Poker Night
Part 1, Mick
"Mick, my man, I think it's time to Christen this baby," Josef said to me, indicating his newly restored office. We both stood a moment, admiring the posh space with its expensive leather chairs and the huge mahogany desk that dominated the room. In colors of blood red and black, it looked like a vampire's hideaway, which, of course, it was.
"It's very cool, Josef. What do you have in mind?"
"Why, a poker game, of course. Let's get the guys together, some of that expensive scotch you like, and a couple of beautiful freshies. What do you say?" I had been spending a lot of time with Beth lately, at the expense of my vamp friends. I guess Josef was feeling a little slighted. Then again, his philosophy had always been that there didn't have to be a good reason for a party. I walked over to the oval conference table and sat experimentally in one of the black leather chairs. "What would Simone think," I asked, deliberately baiting him, "of the freshies, I mean?" I knew the two of them had been hot and heavy lately, since Josef's birthday party a couple weeks ago. Simone wanted to become a vampire, but Josef was still resisting. I knew he had it bad for her, however, and I was pretty sure Simone wouldn't like the idea of him partaking of other freshies.
"Simone and I have an...understanding of sorts."
"Uh-huh," I said, unconvinced.
"At any rate, this is my new office, and I have my own friends, who have their own needs and expect a good time at my place. Simone is just gonna have to deal with it."
"Right. Okay, I'm in."
"But what about Beth?" He asked. Turn about was fair play, I suppose.
"What about Beth? I have nothing to worry about there. I don't plan to utilize any freshies, thank you. I prefer my blood from a plastic bag."
"Sure, you do. Beth not fulfilling her freshie duties?"
I hesitated. This was still a sensitive subject for me. Beth and I hadn't slept together since our first time two weeks before, back when I lost control and bit her, nearly killing her from the blood loss.
"I don't want to hurt her, Josef. I've been meaning to ask your advice on that." I didn't have anyone else to ask. His ear-to-ear grin didn't help me feel comfortable about asking him, though.
"Mick, Mick, Mick. Mind over matter. If she doesn't mind, it doesn't matter."
"Oh, that's hilarious, and so helpful, too. I'm the one who minds here. She's more to me than a feed bag. I feel like I'm using her and endangering her at the same time. Not a feeling conducive to good sex."
"Hey, it's never been a problem for me." I guess he could see how upsetting this truly was to me. "Look, I know this is all going back to you wanting to be something you're not--or what you're not anymore. Until you finally accept that you're a vampire, you're going to keep having these issues." I knew he was right. But one more taste of humanity a couple months ago, with Coraline's "cure", had made me want to be human again more than anything, almost as much as I wanted Beth. And with Beth in my life now, I felt more aware of what I had lost, of what Coraline had taken from me.
"So, is that your only advice?" I knew I sounded bitter and angry. Then again, I was, but not really at Josef. He sat down across from me.
"Okay, here's my advice. Before Sarah knew I was a vampire, I had to do my best to hide it from her. It wasn't easy, believe me. She figured it out though, eventually, when I lost control myself. I guess when you're that into someone, it's more difficult to fight it. But at first, I just...held my breath and counted."
"You're kidding me, right? How far did you count, because I don't want her to lose interest right in the middle of things."
He laughed. "You'll know. It worked, up to a point. Then she saw me turn and that was the end of my little secret. She didn't seem to care--after she got over the shock, I mean. But Beth knows what you are. Have you asked her if this is a big deal to her?"
"We've been kind of avoiding the subject, which is not something Beth is used to doing, believe me. Okay, I'm the one avoiding it. I'm sure she's starting to think I don't want her in that way anymore."
"I kinda doubt that. But it's not going to go away, Mick. The elephant in the room and all that. You are still so 1950's about so many things. I mean, it's sweet and endearing and all, but Beth is a modern woman. I'd hate to see you screw this up because of your Leave it to Beaver hang-ups."
I really wanted to slug him about now. It sucked that he knew me so well. "Fine," I finally said. "I'll talk to her about it. Then, I'll practice holding my breath."
"Atta boy! Now, about our poker game...."
When I got out of the elevator on my apartment floor, I immediately breathed in the familiar sweet fragrance of the object of my desire: Beth. She was lingering in the alcove down the hall from my door, and it occurred to me, that while I loved the surprise of finding her there, it wasn't really safe for her to be alone in the dim, deserted hallway. I'd have to do something about that. Then she smiled that brilliant smile of hers and all other thoughts fled from my mind. I stopped in front of her and pulled her in for a kiss. My intention had been to lightly brush her lips with mine, but once she was in my arms, I backed her up to the wall and dove in. With her hands in my hair and her tongue in my mouth, I had the crazy desire to take her right there, against the wall. But I didn't want to scare her. Or overwhelm her. Or bite her. So, I gently pulled away and leaned my forehead against her flushed one, enjoying the sounds of her pounding heart and her ragged breath.
"Well, hello to you too," she finally sighed, and I leaned back to look into her laughing eyes. I grinned, and I knew I must have looked totally smitten. Which I was.
"To what do I owe this unexpected…pleasure?" I asked.
She blushed a little more. "No reason. I just missed you." I couldn't think of a better reason than that. I draped my arm around her shoulders and walked her the rest of the way to my apartment. I pressed the remote control that opened the door, and enjoyed the view as she walked in ahead of me.
"Well, Josef has good news. His office is finally finished," I told her. I knew we were both thinking of that terrible day when his office was destroyed, and we thought he was dead.
"That is good news, " she said, walking to my kitchen.
"Can I get you anything?" I watched her face at the thought of my usual choices: water, alcohol, coffee, or blood. "Check the fridge." She opened it, and saw, beneath the shelves with the usual blood bags, several six-packs of various sodas. Not any of that diet crap which she claimed to hate, but drank anyway.
"Oooohhhh…the real stuff!" And she grabbed a Coke and popped the top. "Awwww," she said, enjoying the flavor, which I vaguely remembered with envy. "Thanks, Mick."
"Now check the cupboard," I said, indicating the one closest to the refrigerator. Inside, she found it loaded with all kinds of chips, snack cakes, candy bars, and other junk food I had picked up on a whim. She seemed to be in awe.
"I'm tired of not having anything good to offer you here."
"I think," she began, sidling up to me, "that you are trying to fatten me up so you can….eat me."
"Hmmm…..you've discovered my master plan." I smiled evilly, flashing a hint of fang. Her eyes widened in surprised amusement. She wasn't used to me joking about being a vampire. I usually didn't find much to laugh about where that was concerned. I was rewarded with a taste of her delicious lips.
"Anyway…" I said, pulling away reluctantly and heading to the living room, her hand in mine. "Josef is planning one of his famous poker tournaments to celebrate the new office." We sat down.
"Sounds like fun. Am I invited?"
I laughed. "No, humans allowed! We play for blood—literally." I felt kinda guilty for the little white lie. Of course, humans would be there. Freshie humans, of the female persuasion.
"I can't imagine a group of vampires playing poker. There's got to be a joke in there somewhere."
"No joke about it. Josef is very serious about gambling."
"So when is this little vampire party?"
"Friday night. I'm looking forward to it. I haven't had the chance to get together with the guys in awhile."
"Well, have fun. I hope you win big. Maybe I'll call Simone for a girls' night out." The conversation seemed to fizzle, probably because of what was really on my mind. A few minutes of uncomfortable silence followed. Beth could sense something was bothering me.
"Spit it out, St. John, " she finally said, frustrated with my silence.
"Well, while I was at Josef's, we got into a conversation. About you. And me."
"That sounds interesting. Do tell."
"Well….it was about my, uh, biting problem."
"You talked about this with Josef?" I could tell she was embarrassed at the thought.
"Hey, there aren't many others I can talk to about this, you know what I mean?"
"Yeah, I guess so. So, what did he say?"
"He said I should ask you—" I struggled a minute. But this was Beth, I reminded myself.
"Ask me what, Mick," she said softly.
"I should ask you if my biting you is really a big deal." She didn't respond right away.
I was starting to get worried, when finally she said: "No, not really, Mick. I mean, I don't want to pass out every time, but Simone told me it gets easier. My main concern is having to wear turtlenecks all the time. Or long sleeves."
I started to laugh, but saw she was partly serious. "I guess I could figure out other places…"I suggested, my mind dwelling on those sexy possibilities. This was probably the most embarrassing discussion I had ever had with a woman. Over the last fifty years, being with vampire women never really made this an issue. The occasional freshie knew what to expect, and usually enjoyed it and didn't mind the marks. And I still was struggling with the very real possibility of killing Beth. And accidents could happen—what if I turned her by mistake? I know she had to drink my blood right after I nearly drained her, but still…I'd seen mistakes happen with others.
"Another thing, Mick. Biting me means that we are limited to the number of times we can…" she trailed off in embarrassment. We were a pair.
I'd forgotten that aspect too. "So, our choices are, put up with the marking, the blood loss, possible death or turning, or…I need to learn to control myself, at least most of the time."
"I could be turned—by accident?" She sounded more hesitant now.
"Unfortunately. Remember that professor and the rogue newbie? His sire had no idea he had even turned the poor guy. And look what happened to him." I had had to kill him, was the unspoken reply.
"But the difference is, you would know right away. You would take care of me."
"Do you really want to take that risk? I'm not in the siring business, Beth. Never have been. I certainly don't want to start with you—with someone I love." We were at an impasse. This is why I knew it was a mistake to truly get involved with her. But, God help me, I couldn't give her up now.
Next thing I knew, she was kneeling before my chair, looking up into my eyes, holding my cool hands in her warm ones. "Mick, this isn't a deal-breaker. I love you. I want to be with you. It is worth the risk. I told you when we were together before that it was just new to us both. This is why you haven't—why we haven't—"
"Yes. That's the only reason, believe me. It's tough to even be in the same room with you now, without throwing you down on the floor and—" I had to smile at how passionate I was sounding.
"I feel the same way," Beth said softly, smiling back. "Let's just try. No matter what happens, I love you, and I want you. I want this."
I felt a thrill as her hand moved up to my neck, pulling my lips down to hers. Just like a spark to gasoline we exploded into action. My hands were everywhere, and so were hers on me. Suddenly, just like my recent fantasy, we were on the soft carpet, frantically pulling at clothing and exploring with lips and tongues. Things were just getting really interesting when someone's phone rang. All I could think of through my sexual fog was that if it was Josef, I really was going to kill him this time. But it was Beth's phone.
"Don't answer it," I all but begged. She sat up and reached for her purse, breathing heavily.
"I have to. I'm sorta on call. Yes?" She said into the phone. "Oh, hi Ben. No, I'm not busy." She smiled in apology at me. "Okay. I'll be there as soon as I can."
I lay flat on my back on the floor, my eyes closed, trying to calm down. Then I felt the silk of her hair falling around my face, and her warm lips touching mine. "I'm sorry, Mick," she whispered. I opened my eyes and looked into her blue ones, cloudy now with the same disappointment I was feeling. I breathed deeply once and sat up.
"I know—duty calls. And for the record, I'm beginning to hate Ben Talbot. I really don't like the idea of you leaving me to go to Mr. GQ, I don't care if he is your boss. I've always hated that kind of guy. Tall, pretty-boy, looks like he was raised at a country club. Dresses like a model. Smart, funny. I mean, what do women see in guys like him?" I was rambling in frustration, taking this out on Ben, who actually was a decent guy, though too good-looking, as I had been saying. Beth was looking at me in great amusement.
"Are you through?" she asked.
"Yes, for now," I said, giving her a half-hearted grin. I reached out and pulled her back down to me, kissing her long and hard, trying to physically imprint myself on her, lest she forget who she belonged to.
"You're mine, Beth. Talbot better remember that."
"Talbot doesn't need to remember, because I won't forget, you crazy, jealous vampire."
With that, she grabbed her blouse and pulled it back on, then reached down for my hand to try to pull me up. I let her try in vain on her own a minute, then gave in and let her help me up. Immature, I know, but I was still mad.
She grabbed her purse and slipped on her shoes, trying to smooth down her wild curls. I did that, I thought smugly.
"I'll call you later, " she promised. And, with one last kiss, she was gone. I seriously needed a drink.
Part 2, Beth
It had been two long days. I hadn't seen Mick since our little interlude on his floor. I had helped Ben investigate a murder case, and the horrible images of the dead child weighed heavily on my mind. I needed to wind down and I desperately wanted to see Mick, but it was already Friday, the night of Josef's big poker game.
Outside my door, I found a small box with no markings on it. I picked it up, went inside, and looked at my delivery. Inside the box was a smaller box, and a note in Mick's neat hand:
Use this whenever you need it. Love, Mick
I took the lid off the small box and saw a black remote key entry. It was just like the one Mick had for his apartment door. I smiled at his thoughtfulness. And his trust in me. He had said—was it just yesterday?—that he didn't like me waiting alone in his hallway. All my life he had been watching out for me, and here he was doing it again. It made me feel warm and happy. And loved. I reached for the phone. I was hoping he had just gotten up and hadn't left yet.
"Hey, Sweetheart," He answered on the second ring. My heart always skipped a beat at his voice.
"Hi. Did I wake you?"
"No. I just got out of the freezer awhile ago, and I was on my way to the shower." I smiled at the last time I had seen him showering—in my bathroom. "You wanna join me?" He asked suggestively. We were both thinking of that time, and then the other morning when we were interrupted. We definitely had unfinished business.
I laughed. "Not one of your cold showers, thank you, although, after yesterday, that's not a bad idea."
I could hear the smile in his voice. "I could cancel with Josef—"
"No, way. Josef would never let either of us hear the end of it. Aside from missing you, I was also calling to thank you for the gift you left me. That was very thoughtful, Mick."
"Well, I meant what I said earlier. I think you've lived in Vampire Land long enough now to know that danger tends to follow me. I'd like to think you had somewhere relatively safe to go, and that you stop loitering in my hallway."
"You're cute when you're overprotective. But really, I appreciate it. I admit that hallway can be pretty creepy at night. I guess I'll call Simone. Maybe she hasn't gone home yet, and she must be at loose ends too with Josef hosting this guys' thing. Maybe she could meet me for a drink. I'm not even going to try to sleep after the horrible two days I've had." I'd kept in touch by phone with Mick and he knew about the case. I could tell he sympathized.
"Anything involving crime against a child is tough. I've always hated being involved in those cases, but I've never been able to turn them down. Well, you girls have fun, and stay out of trouble."
"You're going to be with Josef, and you're telling me this?"
He laughed. "You've got a point. Maybe we can get together tomorrow. Say, my place? An evening in?"
"Sounds wonderful. Call me tomorrow."
"Okay. I miss you too, by the way. And Beth," he said, his voice getting deeper and more serious, "I love you."
"I love you too," I replied. We were both silent a minute, like we were a couple of teenagers, neither wanting to hang up.
A few long moments later, we laughingly said good-bye at the same time.
Simone seemed happy to hear from me.
"Have you gone home yet? I thought you might not have any plans since Josef's poker night is keeping him from your usual Friday night date."
"No, I'm actually just finishing up and was about ready to head home. It's been a long week."
"Tell me about it," I said. "Hey, you want to meet for a drink? I'm too wound up to stay home."
"Yeah, me too. Sure, sounds like fun. I'll bring my pictures from the Paris trip."
I hadn't seen Simone since Josef's infamous birthday party a couple of weeks ago, and, having never been to Paris, was excited to hear more details about her trip there with Josef. We agreed to meet in a classy hotel lounge midway between her office and my place.
When I got there, Simone was already there, sipping on a Cosmo. I ordered a white wine and sat next to her at the bar. Soft music emanated from the nearby piano.
She brought out the pictures and we chatted awhile about the trip, then, our conversation came round to tonight's bash with the vampires.
"You ever been to one of these poker nights?" I asked her.
She laughed. "Are you kidding? After I became Josef's lawyer, I was invited all the time."
"You're kidding me? Mick said there were no humans allowed. He said they played for blood, so I wasn't invited."
"Hmmm…is that a fact? If I know Josef—and believe me, I do—there will be plenty of "humans" there. But they won't be playing poker; they are the refreshments."
"Freshies?" I said in disbelief. "Tell me, was Mick ever there at those games, enjoying the "refreshments?"
"He did at first. He hasn't had a freshie in a couple of years, though, as far as I know."
"I wonder why he didn't tell me."
"I'm sure he didn't want to upset you, Beth. I think you can trust him."
"What do you mean? He lied about it. He knew damn well those women would be there."
"Josef is always trying to tempt Mick to behave more like a vampire. He can't seem to understand Mick's desire to deny what he is. I know Mick might not have been totally honest about the freshies, but he knew he wasn't going to be using them anyway. Don't be too hard on him."
I sat there in angry silence a moment. All this trust he was bestowing on me lately, like his apartment key, his worries about biting me, and he couldn't have just told me freshies would be there? I would have understood. I wouldn't have liked it, but I wouldn't have given him a hard time. Would I? I looked at Simone, Josef's prime freshie. Even though there was more to their relationship now, the whole idea of being someone's source of food still unnerved me. Not to mention that finding Mick tasting Simone herself that time still made me a little ill at the thought of it. I looked around the lounge a minute, then had an inspiration.
"Let's crash the party."
"What?" Simone said. "I don't think Josef and the other guys would like it that much, unless we agreed to be added to the menu."
"This is Josef's office warming party, right? Whose happier for him than us?" I said sarcastically. "Come on—it'll serve them right."
I guess my excitement was contagious, because Simone laughed and said, "Okay, I gotta admit I can't wait to see their faces when the girlfriends show up. Your car or mine?"
Mick
Awww…Poker Night. I arrived just as my old friend, Daryl Morgan did. He was the owner of a local pub, The Stake and Fang, and I was happy to get the chance to catch up. I hadn't spent much time with any of my friends lately, except for Josef. And then, of course, there was Beth.
"I'm surprised that Carrie let you out alone on a Friday night," I said, shaking his hand.
"Well, the old ball and chain has to loosen up sometime. She's minding the store, and was happy to get me out of her hair for awhile. I'm the one doing her the favor, believe me." I chuckled. I knew he was firmly committed to Carrie, and she to him. I always had to subdue a twinge of envy where their marriage was concerned.
"However it happened, it's good to see you, man." We went on in to Josef's new office to find the others had already gotten there: Guillermo, Logan, and, of course, our host. We took the time to very vocally admire the swank new digs, then we poured ourselves some scotch and sat around the conference table. Josef passed out the Cuban cigars to further set the mood. When we had settled in, Josef got to his feet.
"Before I kick your asses at poker, I'd like to propose a toast. I dedicate this new office to our lost brothers, Tim and Dan, who died in the explosion that was supposed to have killed me. I think they would have liked the new place. They were good friends, and we will always remember them. To Tim and Dan!" He raised his glass.
"To Tim and Dan," we chorused, and downed our scotch.
"Now," continued Josef, "Let's get this party started." He went to a side door and opened it to admit three lovely freshies: a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead. Josef always liked variety. He introduced them, and they immediately pounced on Daryl. Daryl was about six-four, and built like a Mack truck. His arms bulged with muscles and tattoos from his Navy days before he was turned. I once heard a woman say that he looked like Brad Pitt on steroids. The girls spent a few minutes admiring his muscles and asking about the tattoos, before being kindly rebuffed.
Cassie, the sultry brunette, divided her time between Guillermo and Logan, allowing them to nuzzle her neck and smell her creamy white forearms. It was always funny to me to watch socially awkward Logan around beautiful women. He was tongue-tied and embarrassed, until he got a few drinks in him, then he became slightly more obnoxious than usual. Guillermo had no such trouble with shyness, and turned on the Latin charm. The girls ate it up. Everly, the redhead, only had eyes for Josef, and immediately sat on his lap, running her hands through his hair while he shuffled the cards. The curvy blonde—Megan, I think—turned her attentions on me. I politely refused; there was only one curvy blonde I wanted on my lap. Megan migrated back to Guillermo.
Josef dealt the cards. "Ante up, gentlemen," he said. Before looking at our hands, we tossed small vials of blood into a bowl in the center of the table. After lighting my cigar, I looked happily at the hand Josef had dealt me.
Beth
Simone and I had no trouble getting past the security guy stationed near Josef's office door. We just passed ourselves off as a couple of Josef's freshies and quietly slipped inside. With me, I carried a small plant that I had lifted from the hotel lounge. I couldn't show up empty handed to a party. The sight that greeted us made my blood boil.
"This looks somehow familiar," said Simone softly at my side. "I've seen this scene before, but I think it was with dogs playing poker, not vampires."
"Oh, I'm seeing dogs, alright. Five of them." And three bitches, I thought to myself, eyeing the freshies with disgust. It was Mick that first listened, sniffed and looked up. I did not smile at him when he caught my eye.
"Beth," said Mick in surprise, cigar still clenched between his teeth. The beautiful freshie that was caressing his arm turned her green, catlike eyes to me. "Come join the party, sweetie," she said in her soft, breathy voice. Her wandering hands roamed up to his hair, and she playfully ran her fingers through it. I knew what that curly hair felt like. That hair belonged to me. I started advancing around the table. Several things happened at once.
First, Josef caught wind of us and slowly turned his head, dislodging the redhead from where she was nestled at his neck. "Oops," was his initial reaction, then, an amused grin. Second, Josef stood up, allowing the freshie to fall unceremoniously to the floor at the sight and smell of Simone. Next, the freshie assaulting my Mick, tossed her long, curly, black hair and wrapped her arm possessively around Mick's as he got to his feet too. And last, I rounded the table and grabbed her arm, pushing her away. At first off balance on her three-inch stilettos, she quickly recovered, and drew her arm back to slap me. I was ready with my fist, but Mick intervened.
"Whoa—ladies." Cigar still in his mouth, he held the slapping arm of Cat-Eyes with one hand and my fisted hand with the other, pulling us gently but very firmly apart. I had never been in a girl fight in my life, but for some reason, I was suddenly possessed with such rage, that I would gladly have punched her in her collagen-plumped mouth. I was dimly aware of the other men in the room, one of whom I didn't recognize, but saw was drop-dead gorgeous, in a very beefed up, Robert Redford kind of way. He, Guillermo and Logan were clearly enjoying the show, though not nearly as much as Josef, who was smiling from ear-to-ear. That is, until Simone walked over to him. His smile dimmed a little, but he wasn't in the least bit abashed.
"Simone, Beth. Welcome, Ladies. The more, the merrier." He leaned down to kiss Simone, but she was having none of it. "Let me introduce everyone," he said, the perfect host. "Cassie is the one trying to scratch Beth's eyes out. Then there's Megan over there, enjoying Guillermo's attentions. And, Everly is the lovely redhead you see on my floor. The guys, I believe you all know, except I don't think you've met Daryl, Beth."
By this time, Mick had allowed the green-eyed monster to slip free of his grasp, and she went over to help the redheaded slut up off the floor. He still held my wrist tightly, and I was shaking with rage. I turned to Mick. "No humans allowed, eh?" I mocked. "Do freshies not fall under that category?" He finally removed the stinky cigar and put it in a nearby ash tray.
"Listen, Beth, I can explain. Can we please take this to the hall?" I felt myself suddenly becoming calm. Icy calm.
"Let go of me," I managed. He dropped my wrist at once. Then I pasted on my brightest, most fake smile.
"Simone and I are here to help celebrate." I suddenly remembered I still held the plant in my left hand, though it looked a little bedraggled after the near-fight. I stomped over to Josef and plopped it on the table in front of him. I was happy to see that some of the dirt dropped in his drink. "Here. This is for you. Happy office warming! And did you hear, Simone? Josef has just invited us to stay."
Resolutely, I pulled out an empty leather chair, and sat down. Simone followed suit in the chair next to me, having said nothing at all to this point. Her silence spoke volumes. I had the feeling she had intended not to be hypocritical before she'd gotten in there, she herself being a former freshie. But once she saw the redhead in Josef's lap, something seemed to snap within her, too. We were both intelligent, professional, modern women. Love had reduced us to jealous harpies.
"Beth," Mick was saying, "Let me take you home. Why in hell would you want to stay?"
"Please, gentlemen," I said, ignoring Mick's words. "Sit down. Let's play poker." Josef and Mick looked at each other, one endlessly amused, the other, shocked and a little embarrassed. They slowly sat back in their seats. The freshies, seeing that they were no longer needed, left a disappointed Logan and Guillermo and went out through a door I hadn't noticed before, but not before Cat Woman gave her parting words to me under her breath: "Later, Bitch." I was almost to my feet again, but Simone held me back. "She's not worth it, Beth." Well, that much was certainly true. Good riddance.
"Well, what are you waiting for Josef? Deal us in." I said.
"Did you bring any blood," asked Guillermo.
"You could use your own," suggested Logan brightly, but backed down at Mick's warning glance.
It was then I noticed the bowl full of vials, and the piles of them by everyone else's hands. It looked like Mick was winning. This in no way comforted me, nor absolved him.
"Sorry, girls, but no stake, no play, right guys?" said Josef, still smirking. I looked at Simone, and inspiration hit me for the second time that night. Simone recognized it at once.
"Whatever you're thinking, Beth," she warned, "I hope it's better than your last idea."
"Oh, we've got something to play with, boys." With that, I took off my light cardigan sweater and tossed it on the table. "Ante up, if you've got the balls for it."
"Beth—" Mick protested, seeing me in my spaghetti strap, low cut tank top.
"We're in," said the other guys. Suddenly, the table was filled with two watches from Guillermo and Daryl, a designer tie from Josef, a high-top sneaker from Logan, and a silk scarf from Simone. We all looked at Mick, who sat staring at me, sizing up my commitment to the game. He knew me well enough to know that I wasn't going to back down, that I wasn't about to leave the game. And he couldn't let me stay there alone with a group of frustrated vampires, whose snack I'd just run off. With a small smile, he took off his necklace and tossed it onto the pile. I sniffed audibly at his gutless offering.
"Deal," Mick said forcefully to Josef. And the game began.
Part 3 Mick
We'd been playing about an hour, and I looked around at the spectacle. I didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused, so I settled for a mixture of both. Josef, as usual, was winning. He still had on his pants and shirt. I still had my jeans on, but Guillermo and Logan were down to their boxers and tighty whities, respectively. Simone, a lovely vision in black bra and undies, sat seductively on display before her vampire audience. The highlight for the girls so far was when Daryl literally lost his shirt. I watched in annoyance as they gaped at his bodybuilder's physique. It was downright emasculating to sit next to him; you could bounce a quarter off his abs. And then, there was Beth.
She was holding her own. She still had on her skirt and bra, although it was all I could do not to attack the whistling guys when she slipped off her panties for the last ante. I couldn't decide whether I wanted to strangle her or take her right there on the table. I looked at my current hand. Two pair—aces and tens. Knowing Josef, he had a royal flush. I knew he always cheated, but none of us could ever figure out how. If I bet on this hand, I'd be down to my boxers, and if Beth did, well, she had an important decision to make.
The bet was to Josef, and he tossed out his new Omega watch Simone had given him. She protested in offended tones. "Hey, baby," he said, " you girls picked the game."
"You could bet your shirt," she pointed out.
He feigned indignation. "I just had this shirt sent over from Versace!"
"Well, I'm out," Daryl said, rising from the table in just his jeans. "I'm already going to have trouble explaining to the wife why I'm coming home without my shirt and shoes. Thanks for the invite, Josef. Nice office." He nodded to the rest of us, then said: "Ladies, a pleasure meeting you." He eyed the two ladies and their overflowing bras appreciatively, despite my low growl. He grinned and sauntered out, ignoring our disparaging remarks about his courage, and how he must be just afraid to show how lacking he was in certain areas. The girls followed him out with their eyes, anxious to see the rear view, apparently.
It came time for Guillermo and Logan to put up or shut up. Josef decided for them.
"You, my friends, are definitely out. I don't want your naked asses sitting on my new leather chairs."
"Oh, come on, man," said Guillermo. "I want to see what the girls have."
"Yeah, I'll bet," said Josef. "Thanks for coming. Now, scram!"
"Can we at least have our pants back," whined Logan, embarrassed to walk in front of the ladies following Daryl's dramatic exit. Josef rummaged through the pile of clothes by his chair. He threw them their pants. "Here, you big babies. See you next Saturday?"
"Sure. Will the ladies be here?" asked Guillermo.
"No!" Josef and I said in unison. The two left amidst Beth and Simone's teasing catcalls, Logan nearly falling over trying to walk and put his pants on at the same time.
And then there were four.
I took off my jeans, trying not to make a big production out of it. I felt my face flush, hating how I still felt so old-fashioned most of the time. It didn't help that Beth and Simone hummed stripper music, till I sat back down in just my boxers, embarrassed by their triumphant laughter.
"It's to you, Beth," said Josef, leering expectantly. She reached for the front clasp of her bra, and I finally reached my tolerance threshold.
"Okay, Beth," I said, getting to my feet again. "You've made your point." She paused, looking around the table, then at me. Her fingers hovered teasingly, and Josef leaned forward in anticipation. It was Simone that finally came to her senses. "We fold!" she said, grabbing Josef's hand and pulling him out of his chair. She didn't want Josef ogling Beth any more than I did. She led Josef out of the office, into the small anteroom where Josef kept a bed and an extra freezer. "Party-poopers!" We heard his laughing protest. The door closed, and we didn't expect to see them again.
"Don't you want to see what I've got," Beth asked me innocently. Okay, much less than innocently. I walked around to stand in front of her.
"Okay, Beth, get it all out of your system now. But let me just say one thing—don't expect me to stay on your short leash all the time." The instant the words left my mouth, I knew they were the wrong words to say. I couldn't help but notice, however, that Beth half naked wasn't nearly as awesome as Beth furious and half naked.
She stood up to her full height—still half a foot shorter than me, and began poking her finger into my chest to emphasize each syllable of each word. "You think that's what this is about? I don't give a damn about your night out with the guys! This is about how you lied to my face, Mick. All this crap about trusting me, and you couldn't even trust me enough to tell me freshies would be at the party!" I grabbed her hand. I knew this would come back and bite me in the ass.
"Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied. I was afraid you'd get the wrong idea if I told you."
She looked up at me, blue eyes wide with hurt and anger. "I might have been a little annoyed, but I would have trusted you, Mick, if you'd told me you wouldn't be using them. I'm sorry if I'm not up to an open relationship like Josef and Simone have. Having never been a freshie myself--except to save your life, by the way--I find it demeaning what these women do for you vampires. And I'm sorry if that makes me sound judgmental, but there it is."
"I feel the same way, Beth, which is why I stopped with the freshies, long before I even met you again," I told her, holding her hand tightly between our chests. "I won't say that it's not something I crave from you, but if I drink from you, it will be because it adds something to what I'm feeling. There's a difference between being with a freshie, and being with someone you love. The main reason I'm having trouble with this biting thing is because I don't want you to feel used. I want you to feel loved. Because you are, Beth," I finished simply, bringing her hand to my mouth. I saw the tears gather in her eyes at my words, saw her try to swallow her emotions.
"When you made love to me, and bit me, I didn't feel used. It was exciting, and a little scary. But I wasn't sorry about it. I was only sorry that you felt so bad and blamed yourself."
"But you could have died—" I protested.
"You wouldn't have let that happen." I didn't argue with her, because I couldn't win with her on that subject. I had no earthly idea whether I could control myself with her or not. But I wanted to try.
Her hands were suddenly playing in my chest hair, slowly gliding up to my neck. I felt her pull me down and I didn't hesitate to meet her lips half way. And then nature began to take its course. My mouth still exploring hers, I slowly backed her up to the table. It hit the back of her thighs, and I put my hands at her waist and lifted her up to sit on it. Suddenly mindless of where we were, I reached down to spread her knees apart and lift her skirt around her thighs. I took two steps forward to stand between them, unclasping her bra and cupping her breast. I used my other hand to slide down to the smoothness of her inner thighs. I listened to her pounding heart pick up speed as my hand inched closer to her center, and at the same time, I lowered my mouth to feast on her peach colored nipples. Her hands fell to my hair, and she moaned softly as my mouth moved lower. I had to taste her, and she acted like she wanted to be tasted. I moved her legs apart even wider, and kneeled before her, worshiping her with my mouth and my fingers until she was gasping and holding my head tightly against her. I felt that she was almost there, but I wanted to share it with her. I reached down and dispensed with my shorts, then pulled her back against me, groaning almost harshly at how good it felt to slide into her warm body. I felt her legs wrap around my waist, pulling me in more deeply, and I made myself pause. And count. I maybe got to five when I couldn't stop myself from moving. Or changing. This time, I didn't try to stop it.
Beth sensed something had happened and opened her eyes, momentarily surprised to see a vampire up close. She reached up to caress my face and look into my eyes. "It's okay," she whispered. And she turned slightly to offer me her sweet neck. I didn't resist, praying she had really meant that this was what she wanted. She gasped a little at the first touch of my fangs, and I bit down, feeling like I was going to die again at the taste of her blood in my mouth. The rhythm of my lips at her neck began to echo the rhythm where our bodies joined, but I was able to stop drinking just as she began to shake in my arms. I licked at the wound at her neck, and breathed in, then, with one last push, we both moaned our release. I held her to me, feeling the softness of her hair hanging around my chest, both of us breathing hard and trying to wrap our minds around the wonder of what had just happened. As our bodies cooled, and my fangs retracted, I stood a few more minutes, still inside her, enjoying how her hands slid up and down my back, her head resting in the crook of my neck.
Then, I remembered where we were, and that someone could come in at any time. Beth seemed to wake up at the same time and looked around anxiously. Reluctantly, I pulled away and looked around for my shorts. I put them on and stood up, watching with lust as Beth put her bra back on, and smoothed her skirt down. Our eyes met, and she smiled. When I moved closer again, her thumb came up to the corner of my mouth wiping away a little blood that had gathered there.
"Are you okay?" I finally thought to ask, licking the blood from her finger. If I didn't stop, I'd be jumping her again in a minute.
She chuckled softly. "Now I know what all the fuss was about," she said, hugging me to her again."That was unbelievable. You were able to stop before I passed out."
"Gee, thanks," I said, a little embarrassed, but happily so. I was certainly happy that she wasn't at death's door again. "I think we got it right that time. A happy medium between death and spontaneous combustion."
She laughed sexily. "I'll say." I lifted her down from the table. She was a little shaky on her feet, and I held on to her waist to steady her. "I'm okay. I think I was a little tipsy going into this too." I looked pointedly at the empty glass near wear she'd been sitting.
"Yeah, and you'd also had something earlier. White wine, was it?"
"You could tell that from my blood?" She said in disbelief.
"Blood can tell many secrets," I said, raising my eyebrow mysteriously. Speaking of which, I poured myself another glass of scotch, swishing it around in my mouth so she wouldn't have to taste her own blood on my lips. We rummaged through the clothes and jewelry and found the rest of our own, pausing now and then to help each other dress, and kiss passionately, trying not to get carried away again. We were barely successful. There could be no "round twos" when I bit her. Her body couldn't take the constant blood loss. Another reason to learn to keep my fangs in.
Before we left Josef's office, I turned to her, holding her hands gently in mine.
"You are one crazy lady," I said in admiration, surveying the wreckage she had single-handedly caused.
"I'll never forget your face when Simone and I walked in. You were majorly busted, and you knew it."
I could laugh, now. "True. Hey, no more secrets between us, I promise," I said seriously. "I think you pretty well know all mine by now anyway."
"And I'm sorry if I embarrassed you in front of your friends. I won't interfere with Poker Night ever again...unless, of course, I'm invited."
"I wouldn't mind playing strip poker with you again sometime," I told her. "How about next Friday, just the two of us?"
"It's a date," she said. As she walked passed me through the open door I held for her, I saw the ace of clubs peaking out of the pocket of her skirt where she'd no doubt hidden it. I smiled. I guess a woman was entitled to some secrets.
"Night, Josef," I called.
"I told you so," came Josef's reply, but too low for human ears to hear. I hated when he was right.