Chapter Three – The Midnight Club:

I am outside

And I've been waiting for the sun.

With my wide eyes

I've seen worlds that don't belong.

We Are Broken - Paramore

Josef Konstantin was a tall, slender man of no more than mid-twenties, by looks alone. Mick knew better, of course. But at times that the truth escaped him, all he really needed was to hear his voice and search the young man's face and it was there in his expression. Josef Konstantin was hundreds of years old. And rich enough to look down on everyone, mortals and vampires alike.

"Mick. Looking good for someone I left completely drunk. But at least your Miami Vice days are behind us." Josef reached out as Mick came close, taking hold of the younger vampire's jacket collar and fixing it slightly with a sharp tug. "Impeccable. Love it."

Mick threw him a wry smile as he paused by his friend's desk and as he was released he plopped into a chair on the opposite side, glancing up at his friend who merely hesitated before him.

Lifting his head to look toward his main door, the corner of his mouth twisting, Josef fixed his suit jacket and said, "Right," before winding around his desk and sitting in his own chair. "To what do I owe the pleasure? My time is money."

Mick smiled once more. "No wonder you're filthy rich," he stated.

"Filthy being the operative word," Josef glanced down at his desk and then rolled his eyes away from the paperwork to be found there. "I'm already looking forward to lunch."

"Thought you loved your job," Mick argued with a frown.

"I love the perks," his friend replied. And he reached to his phone and pressed a button.

"Yes, Mr. Konstantin," came the sultry voice over the line as his assistant picked up.

"Candace, it's that time again," Josef said and abruptly cut off the line, looking bored with the entire world. "Snack, Mick? Or have you already…eaten?' He snapped his teeth at Mick playfully.

"None for me, thanks. Trying to cut down on…" And as the door opened he glanced over his shoulder toward a woman who could only be Candace, sashaying into the room as if she owned it. "…lovely brunettes."

Josef threw him a look as the woman smiled at Mick and rounded the desk to stand before Josef. "Yes, I'm aware. Your diet these days consists of blondes." Josef glanced up at the woman as she gazed down at him and extended her slender arm to him, easily seating herself on the edge of his desk. He shook his head slightly, taking the woman's other hand and pulling her back to her feet. "Very rude of you," he said to her and she pouted a bit at him but then Josef pushed away from his desk and instead tugged for her to sit on his lap. "We don't want to give Mick the wrong impression."

Candace glanced at Mick as she sat and mouthed, "I'm sorry," prettily at him as if he were next in line.

"I have to teach these new girls everything it seems," Josef sighed.

And Mick waited with a small smile as Josef fed. He had to admit, other than feeding on Beth several months earlier, he had not fed on anyone in a long time. And even the incident where he had been forced to feed on Beth had been enough trauma for him. And her, no doubt even though they acted as if everything was all right. He had no intention of ever doing it again. Or ever letting himself get to that point of weakness again.

But there were times when he missed the rush of feeding on a live person, of tasting warm blood and allowing it to stream down his throat and coat it thickly. And he hated to admit that sometimes he even missed the chase for that fluid.

He was a different person now.

He had left Beth after the diner and had not gone home to rest after that. He had no doubt he would tire soon but Beth had just about been dead on her feet. After dropping her off at home he had run a few errands, namely picking up some more blood for himself and then dropping it off at his home before coming in to see Josef.

Candace was rising off Josef's lap and she hesitated a moment as Josef lapped up the remaining trail of blood and then kissed her wrist before releasing her hand.

"She's going to get a raise for that, I'm sure," Mick said cheekily to Josef as the woman smiled at her boss, trailed an alluring look over Mick and then excused herself out the door.

"Out of most people," Josef said with a lingering look after his assistant. And then he turned his full attention back on Mick. "So what's up, Mick? I'm sure you have some pressing matters on your mind to come all the way here to visit with me. And I'm sure money isn't the issue, it never is with you." He shuffled the papers on his desk a bit, threw a distasteful look at his cell phone as if debating making a call and then quickly looked away. "How is…what is her name again? Bess?"

Mick shook his head at him in mock disbelief. "Anything to not say her name," he mused.

"It's a very…human name…" Josef said thoughtfully. "Bess. Reminds me of…a cow I may have owned once."

"It's Beth. And she isn't a cow."

"Absolutely not. She's much more attractive than a cow. In fact, if you ever lose interest in her…"

"I didn't think this is why I came to see you. I could be completely mistaken…" Mick murmured in slight confusion.

"No, you definitely came to talk about her. In fact, I can smell her on you. Her very human scent. Which leads me to believe you have yet to turn her. Where are your priorities these days?" Josef seemed bored but Mick knew better. Any talk of Beth was of interest to Josef the way a woman ate up soap operas. He devoured any news in Mick's life voraciously.

"My priorities…" Mick began, "are in order. Let's face it, Josef, you and I…we don't exactly see eye to eye on certain things."

"You see eye to eye. I see fang to neck. So how is the lovely Beth?"

Mick motioned to him as proof that he did indeed know her proper name. "Thank you, Josef."

"Absolutely, my friend."

With another wry smile and sigh Mick said, "Beth is fine. She asked about you on the way out of the morgue."

"The morgue," Josef hissed, the word rolling off his tongue as if it had insulted him. "Is that a fascination of hers? Or yours?" His expression darkened a bit. "Very few women appreciate those kinds of dates, Mick. They tend to like fine wines and expensive dinners. A fireplace with a roaring fire. Someone to…cuddle…with." And that word came out distastefully as well.

"Josef, do you even know what cuddle means?"

His friend threw him a look. "Mick, I'm older than you by quite a bit. I created the word cuddle and promptly berated myself for doing so once the typical woman caught on to it." His lips lifted away a bit to display sharp canines that had yet to shrink even after his feeding.

"So we have you to thank?"

"Believe me, Mick. I've already paid for my sins. Torch-bearing mobs and all."

"And you were a cuddle person?" Mick refused to let it go. "Isn't that just..." He shrugged, shaking his head with a widening smile, hands meeting in a temple on his lap. "Adorable."

"Yes. Lovely." Josef did not seem amused. "So your wonderful friend asked about me. Isn't that delightful. I can now die." He swiveled about in his chair for a moment, head falling back and looking up at the high ceiling. "You know, Mick…"

"Yes, Josef?"

The older vampire spun once more, one last lazy circle before sliding to a stop, the back of the chair facing Mick who waited curiously. "Our earlier talk…" His hand waved, a seemingly disembodied limb as Josef was still hidden from Mick by the chair.

"Which talk?"

There came a small hesitation. "What I said earlier…about your priorities concerning Beth."

Mick stared dumbly at the back of Josef's chair. "Josef, that was two minutes ago."

"Which is why I said earlier, Mick." Josef sounded exasperated. He spun around forcefully, meeting Mick head on and his fangs had finally shrunk down to be covered by his lips. "I'm saying it…well, for me, really. I don't want to see you moping about one day when she dies on you because of her silly little mortality issue. You've gone so far as to introduce her to our little world, you may as well induct her into the club as well."

Mick was slow in responding. "I just finished telling her there was no club…" he murmured.

Josef merely stared at him, looking decisively bored once more.

Mick flashed him a smile. "Josef, are you too old to remember what a joke is?" And without waiting for a response he glanced away, squirming a bit in his seat. "There are no plans to induct her into the club, Josef. I don't want her to be immortal."

Josef did not reply to that, seemingly content with merely staring at his friend in silence.

Mick glanced at him. "Say what you're going to say already," he prompted.

Josef smiled. "You don't want to hear what I'm going to say, Mick. Not that it bothers me, what you think. Well, that's a lie, it bothers me but I try not to show it."

Mick chuckled quietly.

"But." And that seemed to be his sentence for a long while, the one word. The older vampire looked toward the sun streaming in through his windows, perhaps mulling over how to best say what he wanted to say. "I think…Coraline is in the past. And that kind of love was…dangerous. More dangerous than even finding out that vampires exist. Your thing with her…" he shook his head. "Disastrous. So it's time to get out there and find someone else."

Mick glanced down at his cell as it suddenly went off.

"Perfect example," Josef said, motioning to the cell as Mick pulled it out and he swiveled in his chair once more, facing away.

Mick answered the phone.

"Mick, hey. Sorry to bother you. But you need to see this," Beth's voice came over the phone hurriedly.

"See what?" Mick asked and he was already rising, straightening his jacket once more.

"Another body. Come down to BuzzWire." And with that Beth hung up.

Mick slowly lowered his cell phone from his ear, a frown crossing his face. Another corpse already? He glanced toward Josef, opening his mouth to speak.

"Go on," Josef waved him away. "But remember, Mick." And he turned a bit in his chair, his expression knowing. "She won't be around for you forever."

Mick didn't want to say it but he managed to force an easy smile, nodding to his friend as he turned to leave. "Let's hope not." And as he left through the door he mused inwardly.

I don't want her wasting her life waiting for me.