“What’s that you’re sayin’ about me being irresponsible, kid?”
Lawrence walked through the door carrying a suitcase. He was accompanied by a woman that looked to be in her thirties. Her dirty blonde hair was cropped short, complementing her heart-shaped face. She smiled when she saw Julia and led the way to the bar with Lawrence in tow.
“Just saying how irresponsible it is for you to be such a great employer, boss,” Thomas replied, flashing Julia a conspiratorial smile and fetching two more glasses for the new arrivals.
“Damn right,” Lawrence said fiercely. He greeted Julia with a kiss on the cheek. “The streets were packed tighter than a can of sardines. Caught us off guard. We might’ve gotten here faster by runnin’, but your ma didn’t wanna be offendin’ the driver.”
“He was so confident he could get us through,” Lawrence’s companion said, kissing Julia’s cheek as well.
Thomas glanced between the three of them, knowing what this implied but still wanting confirmation.
“I see you’re already acquainted with my daughter, Julia,” Lawrence said, clapping a hand onto Julia’s shoulder. “Told you she was pretty as a Sunday mornin’, didn’t I?”
“Come on, Lawrence,” Julia said, pretending to be embarrassed but throwing Thomas another wink.
Thomas cleared his throat, trying not to show his surprise. The two looked nothing alike.
“This must be your wife?” Thomas asked.
“Sara Foxe. Sorry for the late introduction,” the woman said, shaking Thomas’ hand and smiling warmly. “I’ve heard about you, of course, but I haven’t had the time to stop by here these past few days.”
Thomas felt Julia’s eyes on him again. He allowed himself a brief glance. She was grinning mischievously, and his cheeks started to flush.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Thomas replied, ignoring Julia’s gaze. “Your husband has been a godsend, really.”
Lawrence glanced around the pub with his hands in his pocket and whistled. “You’ve given this place a good shine, kid. Haven’t seen her lookin’ so tidy in, well, it must’ve been since we opened.”
Thomas shrugged nonchalantly but was glad to see his efforts rewarded with praise.
Sara and Lawrence sat next to their daughter and took drinks from Thomas.
“It’s about time this place was cleaned. I’ve been meaning to for decades, but you know how it is. The more you look for the time to do things, the harder it is to come by,” Sara said with a laugh and turned her full attention to Thomas. “So, you are the latest of the flock? From what Lawrence tells me you’ve been having a rough time of it. You were fed upon, sired, then quit your job, ran into a werewolf, and met Ernest himself. And all that before you started your first day as a barkeep here.”
Thomas didn’t really know what to say other than a nervous, “Yup, that’s me.”
“Well, one of these days we really must get together and have a nice long talk. I know Lawrence has been showing you the ropes, but I am a little more active in the otherworldly community than my husband.” Sara smiled. “But that can wait. First, I’m here to catch up with my daughter. She has been out of town for far too long.”
Julia made a face as Sara tousled her hair.
“Cut it out, Mom,” she laughed. “I’m not a kid anymore.”
“You’ll always be a kid to us, Jularoo,” Lawrence said, throwing back his drink. “Listen, I’ve got a donor comin’ in a coupla, so I’ve gotta get that good and taken care of, then we can take the rest of your luggage back to your place.”
“Need any help, honey?” Sara asked, finishing her glass and standing to follow him down the length of the bar.
“I wouldn’t mind a view of your gams while I work,” Lawrence grinned, pulling his wife in for a kiss.
Sara laughed as his lips tickled her neck and tried playfully to push him away. “This is what I get for marrying someone so young,” she said, breaking free only to lean in for another kiss. “Lose the stupid slang and you’d be perfect.”
“You’d better believe I’m perfect, sugar cakes,” Lawrence smirked, reminding Thomas of Julia’s expression from a few minutes ago. Maybe they were related. “Anyway, you’ve got the reins in your hands, Tommy boy. You didn’t have any questions, did you?”
“Actually, I—”
“Aces! Then you just get your hands dirty and make sure things this side of the door go smooth as butter,” Lawrence said with a smile, wrapping his arm around Sara’s waist as they walked toward the elevator in the back. “And keep my Julia entertained, will you?”
“Be right back, Jules,” Sara called. “Bye, Thomas.”
As soon as they were gone, Julia turned back to Thomas, grinning.
“Parents, right?”
“Yeah, yours are something else,” Thomas agreed.
He wasn’t interested in finding an adopted family, either. His friends were his family now and had been since his parents’ divorce. The divorce destroyed his relationship with both parents, and he’d had little to do with them since he moved out and went to college.
Julia pushed her glass toward him again, lipstick staining the rim. The baseboards could wait. Talking to Julia was as refreshing as being around his friends, and he didn’t need to hide who he was around her. She wasn’t freaked out by his vampiric quirks, and it didn’t hurt he couldn’t stop staring at her smile.
“So, are you, like, my manager or something?” Thomas asked, taking her glass. He winced inwardly. Not only was Julia beautiful, she was also probably much older than him, making her doubly hard to talk to. “Y’know, being the owner’s daughter and all.”
Julia laughed and shook her head.
“No, Lawrence runs this place because he likes to believe that vampires need to set down deep roots, but not me. I’m more of a wandering spirit,” Julia replied. She jerked her head toward the door to the basement. “Although I do like to help out when I can. Of course, I’d never be brave enough to try and scrub these floors. I think you are the first person to ever attempt it. Just wine this time, none of the red stuff.”
Thomas screwed the lid back onto the red lightning he’d been about to pour in her glass and reached for a wine glass and a bottle of Merlot instead.
“So, are you entertainment? Lawrence said you sing. The exact word he used was canary, I believe.”
“It’s a hobby but nothing more. I actually help get the red that goes in lightning.”
“Oh, you’re a phlebotomist?”
“Not registered. I worked for a while as a nurse seventy odd years back, but I haven’t kept up with much in the world of medicine. But you pick up on a few things when you’ve been alive this long.” Julia accepted the wine glass gratefully and began by sniffing it, like she’d done with the red lightning earlier. “What about you? What were you before you changed? Unless you’ve been a career barkeep from the beginning?”
“No, I’m—I was a surgeon,” Thomas said, trying to keep the melancholy out of his voice. Whenever he thought of the disaster at the hospital, he was reminded how his life as he knew it was over. Though, he had to admit, it was easier forgetting about the past few days when he was talking to Julia.
“A surgeon, huh?” Julia asked, raising her eyebrows. “Impressive. What made you quit?”
Thomas steeled himself and pulled down a wine glass for himself as well. “Oh, you know, too much blood. Not much you can do when you’re surrounded by the stuff that turns you into an animal. I couldn’t work like that. Not yet anyway. Maybe when I’m more used to being a monster.” He tried to sound casual, as if including Julia in a joke.
Julia watched him intently over the rim of her glass as she drank. Her steady gaze made him uncomfortable. This was why he never faced Artemis when he went to talk with her.
“Monster, you say?”
Thomas blushed. “I didn’t mean that you—what I mean is—”
“Relax.” Julia waved her hand dismissively. “I won’t take offense over a
few frustrated words.”
She beckoned Thomas closer, and he came as close to the bar as he could. Julia, in turn, leaned forward until their faces were only about a foot apart.
“Let me tell you something, Thomas,” Julia said, her expression serious. “I know what you’re feeling right now. Everyone here does. After you, I’m the youngest in the flock. So believe me when I say the longer you hold onto the idea you’re a monster, the longer it will take for you to adjust. You have to forget the self-pity. Drop the labels. Being a vampire doesn’t mean giving up being human. The more people you meet, the more you’ll realize it’s true. Let it go. Move on. You aren’t a monster. You’re a kid trying to make his way in the world.”
Julia reached across the bar and placed her hand over Thomas’ heart, feeling it beat. Thomas stiffened as she made contact, instinctively trying to pull away. His heart was only a few beats away from bursting from his chest at this rate. Could Julia tell? Of course she could. Her senses had to be as sharp as his were—or sharper.
“I know it feels like a lifetime right now, but this is just a moment, Thomas. It will pass.”
Thomas didn’t know what to say. Julia withdrew her hand and went back to drinking her wine like nothing had happened between them. Was it just him, or had it gotten a little warm in the pub?
“It all comes down to what you consider to be human,” Julia continued, her tone more matter-of-fact than before. “Biologically speaking, you may no longer be human. But if you think of humanity as a common state of being, a collective set of ideals, morals, and behaviors, then you’re still solidly in bounds.”
“With that definition, I guess it makes sense when people say serial killers have lost their humanity, although they’re still technically human, or homosapien.”
“Exactly. It’s all mental.” Julia granted him another dazzling smile. “If you think that way, it’ll be easier to control the thirst. You’ll adjust quicker.”
Thomas stared straight into Julia’s eyes, mulling over what she said. Her words settled somewhere near his heart, and he felt lighter than he had in days.
“Thanks for that,” he said. “I needed to hear it.”
“Any time. If you need someone to talk to, I’m here,” Julia said, leaning onto the counter. “Well, for the next couple of months anyway. Then I’m off to New Zealand. I can’t stay in one place long.”
A few patrons trickled into the bar. Thomas poured them drinks and directed a man who looked rattled to Lawrence. When he had the chance, Thomas drifted back to Julia. There was something magnetic about the way she talked—and the things she talked about.
The longer they spoke, the more lighthearted their conversation became. She was to-the-point and honest about her beliefs yet dodged personal questions with expertise. She smiled like she didn’t have a care in the world, but occasionally she spouted a bit of personal philosophy so deep Thomas wondered if that wasn’t an act, too. She was sophisticated, talking to him about the concerts she’d been to in famous music halls and the art galleries she’d visited around the world. As they talked, she and Thomas discovered they were both lovers of Mozart, Debussy, and Nirvana.
Julia had never-ending stories about the places she’d been and the sights she’d seen. Most of her time had been spent in Europe. She’d picked up French, Spanish, and Italian along the way and laughed when Thomas tried to recall his forgotten high school French lessons.
Lawrence and Sara had long since returned from their errand downstairs, but Julia wouldn’t be moved. She exclaimed she was enjoying her chat with Thomas as much as he was, although he had a feeling she was hiding something. He wasn’t sure yet what she was guarding, but he could see the telltale signs in an occasional false laugh or a cold smile. Every time Thomas thought he’d finally cornered what she was avoiding, she slipped away. Her behavior should have been off-putting, but he couldn’t help but be fascinated.
Tired of watching Thomas mostly avoid work to talk with his daughter, Lawrence finally told Thomas to go on break for a bit until he could cool his head. He and Julia made their way to a table near the stage, listening to a man with a rich, baritone voice singing jazz to the swinging band behind him.
“You have to leave the country, Thomas,” Julia said, leaning in close to be heard over the music. “I can’t believe you never have. There is nothing better than crossing borders and absorbing a new culture. Nothing better.”
“Seeing as I have all the time in the world now, I might as well,” Thomas said, his mood threatening to turn sour again as he thought about how he would outlive all of his friends. “I’ve always meant to, you know? I just never got the chance between college, med school, and residency. I don’t have to worry about that anymore though, so why not, right?”
“Yes, exactly. It’s all about being in the present. Live for yourself.”
“Sean and I talked about touring Mexico after graduation, but that never ended up happening.” Thomas clapped with the rest of the patrons as the musicians on stage finished one set and started another.
“Sean?”
“He’s my best friend. Has been since kindergarten. He and our friend Nelson are the ones I ran out on last night.”
Julia nodded understandingly. They’d been talking long enough that Thomas had already told her about every incident since he’d been turned.
“Have you talked to either of them since?” Julia asked, pausing to whistle when the band started up again.
“I don’t know what to say to them. ‘Sorry I tried to eat the chick you were hitting on last night, Nelson. Oh, and Sean, I prefer blood with my beer now. I’m sure you understand.’”
Julia laughed. “Yeah, it’s hard when you think about it. Don’t give up though.”
“On talking to them?”
“On humans.” Julia looked Thomas straight in the eye. “It’s not worth losing the ties you’ve made to this world.”
Julia returned her attention to the stage, but Thomas couldn’t take his eyes off of her. It was growing dark outside, although that had little impact on the gloom inside the pub. Julia’s skin was warm in the light from the lamps along the walls. Being this close to her made it easy to see the pulse beating in her neck, but unlike with the waitress in the bar last night, he felt no monstrous desire to drink her blood. Having been surrounded by humans ever since he turned, it was a relief to enjoy her company without worrying he would kill her—just being around his human friends had been exhausting, even if he loved them. He didn’t realize how on edge he’d been until Julia put him at ease. He felt more human talking to her than he had since he’d been turned.
“Have you?” Thomas asked after a few minutes of silence.
“What?” Julia looked at him in confusion. She’d forgotten what they were talking about.
“Have you given up on humans?” Thomas asked, watching her closely for her reactions.
Julia laughed. It was one of her false laughs. “Would I be telling you not to give up if I already had?”
Before Thomas could reply, the singer on stage finished another set and bid goodnight to the crowd, opening up the mic again.
“Ooh, an open spot,” Julia said, jumping to her feet. “I’ll be back in a jiff.”
Julia bounced up onto the stage, looking excited. Thomas sighed. Again, Julia had slipped away before revealing too much about her personal life. Yet, who was he to say if she was shy about her feelings or not? He felt pulled to her and had spilled most of his secrets already, but he’d only met her that night. It was too early to pretend he knew her.
“You look like you could use a bit of the good stuff, kid.”
Thomas turned to see Lawrence standing right behind him, bearing a couple of mugs. He sank into the seat his daughter had vacated with a heavy noise like air escaping from a tire and slid one of the mugs to Thomas. Feeling a little apprehensive, Thomas picked up the mug and drank, letting the mixture of blood and alcohol sustain him.
“What did that man want?” Thomas as
ked.
“Hm?”
“The one who was rattled. Disheveled. He okay?”
Lawrence grunted and waved his hand. “He was just worryin’ himself about some junkie movement. Nothin’ you need to be botherin’ about, kid.”
Thomas let the matter drop.
Lawrence’s expression was difficult to read. Was he thinking about that man? Or was he upset with how well Thomas and Julia were getting along? Was he feeling protective? Lawrence sighed again, getting ready to speak, and Thomas prepared himself for a lecture.
“Now, kid, I’d like to take this opportunity to remind you that we vampires are tough but not invincible. Holy water, sunlight, fire, wooden stakes, and the poison from a fellow vampire’s bite are grand ways to put us in a world of hurt,” Lawrence explained, swirling the contents of his mug with slow, gentle motions of his hand. “But just like humans, the biggest hurt we can experience is gettin’ our hearts crushed by someone else walkin’ all over them.”
Thomas nodded, unable to stop himself from noticing that Lawrence looked older than he ever had.
“You want me to lay off with Julia.” Thomas wasn’t asking. He knew that’s what Lawrence was getting at, and his heart sank at the thought.
“Not necessarily, my dear boy,” Lawrence said, turning in his seat to make eye contact with the young vampire. “I told you already, my Julia is a firecracker. She’s the prettiest thing you’ll ever see, sensational and full of light. But if you get too close, you stand at risk of being burned. Just make sure you’re keepin’ track of your feelings there, Tommy Boy.”
Thomas laughed half-heartedly, not quite entirely certain what to think. After a nod, he picked up his drink, downed it, and stood up.
“Sure, I got ya,” Thomas said, hoping it didn’t sound too much like a promise.
Julia was safe. Maybe not for his heart, but she was safe from him. He couldn’t accidentally kill her.
“Good. Break’s up. Get back to that bar and earn your keep.”
“Wait, Lawrence?”
“Yeah, kid?” Lawrence looked annoyed that Thomas hadn’t rushed off right away.
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