I watched as the girl I'd been staring at for a while now stepped near me. Her hair was long and dark. It had whipped around her face, shining in the harsh light. Her skin was almond colored, and her eyes were the color of hot chocolate.

"Hey, Little Dhampir."

She looked up.

"Yeah?" This girl's voice was melodious, silvery. I wasn't very poetic, but it sounded like bells.

I shrugged. "Just saying hi, that's all."

She watched me with her beautiful eyes, fringed by dark lashes that brushed her cheek whenever she blinked. Her scent was a mix of roses and cinnamon.

"You smell good," I blurted out.

"I... Um, what?" She looked confused.

"You smell good," I repeated. An adorable little crease appeared between her eyebrows.

"Are you joking? I've been sweating all day. I'm disgusting."

I shrugged again.

"Sweat isn't a bad thing. Some of the best things in life happen while sweating. Yeah, if you get to much of it it turns old and stale it's gross. But on a beautiful woman? Intoxicating. If you could smell things like vampires do, you'd understand what I'm talking about. Most people mess it up and drown themselves in perfume. Perfume can be good, especially if it goes with you chemistry. Mix about 20% of that with about 80% of your own sweat? Mmm... Dead sexy."

Great, I was rambling. About sweat of all things. But, there was a light glimmer of interest in her eyes. Yes!

"Well, thanks for the hygiene lesson but I don't need perfume and I'm going to wash all this sweaty action off me." Her gorgeous voice rang out again.

I lit a cigarette and and propped it in my mouth.

"Bad habit," she informed me.

"One of many. So, you here with Saint Vlad's?" I asked, smirking. I already knew she was, but I didn't want her to go.

"Yup."

"You gonna be a guardian when you grow up?"

"Obviously."

I took a drag from my cigar. Her chocolate eyes followed the smoke.

"How long till you grow up? I might need a guardian." I hoped, rather irrationally, that she would become my guardian. For a moment, I drifted off into a fantasy that involved little dhampir children.

"I graduate in the spring. Sorry, I'm already spoken for." Was it my imagination, or was there a slight hesitation in her words?

"Yeah? Who is he?" I felt a sinking disappointment. There was a wall of protectiveness in her eyes. Next to nothing would tear her away from the lucky bastard.

"She's Vasilisa Dragomir."

"Ah." I grinned. So this was the infamous Rose Hathaway.

"Nice to meet you, Rose Hathaway. I'm Adrian Ivashkov."

"And you think I'm trouble," she began. I grinned. My family was loaded. "You don't know anything about me, and I don't know anything about you."

I felt a brief flame of gratitude. She hadn't paired me with my family. No one ever did that.

"Want to?" I asked hopefully. She smiled, for the first time. I didn't think she could get anymore beautiful, but she just did.

Our little flirtation was ended as the sound of footsteps filled the space. A girl who looked twelve stepped out.

"Another guy, Rose?" she asked.

I glanced at Rose, but she just winked.

"This Adrian Ivashkov," she said formally, and her tone told me she didn't like this girl very much.

"Nice to meet a friend of Rose's," I said charmingly.

"Rose is only friends with guys and psychopaths," the blonde girl said snidely.

"Well, since I'm a guy and a psychopath, that explains why we're such good friends," I said. To my delight, Rose didn't object.

'Don't wast your time on Rose. She's easy. Ask half the guys at school."

"Yeah, and you can ask the other half. Do a favor for Mia and she'll do lots of favors for you," Rose retorted. I couldn't help it, I made hissing noises and batted my hand.

"Are you done? The grownups would like to talk now." Burn.

Mia left.

"Well, I gotta go too," Rose said.

I glanced at her hopefully.

"See you tomorrow?" I asked. She gazed at me for a moment,.

"You know what? Sure. See you tomorrow, Adrian."

Rose Hathaway. Her name was sweet.

See you tomorrow, Rose.

TBC