The fact that Christopher Drake was hosting a party was the biggest news to hit Carfax since, well, since the news hit that Christopher Drake was moving into Carfax.
Lily felt a peculiar mix of excitement and trepidation at the thought of going back to Christopher's apartment again. She'd seen him around the building a few times, and his piercing eyes always locked with her's. He seemed to know something she didn't and he always looked quite smug about it.
She feared him and loved him all at the same time.
But the thing that concerned her the most were the dreams. The most vivid dreams, where he'd come into her room and spent a few moments with her. They'd embrace, and dance, and he'd kiss her so wonderfully.
They felt so real.
These dreams, of course, made awkward eye contact with Christopher in the hallway even more uncomfortable. The way he looked at her...she had this horrible suspicion that he knew. He knew about the dreams.
The night of the party, Lily had gone over to Alison's condo to get ready. Lily had planed to where a favorite blue sundress of her's but Alison had thrown a fit of martyrdom and insisted Lily borrow one of her gowns.
"That's a really cute dress Lily but," there was always a but, "it's just not for this type of party." Alison turned and begin digging in the closet that was larger than Lily's bedroom. "You need something a little more...elegant." She took out some white lace dress with lacy selves that hung off the shoulders. "Perfect," Alison purred. "Really shows off your neck."
"Thanks?" Lily asked, taking the dress cautiously. That was a weird thing to say, even for Alison. "It's lovely...it's just so..."
Alison pursed her lips expectantly, "So?"
"White?" Lily said for lack of better word. "I mean, yeah, I'm not really a sexy person person, but isn't this a little...Virgin Mary?" Lily studied her best friends face, hoping she understood and Lily hadn't just made herself sound like a complete idiot. That was a skill Lily was quite trained in.
Alison laughed like it were the funniest thing on earth, "Of course not, Lily. You'll look beautiful in this. Like a beautiful angel."
Lily sighed, agreeing to Alison's whim. Alison had been acting sort of weird lately. She'd say things and do things that were a little out of character. Probably nothing to worry about. People do change.
After hours of primping and approximately 80 million bobby pins, the two girls were ready to take the short elevator ride to Christopher Drake's suite. Alison had styled Lily's blonde hair into a romantic updo with a few cascading curls. It complimented her dress nicely and as Lily looked in the mirror she wasn't afraid to admit to herself that she looked beautiful.
She also looked like someone she knew. Someone she knew long ago but had forgotten.
She tried not to think of it too much. It made her head ache.
ooo
Lily's mother was talking to some of the other ladies in the building when Lily arrived. She gave her mom a quick wave then went off to meet Tom who was there with his boyfriend John Setter. John was pretty in a way boys usually aren't, but very attractive all the same. Dirty blonde hair and tan skin with a smile that put you at ease the moment you saw him.
Lily liked John; he made Tom happy.
"You look like a goddess," John said to her, nodding at her outfit.
"Blame Ali," Lily said, turning to her. But Alison wasn't there. "Where'd she go? She was just here."
The boys shrugged. This is weird. She was right next to me. I swore she was right next to me.
"I'll be right back," Lily told her friend as she went to look for her AWOL best friend.
Christopher sure had a crowd. No doubt everyone was trying to find out something about this mysterious man. He'd lived here for two weeks without so much as a word to hardly anyone. Few people had even seen him.
Lily searched through the hoi polloi and saw nothing that looked like Alison's red dress.
She started to get a bit panicked.
Calm down. She couldn't have gotten far. Calm down.
A thin strip of light caught her eye. On closer inspection Lily saw that the light was from behind a cracked door. She walked towards it, pushing it open.
It was a library. A small, adorable library with shaves lining all the walls and two shelves protruding into the middle of the room where they were stopped by two chairs. One of which was occupied.
The dark haired head turned around. Christopher. Of course.
"Lily," His face lit up like a candle wick. A fire crackled from the fireplace on the back wall.
"Christopher, hi," Lily said suddenly very aware of how pretty she looked and how awkward that made her feel and how he was looking at her like she was beautiful and how her cheeks were on fire. "I've misplaced Alison, have you seen her?" She said, faster than necessary.
He raised an eyebrow, "The one with the dark hair, yes?" She nodded. "She was in the bathroom, um...did she have anything to drink before she came here?"
Lily remembered Alison drinking something. Perhaps she had spiked it. That would explain why she was acting so weird. "I think."
Christopher smiled crookedly, "It explains the vomit."
"Ugh, sorry," Lily could feel herself blushing more. She hoped he couldn't see it the dim fire light. The silence was awkward so Lily started speaking. "So, why don't you go out to the party?"
"I will," he promised turning to look lovingly at the bookshelves, "I just like it better in here."
"It's great," Lily admitted, trying to loosen the tension she felt in her body by walking to a shelf. "I love to read. Have you read all these? Obviously not. You'd have to be like 500 to have read all of these." She laughed awkwardly and simpered. "Sorry. I talk a lot when I'm nervous."
He just smiled and kept looking at her in that way that made her stomach feel warm, "I haven't read them all, but most. Are you enjoying Pillars of the Earth?" She stared at him, dubiously. "Sorry, I'm not creepy I swear. I saw you reading it in the lobby a few days ago."
She laughed. A real one this time. "It's fine. And I love it. The characters are amazing."
He smiled. His smile was quite dazzling, "It's one of my favorites."
The muffled noise of loud music thumped from outside the door. A dull roar of voice could be heard over that. Lily found it quite strange that Christopher had thrown and seemed to have no inclination to go and join it.
"Are you liking it here? In town, I mean." Lily asked.
He nodded, "Yes, very much. I really haven't been out to enjoy it all that much. Work keeps me busy."
She felt happy to not be talking about herself, "What do you do?"
He took a few short steps towards her. "I run a printing company. Sort of feeds my love of books."
"That's really cool," Lily said immediately wishing she'd used a more sophisticated adjective than 'cool'. "Er, um, I mean interesting." Yeah, not that much better. "I mostly have school. Senior year is nearly over, so that's good. I work at Anthropologie too."
"Sounds busy," he added.
"It's not too bad."
He looked at her in that intense way. Lily could almost feel him peering into her mind, peering into her soul. He's a lot older than me. Definitely mid-twenties. Absolutely no hope of anything, Lily you've never even dated anyone before yet alone some one older than you. You hadn't even kissed anyone before. This is stupid.
He's so handsome, whispered another voice. And that accent...
Lily gazed at the floor, "You're library is amazing. I don't have much room for books in my apartment. Sort of got one overflowing book case. I can't find anything." He laughed, setting her more at ease. She wished she had a drink or at least something to do with her hands. What do I do with my hands? What do I normally do with my hands?
"You're welcome to come to my library anytime you like. Is be glad for company. I haven't gotten to meet many." he said with that beautiful smile.
So familiar...why was that smile so familiar?
"I'm sure my mom and I could have you for dinner sometime." She wasn't sure why she had said that. "I mean, if you'd like to-"
"That would be lovely," he said. God, his voice was sexy. The fire continued to crackle, filling the break in the conversation. "I'm being selfish, keeping you in here. I shouldn't keep you from your friends."
Lily felt herself blush, "No, it's fine. I'm no good at parties anyway."
He stared at her with warm eyes, "We're two of a kind, Lily." She felt her face getting even hotter. "You look beautiful, by the way."
Lily's face felt ready to catch flame.
The door opened, "Oh, there you guys are." Slurred Ali's voice. She walked in like a deer using it's legs for the first time.
Christopher gave a look strangled between confusion and anger, "I thought you weren't feeling well. You were supposed to stay on the bed so you could get better."
Bed? Bed? What bed? His bed?
He probably just put her there because she was sick. Don't freak out. There's no reason to freak out. It's not like there's anything between you and Christopher. You hardly know him at all.
But he's mine, a voice hissed from somewhere deep inside her. Mina could not find it's origin.
She wiped her mouth sloppily, "I'm fine, Chris. A lot better now, actually." Alison gave him a very wicked grin. "You can always make me feel better."
Lily's stomach sank: was there something between them? Not that she cared but...well, she was curious. Lily had almost been certain Christopher had liked her a little...
Don't be stupid. He was just being nice. You're so much younger than him. He wouldn't see you like that. You're not Alison. You're not attractive or sexy like Alison. You look like a little doll. That's all anyone will ever see you as.
"I should get back to the party," Lily's voice was smaller than she had wanted it to be. "Nice talking to you, Christopher."
He opened his mouth the say something but Lily left before he could.
ooo
Christopher stared at Alison, frowning, "I told you to stay where you were. Lily isn't supposed to see you like this."
"I'm fine," Alison placed her hands on her prominent hips. She smiled mischievously, swishing her hips as she sauntered towards him, "I'm very fine. I love when you feed from me, master."
"I'll stop feeding from you if you pull something else like this. Now Lily thinks you and I are lovers." Christopher sighed. "I can still read her emotions. It's easier when there strong and that one was very much so. She thinks I'm...not attracted to her."
Alison gazed at him, "I can fix that, master, I can." Her eyes lit up like an eager puppy. "I'll make her sure of your affection towards her, master, I will-"
"But don't be obvious," he added. "She suspects things already."
"Sorry, master," Alison lowered her head. "I'll be better, I promise. I'll make her remember." She smiled at him again. "Did you like how I dressed her up for you?"
His eyes grew dark, "You dressed her like her old self. Like my Mina." He thought of her standing in the library with him not moments before. Completely and utterly perfect. So beautiful and intelligent. His Lily once more returned to him. He wanted to take her into his arms again and... "She is My Mina."
"Yes, she'll be Your Mina again, master." Alison moved her dark curls away from her neck. "Would you feed from me again?"
He shook his head, "I fed from you not fifteen minutes ago. You'll get sick."
She craned her neck, "I won't. Please, master, please."
Christopher sighed, unable to resist the temptation.
His teeth sunk into her pain neck and she let out a small cry of pain and then the pleasure took over. Alison was a fine substitute, as all other women had been over the years. But she wasn't Mina. Mina who was his perfect match, his familiar, meant to be his partner through life until those men kil-
He didn't want to think about it. It didn't matter anymore. His Mina was back and she was alive.
She was his