Thank you to the wonderful MaxMars for help with editing! You are amazing. Thanks also to all the people taking the time to read this! Love your comments!
CHAPTER 10-A LAST MINUTE GUEST
"I guess that date night didn't go that well?" Clyde asked obnoxiously the next day.
Bell had awakened a little earlier than the vampires the following evening. She had been desperate to speak with Ragon about last night, and eager to apologise for falling asleep in their car ride home. When she had heard someone rounding the corner from the hallway, she had looked up expectantly, hoping to see Ragon, but instead had met eyes with Clyde. It was difficult for her to hide her eager expression, and Clyde didn't miss the way her face had fallen when he had seen her. It was this more than anything which fuelled his comment.
"What makes you say that?" Bell asked indifferently.
"Well you two slept in different rooms," Clyde responded coolly.
Bell wanted to retort, but Clyde was correct, not about their date not going well, but about her and Ragon sleeping in different rooms. Still was that a bad thing? She wasn't the sort of girl to jump into bed with a guy or vampire after the first date. Still perhaps if she had not of passed out so early then she would have slept in the same bed with him; hell who was she kidding? She probably would have slept with him. Bell decided against replying to Clyde. She didn't feel like getting into an argument with him; least of all about this.
Clyde realised this quickly, and deciding not to press the matter, instead asked, "Have you met our latest coven member?"
Bell blinked a few times, as if ensuring the words she had heard were correct.
"What- another one? How many vampires are living here now?" Bell asked.
From behind her, in the living room, a distinctively male voice with a slight lisp replied, "Well that's easy, 7 vampires plus 1 fabulous one; so I guess that makes 8!"
Bell turned to see the 8th member of the coven. He was average height and size with light mouse blonde hair, parted slightly off to the side. His large green eyes and long eyelashes seemed to compliment his outfit, which consisted of a pair of long green casual slacks, a white sleeve shirt rolled up to his elbows, and an olive green patchwork vest done up. Bell knew instantly from his mannerisms, and the way he came over and kissed her on either cheek before admiring her nail polish, that he was gay.
"I am Patrick Handers, but you my dear, may call me Patrick," he said, bowing slightly and pretending to remove an invisible hat and hold it to his heart.
Bell blinked a few times, staring back at the flamboyant vampire. After only a moment or two of disbelief she smiled warmly back. Why wouldn't vampires be gay? She thought to herself.
"What took you so long?" Clyde asked, moving over to Patrick and slapping him on the back before adding, "Ragon and I thought that you wouldn't be able to make it."
"I was away when Ragon's request arrived at my residency in Prague. As soon as I returned to it I left immediately. Alas, I thought I would be too late to be of any use. Yet now as I see the charming Bell, I am glad that my journey has not been in vain," Patrick said, smiling at Bell widely, his small straight teeth gleaming at her.
Bell was picturing the house, trying to recall if there were enough bedrooms for everyone to sleep in. How many more vampires were coming here to babysit her? She thought if she asked this out loud she may sound rude, so she bit her bottom lip, and made yet another mental note to ask Ragon or one of the girls exactly who was on the party list.
"But you're here now and that's all that matters," Ragon said, sweeping over to Patrick as he spoke, then turning to Bell, a large wide smile plastered all over his face.
Bell couldn't help but return the smile. It made her incredibly happy that he was so obviously pleased. She thought for a moment that perhaps it was because of her, but she dismissed this almost instantly. Their date had been hours ago, and she had fallen asleep at the end of it. He was clearly glad that one of his friends was here.
"Well I a famished, and desperate to go out for dinner," Patrick said, his hand poised ever so slightly outwards, in an overtly gay gesture.
"We haven't had a great experience clubbing with Bell," Ragon said once.
His words were light hearted but his tone was like ice. He meant to make sure that if they all intended to go out tonight then Bell would not be left unattended; not even for a moment. Already too many close calls had occurred; he wouldn't risk it again. Before anyone could reply, Patrick ran over to Bell, moving impossibly fast, so that when he was next to her, he took her hand in his and said, "I won't let her out of my sight. Oh please- there is this club in Brisbane called Fuzzies; it's supposed to have topless waiters," he exclaimed.
Bell had heard of Fuzzies. It was the City's premier gay club. She had not been there before but she had heard of its many hilarities and unusual events. She couldn't help but smile as Patrick continued to beg for approval, all the while holding onto Bell's hand for dear life. A few moments passed and she felt Patrick's hands release hers.
A second later and both of his index fingers were pulling her mouth into a large fake smile and he asked, "You see how happy this would make her?".
After that Bell couldn't help but laugh and Sandra and Larissa quickly joined in. There was something refreshing and light heartening about Patrick that made him so unusual and different to the rest of the coven. Her warm laughter flittered over to Ragon and he had no chance of refusing her. In fact he himself was smiling as he nodded his head. Patrick was surprised but delighted.
He took Bell's hand in his and kissed it once saying, "My dear, I approve. I can see the lightness on Ragon's face just by you being here."
Clyde snorted out loud at this. Both Bell and Patrick stared plainly at Clyde, but he smiled back in a fake disbelieving way.
"So it is settled?" Larissa chimed in, wanting to disparage the protests before they had any ground to stand on.
Larissa had not fed since the last clubbing experience and she, like her mate was hungry. The group quickly agreed, and Larissa and Sandra raced each other to the bathroom screaming, "hot water," on their way.
Sameth, who Bell had thought seemed to be a little quieter than usual, moved over to the veranda, and pouring himself a large glass of brandy, began sipping it. He was quickly joined by the other males in the house, but when Ragon made to move over to the door, Bell caught his hand to stop him.
Bell looked at Ragon. She wanted to talk to him about their date, maybe break the water about the possibility of a second date, but looking at him now, she knew she was too shy. Almost immediately after reaching for his hand to get his attention, she dropped it. Perhaps if she had of had a few glasses of wine, or a shot of something stronger than she would have had the courage to. But she was entirely sober, ergo, gutless.
"So is this everyone, or are there more vampires coming out of the closet?" Bell asked.
As soon as Bell had spoken she blushed, "Wait; that came out wrong. I mean, are there even enough rooms in the house for everyone?"
Ragon was laughing when he said, "Patrick will be staying in a coffin in the living room."
"What?" Bell exclaimed, and when she saw Ragon laughing even louder, she scowled at him saying, "Very funny."
Bell was still glaring when Ragon took her hand. She blinked dumbstruck, unable to move. Suddenly she felt Ragon was interlocking his fingers within hers. Neither spoke, but Bell used her thumb to rub softly over Ragon's cool hard skin, admiring the texture of it. At her touch Ragon smiled. He felt as if he had been rewarded for making the first move. It was amazing how such innocent gestures struck them. Both felt elated at the other's touch, as if they had spent their entire lives searching for this connection. At the same time, their union was so unlikely, as to be laughable. A mortal and a vampire, what happened to not playing with your food? It was ironic, each hoped the other wasn't thinking this; that they couldn't be together, and yet each thought it all the time. Bell, because deep down all she wanted was a normal life, with parents that were still alive; and Ragon because he knew that being a vampire meant living in the darkness forever, and that was something he wouldn't want for anyone. Still, as they held hands these thoughts were lost to them. At that moment, all the pair considered was how right they felt.
***
Fuzzies was exactly as Bell had expected it to be. The moment they had been granted admission by the tall gorgeous black bouncer and the skinny short haired hostess, it was painfully obvious that they were in a gay bar. Immediately Patrick had run to the dance floor and begun boogying with a younger guy, who after seeing Patrick had smiled widely in return.
"Well I am going to need a drink," Clyde said, moving instantly over to the bar and returning a moment later with a drink in either hand.
"You shouldn't have," Larissa said, sweeping over and relieving him of the spare bourbon and coke in his left hand.
"I didn't," Clyde replied, but only after Larissa had stolen his second drink.
Ragon was smiling at the pair when he turned to Bell and asked, "Something to drink?"
Bell nodded enthusiastically: she needed it.
Though Patrick had danced for almost an hour, when he returned to the group he wasn't red in the face, nor was there a single bead of sweat on him: he looked perfect. It had been organised that half the coven would hunt while the other half babysat Bell. Ragon had spoken about this earlier with the group, when Bell had not been around to protest. Larissa, Sandra, Thomas and Cambridge were the first to feed. Each had found a partner on the dance floor and would take them into the bathrooms, borrow some blood, and then disassociated them afterwards.
"So what are we doing for Halloween?" Patrick asked excitedly, sipping on a martini glass full of fruit, and a dark red liquid.
Bell eyed the drink mysteriously, her eyes narrowed. She wasn't entirely certain, but she didn't think that they served Bloody Marys at the bar with actual blood in it. Her preoccupation with Patrick's beverage had completely distracted her from their conversation. As soon as she turned to face Ragon however, she knew that Patrick must have said something important. Ragon and Clyde were exchanging worried looks.
