The rest of the workday I did what I was supposed to do. I helped customers, spoke to my managers about problems with the store, the stuff that I did everyday.
But there's this cafe in my workplace. Every time I walked by it Alec was there attracting attention, making this day different from any other day at work. He sat there at the tables looking beautiful with a cup of coffee that was slowly, and mysteriously disappearing. When I had free time I tried to watch him without looking like I was watching him. I doubt I was as sneaky as I thought I was.
So I thought... This was ridiculous. This wasn't just ridiculous, it was sad. Had I really gotten so obsessed with the books that I thought I was seeing real life vampires? How had I been so convinced by just looking at him? But every time I got closer to him I could fall into my suspicions all over again.
I shook my head. I'm not going to think every unbelievably pretty person on the planet was a vampire. I was going to be that fan. The ones who think Elvis is still alive and are waiting for the mother ship to take them on a fantastic voyage. Determined as I was, the possibility still sat in the back of my mind.
My lunch break was coming. It was crawling towards me menacingly. The minutes were like seconds and I was frantic. When I looked at this Alec character over at the cafe with his newspaper and occasional book I had to stop my thoughts.
There's no such things as vampires, there's no such things as vampires...
Then to my utter horror, it was time for my lunch break.
Oh god.
No, I then decided as I looked at the clock. I was not going to talk to him. He's not in charge of me. I didn't have to go talk to him. Scared for my life, I continued to work. I battled with myself. Maybe he wanted to talk about something else? That was possible wasn't it? I still was not convinced to go sit with him though, so I continued to ignore him. It worked for about fifteen minutes. Then my manager found me.
"Jaylin, aren't you supposed to be on lunch?" he asked. My eyes went wide. From where I was, I could see the cafe on the other side of the store . My stare unwillingly dropped on Alec. He was watching at me disapprovingly with his cup half raised. I wanted to melt into a puddle that moment. He'd heard. Of course he did. Vampires have extraordinary hearing...
He is not a vampire! I quickly interrupted my own thoughts.
"Yeah," I said. "Sorry. I got busy and... forgot." Total lie. My manager started to walk away. I noticed the little man heading towards a safe haven. The break room. Of course! Alec couldn't be in there. There I could buy some time. Maybe he'd get bored waiting for me and leave.
I started to follow my manager. I looked down at the floor for only an instant, then when I picked up my eyes and ran nose first into a wall. Not a wall. But it felt like a wall. Alec seemed to have magically appeared right in front of me. My manager walked out of the aisle without me.
"Jay, you agreed to have lunch with me," he said disapprovingly. His perpetual smile was fading with irritation. I swallowed.
There's no such thing as vampires.
"I changed my mind. Is there anything wrong with that?" I asked summoning up my bravado from an unknown force. Then I remembered to take off my name badge before it looked like I was badgering a customer.
"Yes," he said. "Jaylin I have a feeling you know..." He hesitated. I was immensely grateful for that hesitation. If he'd finished his sentence and said what I thought he was going to say, I might of had a stroke. Alec stopped himself. "I would just really like to have lunch with you. In the store. In public if you want. Or maybe somewhere more quiet?" He was being very kind to my needs. He thought I was worried he was going to eat me. It was obvious that we both knew what was going on more, or less. Or at least I had an idea. But my perception of reality was being stubborn.
"I think I'll have lunch in the break room," I pressed with courage I had no idea I had. I wondered if my expression gave away how frightened I really was. Then Alec's eyes flashed... something. It was like an order had been silently given to me. Like a decision had already been made.
"Let's go up to the cafe. I hear the grilled cheese is wonderful," he said. Then my feet began to move with him as he made his way to where his seat was. Perplexed I had thought about what had just happened. I'd made the decision to leave, why was I doing this? It was like I wasn't in control of my body anymore.
This was beyond dazzling. I wasn't moving myself. My legs were just moving me. He took me to his table barely noticing how confused I was with my own actions. He had a meal already laid out on one end of the table. The other end had three books sitting on top of one another. The Twilight series. I guess it was a good thing I wasn't in control of my body this moment, because I think I was ready for a panic attack. I sat down at the end with the food and warily looked at the stack of books.
We sat in silence for a moment.
"Are you okay?" he asked looking not so concerned. He looked worried that I was going to make a scene. I just needed a moment.
There's no such thing as vampires.
"Yes," I finally said. Then I had control of myself again. I leaned against the backing of the chair and stared at the sandwich with the oozing cheese. I sighed. He waited for me. It was so clear what he wanted to say. I just didn't know why he wanted to tell me.
This wasn't real. This wasn't happening.
"You know what I am," Alec declared. I winced like I'd just gotten a shot at the doctor's office. I was expecting it, but it didn't make it any more pleasant.
"What do you mean?" I asked, playing dumb. I'm not about to play along with this sort of game in case it wasn't true. What if this was just a mean trick someone played on fans? Unlikely, I know. But I would have accepted anything other than my own suspicions.
His mouth twitched into a grim smile. He nudged the books toward me. My stomach wrenched. I couldn't eat a sandwich in this position.
"You've read them?"
"Yes.".
"Are you a fan?"
"I enjoyed them," I admitted carefully. I enjoyed them very, very much. I still enjoy them even after all of this. I spent my free time reading fan fiction on the internet. I'm particularly found of imprinting stories. I even have a few of my own (on another name of course). That didn't mean I was going to confess this.
"Do you believe in them?" he asked.
"No," I responded quickly. His smile never faltered. Those tarnished gold eyes bore into mine. I shrugged. "They're just books. It's fiction."
"That's true," he said looking at them. They made a nice little stack on the table. "But do you believe in what they're about?" I was careful to keep my expression placid. I'm not going to fall for it. I'm living a fantasy in a dream. This isn't true. This isn't happening.
I swallowed.
"This isn't funny," I finally said. He snorted.
"What isn't funny?" he chuckled.
"This," I said nodding to our situation.
"Be more specific," he pressed. I hesitated.
"This," I said. I felt a smile spreading as I was beginning to adapt to being in his presence. He waited quietly. "What are you trying to tell me?"
"What do you think-?"
"No, no. Stop trying to put words in my mouth. Just tell me whatever it is you're trying to tell me," I said surprising him and myself with my aggressiveness. My words spilled out so quickly that I wasn't sure if he heard.
Of course he heard.
He sighed annoyed and gently leaned backward. He nudged my plate toward me. Maybe he was afraid I was going into shock. I glanced at it and back up again. If I tried to swallow anything more along with the information that my favorite book turned out to be true, I might choke. I pushed it back.
We had a minor plate pushing war, back and forth, but it only distracted him for so long.
"I don't want to play this game, Jay. Time is precious," he said. I blinked at him. "I'm trying to tell you I am one of..." He tapped the top book of the Twilight stack. "These." My mind was having a hard time looking from him to the book and seeing the same subject.
There's no such thing as vampires.
"You're a book?" I said stupidly to stray from what he obviously wanted to tell me. Now I had pissed off the exasperated man.
"I'm tired of being sensitive to your shock. I'm a vampire you silly girl," he said impatiently.