Chapter 3
Josef knocked on the door to Beth's apartment and waited. One thing hadn't changed at all over the centuries, women were rarely ready to leave on time because they were always finishing up their look. Or in some cases, like this one, the look hadn't even reached the half-way mark.
Beth was standing in her doorway clad in nothing but a dark red silk robe, blood red to be exact, and although it was fairly modest in its coverage, Josef knew she couldn't be wearing much under it. Experience had taught him that when women opened the door in their dressing gowns, displaying his fresh bite mark on their necks, it usually ended in both of them forgetting about the planned outing in favor of a quick seduction and extended evening of carnal pleasures. Not that there was anything wrong with that in general, but this was the love of his best friend's life. Josef made a mental note to find a priest tomorrow afternoon and find out what was going on… he'd stopped believing in God a long time ago, but this descent into purgatory was beginning to convince him that there was in fact a God and he had a very wicked sense of humor.
Beth looked good enough to eat, in more ways that one. Her hair was loose about her face and her makeup was subtle but flattering, and her scent was divine. She smelled faintly like the lilac he remembered from his human childhood, like the bushes that once grew outside of his window. Most human perfumes and soaps were overpowering in their fragrance to vampires, but this was subtle and it enhanced her personal scent in a way that made Josef want to bury his face in her hair and sink his teeth into the unblemished side of her neck. Couldn't she have picked a different color for the robe?
He recovered from his initial shock well, and desperately hoped that Beth hadn't noticed just how much her appearance had affected him. "Well, well," Josef said looking her up and down. "For me? I'm flattered, really. But since you invited yourself along on my evening's activities, I'd appreciate it if you kept to my timetable, and we're going out. Unless you intend to be seen in public like that, run along and get dressed, in blue." He leaned up against the side of the doorway and looked at his watch, smiling to himself. They had plenty of time.
Beth just rolled her eyes at him and clenched her fists in frustration. "I'm ready to go except for the blue part. You did not specify the shade, or the function. Is this a navy blue housewarming party, a light blue baby shower, are we going electric blue club hopping, or what? Since you're so picky about the color, I thought it only fitting that you pick the shade." Beth realized that she had no idea what Josef did for fun other than entertain himself with his "freshies", torment Mick, and make money. She turned away and walked back towards the bathroom as she continued. "The blue pieces of clothing I own are out on the sofa. Bring them to me when you figure it out."
Well, well, indeed. Most of the women that he was used to dealing with would never have dreamed of spinning the situation so that somehow it was his fault that they weren't ready on time. It really was refreshing. Fortunately, Josef had no trouble in picking out clothing for women. He regularly dressed his freshies for his social functions, why should tonight be any different? Because it's Beth, and she's not my freshie, at least I think she isn't.
Josef took his time looking over her clothes, because it gave him a little more insight into her personality and it made her wait, which he enjoyed. New and worn looking jeans, deep blue cashmere V-necked sweater, navy blue dress slacks, medium blue polo shirt, they were all very normal looking and ranged from weekend-wear to office-wear. But the sexy little blue dress that looked like it would be skin tight was almost too much to pass up, as his mind kept trying to imagine what Beth would look like in that dress and more importantly, what she'd look like as he peeled it off of her creamy skin. Shaking off the thought, Josef grabbed a pair of jeans and headed off to Beth's closet to look for something else… which he quickly found. A plain white T-shirt was all she needed with the jeans, which were a deep indigo and would be sufficient for the blue.
Josef headed for the bathroom and knocked, but he just couldn't help but peek through the slight opening of the door at Beth putting finishing touches on her makeup. Women who were trying to look even more beautiful as they primped had always been alluring to Josef. The way they touched themselves and admired their bodies in the mirror was somehow so personal and intimate to watch. Sadly, Beth didn't continue for long, just held out her hand for the clothes.
"These will be fine for now, we'll take care of the rest when we get there," he said before returning to the living room, attempting to head off her obvious questioning on why the shirt wasn't white.
The faint rustling of clothes behind the now-closed door went on while Beth asked, "where are we going tonight, anyway?"
"Does it matter? You convinced me to take you there without even asking what my plans are, so why should I tell you now?"
Beth stuck her head out of the bathroom door and glared at him, clearly unhappy with her loss of control of the situation. "This isn't some vampire potluck is it? Everyone bring their freshies and share?"
"No, that's next week. Are you ready yet?" he asked impatiently.
When she stepped out of the bathroom, Josef found himself quite pleased with the result. The effect was casual and complementary to his own dark jeans, white shirt, and pinstriped dark blue sportjacket. "Yes, I'm ready. But are you going like that? It's a little dressed down for you, isn't it? I've never seen you out of your tailored Italian suits." She grabbed her shirt and headed for the door.
"Not all of my suits are from Italy. Some are made in New York by Italians. And I do appreciate the fashion advice, really. Especially since you have no idea where we're going," he reminded her. Toying with the humans really is a great hobby. I'm glad I thought of it.
Women's liberation was fine and all, but Josef still believed that men should open doors for women. It was one of the few times you could stare at their ass without getting into trouble, and in today's world it kept them off balance, which was to his liking. He hated the thought of becoming predictable. So not only did he hold her apartment door and the door to her building for her, when he led her to his blue Ferrari (yes, he has a blue one and a red one), he also opened the passenger door for her and took her hand while she sat down. Josef loved the impressed look on every woman's face when they saw his cars, it just never got old.
Beth still looked a little stunned when Josef slid into the driver's seat. "Ever ridden in a Ferrari before?" he asked Beth as the engine roared to life.
"No. First time." She looked nervous.
"Really? So a week of firsts for you, then. But no need to be nervous, I'm well aware that Mick will drive a stake through my heart if I let anything happen to his true love." The subtext was there, and he hoped that Beth understood it, because every minute he spent with her was making it more difficult for him to hold back. He knew that she wouldn't resist his advances if he chose to make them, especially not after last night, and that taste of her blood, her compliant body in his arms, hearing her soft moans of pleasure, only made Josef want her more. Any questions she might ask him tonight better only require verbal answers in the semi-public locale where they were headed.
The nervousness Beth was projecting changed to complete confusion when Josef handed over an ID card to the parking lot attendant. Granted, he'd deliberately waited until they got to the gate to lean over and brush his arm against her leg when retrieving said card from the glove compartment. "Josef, um… we're at Dodger Stadium."
As they pulled into a reserved parking place right next to a security-guard monitored elevator, Josef smiled at Beth for a moment then shut off the engine. "Of course we are, Miss Turner. Where else would you go to watch the greatest team in Major League Baseball play in person tonight?" Josef reached into the back seat and pulled a shopping bag into the front. From inside, he pulled out a jersey for Beth with "Turner" and "01" on the back that he handed to her. "We're here, so you might as well finish getting dressed."
"Thanks, Josef. How did you get something like this at the last minute?" Beth asked as she put on the Dodgers jersey, which fit perfectly.
"Who said it was last minute?" he replied feeling rather smug. When Beth just looked at him like she wasn't buying the story, he continued, "don't worry, Blondie. Mick has a similar one at his place, and he asked me to have one made for you for one of your future 'dates' as he called it."
Blushing slightly at the thought, Beth finished up her buttons but Josef did not fail to notice her reaction to the mention of Mick planning for a romantic evening, even if it was at the ballpark. He came around to the passenger side and took her hand to help her out of the car. The touch of her skin was too much, he could hear her heartbeat so clearly and feel her blood in his veins. So he tucked her arm around his elbow before she could resist and headed for the security guard.
"You go to baseball games? It's such a… a… normal thing to do," Beth said as they approached.
"Well, it's a way to fill the time, darling. The markets are closed now," he leaned closer to her ear and lowered his voice, "and there's only so much playing with my food that I can do in one night." Beth's small shudder at the thought was reward enough, for now.
They'd reached the elevator by that point. "Good evening, Mr. Kostan. Very nice to see you again. Lovely night for a game." The man inserted a key into the elevator control panel and pressed the 'up' button. Beth noted that Josef hadn't had to show his ID to the security guard and wondered just how often he came here. "Will you be heading up to your box straight away?"
"Yes, Mitchell, I think I will," Josef replied. The elevator doors slid open with a soft hiss as Josef subtlety pressed some cash into the man's hand as they passed. There was only one floor other than the parking garage to choose from, and it opened a moment later onto a private level where Josef again showed his ID. Strangely, no one asked to see their tickets, even when they got to the "Owner's Box", and the few employees there were all able to address Josef by name.
Beth knew that Josef was wealthy and well-connected, but damn, this definitely was the best of the best. Their box was behind home plate, just above the lowest level of seating, and the view was fabulous. The indoor section was tastefully decorated in rich, dark wood with deep leather chairs and a full bar, run tonight by a cute brunette with a badge that said "Sasha". She greeted them professionally and asked if she could get anything for either one of them.
Josef turned to Beth, who had been too overwhelmed to say much since they got out of the car, and he asked, "would you like anything to drink, Miss Turner? Sasha is also able to send someone for any of the usual ballpark fare, or I could have the Richard, our executive chef, prepare something a little fancier for you if you'd like." Josef was in his element now, showing off his power to those around him and loving every minute of it.
Taking everything in, Beth just nodded. "I'll have a Coke and a hot dog, if you don't mind, can't go to the ballgame and not have that."
Sasha smiled and turned her attention to Josef. "May I offer you a drink, Sir?" The woman looked hesitantly at Beth.
"It's alright, Sasha." Josef brushed his fingertips along the side of Beth's neck, just enough to push the hair back and expose the healing bite marks. Beth fumed and tried to pull back away from Josef, but his arm around hers was like steel and she decided she wasn't actually mad enough to cause a scene. And if she stormed out now she wasn't going to be getting any answers to her questions. "Miss Turner already knows about me. She happens to be a friend of Mr. St. John."
There was clear recognition of the Mick's name that immediately made Beth suspicious. "Welcome, Miss Turner. Please do not hesitate to ask should you require anything this evening." Her attention back to Josef, she continued, "Mr. Kostan, will there be any more guests joining you this evening?"
"No, it's just the two of us tonight," Josef replied, and Beth did her best to hide her surprise. There clearly should have been owners in the box, unless…
"Josef, do you really…?" She couldn't bring herself to actually say the words because the thought of it was way too strange.
"Yes, Miss Turner. I do own the Dodgers if that's what you are stumbling over. I liked them so much when they were in Brooklyn I brought them with me when I moved to L.A. in '58."
Beth just stood there and couldn't manage to find a word to say in return. Josef was not just wealthy, but ridiculously wealthy.
Sensing the void in their conversation, Sasha took the opportunity to finish her duties. "Very well, Mr. Kostan. we have fresh AB negative in the decanter, no more than an hour old, or if you prefer, B negative on tap." Her wrist was offered to Josef, palm side up, her face professional but it was clear to Beth that she enjoyed her work.
Leaning down to plant a small chaste kiss over the offered vein, Josef met Beth's eyes and gauged her reaction. There was an anticipation there, he decided, hearing both of the women's pulses increase at that simple touch. Beth found herself clearly unable to look away, but Josef wanted to hear it in her voice that she understood because Mick was going to have to start feeding from not only Beth, but other living humans if there was any chance of the two of them "sealing the deal". If Beth couldn't stand the heat, she needed to get out of the kitchen.
There had been ample opportunity for Beth to voice her dislike, turn away in disgust, or in some way attempt to alter the inevitable. Josef held Sasha's wrist delicately in both hands, but pulled his lips away for a moment.
"Which do you think I should have, Miss Turner?" His eyes faded to pale blue and his fangs descended as he waited for her answer.
She took a couple of short breaths before answering, but in a voice barely above a whisper she said, "I think you should accept the offer of her blood, Josef." The smell of arousal from both women, combined with the closeness of Sasha's delicious blood waiting for him just beneath the skin was more than the vampire in him could resist. In a flash he struck at Sasha's wrist, drawing a small gasp from Beth as well, and he swallowed the thick, warm blood as he watched Beth's reaction. Her pupils had dilated and there was no mistaking that not only was she comfortable with the concept of a vamp feeding in her presence, she was wishing she was the main course. Good, very good.
After taking just enough to keep his hunger at bay, he withdrew his fangs but made no attempt to force his face back into its human appearance. He licked the wounds of the last trickles of blood and still he looked at Beth, who unflinchingly met his gaze. Josef dropped Sasha's arm and walked towards Beth like he was stalking prey, waiting for an opportunity to move in for the kill. He was vaguely aware of the door to the suite opening and quickly closing as Sasha left, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Beth. Why doesn't she run? He wanted to chase her down, feel her struggle in his grasp as he kissed her, buried himself inside of her while she screamed his name.
At that moment, Josef no longer cared that she wasn't his. He wanted Beth for himself. Tonight. Now. Before he knew what he was doing, he had her pressed back against the wall with his mouth on hers, the faint coppery taste of Sasha's blood spilling onto her lips as he ran his tongue along them. Beth's arms were on his now, moving upwards to try to keep him from pulling away, but Josef's vampire wanted none of that. He was in control now, not her, so he grabbed her wrists in his hands and pushed them against the wall to either side of her head. Surprisingly, there was no struggle. She gave in to his strength and never stopped returning Josef's kiss while the smell of her desire overwhelmed him.
With an inhuman growl, he moved down to her neck and found it offered up freely to him. "Please, Josef, do it," she begged him, and he ran his tongue up her neck, tasting the saltiness of her skin, feeling the blood just beneath it. Just as he had decided for certain that he was going to overstep his bounds again and drink from this beautiful, eager woman, Josef's cell phone rang. He wasn't sure what the noise was right away, but by the third ring he knew what, and who, it was. That particular ringtone was Mick. The person that he was supposed to be saving Beth for.
He pulled himself back from her neck, his face returning to human, and he did his best not to look at the flushed and breathless woman still held in his grasp. Finally, he released Beth's wrists and stepped back several paces, flipping open his cell and barking into it, "This had better be good, Mick," not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice.
Beth couldn't hear what Mick was saying anyway, so she took the opportunity to head to the private bathroom in their box to get her act together. Josef saw her close the door and mentally kicked himself. What in the hell am I doing? That's Beth for God's sake, Mick's Beth.
"I was just calling to check in with you and…"
"Look, Mick, Beth's fine, okay? But you'd better get your ass back in town ASAP, because you and Beth need to sit down and have a little conversation about how and when you are going to get serious with this woman and take her to bed."
"But…" Mick tried to interrupt but was quickly cut off.
"I'll buy you the goddamned bed and even have it delivered, but Mick, she's got a lot of questions, and she's decided that while you aren't here it's the perfect time to get the answers from me. Explaining to her about feeding during sex is YOUR job, not mine, comprende?"
"Damn," Mick tried to process what Josef was saying. "I didn't think she'd, I mean…"
"Right, I get it. You didn't think. She's getting a serious inferiority complex from you, Mick, because she thinks that either you aren't attracted to her, there's something wrong with her blood, or you don't love her. You have told her that you love her, right?"
"I mean, I was going to, but then she'd… Oh hell. I've really screwed this up." Mick sounded even more depressed than usual.
"Damn right you have. Now find someone else to take care of your little human celebrity and get back here. I'll charter a plane for you, be at the airport in two hours before Beth finds someone else to explain this stuff, or worse yet for you, demonstrate." Josef closed his phone and ended the call because he was tired of Mick's excuses. Either take her to bed and show her how beautiful she is, or get the hell out of the way so I can.
A quick call to his secretary ensured Mick would be on the plane and back within hours. Dreading the next conversation even more, Josef knocks softly on the door to the bathroom. "Beth, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I think so. I'm sorry Josef, I really am," she said in between sobs.
"It's okay, Beth. Come on out and we'll talk. Just talk, okay?"
Beth opened the door, but instead of the weeping woman Josef expected to walk out, she was laughing so hard she could barely stand up straight.
Folding his arms over his chest and secretly hoping she would fall over, Josef stood back and waited for her to be able to breathe in enough air to do the talking he had mentioned. "You going to tell me what is so funny? You seemed to have quite different emotions going on a mere three minutes ago."
"Yeah, but that was before… before…." And she doubled over in another fit of laughter.
Disgusted, Josef headed for the door to the hallway and called Sasha back in. The hot dog had been retrieved, and Sasha made herself busy pouring Beth a coke. She left both sitting on the counter while she asked Josef if he'd like the AB negative now.
"Yeah, and make it a tall one." Sasha complied and handed the glass over, not in the least bit uncomfortable with the experience.
Josef downed half the glass before Beth stopped laughing and retrieved her food. "Finished now?" he asked. Josef Kostan was definitely not used to being laughed at and certainly not to his face.
"Yeah, I think I'm through for now." She headed for the glass door to the outside seating area and sat down in the middle to watch the game.
Finishing his blood and feeling quite a bit calmer because of it, he headed out to join her.
She looked up at him and gave him a very self-satisfied smile that reminded Josef of his own most of the time. "I spooked you. Josef Kostan, four hundred year old vampire with enough money to buy anything and everything he wants, and I spooked you. Didn't I, admit it."
Shaking his head, Josef was forced to agree with her. "Yes, Miss Turner, you spooked me. And you're going to get me staked if we keep this up. Your boyfriend is not so much the forgiving type."
"And stop calling me 'Miss Turner'. I'm not your grade school teacher and I think we've been a little too up close and personal for the titles, don't you agree?" Beth had a mischievous smile that reached her eyes.
"Fine, Beth it is then." He enjoyed watching her eat, though maybe not as much as she had enjoyed watching him with Sasha earlier. "Since I have admitted my obvious inferiority, can we reach a truce?"
"Depends on the terms, but I'm listening."
"That can't happen again, Beth. Not as long as you are in love with Mick. I'll answer your questions, okay, but no more demonstrations. He's my friend, and even if he hasn't told you, he's madly in love with you, and he wouldn't take my personal instruction very well. I'll talk to him about the bite on your neck when he gets back, but this can't go any further."
Beth finished her hot dog and set the wrapper aside before looking at Josef. "I, um, was thinking about that. You know as well as I do that Mick will never trust himself in bed with me. He told me he hasn't slept with a human since he became a vampire, and really, Josef, he's terrified of hurting me. I thought maybe, if you were there, that um… God, I can't believe I'm asking this… that you could keep him from doing any ah… permanent damage."
"I can't referee from the sidelines Beth. I want you too much for that. Besides, I've always been a man of action, and watching has never been my thing."
"I wasn't asking to you referee, Josef. I was asking you to join us, and well, ah… both make love to me…all of us in the same bed. You could both make sure nothing terrible happened and we could all maybe relax more."
Josef sat back in his seat and watched Beth, considering her proposal and whether or not he could give her up once Mick had a little experience to convince him he wouldn't hurt her accidentally. Beth was looking out and trying to be interested in the game, afraid to meet his eyes, but Josef seriously doubted she was able to pay attention given how fast her heart was beating.
She finally looked back up at Josef, who still hadn't answered her. "I'm sorry, Josef. Forget it. I don't know what I was thinking. I never should have asked…" She was trying to backpedal as fast as she could.
"Beth, you wouldn't be my first ménage a trois, and not even the first time sharing a woman with Mick for that matter, so don't even bother to think I'm embarrassed by your offer. I'm quite flattered really. So yes, I accept, as long as you're the one to talk to Mick about it. As it is, with that bite mark on your neck, I'll be lucky to be alive long enough to enjoy you."
The relief on her face was obvious as she said, "well, then, I believe we have a deal."