Three days had passed since my vampire encounter and now I was in my bathroom putting on make-up to go out and celebrate. Jaemi, my best friend and I were going out of town, well out of state, to a vampire bar in Shreveport she'd been to the a few months back. She insisted that since I was celebrating a vampire lease I should go to the appropriate place. I admit, I didn't like the idea but I hadn't gotten out of town in a while and it seemed like a pleasant adventure for me. Dark brown eyes stared back at me in my reflection as I applied liquid eye liner over my shadow, blinking a few times before applying my mascara.
In the living room I could hear a knock at the door and pulled my face away from the mirror. "Hold on a minute." I yelled over my shoulder and trudged out of the bathroom to answer the door. As I opened it Jaemi's smiling face greeted me, and I moved to the side to let her in. "Hey, you're here early."
"Of course, I'm way too excited." She replied back as she walked in and made her way over to my sectional black couch, plopping down next to Jean, who looked up at her lazily from where she lie. I gave her a hard look and raised a plucked eye brow. "Oh don't give me that look."
"You look like trouble; I have all the reason to be concerned." I snorted, taking in her outfit for the evening. A black, silk corset covered her torso, more or less, and she wore tight hip hugging jeans; she wasn't exactly thin, she had voluptuous curves that she accented with all her clothing choices. Her dyed red hair was flowing over her shoulders in loose curls and her make-up was dark and seductive, plump lips painted a deep crimson. When the two of us were together we looked deeply contrasted. Her pale skin made mine seemed to pop out even more than normal. Her thicker frame made me feel way to thin even though I was around a C cup and had acceptable sized thighs. She just one up-ed me in the body department. Yet in all honesty, I loved the way we looked different. I'd never really run with a similar pack all my life. Growing up I was the one dark skinned person in a group of light skinned friends.
"You know I'll protect you. You're my little sister, if I'm around you have nothing to worry about."
"That may be so but vampires aren't humans, you can't protect me from someone who could easily lift a car. Just saying." My voice trailed behind me as I walked back into the bathroom to comb my hair. My hair fell past my shoulders about five inches in black straight lines, naturally parted more to the left of the center of my head and my fringe was always combed out of my face. I'd had the same hair style for over a decade but my hair was too high maintenance to change it or care.
"Joce, you were born to go here. I think you'll like it, maybe. It might be a little too gothic for you but you used to love vampires. You researched them since you were only six years old. You were the first vampire I ever knew." She joked. I blushed in reply, I keep that side of me locked up. The wild side. Yeah, I know it sounds a little cliché and stupid, but to be fair it was a valid title.
Here's a little history lesson. Since I was four years old I was haunted by vivid night terrors, something unnamed and dangerous trying to kill me or steal me away, I would scream and pray over and over to wake up while this thing mocked me and stole the breath from my lungs. After a struggle I woke up paranoid and gasping, turning on the lights and aching from head to toe. Sometimes when I looked into the mirror I felt like that monster was looking back at me. Sometimes I felt like it was inside me while I was still awake. A few nights over my teenage and adult years I felt like a predator on the prowl, going out and watching everyone around me with hungry eyes, until I met my husband.
Along the same page, around age six I cut myself accidently at school and instinctively placed my finger in my mouth and sucked the blood away. That started something strange and ungodly all in itself. I would crave that warm metallic fluid, making small cuts to sate my hunger. As I grew older and told a few people about my little cork they'd offer themselves to me, I mostly refused, sometimes indulging myself and taking a sip or two. No more though, I wasn't a monster. I always felt empowered when I drank, like something inside me was sated. I can't really explain why I get these bloodlust spells but I do. For the most part I can't even look at someone who's bleeding; I always yell at them to go bandage themselves up. When my mother found out a good few years back she screamed I was evil and sent me away to a mental institution. That's how I spent my junior year summer break. After that point I hid that side of me. If I let myself go too much I'd get into a mood where I just wanted to hurt people and do horrible things. Like the person in my dreams. I hated it.
"Don't say that Jaemi. It's not funny." I snapped and bit harshly at my bottom lip. "I'm not like that anymore." I added with a frown on my lips. I didn't like that other side of me and I'll keep it hidden as long as I can.
"Come on, it's going to take at least three hours to get there."
"I'm going, I'm going." I called to her as I grabbed my tube of clear lip gloss and applied it, turning off the light as I exited and putting on my shoes. Fifteen minutes later and we were on I-20 going 80 mph, loud music blaring out of our open windows. The whole ride to Shreveport she told me about the last time she was there, some guy touched the owner and got kicked across the room.
"It was completely surreal, I mean, I knew vampires were strong but right before your eyes seeing that strength, it's almost ridiculous. Seriously." She exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke from her lips and I raised a brow at her. She laughed at this, passing a family of four on the highway so she could go faster. "I'm no fang banger myself, but I wish I could touch him too." She added in after a moment of pause and I thinned my eyes at her, shaking my head.
"Let me guess, long black hair Fabio looking mother fucker wearing a trench coat and vest." I said closed-mindedly. Jaemi gave me shake of her hand. "I really don't get it, why do vampires have to dress like fourteen year old gothic teenagers, you'd figure that they'd be too wise and actually sophisticated to fall that low."
"What makes you say that?"
"Look at you Jaemi Baby; you look like you're trying to fuck Dracula."
"Okay, true, but that's just the atmosphere there. But you, you look like a lesbian." She muttered, whole-heartedly yet coldly. She hated when I got onto her about her fashion sense. "But a sexy lesbian." She interjected the last part in so the conversation wouldn't get bitter. I snickered at her.
Perhaps I did look lesbian, sexy or not. I work black slacks, the kind that clung to your curves and lifted your buttocks perfectly with the right pair of heels, which I had on. Three inch oxford heels, black on black except for the off white thin lines on the design and white laces. These accompanied a custom tailored white button up blouse and a tight fitting black vest that lifted my bosom just as well as the pants did my ass. I fancied business clothes. They always looked good when worn in the correct assortment. Most didn't complain, and almost every gay man I'd ever met envied my fashion sense. I didn't know if that was a good thing or not but I was willing to bet it was. Everyone loves the way right minded gay men dressed. At least I look my age, twenty-seven years young. Jaemi on the other hand was trying not to look like she was turning thirty next year. Poor girl, accepting aging can be a beautiful thing if you know how. I didn't know how vampires could look themselves in the mirror and see no changes for centuries, I'd get bored.
It was ten-thirty when we got to the club, red lights showed the name of the place as we maneuvered the parking lot. Fangtasia it read, I laughed to myself. Really, that was the name; tonight was going to be really long. After she parked I grabbed my purse and got out my I.D. and the money I had gotten out of the ATM when we stopped at a gas station, Jaemi doing exactly as I was. When we finished we exited the car and threw the purses in the trunk, Jaemi clicking the lock button on her key chain and pushing it into her back pocket. The line was a real sight, Goth freaks wearing outfits I'd only seen on television chattering to themselves, among them a few normal people were mixed in, cameras in their hands and wide smiles on their faces. That was just too sad to comprehend. There were safer ways to get an adrenaline rush than messing around with vampires.
Thirty minutes of standing in the pitiful line and we were faced with a pale blonde in a black filmy dress, her blue eyes fixated on us with boredom. Over my skin that weird tinge returned and I felt gooseflesh flood my arms. Silently we handed her our driver's licenses and she gazed at them briefly before handing them back and letting us past the red velvet rope. "Have fun, humans." Her voice was as bored as her facial features. I guess she didn't like her night job. I couldn't blame her.
Once we were inside my head began to swim. Black, red and grey possessed my vision and I shook my head to shake the feeling of sharp visual contrasts. Red walls and black surfaces with grey floors. Red and black was my favorite color combination, true, but this was just too much. It made me feel a little sick. The walls were lined with pictures of Hollywood's idea of vampires and I recognized most of them. A few eyes fluttered to us as we walked to the bar, my body tensing at the overwhelming amount of undead bodies around me, my weird sixth sense picking them all up. I wouldn't be able to stay long if it continued.
As we finally reached the bar I pulled a ten out of my pocket and placed it on the black painted counter. A minute past before the bartender, an Asian vampire with many strange tattoos came to get our order. He was quite a specimen, wearing only a vest to show them off, though I wasn't interested in the tattoos, I fancied looking at his handsome face. "A rum and coke, well rum is good enough." I ordered, pushing the ten towards him and insisting he keep the change once he returned with my drink. Jaemi ordered her usual, a Bud and then paid and tipped him nicely, both of us doing a one-eighty and leaning our backs against the bar top while we looked around for a table.
We found one a little farther back into the club, a little circular table with two chairs. Perfect. No one could insist on joining us without pulling up a chair and that appeared too desperate to put the effort into. As we sat down and placed our drinks down a shiver ran up my spine. It's that feeling you get when someone's eyes are on you. I brushed off the feeling and sipped my concoction with a worn smile, my lips leaving a dark red stain on my straw. The music was good, to say the most. Some radio station with a disc jockey named Connie the Corpse. For the most part they played death metal, sometimes a less hectic song would come on, one you could actually nod your head to without feeling like you're forcing a spasm.
"You know, they really played out the vampire thing to the fullest. Who thought they'd be so much like the stereotypes." I said into Jaemi's ear as she swayed to the music. She giggled a little while she watched a male vampire dancing up on a platform. My eyes traced to what she was looking at and I watched a little myself, intrigued. It was weird how fast they would move and then slow down for a brief moment. I felt like I was high on something watching him.
"Look, it's him." I heard Jaemi whisper through the music; in her voice I could tell there was adoration. It made me cringe. I gave a quick glance and saw what she was talking about; it was a tall man sitting on a throne. Maybe not the entire working of a throne, but it was damn sure close enough to be called one. I shook my head, keeping my eyes on the figure sitting silently there. He couldn't be serious; no matter how handsome or powerful you are a throne is overkill. He was blond, blue-eyed and pale. And that's just saying it briefly. To do him justice his hair was luscious and long, I couldn't tell how long from first glance but longer than I usually saw on a man, and the blonde color was beautiful, seeing as it was a natural color instead of the box color most people had these days. His mystifying blue hues looked out into the club just as bored as the bouncer looked at us when we got to the front door, even though I wasn't close to him I could see how intense they were. He had very prominent features, the kind you want to touch and stroke softly with your fingertips. And he looked tall. At least six feet two inches, perhaps six feet four. He wore black slacks, a silky looking blue button up and a black blazer. Yummy indeed.
"Oh."
The single word was all I could muster. I could see how someone would try to touch him, how could you tell if he was real otherwise. I blinked and cleared my throat, the breathtaking vampire turning for a moment and looking in our direction. I felt my cheeks flush and quickly looked away, in my head lusty thoughts fluttered about and my face grew hotter. I was going to need another drink.
An hour had past and I was on drink number four. Jaemi on the other hand was already on her sixth beer, but to be fair, she could definitely handle her liquor. I wasn't drunk yet, but I felt a little too good for my own well being. I was at the point where I just wanted to dance. I grabbed Jaemi's arm and pulled her onto an opening on what I figured was the dance floor. Around me eyes watched as I dragged her along and then gave her a forceful pull into me, her body warm against mine.
"You're a dancing drunk." Jaemi laughed, and I gave her a sinful grin. I do love to dance…when I'm drunk. At least I'm not the drunk who thinks they can dance when they can't. I sure as hell knew how to match body to music. Around the room multiple pairs of eyes found us and watched as we entwined ourselves. Every time she would push I would pull, and likewise for her. My hips swayed side to side, her hands trailing down my sides and back up again, making my mouth open in a silent moan as my fingers wove themselves into my hair. The best way to describe my dance style was tribal fusion belly dancing without as much arm movements.
Twenty minutes later I was still going, if I could move as fast as the vampires could, I was sure I'd dance circles around them. I was so lost in my own fun that I came to suddenly when I felt Jaemi lift herself off my body. My eyes opened and I stopped midway through a forward belly roll. Tall, blonde and dead was suddenly in front of me and I withheld a gasp. "Might I interject?" He inquired, his voice didn't have much of an accent but it was there, if only I could tell where it was from. I was far too buzzed now to figure it out. I glanced around the room for a moment and saw every human woman around me staring holes through me, as if they could kill me with evil eyes. The blonde vampire from the door was standing by the supposed throne, looking at me with a different longing, not envy but more like hunger, when did she get over there? Uh oh. I snapped back to reality, if it could be called that.
"Only if you don't bite." I answered, I didn't like how sexy my voice sounded. It would get me into trouble if I wasn't careful. Jaemi was watching me intently, not jealous like the others, more protective than anything. God bless her. The music slowed to something I could really get into and after that point I let the alcohol lead my movements. After a moment of finding the rhythm I was in the zone, my back against his chest as I slid down, movements serpentine and smooth. My hips made figure eights as I dipped one knee after the other, every time there was a sudden change in beat or a stop I would pause sharply before continuing. It didn't take him long to synch himself with me and soon the general populous of the bar, vampires included seemed to fade into the background. He wasn't very active in the dancing, not like I was. It was like giving a lap dance to someone while you both were standing up and there wasn't a rule against touching.
My mind sort of drifted into a weird haze as I danced, it felt like there was pressure on it, as if someone was grabbing my brain and squeezing very lightly. I excused it as part of the drinking and in my dance I looked over my shoulder at my partner, his powerful eyes looking down at me, but not on my face, more on my shoulder and slowly trailing up to my neck. If I didn't sober up I was going to put myself in a bad position.
As we continued I could feel his strong hands touch my own and the effect was startling. If a vampire's presence gave me gooseflesh his touch made my skin feel afire. I let out a gasp and opened my eyes; anyone looking would assume he grabbed me in an inappropriate place. I shook it off, not letting it stop me from enjoying myself. I began to roll my body forward, pushing out my upper chest muscles while pushing my shoulders back into his chest and drove the movement down from my stomach to my hips before bringing it back up. I felt a bit of sweat drip down my back, I needed another drink to keep myself from jumping this man right on the dance floor. Suddenly he grabbed my arms and swung me around to face him and I looked up into his icy stare. With the heels I was around five feet eleven inches, being as normally I'm five eight, so he was about half a foot taller than me at that point.. My breathing was deep and far in between, while his was non-existent. I was sweating pools and he was cool as ice. I looked lustful, he looked hungry. I wasn't liking the contrasts. The song ended and he gave me a smile, his fangs out and in the open. I refrained from touching them, though I yearned to.
"Thanks for the dance." I whispered, trying not to sound nervous.
"Please Ms. DeLon, it was my pleasure."
"How do you know my name?"
"My associate Pam remembers you from checking your I.D. at the door." He answered coolly and I swallowed. I didn't like these people knowing my name. "Come sit with me." It really didn't sound like an invitation, but more like an order. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. I locked glances with him for a minute, my breath stalling. What was going on, I didn't like this. "I insist you come sit with me." He repeated and I nodded my head.
"I'd love to."
Wait, what? No, I was not some fang banging whore. What exactly was he trying? I felt like I had two streams of consciousness, one was rational; the other was compelled by everything he said. If he said jump, I'd say how high, while in my head I'd say fuck off. I knew this feeling, I'd felt it every time I had a night terror. I was screaming in my head but I couldn't ever get myself to actually do it so I could wake myself up. At least not immediately. I began walking with him back to his "throne" and struggling against my daze. I was screaming no over and over again in my head it just wasn't coming out.
Suddenly I stopped rigid and a sharp "No." finally made its way out of my lips. I started panting and looked at the gorgeous stranger. All of a sudden he scared the shit out of me, what happened to the sensuously dancing gentleman? I'd never felt so fearful in my life. Did he really just glamour me?
"What?" His voice gave me the chills and I stepped away from him. I searched around for Jaemi but she was talking to some vampire at our table, her hands playing with the cold bottle of Budweiser in front of her.
"I'm sorry, but I have to go."
"No you don't."
