing. Laughing shakily she said, ”Well
he’s not exactly your type, you like-“
“BAD BOYS!” they finished together, laughing. Merilee followed up by saying ”That is so true. There is something about Charley that makes me think of a six year old-he has a vulnerability that gives him a teddy bear quality. And I don’t sleep with teddy bears-I’m a grown-ass lady!
“Anyway, I had to tell you myself.”
“Thank you ,Fress said sincerely.”Knowing that helps me move forward. Do you mind giving me a little of the inside scoop on Mr. Daniel Cook?”
Merilee linked her arm through Fress’s as they walked to the kitchen.
“I would consider myself remiss if I didn’t. I will tell you anything you want to know over a cup of tea.”
It seemed to Charley Rabbit that the local College campus was a veritable grocery store for vampires.
Watching groups of students walk by was like watching a parade of differently shaped containers full of blood being displayed on a moving conveyor belt. Charley was acutely aware that his bloodlust was increasing. Cass had warned him that being recently twice bitten would increase his thirst exponentially, and it had. He felt that he could potentially feed multiple times a day with no problem. Blood became his raison d’etre, a nourishing fountain of beautiful, mysterious ruby hued vitality. The burning sensation in the back of his throat, the stupifying longing for blood occupied an insane amount of his consciousness. He still drank donated blood for most of his increasing need, and still was plying Buttercup for the occasional primitive fangs out feeding. His dreams were complicated, unrestful, and full of fantasy sequences in which he sank his fangs into human females and luxuriated in drinking his fill. In his nightmares he realized belatedly with a sense of horror that he’d drained his host of every drop of blood and accidently killed her. In his’ good’ dreams he found himself surrounded with two or three scantily clad human females willingly offering their graceful necks, ample bosoms and tender thighs to be bitten.
The end result was always the same, some of the most torrential wet dreams he’d ever experienced.
Although Charley counseled with Lux he felt he needed to keep his blood lusts strictly secret from his mother Mitzi, who lately had seemed quite preoccupied and a bit under the weather anyway.
He decided he would call Sophia, the girl from the library soon. Just the prospect of having her alone made him feel excited. She’d made it clear that she wanted sex-that was fine and something to look forward to, but he wanted a bit more.
And he felt that there was a good chance he would get it.
*********************************
Daniel heard Fressenda’s cell phone ring twice and then a clear sweet voice was resonating in his ear.”Hello?”
He chuckled, relieved that she had answered.
“It’s your new boyfriend. He’s willing to take it slowly. He just wants to gaze upon your loveliness. “He paused for effect.
“Tonight.”
Immediately he heard the giggling of two women, followed by “Fress you need to answer your cell yourself!!This man’s in pain over you!!!”
Abashed, Daniel recognized the voice of Merilee, and realized he had committed a gaffe. He was reduced to asking Merilee politely if he could speak to Fress.
There was more giggling, then the sound of a door closing.
“Sorry ,sorry Daniel.” Fress said when she finally took his call.”Merilee just left-I was busy so I asked her to get my cell.” He could feel her smiling through the cell connection.
“Yeah-THAT”S not awkward!”Daniel answered. “Especially since we used to date. Any chance I could have a redo?”
Fress sounded calmer.”Of course. You may begin at any time. Just pretend I answered and said hello.”
“Hi Fress. I wondered if I could see you tonight. In any context. No pressure.”
To his consternation Fress began giggling all over again.
“I’m sorry,” she said, ”I seem to be in a giddy mood. “
“I love the sound of your laughter, ”Daniel replied.”I’d like to hear it in person silly girl. Can I pick you up?”
“Yes you may.” Daniel could feel her smiling over the phone. He hastily said “Soon ,then.”, grabbed his car keys and headed down the stairs to leave. Unfortunately his mopey looking mother Dendra was waiting at the bottom of the staircase.
“Hi Mom!”,he greeted her, ”I’m on my way out. Need anything?”
Dendra sniffed and he realized belatedly that she’d been crying. Great,he thought, just what he needed.
He sighed and said, ”Hey, are you okay?”
“Sort of,” she replied. “I haven’t been able to get a hold of Mitzi lately since she started playing house with a younger man. I miss her.”
“Don’t worry about it”, Daniel told her, shrugging on his expensive suede jacket and kissing her cheek.”A mutual friend told me that she’s been sick lately. She’ll probably be giving you a call soon, I betcha. I have to run though.”
“Don’t be too late, Danny.” His mother called after him as he exited. “Tomorrow is a work day!”
Daniel quickly jumped in his sporty roadster and took off. He felt sorry for his mother-with his older siblings either married or away at college he was sure that she was having difficulty reconfiguring her life. And it was a shame that Mitzi wasn’t as involved in their friendship-apparently even his mother’s and Mitzi’s twenty year connection didn’t warrant Mitzi telling his mom she’d become a vampire.
That would, he reflected, be a VERY awkward conversation at best. He couldn’t blame Mitzi for not sharing. He felt no urge to tell his mother what he himself had become.
But he knew that sooner or later ,his mother would insist on seeing Mitzi, and it made him fear for her sanity.
With his mind engaged in deep thought he soon found himself turning down Amulet Street where Fress’s cottage was. The early spring weather was refreshing-it had warmed considerably over the past few days and ,glancing up he saw a spectacular celestial display of glittering stars, with the planet Venus glinting as ruby red as an actual gemstone set into the soft ebon darkness of the night sky.
He had a feeling of déjà vu as he raised the brass knocker to tap politely at the front door. And suddenly Fress was standing before him, just inside the door. She looked younger than he remembered ,and as she smiled her eyes held a wistful look that drew him to her more strongly than the deep sexuality that had initially attracted him.
“Hi ”she said, almost shyly, standing back to admit him.
Daniel had spend the last few days fantasizing about being in the same room with Fressenda , imagining that he would sweep her off her feet and into the nearest bedroom within seconds of seeing her again. But to his immense surprise he felt very differently than he’d expected to now that he was in proximity. And what he found himself saying to her was unrehearsed and straight from the heart.
“Hi yourself,” he responded. “Is there a place we can talk? And can I hold you while we talk? I’m here for you, Fressenda. I’m here now.”
Wordlessly she reached out for his hand and led him into a small study on the first floor. It contained a loveseat, twin bookshelves and an old fashioned women’s kidney shaped, writing desk with an inlaid mosaic border of differently colored woods in shades of red,black and gold hues that looked like an antique. As soon as they were seated she relaxed into the reassuring shelter of his well muscled arms.
And to his complete amazement that was enough, just holding her was all he needed , or even wanted, at that moment in time.
He had come prepared to listen to anything she had to say, but her silence was filled with eloquence. Her beautiful essence perfumed the air around them, and just breathing it in filled him up and infused him with a quietly spectacular sense of peace and joy.
And so he sat there, holding her, falling more in love with her with each passing moment, until dawn sent up a symphony of multicolored fingers of light on the horizon and he had to kiss her lips lightly as she slept and leave her to get ready for work.
Charley sighed again and glanced over at his snoring date, sitting in the passenger seat of his roadster. His date with the human girl, Macy, that he’d met at the library hadn’t turned out the way he’d expected. He half blamed himself for taking her out to the Cavern Club-she had told him she liked to go out dancing but he didn’t realize that she couldn’t hold her liquor worth a darn. She had started out tipsy, giggling, and dancing very provocatively, then quickly became so outrageously inebriated that he’d had to half carry her to the car.
He was wondering what to do when she mumbled and switched position so that her head was turned away from him ,exposing her white neck and the hollow of her throat. Immediately some primal element in Charley kicked in and the rhythmic pulsing of her blood through her carotid artery was echoing in his ears. His other senses seemed to heighten as well-he could smell the bouquet of her blood through her skin ,and he realized how voraciously hungry he was.
Moving as if in a dream,he pulled her slightly towards him ,his fangs were in full extrusion and he was intent on sinking them deeply into the lovely, tantalizingly soft whiteness of her neck.
And then someone knocked –forcefully-on his driver’s side window, making him jump and killing his bloodlust buzz, causing it to shrivel up like a punctured balloon.
To his complete shock he found himself looking through the partially fogged up window into the face of Cass, who motioned for him to roll the window down and was wearing a rather perturbed look on his face.
Charley flushed as he realized his fangs were still not fully retracted. He wanted to speak without the usual lisp extruded fangs often caused, but they were taking forever to retract. Cass didn’t give him any time to speak however .Having Cass see him in that mode was annoying though. It was like having a boner(which he also had, though it wasn’t so obvious) that wouldn’t go away.
“Charley what the HELL are you thinking, dude?”he asked in a forceful stage whisper.”Were you actually thinking of fanging that girl? Do you realize what her blood alcohol content must be? Not to mention she’s incapacitated. You know how the V-net feels about biting incapacitated individuals…”
In the blink of an eye Charley pushed the driver’s side door open and was standing toe to toe with Cass.
“Okay- so WHAT DO YOU WANT, killer of all buzzes?”he asked in a frustrated voice.
Cass’s answer was immediate.”I want you to cease and desist from doing STUPID, which seems to be your current M.O. What the hell are you thinking?”
Charley sighed,”Okay but you are NOT interfering on my next date .I don’t need a chaperone dude! ”he said in a snarky tone.
Cass raised his eyebrows as if he didn’t necessarily believe that.
“Handle yourself and you won’t have to worry about it. Do I hear a promise from you in there somewhere?”
“Yes”, Charley replied sullenly, then added ,”But I’m still having sex. That is definitely none of your business, buzzkiller!””
Charley’s tone reminded Cass of a petulant five year old, but he squelched a smirk and answered.
“By all means, Charley Rabbit! You can spread your seed from here to La Rincanada, but for now just take the young lady home. And don’t feed on human females. There’s no need, no matter how thirsty you are.”
“I promise.” Charley said resignedly.
It was a promise that he would break two days later.
Mitzi lifted her tee shirt and stared at her abdomen. In spite of her sublime shapeliness and having the smallest waist she’d ever had in her life, she could see a definite baby bump. Her window of opportunity to tell Charley that she was going to gift him with a sibling, before he took a really good look at her and jumped to his own conclusions, was drawing to a close. Her feelings ran the gamut-some days she was filled with unspeakable joy and peace. On her darker days she felt under the weather and brooded over her forced intimacy with Adrastos. Dr. Caligare had told her when she contacted him privately that there was really no way to determine whether Cass or Adrastos was the father of the baby, since vampires subsist on human blood and pick up the genotypes of everyone they drink from to the point that their genetic profile as a consequence is all over the map and mutating daily.
So her most probing and personal questions remained unanswered. O
nly the fact that Cass was with her, obviously proud as a peacock and delighted with her and life in general kept her spirits uplifted.
Mitzi jumped guiltily as Charley entered from the garage door. It was obvious he’d been riding his motorcycle-his hair was in wild disarray and his eyes had a feral look.
“Charley!” she said,”I thought you had a date. Did you really pick her up on your motorcycle?”
Charley’s face flushed spontaneously. He looked, if not exactly angry, extremely perturbed. He pulled out a chair and plopped into it, the metal fastenings on his too-cool leather jacket jangling like biker wind chimes.
“Mom, apparently I have a penchant for lushes-my date Macy got wasted and I had to take her home early!”
Mitzi tried not to smile instead she pasted a concerned and parental look on her face.
“Oh I’m sorry it turned out that way, nowadays it’s so hard to tell about people, especially humans. But I’m proud of you…I think you did the right thing Charley.”
Charley looked into his mother’s guileless eyes. Suddenly it seemed as if he could see her face for the first time. In typical Charley fashion he spoke before his internal editor could kick in.
“Wow mom, I just realized-you don’t look any older than my date.”
Mitzi was taken aback, ”Oh I’m sure that’s not true. And it’s only because we’re…vampires. It’s not like I’ll ever see you going gray Charley –some things will be different.”
“Right back to you.” Charley said, looking at his mom contemplatively.”But it’s kind of wierding me out anyway. Eventually you and I will look like brother and sister. Don’t you think people will notice?”
Mitzi squirmed and wished fervently that Cass would return home and handle the conversation for her. Charley was only voicing the same qualms and fears that filled her own mind from time to time, but they seemed more insidious when voiced by her only offspring.
Looking steadily into his eyes she answered, ”We’ve chosen this path. And we are surrounded by others of our kind who love us. I’m sure Lux would say that it will be okay and we should be at peace. Whatever comes, we have strength in our unity and we can figure it out together, right?”