'He what?'
Annette winced as Olivia shrieked out loud dropping her teacup on the dining table with a clatter. It was Saturday morning and Annette had not been able to sleep as she went over last night's fight. Olivia had been surprised to see her up so early and Annette had told her all that had happened the night before, starting from the moment the man and his friends had entered the bar and ending with his disappearance.
'I know. I mean, it sounds unbelievable right? I would have hardly believed it myself if I didn't see it and I know I definitely was not drunk. I didn't even taste anything remotely alcoholic. The man honest to goodness disappeared!' Annette ran weary fingers over her face, 'Although I really shouldn't be that surprised. I mean, the way I flung him all over the place, any normal person would have been in a coma if not dead and this guy barely felt a thing. In fact, he looked amused, once he'd gotten over the shock of being thrown about by a short girl. Oh God, Olivia, he said he would never stay away from me, what the fuck have I got myself into?'
'Got yourself into? Annette, shouldn't you be wondering what the fuck it was you fought with last night? I mean he definitely isn't normal from what you said. What if he's like you?'
Annette froze at this question, staring at Olivia with her wide silver eyes. She had not bothered with her contact lenses as she could not concentrate on anything but what had happened. Oh my God, she thought. It was true. What if there were other people like her, she thought. I mean, in novels, the hero always thought he/she was one of a kind then found out midway through the novel that there were others like him/her.
'Oh God, you're right! I knew there wasn't something altogether right about him and his two friends. What if he knows what I am?' Then she wrinkled her nose as she thought of something, 'If he really did though, how come he asked me what I was? I mean, he wouldn't have been that surprised would he? And anyway, I can't disappear but he can. He must be something else. Maybe similar to what I am but definitely something else.'
'Hmmm,' Olivia tapped a beautifully manicured pink nail on the edge of her teacup. All thoughts of the tea were forgotten. 'Maybe he's a vampire.'
At this, Annette burst out laughing, 'Vampire? Really, Livvy? That's a bit too farfetched mate, even for me. Vampires, werewolves, fairies, whatever; they do not exist.'
'But would you have thought someone like you existed if you did not know it?' Olivia asked sagely.
Annette stopped laughing abruptly. That was true. She definitely was not your average girl, but at least she breathed. And had a heartbeat. She tried to remember if the man had had a heartbeat but she could not. No matter; maybe there were extra strong, weird pill-popping drugs out there, but she was certain he was not a vampire. That could not be true.
'No, Livvy. I don't think he's a vampire. Something like me, maybe a more reformed me, yes. But vampire, uhn uhn.' She emphasised this with a firm shake of her head.
'If you say so. Well we have to find out what he is and how to get him to stay away from you because you really don't want to bring any unnecessary attention to yourself, remember?' Olivia stated matter-of-factly.
Annette nodded, more to herself than her best friend. That was definitely true, or else all those Sisters who had sacrificed so much for her had done so in vain.
'You're right. The problem is where do we start?'
***
'She threw you across the street? Like you were nothing? Ha ha ha.' Drake guffawed loudly at the annoyed expression on Sebastian's face. Damien joined in the laughter, chortling so hard he spewed his coffee across the table.
'Har, har. Laugh all you want but think about this. If she could do this to me without breaking a sweat, think what she could do to both of you who aren't one tenth as powerful as me.'
This quietened the twins abruptly. 'Uh, so what do we do then? She might be a threat to the vampire community like that TV Buffy girl. What if she's like a vampire slayer?' Drake asked seriously.
Sebastian rolled his eyes at this. Even Damien shook his head. 'That has got to be the stupidest thing you've ever said, and believe me when I consider that amazing as you are a walking book of stupid quotes. A vampire slayer, really?'
'Then you come up with something more plausible, Mr Havard, Yale and Princeton all rolled into one.' Drake said disgruntled.
Sebastian rubbed his face and leaned back on his leather sofa. He had given a lot of thought to what the girl could be and had actually considered if she was truly a threat to their tightly knit community. As a master vampire, he could go out in the sun to look for her but that would deplete his energy quickly. Drake and Damien were too young to attempt day walking and would be burned if they tried. He would try seeing and, hopefully, talking to her on Monday night at her place of work but if that did not work then there was only one thing to do. Ask for help from their 'day brothers', the werewolves. This would be especially unpalatable as the werewolves were an extremely smug race and would lord it over the vampires for centuries for needing their help. Luckily, their leader, Angus, was a good friend of his, so he would ask him to help discreetly without telling his Pack. He would, in turn, not tell his coven as news would spread to the vampires in other cities and countries and might lead to the girl's death. And that was something he definitely did not want happening. He smiled to himself as he thought about her sparkling eyes. She was more beautiful when she did not have those brown eyes. He had finally met someone strong enough to match him, even stronger and, coupled with the desire he felt for her there was no way he was letting her go.
***
It was Monday night and Annette could not help jumping every time the door to the bar was pushed open. She sternly advised herself after jumping for the eleventh time to 'quit it' as Melissa had begun to give her half-puzzled, half-irritated looks. Soon it was time for her cigarette break and she sighed to herself in relief. It was nearly one o' clock and there were no signs of the 'gorgeous three' as she called them. Especially the disappearing one. She lit one up and inhaled slowly, savouring the nicotine rush. All of a sudden, she felt an icy shiver go down her spine and she whirled around quickly. No sign of him, or anyone. She turned back chuckling nervously to herself. She really had to get a gr...
'Aargh!' She yelped out loud as her face hit a hard chest. It was Him. The disappearing one. Her heart raced speedily before being forcibly calmed down as she inhaled and exhaled slowly.
'Bloody Hell, you startled me.' She half gasped. He simply stared at her with a mocking smile on his face. If possible, he was more gorgeous than before. His blond locks fell over one eye and the other visible green eye was pinned on her with heart pumping intensity.
'I apologise, that was not my intention.' He said sounding anything but apologetic.
Annette could not help the snarky remark that burst from her, 'No puff of smoke I see. Golly, what heralds your disappearing and appearing act then?'
His grin widened at that. 'No, no puff of smoke sorry to disappoint you. Although, it did take me more than a few centuries to perfect the stealthy way I do it.'
Annette choked on her cigarette. Did he just say more than a few centuries? What the hell? Oh No, Livvy was right. He was a...
'Ah, I see you discussed me with this friend you always refer to in your mind, Livvy is it? So she was right in guessing who or what I was. A vampire.'
'You have got to be joking me. I didn't think you lot existed. And stop effing reading my mind, Transylvania king!'
He burst out laughing at that. 'That's definitely a new one. I've heard blood sucking leech, devil servant, monster...but Transylvania king; wow, definitely a new and good one.'
'Ha, ha...lovely I made your day...oops, shoulda been night. Anyway, vampire man, I have to go back in. Thanks for keeping me company, not that I asked of course. Hope I never see you again.' Annette turned around and made to walk off but his voice stopped her.
'And that's it? No questions or real surprise that we really do exist? No thoughts on how I read your mind, or disappear, or anything. You just hear out of this world remarks and walk off. Wow, you truly are an interesting human.'
'Why would I be shocked by what you just said when I'm still trying to figure out what exactly I am? At least you're in a named category, albeit weird. You can name yourself -- you are a vampire. I am...a nameless freak.' And with that she walked into the bar, shutting the door behind her softly.
***
Well, that went well. If you could call being introduced to a vampire that. Annette sighed loudly to herself as she wiped the bar counter half-heartedly. She had half thought (half hoped a small voice in her head slyly put in) that the vampire would try to talk to her again. Not that she was going to listen to him of course, she hastily reminded herself. She would simply have loved to turn him down again. She shook her head wryly to herself as she dropped the damp napkin in the tiny laundry basket by the kitchen door way. Who was she kidding? Deep down she loved the fact that he pestered her. Who wouldn't? Attention from a guy as hot as he was? Forgetting, of course, the fact that he was a blood sucking vampire if the movies were right.
She shook her head once more and looked at the time. He must fancy her to keep on bothering her but there was no way anything could happen between them. It was futile so best she got her head out of the clouds it was seeking to bury itself in.
Another sigh. Well, she had to make a move now or she definitely would miss the bus.
