Anya frowned at her computer screen in annoyance. She had spent the past afternoon searching for all she could find on vampires, but all that her efforts returned were goth forums with vampire wannabes, plus a seemingly endless stream of movie reviews and fanfic stories.
She sighed and clicked the browser closed. It was the same every time, yet she kept trying. Whenever she stopped work, her mind wandered to Tyrus. Their brief encounter had left her with a desperate need for more. She didn't even know him, but somehow she had felt such a strong pull to the enigmatic vampire.
What would it mean to be with a vampire? How would it work out, with him being immortal and her growing old? She didn't have any of the answers, but she knew that she wanted to find out. How could she accept that she would never see him again? It seemed unfair that he had the final say in the matter.
She had never had any experience even close to what had happened last weekend. She wished she had someone to tell about it, but she had no family left, and since her best friend had died, she'd slowly let herself drift from everyone else, sick of their faces of concern and their failure to understand that she was okay being alone.
She'd shied away from any form of a social life, and eventually got used to the peace and quiet of her home. Now, four years on, she found herself a recluse. Her only human contact was her boss, a university lecturer in linguistics who saw her once a month, and allowed her to carry out her work as her research assistant at home.
Recently, her boss, Julia, had gotten married, and was currently on a mission to find a partner for Anya too. Anya had just found out two days ago that Julia had signed on to a dating website on Anya's behalf. Despite Anya's vehement protests, Julia had used the account to set Anya up on a date.
"I know you can make it, you're never out! Look at him," she coaxed enthusiastically over the phone, "he looks nice! What's the worst that could happen? It's just one little date. If you really need to get rid of him, you can text me, and I'll call you away for a 'work emergency'."
For every excuse Anya could think of, Julia had a comeback. Eventually, Anya had decided that it was less effort to give in to the date than to argue with Julia.
The date was for tomorrow evening, on a Saturday. One week from when she'd had mindblowing sex with Tyrus. She really wasn't in the mood for more male company. She groaned inwardly. How had her love life, if you could call it that, become so eventful?
She needed a cold shower.
****
The evening went smoothly enough. Anya had to admit, Julia had done her a favour. Her date, Luke, was handsome in a boyish sort of way. He was twenty seven, just a year younger than her. He was tall, with cropped, sandy blonde hair. His bright blue eyes creased cutely whenever he smiled. His clothing was a thoughtful combination of smart yet relaxed, in a crisp blue shirt and khaki chinos. He looked a little too preppy for her taste, but she decided that she could overlook that.
Luke had picked a small, family run Italian restaurant for them to meet. Its warm and cozy ambience had put her at ease, and after a glass of red wine, she was chatting freely. She learnt that Luke was a dentist, working in a private clinic with a handful of colleagues, with the hopes if branching out on his own in the future. He enjoyed hiking during his time off, and often went on trips to nearby mountains with his friends.
He was obviously attracted to her. He kept a flirtatious tone, finding excuses to brush his fingers along her arms as they talked. Although he tried to hide it, she noticed him checking out her body in her tight black dress. It was a staple in her closet for times like these, on the few occasions where she needed to dress up. She'd forgotten how short it was, revealing more of her legs than she'd intended. The neckline seemed more scooped than she remembered, and whilst it remained modest enough, still showed a bit of cleavage.
She'd let her long brown hair down for a change. It fell around her shoulders in soft waves. She'd put some effort into her makeup, making her eyes dark and smokey and choosing a soft pink lipstick to match. She wasn't a vain person, but she knew that she looked good tonight.
She realised that Luke had been keeping her mind off Tyrus, whom she'd only thought of twice that night. Maybe Luke was what she needed, some normalcy instead of the confusion and mystery that surrounded the vampire, who had made it clear that she would never see him again.
Who are you kidding?
She asked herself. She knew that ever since the dark haired vampire with glowing eyes had entered her bedroom and her life, she was doomed. That was the first time that she truly understood what passion should feel like. His touch was electrifying, and his lips had melted her in the instant they met hers. Now, anything else she found would feel like she was settling.
"...what do you think?"
She smiled politely as she tried to recall Luke's last words. Had he noticed that her mind had drifted? She thought he had mentioned something about meeting his friends later that night. She thought of how empty her apartment had been feeling lately, and shrugged. She certainly didn't need another night alone with her thoughts.
"Convince me," she said, trying to mask the fact she was trying to dig for the details that she had missed.
"It's at that nightclub, Le Bastille. It's been around for ages, but it's still really popular. I've never been there myself, but my friend is a member. He'll get us in easily. It's just three of them. My friend, his girlfriend, and her brother, who is in town for the week. We'll drink and dance.. It'll be fun!"
She thought it over, looking down at her plate in contemplation. It did sound like fun, and she had been keeping things friendly all night, afraid that she was leading Luke on. She did want to go out, and it wouldn't just be the two of them. She looked up and smiled, "okay, okay, I suppose a drink wouldn't kill me."
Luke grinned like a boy who had just blown out the candles on his birthday cake. He called for the bill and ushered her to the door, casually resting his hand on the small of her back. They stepped out into the crisp night air. She shivered, and he moved closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. It felt nice, she decided, but stepped away quickly. She didn't want to give Luke any ideas.
They waited for a taxi. He had not driven, having planned beforehand to meet his friends at the club after their date. Fifteen minutes later, they were at the entrance of the club.
Le Bastille was housed in an intimidating looking building made of dark tinted glass, situated in a prime area of the city. The building was many levels tall, keeping in height with the surrounding skyscrapers in the area. Anya wondered what else the building was used for, there were no signs or indications from the outside walls.
It was still fairly early for clubbing, but a long queue had already appeared, snaking around the building corner. The muted sound of a heavy bass beat could be heard from outside. Anya felt intimidated by the chic and attractive crowd. Every single person looked like a model or movie star compared to her.
At the front of the queue stood two bouncers in expensive looking black suits. They looked alert, scanning the crowd for any possible misconduct. One was fair with black hair and a scar on his upper lip, the other was olive skinned with dark, glimmering eyes and a hard set mouth. When they moved, it was obvious that both were well-built beneath their smart clothing. They had a seriousness about them, never smiling as they let people through. She had never seen two more scary looking men in her life.