Ok, this is like a song fic. I don't own any of the songs or Nick, but I do own everyone else. Enjoy.

CHAPTER 18

The next evening, Nick awoke to a pounding on the door. He slipped on a robe and padded down the stairs. Blanca was just leaving, late for her. She crossed herself when she saw him and then left, with a look at who was at the door. It was Esme.

"Chere, I'm back. Miss me?" She gave him a kiss.

"I did, actually. It's been an interesting time."

"Umm, so I heard. How was the place?"

"What place?"

"Sangus—the blood bar. That's what's it's called, you know."

Nick shook his head. "No, I didn't. Cary did not exactly volunteer much information."

Esme snorted, telling Nick what she thought of the Community leader.

"Sound like Mr. Conceit. How bad did he get?"

Nick sighed and told her about the night and then the whole week, including about the grand opening of the Center tomorrow.

"I have to go out during the day, but I'll get there later this morning so I don't have to catch the sun. It's going to be bad enough."

"Je comprends, mon ami." Esme laughed. "So, can I come in, s'il vous plait?"

"Sorry, alors." Why the French around this woman all the time? "Please, enter. You're not related to Dracula you know, you can cross a threshold without being invited."

"Are you sure? I thought I saw some salt outside," giggled the blonde at the joke on the old myths.

"I guess we should be glad it didn't rain and run off into the gutters…" Nick was laughing now as well.

"So happy. I'm so glad. How's my Cary?" This was Jill who had come up soon after Esme. She had waited on Blanca to leave. The maid scared her for she had true faith and so the cross she wore was deadly to them.

"He's alive, to use a phrase. He really went on a bender last night."

"He does that, unfortunately. At least Helena didn't show up to…help him. She normally will if he overdoes."

The three walked into the house and into the Study where Nick and Esme sat next to each other on the couch and Jill sat in a rather modern recliner. It looked out of place, but Cary had told Nick it had sentimental value.

"So, Jill; Cary tells me that you sing."

"I do." A chuckle at that. "In fact, that's how I kept him busy the Night of the Mortals." She made it sound ominous.

"Really?" said Esme, archly. "Whatever did you do?"

"Do you really want to hear all the prurient details?"

Esme gave a very French shrug. "Why not."

"Alright." She arose and got everyone a glass of plasma, except Nick who got cow.

"I got in there, his bedroom that is," she began, "and he was just coming out of the shower. He looked like a real Valentino in his grey pants and green sweater that brought out his eyes and his hair was still partially damp and it curled…"

"We get the picture," remarked Esme, dryly.

"Sorry, I get carried away. Anyhow, as I said, he was dressed, but not entirely. He headed for the door to go downstairs and I stood in front of him, blocking his way."

"'Where are you going?' I think I was rather anxious to know."

"'To get something to eat because I'm hungry, why?'"

"He then kissed me on the forehead and moved to go around me but I still blocked the door. I panicked and moved to stop him once more. He looked exasperated."

"'I want to show you something,' I told him, thinking frantically. He gave a sigh of annoyance. He does that a lot."

"'What?'"

"I looked around then grabbed his hand and led him to the sitting room, which you know is just off the bedroom proper, next to the fireplace. His bedroom is huge, by the way. Have you seen it all? The bed is huge and the bath is off to the right. Straight back from the show his giant closet. Opposite the bathroom is the door to the loft and next to that is the fireplace and caddy corner to that is the sitting room which is shaped like a stop sign, like his office. The stairs to the attic…"

"Jill, does this have anything at all to do with the story?" asked a puzzled Nick.

"Sorry, I told you I get carried away at times. In any case, I led him to one of those chaise sofas—you know the type. The kind you can lay on? Cary calls it a fainting couch…"

"Get on with it, please," chided Esme.

"I will, I will. Anyway, I made him sit and made him promise to stay and I few down to the pantry to get him some chow. You remember, Nick, when I just flashed past you? I got back to the room as quick as I could and found him standing and staring out the window.

"'Clear night,' he commented, as he accepted the glass I poured. He made a small face, for he prefers it warm."

"'Yes, it is', I replied, thinking this was going very well. The setting was perfect with the star shine streaming through the windows. Then he turned to me."

"'So, what did you want to show me?' he asked, sipping the blood."

"Thinking quick I told him that Kitty was thinking of putting on a cabaret night at the club and that I was auditioning a new act. No reply, so I kept on. I told him that we actually had a lot of talent here and Gina can even do contortions. Plus, I could perform—I miss that, you know."

"No, I didn't. Do you really?" asked Nick.

"I do. I loved being in front of the audience. What is it that Roxie Hart says in Chicago? I love them and they love me and we love each other. I told him that I wanted to show him part of the act, for only him and tell me what to leave in and take out. He agreed."

"I led him back to that couch thing and pushed him down upon it. Then I began my first song—seductively. I totally vamped it out, and not like us but more like Theda Bara. Now, I was doing this off the top of my head, so I came out with the first song that came to my mind:

"Love soft as an easy chair. Love fresh as the morning air. One love that is shared by two, I have found in you."

"Now I sang this song all the while flitting around him like a butterfly. At the songs end, I sat on the chaise, hovering above him, just inches away from his lips."

"Time we've learned to sail above. Ti-time won't change the meaning of, one love. Ageless and ever, ever…green—and landed at the foot of the sofa on my knees."

"'Is that actually going into your act?' He sounded kind of hoarse.

"'Perhaps,' I told him. How about this one. Now this song I did as a complete torch number, sort of like Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys?"

"I touch your lips and all at once the sparks go flying, those devil lips that know so well the art of lying. And though I see the danger, still the flame grows higher, and so I must surrender to your kiss of fire."

"I went through the whole thing with lots of body language. I faded off with a kiss to his luscious lips and noticed just the smallest of golden flecks."

"Give me your lips, the lips you only let me borrow. Touch me tonight and let the devil take tomorrow. I know that I must have your kiss although it dooms me, though it consumes me, your kiss of fire."

"And with that I collapsed on top of him. He started to clap very softly at my performance, which was rather good, if I must say. I mock bowed and then fell to my knees by his chest and began the next song, which I must say I dedicated to him—fully. Of course, it wasn't exactly a cabaret number, but now I wanted to enthrall him and I do love this song.

"The first time ever I saw your face, I thought the sun rose in your eyes. And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave, to the dark and the end of the skies."

"I gave this without much embellishment. Just the song and myself for him.

""And the first time ever I kissed your mouth, I felt the earth move in my hand. Like the trembling heart of a captive bird, that was there at my command, my love."

"I noticed his eyes get deeper saffron and his fangs were visible. I smiled at my triumph for he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon."

"And the first time ever I lay with you, I felt your heart so close to mine. And I knew our joy would fill the earth, and last till the end of time my love. The first time, ever I saw, your face. Your face, your face--."

"He grabbed me at the end of this number and kissed me hard. I felt his fangs against my tongue and then he left my mouth and started to travel downwards but I pulled away. He growled deeply, his eyes pure amber. Shaking with a bit of excitement from our little petting session, I got up and ran a nail from hair to waist and began the next song. Now I was a lap dancer, like in Flashdance. I also paraphrased the song a little."

"Whatever Jill wants, Jill gets. And Cary, little Jill wants you. Make up your mind to have, no regrets. Recline yourself, resign yourself you're through. I always get, what I aim for. And your heart and soul, is what I came for. Whatever Jill wants, Jill gets, take off your clothes don't you know you can't win? You're not exception to the rule, I'm irresistible you fool, give in. Give in, give in."

"And then I got off him before he could do anything at all. I looked at him and realized what you realized that night. That Cary was gone and I was dealing with the vampire—a very aroused vampire. And as you two know, that's something else entirely."

"There wasn't a drop of green in his yes and his fangs were fully extended, which really turned me on, let me tell you. I also heard his low, rumbling growls. The look on his face was of pure lust."

"Now my last song, I knew would put him over the top and myself as well. I got as sultry and as sexy as I could probably get. More so than Madonna.

"Sooner or later you're gonna be mine, sooner of later you're gonna be fine. Baby, it's time that you face it, I always get my man."

"I was climbing all over him by this time."

"Sooner or later you're gonna decide, sooner or later there's nowhere to hide. Baby, it's time, so why waste it in chatter? Let's settle the matter. Baby, you're mine on a platter, I always get my man."

"I did give him a lingering kiss after this, enjoying the soft silkiness of his lips. I then licked the underside of his chin and he groaned. I wondered if he would even make it through the rest of the song."

"But if you insist, babe, the challenge delights me. The more you resist, babe, the more it excites me. And no one I've kissed, babe, ever fights me again. If you're on my list, it's just a question of when. When I get a yen, then baby, Amen. I'm counting to ten, and then…"

"Now I wondered if I would make it through the last verse!"

"I'm gonna love you like nothing you've known, I'm gonna love you and you all alone. Sooner is better than later, but lover, I'll hover, I'll plan. This time I'm not only getting, I'm holding my man."

"This ended with your typical movie kiss, complete with clothing removal. The rest I don't think you need to know about."

Nick and Esme by this time were cuddled together; after all it was a rather x-rated story in its way. They heard applause and Jill jumped.

"So you tricked me, hmm?"

"I had to, love. But it was fun anyway, wasn't it?"

And Cary smiled.