It had been days since my last exchange with Ondre. I'd spent most of that time hidden away in the dark, abandoned house I'd taken refuge in. The basement was tiny, like the rest of the house. Tiny and inconspicuous, hidden in the dense forests of Virginia. It was completely overgrown with greenery, growing from the porch, out of the gutters and along the floors. It had been a quiet cottage one time, many years ago. But now it was silent, cold, and dead.

I was standing against the back of the hovel when the phone in my pocket went off, the phone Jacqueline gave me. I fished it out seeing the screen only had a telephone symbol, ringing off the hook as it would appear. It took a moment but I found out how to answer the call.

It was Jacqueline's voice. "Bonsoir mon amour." She said, her native French touched with an American accent.

"Bonsoir. Comme ça va?" I asked, hearing a light laugh on the other end.

"I'm just fine, Darling." I could hear another voice behind hers. It was one I didn't recognize, deep, heavy, and a bit sluggish. Quite possibly one of the many vampires she's been associated with over the centuries. "We're open. Get down here in 10 minutes or you're working the floor." She hung up after that to drive her point home and I stood up from the wall and took off into the night.

Jacqueline was right; the club was open and full to burst. I sped through the crowd and into the back, slipping out of the muddy jeans and wet coat I came in and into tonight's costume. There was no shirt, only a pair of the tightest black leather pants I'd ever seen and a large pair of black stiletto-heeled boots clearly made to accommodate a man's foot.

While I struggled into the shoes Jacqueline came up behind me, helping me stand. Her hair was down, hanging in large, loose curls.

"Careful Darling, those shoes are very expensive." She said holding me up.

"Only the best, right?" I said, shoving my foot into the second one.

"Nothing but." She said pulling down the pants, barely exposing my hipbones. "Ouah la..." She said, her hands lingering on my waist. I pulled the shoe over my ankle and stood, forcing her to step aside. "I don't think I could wear it better." She said looking over me.

I grabbed the black fingerless gloves and pushed them over my hands, tying the tiny leather stings at the wrists.

"So, a bit of bad news. You're on the floor." She touched a finger to her mouth, the other laid across her waist.

I hated working the floor. By the morning I'd be thoroughly covered in a combination of puke, alcohol, and blood. I sighed as I put on the militaristic cap and tucked my hair beneath it.

"Lighten up. You'll be fine." She said and turned around to leave. "Bonne chance!" She called out before the door shut behind her.

It was my duty to sell out my flesh for Jacqueline. I was to walk around, seducing men and women alike into paying for our overpriced drinks. We could not glamour them, but at times I seemed to be the only one keeping policy. By 11pm I had made the bar an easy $500 and I motioned towards Alexis, the bar keeper, that I was going on break. She nodded her head and I made my way for the door. Passing by a vampire feasting on the neck of young, drunk girl something caught my eye, then my arm.

"Hello, hello, hello..." Ondre said, pulling me towards him. "How much for a dance?" He said biting his lip.

"For you? How much you got?" I said stepping towards him.

"More than I could fit down those pants." He put his hands on my sides and pulled me closer to him. His eys drifted from mine to my neck, past my chest and down my stomach, then back up.

"Are you going to stare all night?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hopefully not." He said tucking a finger under the waistband of my pants. I pulled him off of me and stepped away, turning and walking out of the side door.

He followed me out and stood in front of me. "So...You're on break? Or something?"

"Or something." I said.

"What would you need a break from in there? It's fucking fantastic!" I tilted my head and stared. "Oh, yeah. I forgot, you don't like blood." He was teasing, but I didn't care. "Which makes your shower dance all the more interesting..." He said shrewdly. I looked up instantly to see a sly smile creeping across his face. He held his hand under his chin, his eyes flicking over my body.

I was quiet a moment. "You saw that, huh?"

"Oh yes, there's no way I was going to miss that."

"How long?" I asked quickly.

"Huh?" He jerked back to reality and stared at me with a blank stare.

"How long have you been in Virginia?"

"A bit." He said dismissive.

"How long, Ondre?"

"I don't know, a few days before I found you on that hill. Why?" I was acting childishly. Being hurt that he'd been here longer than he let on, I bit my tongue and let out a long exhale

"Did you come here to find me?" He was silent for a moment.

"Not directly."

"Not directly?"

"Not directly, no."

"Who then?" He was quiet again, and then turned his ear towards the door. Adrian poked his head out.

"You alright out here, Leon?" He asked.

"I'm fine, thank you Adrian." He eyed Ondre and then looked back towards me. "I'm fine, Adrian. I'll be back in just a few." I smiled at him, which seemed to reassure him as he went back inside, the heavy metal door shutting a few seconds later.

"Not now. Not here." Ondre said. "When do you get off?"

"At about three. Why?" I was confused, and something didn't feel right. The look he gave me said it all.

He was in front of me his hands on my hips. "Go in there, and have the most normal work night you've ever had. When you get out, leave that phone she gave you in your locker and go to the end of the street. I'll see you then." His voice trailed off and I found myself staring into his enchanting sage green eyes. I was being pulled into them and I felt my body against his. I gasped and my hand moved up his back, bringing him closer.

A sound snapped me back to earth and before I could place it I was alone. Adrian stepped out and threw me a puzzled look. After a moment of shame I plucked myself from the cold wall and stepped inside, my heels clicking on the pavement.

I walked out of the club and down the street, just like Ondre said. When the road met the highway I saw a black car, similar to the limousine Ondre had taken me to Cicero's in. It started up and I made my way towards it, only for it to pull up beside me, the door opening automatically.

"Get in, we've got to talk." Ondre said.

"About what?"

"Your former boss, Jacqueline." I stepped in and before the door could shut we were speeding down the highway.