Eyes Wide Shut
#
"Bonnie, the first rule of a hook up is that you call your friends before you exit the club" Caroline stated digging into a golden pile of creamy scrambled eggs. She chewed hastily, glancing up at Bonnie and washing the mouthfuls down with a glass of mojito.
"Especially in a foreign country," Elena added draining the last of her Cuba Libre, "hair of the dog," she said joggling the empty glass and licking her lips.
"I'm sorry," Bonnie shrugged her shoulders pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "won't happen again" she said squinting at Caroline. Speedily she bolted her eyes against the stinging sunlight and buried her face in her hands.
"The guy could have turned out to be another Ted Bundy"
"Then I would've slept with Ted Bundy" Bonnie replied reaching out for a pitcher of fresh lime juice muddled with sugar and crushed ice. She was in no mood to tell them about the true nature of her conquest. The fact that he had turned to a vampire would remain her secret.
"Bonnie, this is serious!" Caroline's glowing cheeks turned ruddier and Bonnie wasn't sure if it was the effects of the early morning hair of the dog or irritation toward her erratic actions. Caroline combed a hand through her sleek blonde hair, tossing her head back in the process. Yes, it was the liquor, Bonnie decided as she noted the blonde's glassy blue eyes.
"I know" Bonnie rolled her eyes. Her stomach was still playing rum and tequila somersaults, the bile steadily creeping up her oesophagus.
She needed her bed now.
"And why didn't Mr Mcdreamy escort you home?"
"I suspect things work differently here in Cuba" she replied, catching the twinkling yellow label from a bottle of Veuve Clicquot at a nearby table. She watched as a waiter brought another bottle of Olmeca tequila to the same table and Bonnie emitted a painful groan. The table was filled with college kids about the same age as Bonnie and her friends, all hankering for a reckless summer in Havana.
"What happened?"
"I woke up and he wasn't there, no big deal" she shrugged her shoulders even though her heart was rattling inside her chest.
"The second rule of a hook-up is to at least get a cup of coffee in the morning"
"Actually," Elena began, "it's not rule. It's just etiquette.
"With me it's a rule" Caroline protested, picking at small slices of her salmon Carpaccio. She stabbed at the pink slivers and smothered them with fennel relish and sour cream.
"He should have at least left a post-"Elena began before Bonnie cut her off with a raised hand.
"You know what; I guess guys like him break those rules" she snapped at Elena as she made a grab for her purse. Breakfast had been a bad idea; breakfast with the mother of hangovers was Armageddon.
"But Bonbon "Caroline's jaw dropped, fingers slack around her glass.
"I'm going to bed"
She had no interest in discussing her tryst with the rogue vamp that had not even bothered to have the decency of waking up in the same room with her. Bonnie wanted to forget the whole thing ever happened. Trying to erase Marcel from her mind with revenge sex had certainly not helped. It had just bit her in the ass.
"Ok, cocktails at noon!" Caroline called cheerfully as Bonnie collected her things and scrambled to her feet.
xXx
Old Havana had a magic that bound you to her, it was especially clear in her pink sunsets when you could hear the cacophony of voices from the crowds in the canopied courtyards. Bonnie watched as the people tumbled into eroded jazz cafes like the glugs of glowing sangria poured into their ubiquitous wine glasses. This was when she fell in love with the historic city all over again. This was when she had no regrets about giving into her desires and sleeping with a total stranger on the first night.
She had absolutely no reservations about not replying to any of Marcel's countless messages attempting to explain his actions. Bonnie would never understand it, would never excuse him and she didn't want to. Everything they had built in the past two years was gone, vanished and all because he couldn't for one miniscule of a second keep it in his raging pants. He had cheated on her four days before their wedding with some faceless blonde and that was that.
There were bigger and better things in store for her; at least that's what her mother preached. Her father, Rudy was still hung up on losing the backing of a significant governor.
"To living in the moment!" Caroline yanked her from her thoughts with a clink of her glass as she toasted them. It had taken more than the expected three hours for her to feel less comatose and to ingest a morsel of food. Caroline and Elena had seemingly carried on the party without her with Elena suffering the consequences and having to sleep it off.
"Will Lena be okay?" Bonnie asked tasting the crisp sharp taste of white rum muddled with crushed ice and mint leaves.
"Yeah, she's just missing Stefan"
"Are we still passing through Miami on our way back home?"
"Yup, Stefan's sailing that side so Elena wants to see him before DC" Caroline explained, her blue eyes already drawn to a bronzed barman with curly dark hair across the room drawing cold beer from a tap.
"I believe you have something that belongs to me"
Bonnie startled at the voice before glancing over her shoulder. It was the filthy blonde trickster with eyes the colour of deliciously decadent scotch.
He had found her.
Her heart slammed so hard against her ribcage it damn near lodged up her throat.
"Oh, it's you" Bonnie said, a little sharper than she had intended. She hated the way the light frolicked around his wind-swept hair, loathed the dimple on his chin and the way his thin V-neck tee-shirt clung around his tanned shoulders.
"Well hello there!" Caroline grinned waggling her fingers at him.
"I don't believe we've met," he smiled kissing the back of Caroline's hand "the name's Kol"
"Caroline, "she smiled" will you be joining us?"
"He was just passing through"
"Actually, I don't mind if I do" Kol grinned collapsing into a vacant wicker chair opposite Bonnie.
"In that case, "Caroline beamed flying off her seat, "I'll get us more drinks"
"Caroline, there's no need. "He was just –"
"What's your poison?" Caroline deliberately ignored Bonnie as she grinned at Kol like the cat that had eaten a canary. Bonnie didn't have the heart to tell her friend that Kol preferred to have AB positive on tap or better yet, to gouge on the blonde's vein for blood.
"Surprise me" Kol winked up at Care and Bonnie's throat tightened.
"Tequila shots it is!" Caroline laughed strutting her way toward the barman she'd been ogling all afternoon.
"You have some nerve showing up here like this, "Bonnie hissed leaning closer to him when she was sure that Caroline was out of earshot "after leaving me in bed like a –like a cheap trick and now you show up here like this!"
"I'm the one who should be angry"
"Excuse me?"
"In fact I should be livid" he said digging into his pocket and throwing a scrunched up ball of paper on the table.
"What's that?"
"That's what you owe me"
"I owe you?"
"You're worse than my parrot" Kol winked picking up the balled up piece of paper and slowly unwrapping it.
"Chorizo and scrambled egg tacos for twenty pesos, "he glanced up at her "they were very goof tacos too"
"This, Bonnie is our breakfast bill, the breakfast you couldn't have been bothered to share with me"
"You weren't to buy me breakfast, is that why you left?"
"I went to buy us breakfast, us. Let's be clear on that"
"I thought you only fed on blood"
"I would have sat down with you on principle"
"Where you going?"
"Ladies room" she hissed through gritted teeth. As Bonnie stormed off huffing and puffing at the audacity of this animal, she realized that he was following her. Her pace hastened, weaving around the crowded tables and the live band wilting on the small canopied stage. As she arrived at the restrooms, her eyes darted between the two swinging doors and she bounded into the wide door labelled ladies slapping the wood with her palm. Rushing inside a stall, she slammed the door behind her, eyes zipping around the air-conditioned space as she hid inside it. Then she heard the door open and click behind him. This is ridiculous, Bonnie thought as her breath accelerated. Bonnie you're being outrageous.
Before she could gather her thoughts and master the courage to face him, her door flew open and there he was the big bad vampire.
"What do you want?"
"I want my shirt back" he said pressing closer to her.
"Is that all?" she breathed out. Everything swelled around her and the persistent buzzing in her ears felt like she was trapped in a vacuum.
"It's my favourite shirt" he said with his hands firm around her buttocks. Before she knew what was happening, Kol was lifting her off the flecked granite floor and pinning her against the stall with her legs gripped tightly around his lean hips.
"And there's the issue of your breakfast bill" Bonnie said with a sharp gasp.
"Yes Bonnie, "he breathed into her ear "you owe me plenty"
"I can't…we shouldn't"
"Hmm?"
"I-I…uh…I can't do this"
"You already have darling," he nuzzled the side of her neck "quite a few times"
"Kol…I...I…Kol, please"
"I love it when you say my name"
"Kol…"
"I love the way it tastes on your lips "he murmured trailing his warm tongue along her bottom lip as if to taste the rum still lingering there.
"I love the way it feels on your tongue" he groaned sweeping his tongue against her tongue. Kol hoisted her up as he sank to his knees, her legs clamped around his shoulders. Bonnie's eyes snapped shut, an involuntary response as she felt his warm breath dance on her quivering flesh. S sharp groan escaped her lips as she felt his teeth gently graze her shuddering thighs. Bonnie rocked her hips toward Kol, aching for more.
She waited, waited for his mouth to envelope her, waited for his tongue to stroke and tease the smouldering part that yearned for him and then her eyes sprang open. She sucked in her bottom lip as she felt something cold and sticky on the inside of her thigh. Kol was scribbling something on her heated skin.
"What are you-?"
Her eyes darted to her open bag and she realized that he was holding her red lipstick.
"I'm writing down my number"
"Your number?" she asked in a haze of lust not quite comprehending what was happening.
"If you want me, " Kol said untangling her weak legs from his neck and rising to his feet "You'll call me" he said with a deep growl.
xXx
As the Havana sun crawled higher in the sky, the hotel pool filled up with more boisterous kids with their parents looking on and drinking too many strawberry daiquiris. Bonnie touched the cold glass against the side of her face feeling the heat of the sun on her legs. It was ferociously hot, hot and sticky with the blistering sun licking at her painted toes.
She peered at her phone for the umpteenth time, still toying with the idea of calling Kol. She'd gone cold turkey for exactly two days. It felt like a century. Bonnie was already addicted to the idea of him and the idea of a reckless summer in Cuba.
"Isn't he lovely?" Caroline mewled with heavy lidded eyes as she pulled a pineapple daiquiri from swizzle straw.
"Who?"
"The barman"
"You like the barman now?"
"Yes I like the barman now"Caroline said twisting on her striped sunbed to face Bonnie. "Tao, the ridiculously hot barman!" she cried jerking her head in the direction of the Tiki bar.
"And tomorrow it will be Don Juan, the pool guy"
"What's with you?" Caroline tilted her head peering at her friend through her long painted lashes " sand in your –?"
"Don't you dare!"
"You should do yourself a favour and call Kol, you know you want to"
"Says who?"
"Bonnie you've been moping around the hotel for two days" she leaned back crossing her glistening legs "call him and go get your medicine"
"He's a vampire" Bonnie said watching the bartender, her limbs sun soaked and heavy as she watched him line up shots glasses and fill them with shots of white rum and drops of lemon juice. Suddenly, she wanted whatever it was that he was mixing.
"He's a what?"
"He's a vamp" she said vaguely, eyes fixed on the barman and his hand as he topped up the short glasses with chilled champagne.
"That's so hot" Caroline said licking her lips, mouth curling into a quirky grin "how was the sex?"
"Caroline" Bonnie chuckled, rolling her eyes.
"Come on, give me something" she cried slamming her glass on the small glass table, legs swinging over the sunbed "Is it Bill and Sookie sex, Eric and Sookie sex ?" she giggled bouncing in her seat" or is it hot nasty Tara and Franklin sex?"
"It's Bonnie and Kol sex"
"You got to give me something here Bon" she chewed on her bottom lip, slipping loose strands behind her flushed ears.
"I'm going to the bar" Bonnie chuckled rising to her feet and tying a white kaftan over her salmon pink bikini.
"I hate you!" Caroline laughed catching up with her and throwing her arm around Bonnie's shoulder.
Xxx
Three days later Bonnie was standing in the middle of Kol's lounge, right on the spot that still had most of its green linoleum flooring. The heat seemed to be seeping into her skin, his stirring fan doing nothing to cool her down. It was also the first time she noticed the murals, large bycle canvasses leaning against his red shedding wall. The black candle stubs were packed away and in their place stood a vase of bright yellow daisies that looked too disconcerting for the irregular space.
"You cleaned up, " Bonnie said turning to Kol.
"No. I tidied up darling," he shrugged his shoulders "there's a difference"
"Nice pieces" she said motioning toward the artwork with her chin.
"Well, they're not Rembrandts" he grinned with a wink, "What's in the bag?" he thrust his chin toward the plastic bag in her hand.
"Breakfast, I thought I'd save you the trouble"
"So, you're spending the night?" he asked looking widely amused.
"You don't want me to?"
"I'm glad you came" Kol said taking the plastic nag from her and setting it on the table.
"I'm not this girl, Kol" Bonnie spun round to face him, her hands digging deep into the front pockets of her jeans.
"But you want to be" he said striding to her and she stood motionless, waiting.
"Why did you call?" Kol cocked his head "why did you come?"
"I don't know" she whispered shutting her eyes.
"You do know" he said sagging down into the rotting couch, slipping his hands behind his head.
"Now that you have me here Bonnie, what are you going to do with me?"
Bonnie took in a sharp breath, thrusting out her chin before sauntering toward him. With her eyes steadily holding his gaze, her teeth grazed her bottom lip as the maddening butterflies raged inside her. She stopped in front of him, hovering over him with her bare legs brushing against his dishevelled jeans. The touch shot up her spine, snaking around her neck and burning its way down to her warm groin. She was aching to kiss him, to taste him and to feel the weight of him on her body.
Kol waited, his scintillating brown eyes watching her. Nervously, Bonnie unbuttoned her denim shorts in haste, hands trembling at the magnitude of the moment.
"Slowly, ' Kol directed "tease me"
Bonnie witnessed the dip of his Adam's apple and the clench of his jaw before he emitted a deep groan. She slipped off the short shorts and kicked them to a spot next to his feet. Kol's brown eyes crawled over her flushed caramel thighs, her white lace thongs to the bare breasts perking out for him. His hands slipped up the back of her thighs crawling toward her rounded buttocks.
"You're beautiful, " he said as Bonnie dipped her head to meet his. Her hair tickled his neck, her nose grazed his, her eyelashes dusting his cheeks before her lips swept across his. Kol drew her closer deepening his kiss and entangling his arms around her shivering body until she was straddling him. He tried to lift her up, getting the idea of carrying her to his bedroom.
"No, " Bonnie breathed into his ear as she unzipped his jeans "I want you here on the couch" she whispered before reclaiming his sweet tender mouth.