The Taxi Ride

Chapter Ten: The Suggestion

Thanks to Jake's intervention all my plans had to be scrapped and redrawn. Thanks to him I had to take the following weekend off, meaning I wouldn't be able to see Bella because I didn't want to take the risk that he would be tailing her car. I knew he would be for a while. I had gone out to track her car just in case and saw him hiding down in the corners while she stood on red lights, using his enhanced speed to tail her as she drove the darkened streets. I didn't know how long he was going to keep this up, but it was making me burn with impatience. I was no longer even able to meet with her in the one place I was free to be with her.

I told myself I just had to wait. That Jake would grow tired. Grow comfortable in my absence and I could use that slip up then.

In the meantime I would take my meals in the neighboring town. The cops here were left scratching their head at the sudden stop of the murders. They kept the case open for now, but they were going to have to let it go unsolved because I wasn't planning on getting caught.

Still, it was slow going. Such slow going that I felt like an impatient child about to throw a tantrum because they couldn't have their favorite toy. The only thing that kept me patient, that kept me from reaching over and just biting down on her neck, that kept me from ending this vapid farce, was the end result. I knew if I did it right, I would have the most exquisite of dishes presented right to me, without anyone suspecting me. I could have easily just done the deed and skipped town. Could have easily overpowered her and snapped her neck. But I didn't...want to. This time, I wanted the hunt to be special. I wanted a long pursuit. Because I knew that it would only make the success at the end all the sweeter; her blood would then taste godly. Such a taste that I wasn't even capable of imagining it.

Sometimes, when the tension and wait got to be too much I would lie in bed and pleasure myself, just fantasizing about how it would finally be to rip her delicate flesh open, let the warm and salty blood gush over my chin, let my instincts take over, feel the life drain from her body, kiss her soft pink lips, run my nose along her jawbone, tell her how pretty she was...wait a second. I sat up in my bed, brows furrowed in confusion, arousal replaced by a sense of dread. Had I just imagined kissing the little human? Had I imagined being sweet on her?

That...was a new development. I had no qualms about using sexual appeal in order to seduce my prey into trusting me quicker but was this the same? Shakily I sat up on bed and tried to shrug off the worry. This was nothing concerning. It was just an after effect of spending so much time with her, of getting to know her unlike the way I had known my other prey. In the end it wouldn't matter. She would just be another victim that had befallen my appetite.

Then I laid down once more, but no matter how much I tried to bring back my bloody fantasizes it was no use. All I could think of was her pink, pink lips on mine.

Eventually, Jake did give up his efforts just like I predicted and I was able to resume my car rides with Bella. I was almost giddy with excitement to see her once more. To be surrounded by her comforting scent. I had hoped she would be happy to see me too when I sat down in the car but she wasn't.

"Good evening, Sarah," she drawled with malice in her voice. If my mind had been human I would have been confused by that, but as it was I was able to quickly connect to what she meant.

"Oh, you found out about it?" I gave a sheepish little grin which did nothing to waver her hard expression.

"Why did you lie to me about your name?"

"I didn't," I shrugged, suddenly overcome with the desire to have my little human not be mad at me. When I had first told Bella my name I hadn't considered that she would find out my 'student name'. Stupid of me to be this obtuse, but...Bella was responsible for a lot of my recent stupid actions. "I hate the name Sarah, so I introduce to everyone myself as Victoria. I would change my birth name legally, but I haven't had time to do it."

Bella was quiet as she absorbed this. "Oh," she said at last. "I feel incredibly dumb now."

"Don't. It tends to confuse other people too. I should have explained myself fully."

"It looks like I have something new to learn about you each day," Bella said lightly, looking happy at the reveal of my 'truth'.

Oh if only she really knew me, then she'd be running the other way. I didn't say anything more on the topic, just brought up another conversation starter and with that me and Bella were back on our usual track of hanging out with each other, and we never even talked about the encounter with Jake, which suited me just fine.

By the time the benchmark of three months had passed, (since I had first arrived here) Bella and I were almost on friendly terms with one another. The girl had relaxed considerably around me and to my delight, showed signs of excitement when I would kiss her cheek, or show off too much skin. It was adorable how confused she would get with herself as she tried to fight it. No doubt the girl was straight and prudish, but even she couldn't stand up to my vampiric charms for long. I could turn any woman gay if I wanted to and I was wearing her down. Soon she would be mine, eating from my hand while I feasted upon her neck. All I had to do was get her away from the blasted world of the taxi service, so that we could meet elsewhere. And then I would pounce there.

"I was thinking we should get coffee some time," I said as way of suggesting an outing. "Just like last time."

"Coffee?" she furrowed her brows, wondering why I would make her such an offer. She probably didn't think herself of high enough standard to hang out with me other than the car rides or an accidental running into. How cute.

"Yes. I don't have many friends in this town, it being hard being European and an exchange student." The European part had been a genius thing on my part. It gave me a chance to kiss her each time, made me able to gradually work under her skin. While I had been from Europe at some point, I didn't remember much of my human life there but I knew it had been awful. I had been reborn as a vampire in North America and had stayed here, never finding a need to go back and visit the shit hole I had come from.

"Oh," Bella softly said. "I thought with your charismatic personality you would have many friends." The brunette was getting more open about her thoughts and I loved it. Now, if only she could tell me I could drink her blood, then all would work according to plan.

I gave a soft laugh at this. "Sadly, not many are as accommodating as you with my disorder." Albinism was a great excuse to explain my multitude of inhuman like traits. And it in no way did hamper my ability to interact with humans as much as I was painting it to be.

"Okay, I guess we can go." The girl still had some reservations about spending too much time with me, which was only natural. Humans can unconsciously tell when they are in front of a predator and being hunted. But often times they shut down that part of their brain when I flash them a little of my skin, coming like lambs to the slaughter.

"That's perfect," I said, trying to hide my giddiness. This was it, what I had been waiting for, for so long- being able to get her in a different environment! Initially I had been unable to track her down by scent alone and so I had to ask her personally where she lived and what classes she took and while I had followed her back to her dorm in secret, I found it was too full of witnesses to strike. She had two roommates and a hall full of neighbors that could hear anything through the thin walls.

So the act would have to take place elsewhere. Like my new warehouse apartment.

"Let me give you my number, and you give me yours and we can meet up." I pulled out my phone in hurry, almost forgetting to use human speeds in my excitement.

She pulled her phone out and we exchanged numbers. I tried to hide the smile growing on my lips and did so by leaning in and giving her a kiss on the cheek once more. "See you then, Bella," I husked, whispering into the shell of her ear. I saw an almost imperceptible shiver pass through her body at my close proximity and smirked, happy with my results. If this was a countdown to Christmas day, then I was almost there.

For the rest of the night, I spent it texting with her, working out location details and timing. She was luckily free the next day around lunch time and once the date was set in stone, I set about picking an outfit. I knew I wouldn't be able to digest the drink but it was a small pain to suffer if I could get to drink Bella.

Tossing aside a shirt I found to be too decent I spent the lather portion of the night deciding what would be best. I would lay down all my charm at the coffee date, make it clear what my intentions with her were and then seal the deal- I was going to seduce the blood out of her. Normally I would have given up seducing humans that took too long to break like she was, but she was a special case.

Yet, when the day arrived, Bella surprised me. She was already seated at the table, having ordered the drinks for us as I was 'fashionably late', so I could come in and make an entrance. All the men and women in the cafe naturally couldn't keep their eyes off of me as I strode in confidently, my heels clicking on the floor, head up proud and hips swaying. Even Bella was gandering, her cheeks flushing red.

I do love being a vampire, I thought to myself as I sat down at the table, smiling casually like I hadn't just stopped all conversation in the store. "So, how are you Bella?" I asked pleasantly, taking in a deep appreciative whiff of the coffee like I saw humans do. It smelled revolting to me.

"Uh, um, I'm fine," she pulled herself out of the stupor as conversation slowly came back to life around us. "Just wow, you really got everyone's attention in here. I wish I could do that. Could you teach me?"

"Huh?" I was so throw off by her request that I was unable to say anything intelligent at that moment even with my vampiric brain. I briefly remember initially trying to entice Bella with trying to teach her how to be seductive on the first night I had met her. And now she was the one suggesting it to me. My, how things had gone full circle.

She looked to be embarrassed by her words, as if she hadn't meant to say them so brazenly but was now powering on, having to roll with her mistakes.

"I...well, I wish I had your confidence," she said quietly, looking down at her drink shyly.

I smiled as I realized this was an opening, a good opening to getting even closer to her, more intimate. Intimate in the way I liked it. I could feel my strange desire to kiss her coming back up again and I pushed it aside, focusing on reminding myself of the pulse that beat under her neck.

"I could teach you. How to be sexy and confident. How to woo the masses."

"Really?" Bella picked her eyes up. Hopefulness shone in them.

"Yes." I nodded my head. "And free of charge." The only payment would be her blood but she wouldn't know about that until it was too late.

"That's...great, thank you. But you don't have to do it if you don't want to. It was just a silly idea."

"Nonsense." I reached over and grabbed Bella's warm hands in my own. I looked at her earnestly. "I'm always glad to help a close friend of mine."

And even more so happy when a warm meal is included.

A/N: Noooooo, Bella, you've given Victoria an opening.