She waited impatiently for the sun to set, because until it did he would not come to her. He might arrive a minute after, but never a minute before, or the minute of the sunset. Even though she knew he could not, knew why he could not, it did nothing to curb her impatience and served only to heighten her anticipation. Especially for this evening.
Her last sunset.
She shivered slightly, from fear, anticipation--desire. Tonight would be the night that he took her, in every way possible. He had promised. And Jack had yet to break a promise. Come the dawn, she would be changed, she would be one with Jack.
But before that was the night. And Jack had promised her a night to remember.
She sat in front of her mirror, turning her head first to the left, then to the right, wondering which side he would prefer to drink from. She was vain enough, and still human enough, to want Jack's marks to show as little as possible. Enough to make people stop and wonder, but not enough to cause either of them extreme undue interest. Her hair slid across her shoulders, liquid fire across the pale perfection of her skin. She was proud of her skin, its color, its smoothness--what one enamored man called breathing silk.
Her skin was the first thing Jack had noticed about her, he'd said one evening as they sipped wine and listened to a local jazz band. His finger trailing over her hand, just his finger, had made her nerves jump and tingle, and even though she'd sworn that she'd hidden her reaction, he smiled, slowly, as if he'd felt those nerves jump. He didn't mention it, only shifted the conversation smoothly into another area of interest.
Her blue eyes shone like gems in the pale oval of her face, that fire bright hair framing her high cheekbones, the generous shape of her mouth. She debated pulling her hair up and back, to leave the long line of her neck exposed. In the end, she left it down, a hint at virginity. Not that she was a virgin--not for years. But tonight would be like losing that virginity again.
He had promised.
Looking at the clock now, noting the time, she hurried through her makeup, a brush here, a dab there. Only enough to enhance that overly dramatic beauty. Standing, she examined herself in the mirror, twisting and turning, examining, looking for any slight imperfections. How she was tonight would be the way she was for eternity, so any blemishes, any bruises, would remain. She'd been overly careful the last two weeks, fretting over every bump, every brush against any surface. Her obsession had paid off, for her skin was without any visible marks. And except for the marks he would put on her tonight, so it would remain for eternity.
Satisfied at her appearance, she turned back to the bed, the outfit she'd searched for, labored over, spent precious pennies on. It had been almost impossible to decide what to wear on this night of nights, and then even more impossible to find. The only thing that had made her search easier had been the simple fact that tonight, her last night of her old life, was that it was Halloween. You could find almost anything in the stores before Halloween. Especially if that store was in New Orleans.
The red chemise slid over her skin, silk over silk, lending a faint cast of pink to her skin. It was difficult to lace up the leather corset, but she twisted and contorted her arms until she managed to do so, pulling the laces so tight that it was a struggle to breathe. Her skirt, if one could call a scrap of material barely covering her ass a skirt, was leather as well, and felt as soft on her skin as air. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she pulled on fishnet stockings, their itchiness a sharp contrast to the rest of her outfit. Finally, she pulled on her black leather boots, the ones that rose to her knees, laced up and four inches in height.
Standing again, she smoothed her skirt down, walking towards the mirror, admiring her reflection. This, her final night as human, would be her most fantastic night.
Jack had promised.
********
She knew the moment the sun set. She felt it in her bones. A split second later, there was a knocking on her door. Though she wanted to run to answer it, she forced herself to walk. He would know how anxious she was either way, but at least she would have the satisfaction of being outwardly composed. Pausing before opening the door, she drew a deep breath, held it for a moment before exhaling. Wetting her lips, she opened the door.
"You kept me waiting, ma cour sang. One would almost think that you were not anxious for the night to begin." A smile turned the corners of his full lips up, but only slightly. She had never seen Jack smile fully, only those little lips quirks. When she had asked once if he ever smiled, he'd answered that he did so one night a year. Halloween.
Tonight, she would see Jack smile. Tonight, she would see all of Jack.
Lowering her eyes, she stepped forward until the long line of their bodies was almost touching. Almost, but not quite. Jack had reprimanded her once for being too forward. Once had been enough. After three months, she knew where Jack's limits were, and not to push them. Until he allowed it, her hands were to be kept to herself.
Normally, he made her wait. But not tonight.
"Touch me, ma cour sang. We will not stand on ceremony tonight, not this momentous night." The smile that had never spread to his lips shone through his dark blue eyes, hypnotizing her as easily as the first night she'd met him. His fingers trailed lightly up and down her bare arm, making the fine hairs there stand on end.
