"Holy mother of Jesus…"
Josef felt smugly pleased by Mindy's reaction to his penthouse apartment. Of course he was used to it, but it never failed to bring a wide, arrogant grin to his face.
Yes, Josef Kostan knew he was extremely wealthy, loaded, moneyed, prosperous…all those delightful words for filthy rich. And Josef was not afraid to admit it. He'd lived four-hundred plus years earning his cash and he assumed that he had a right to show it off.
"Like it?" Josef closed the door behind them as Mindy gaped at the elaborate, contemporary, very expensive looking apartment.
"It's…" Mindy tried to speak, but was failing miserably due to the shock.
"Amazing?" Josef finished for her, flinging off his jacket on the back of a red, Picasso inspired couch and plopping down upon it. Even while "plopping down", he was able to keep a subtle elegance in his movements. "You want anything to drink, now?" Josef picked up a long, black remote that rested on a gold counter next to the couch. He pressed a button and a shiny, red cooler automatically emerged from the coffee table in the middle of the room. "Like this? It's new. Got it last week." Josef pressed another button and the cooler opened. Almost every beverage known to man was hidden in the ice.
Mindy finally closed her open mouth and regained her composure. She apparently didn't want to lose all of her self-control because of some "fancy-schmancy" high-rise apartment.
"Show off," Mindy sniffed.
"At least I have something to show off," Josef's cool nature was beginning to fade.
"Who says I don't?" Mindy retorted.
"Your Target-brand evening dress, that's who," Josef replied icily.
"How'd you know where I got this?" Mindy snapped.
"Your tag was hanging out," Josef lied, not wanting to call attention to his "super vampire senses". "Target-brand clothing tends to have rather large tags."
"You're a materialistic jerk," Mindy snarled. She appeared to be masking her hurt by expressing anger. "Sorry that my plebeian social status is stinking up the VIP room."
"Chill out," Josef snorted. "I didn't really mean it."
"Whatever," Mindy muttered.
"Hey, why don't you sit down?" Josef motioned for her to come with one hand and patted the area on the couch next to him with his other hand.
"I'm fine standing," Mindy said defiantly.
But Josef wasn't going to stand for that behavior any longer. He was thirsty. And he was getting thirstier by the second as Mindy's intense heartbeat taunted him. The pulsations of her veins rang loud and clear in Josef's ears.
Though the delicious noise of her throbbing heart was torturing him, Josef was very grateful for her strident heartbeat. It was the reason why he was able to guess her name. Every time he said the right letter, her heart would give an extra loud thump. It was really a blessing in disguise…but it was far too alluring for her own good. The better the blood and the louder the pulse, the harder it was to control oneself. It was hard not to take too much…not to suck them dry.
"I said…" Josef's voice got deeper as he gazed intently in her eyes. "Come. Here." He motioned for her again.
This time, she started to get a dazed look on her face, falling under Josef's hypnotic spell as she slowly made her way over to him.
"Sit," Josef commanded her, not breaking eye contact with Mindy. He kept his hazel eyes fixed upon her light green ones. "Sit now."
Mindy docilely obeyed, her expression still blank.
"I usually like to do this the easy, fun way," Josef explained to a very vacant-looking Mindy. "A little seduction…a little partying…then I end it with a little drink." Josef took her right arm and brushed his lips up against the velvety soft flesh that was just begging to be pierced. "But…you're probably the most obnoxious little bitch I've ever met, so…I won't beat around the bush."
Mindy's lips began moving wordlessly as her eyelashes fluttered.
"Let's just hope you don't remember this," Josef said. Suddenly, his handsome, clear face began to change. His skin began furrowing into angry creases and his hazel eyes became bloodshot as he opened his mouth, his pearly, straight teeth transforming into fangs. Finally he could have his drink.
His fangs sank into the fair flesh of her arm, bursting through the first layer of skin and reaching their destination…the blood.
Her metallic, delicious AB negative blood gushed into his mouth like hot, melted butter as he clamped his lips over the puncture wounds and began taking in the crimson liquid.
It was better than he expected…which was amazing since he had his expectations very high. It was richer and creamier than he had anticipated, it was hotter at sweeter than he had imagined. It was so delectable that it clouded his senses. The taste filled his mouth, the scent filled his nose, the sound of her quickening heart filled his ears, and he had no sight…his eyes were closed as he relished the moment.
"Josef! What are you doing?"
Josef felt himself being pulled away from his "meal" by two hands. The scent of the person pulling him back was undoubtedly his fellow vampire friend, Mick St. John.
As soon as Josef's teeth emerged from her arm, Mindy let out a soft whimper as her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fainted away on the couch.
"Were you going to drain her?!" Mick had on a stern, accusing voice as confronted Josef, who was wiping the blood away from his mouth, glaring at Mick.
"No," Josef huffed, looking down at Mindy with an angry glare. "But I was pretty tempted to…"
"Josef!" Mick admonished, narrowing his eyes.
"She's a pain in the ass!" Josef defended himself, holding up his hands as Mick gave him his patented "skeptic gaze". "I'm serious!"
"Well, pain in the ass or not, you still don't drain," Mick chastised. "I can deal with you taking a little…"
"What are you, my mother?" Josef carped. "I'm a big boy…I can control myself."
"Sure you can," Mick crossed his arms and looked at him pointedly. "You just choose not to." Mick gave an annoyed sigh as he started to examine Mindy's bleeding arm…and her two puncture wounds that were suspiciously "vampire-like". "We're going to need to patch this up…cover it with gauze and band-aids. Hopefully she won't take them off and see this. Even if she doesn't have a wild imagination, it'll still get her suspicious…"
"Exactly the reason why we should get rid of her," Josef pointed out, a devious smile playing on his lips. "Then she won't go blabbing to people…"
"You disgust me," Mick huffed, rolling his eyes.
"As you disgust me," Josef retorted, trying not to smile as he teased his friend. "With your goody-goody vegan ways and how you cherish mortal life…"
"Would you shut up and tell me where the first aid kit is?" Mick was aiming for a harsh, demanding voice, but instead it was coming out in its usual gentle, enigmatic tone. Mick had trouble staying angry with Josef.
"Do we have to?" Josef whined. "She's really a little…"
"What did she do to you anyways?" Mick asked curiously.
"Long story," Josef looked up at the ceiling. "Oh…and she reviled my music."
"If you hate her so much, why is she in your apartment?" Mick raised his eyebrows.
"Good blood," Josef confessed. "And the first aid kit is in that drawer over there. I don't really use it much…"
Mick chuckled softly at their inside joke as he went to the drawer and took out a large, white first aid kit and brought it over to set it on the coffee table.
"Josef?" Mick studied Mindy's elbows and knees. "You did this too?"
"Nah…she fell," Josef began lightly fingering one of her knee wounds.
Mick slapped Josef's hand away. "Stop that…it'll get infected."
"So?"
"You're revolting," Mick rolled his eyes, putting iodine on a cotton ball and cleaning out all her wounds. As he reached for the puncture wounds that were dripping blood, Josef reached out his hand to have a taste.
"No!" Mick barked. "You've taken enough…more than you're supposed to."
"Mick…" Josef looked at his friend with pleading eyes.
"No," Mick began gently putting band aids on her knees and elbows.
"You've got to give up and become a real vampire one day, Mick," Josef said matter-of-factly. "The way you get so attached to mortals…or fall in love with them…Beth, for example…"
"Leave Beth out of this," Mick groaned, starting on wrapping up Mindy's arm. Josef knew that Mick's strong romantic feelings for a mortal beauty named Beth Turner were his soft spots...well…the softer parts of Mick. In Josef's opinion, Mick was the epitome of the Snuggle Bear.
"I'm just saying…" Josef propped his feet up on the coffee table. "That you value humans more than you value the importance of keeping our kind a secret. It's a bad thing. You need to straighten your priorities."
"Josef," Mick heaved a sigh. "Go be helpful and get some juice for her when she wakes up. She'll need hydration and probably some natural sugars…"
Josef muttered nasty curses under his breath, but reached into the cooler (which still was open on the coffee table) and pulled out a can of grape juice, popping open the metal tab and placing it on the table.
"There. Happy?" Josef leaned back on the couch again.
"Is that the only juice you have in there?" Mick peered into the cooler. "Because I think…"
Josef took the remote and pressed a button, making the cooler lid slam shut.
"You're such a jerk sometimes," Mick grumbled.
"So I've been told," Josef grinned.
A loud moan emitted from Mindy as she began to stir. "Where…?" Her eyes flicked open. "Huh?" She started to sit up, but Mick gently held her down.
"Don't get up so fast," Mick advised. "You'll get dizzy."
"Who are you?" Mindy questioned slowly. "And what…?" Mindy paused as everything flooded back to her. Her eyes darted around the room until they fixed themselves upon Josef. Her eyes became angry slits. "You!"
"I was actually starting to like you while you were unconscious." Josef said icily. "You were so quiet and not quite as bitchy."
"I…" Mindy started. But before she could continue, her face screwed up in pain as she clutched her arm. "Holy hell…oww…oww!" Mindy bit her lower lip, trying to hold back a whimper. "What did you do to me?"
"Well, after you fainted…Josef didn't tell me how or why," Mick began his story. "But he called me and I came over. He was really worried about you…" Mick gave Josef a smirk. "Weren't you?"
"Oh yeah," Josef rolled his eyes. "Big time,"
"So, when I checked you over, I saw some nasty punctures in your arm," Mick explained. "When you fell, your arm landed on two nails that were sticking up in the floor. Luckily, your arteries are all fine, but some veins were damaged…"
"That's why it hurts?" Mindy asked.
Mick nodded in response, reaching over to the first aid kit and taking out a pill bottle. He opened the bottle and dumped four pills in one hand and took the canned grape juice in his other hand. "Here," He held out the pills to her. "Take these and you'll feel better in no time,"
"Thanks," Mindy smiled, taking the pills and popping them in her mouth, washing them down with grape juice. "I really appreciate this,"
"No problem," Mick nodded. A disapproving snort was heard from Josef. "Would you be quiet?"
"Didn't say anything," Josef picked at his fingernails, pretending to be "out of it".
"So…are you his doctor or something?" Mindy asked Mick, putting down the can.
"No…we're just friends," Mick told her. "You'll want to drink all of that," Mick motioned to the grape juice. "You lost a bit of blood and you need some sugar."
"Friends?" Mindy raised her eyebrows, taking the grape juice. "How did someone like you get mixed up with someone like him?"
"Long story," Mick chortled. His eyes looked mysterious as they stared off into space. "Not pretty,"
"I'll bet," Mindy giggled.
"You shut up!" Josef spat. "I can hardly tolerate you when your mouth is closed! But when it's open…"
"Hi, I'm Mick St. John," Mick said a little too loudly while holding out his hand to Mindy, trying to make peace by changing the subject.
"Mindy Porter," Mindy smiled gently, shaking his hand.
"Wait a minute!" Josef stood up. "I ask you for your name…and you give me nothing. But when he merely introduces himself, you give him a handshake and a full name."
"Because I have a certain charm about me that you could never compete with, Josef," Mick said coolly.
"I'm the one that usually has about five women over every night," Josef hissed. "You're the one who's been following one girl around for about twenty years."
"Really?" Mindy looked up at Mick. "That's sweet."
""Stupid" is the more appropriate adjective." Josef scoffed. "I'd never fall in love with a hu-…" Mick gave him a warning look. "I mean…I'd never fall in love with any girl."
"So you settle for boys," Mindy quipped.
"I hate you," Josef grumbled.
"Right back at you," Mindy replied, taking another sip of grape juice. "I just hate you more."