The man: Tall, dark, and handsome. Isn't that how it goes?
The woman: Lithe, fair, with silky hair. Nothing new there...
She was just another man's dream, the femme in the modest silk blouse. Nothing revealing did she ever wear; her most enticing outfit consisted of slightly tighter-than-normal black pants that made her ass look better than she realized. Tall, slightly aloof, she was the kind of woman that men ogled as she walked by - but never dared approach. Though her eyes were enticing, a crisp blue that seemed almost as though it might extend into her soul, any glance lasting longer than a moment had an extremely strange and very disorienting effect on the opposite gender. She'd never made any attempt to understand this; not caring was her specialty.
He was just another woman's dream, the man in the casual clothes. Rarely seen anywhere other than the dimly lit corner table in Cara's Cafe, he was completely unnoticed by most customers. The few that chanced to look his way immediately averted their gazes, disconcerted for no apparent reason. His smile would charm any woman, his voice was low and smooth. His eyes were dark and deep, but never did anyone approach for long enough to examine them closer. He sat, day after day, at the same table, at the same coffee shop, watching the same woman.
She entered, every day, and ordered the same drink: "Medium chai tea skim milk latte, please," she would say in that down-to-earth, clipped voice. She would pay the $3.21, stand at the counter for approximately two and a half minutes, receive her drink, and exit the shop. Her glance never passed over any of the other customers, least of all the dark man hidden in the corner. He would watch with some intensity as the door swung shut behind her, its bells gently tinkling.
"Medium chai tea skim milk latte, please," she said, opening her purse, retrieving the previously set aside $3.21. Passing it to the cashier, she moved aside to stand at the counter, just as she did every day. But something disturbed her, today. Something was sending a tingling sensation down the back of her neck. Not knowing what it was, she did her best to ignore it, but failed.
She turned, scanning the coffee shop for any sort of disturbance. Her gaze passed over the man in the corner - passed, and returned abruptly. Her eyes locked on his across the room. Startled, she jerked back, blinking several times, before returning her glance to his eyes. She felt herself moving across the room by a will that seemed other than her own.
She found herself before him, her face inches from his own as he stood to meet her. She opened her mouth to speak, instinctively trying to regain her composure, but something prevented her. She felt his hand brush hers, and heard him speak, though she could have sworn that his lips never parted.
"Come with me," was all he said. She nodded without thinking. As he led her out of the coffee shop, she heard sounds as though from a distant past: "Did anyone order a medium chai tea skim milk latte?" The bells on the door tinkled gently as they stepped over the threshold.
Expecting to find herself on the busy streets once more, she was mildly surprised when silence was the only sound. At first, she thought she had inadvertently closed her eyes, but upon attempting to open them, she found they were already open. The darkness was practically tangible; indeed, she almost felt as though she were swimming through it. She could no longer tell if he still remained, or if she was alone. Her eyes closed, trying to shut out the insatiable darkness.
A flash woke her from her trance-like state. She slowly opened her eyes to find herself in the living room of her own home. She rotated in confusion, trying to figure out why she was here, why she hadn't yet left for work. She looked at the clock on the wall, which read 12:00. "That can't be right," she whispered to herself. Noticing that the second hand had stopped moving, she realized it must have stopped at exactly midnight the night before. "Stupid clock," she muttered to no one in particular. "Just bought that one, too."
"Come here," said a voice that she recognized instantly. Through the initial shock, she felt a sense of eternal calm at hearing his words, and she immediately began to move toward him, though she had not previously known he was there. When she reached him, he placed one hand on her shoulder, slowly sliding it across her back until his arm was wrapped around her. He turned her to face the wall, so her body was perpendicular to his, then pulled her closer to him.
In her state of bliss, she did not realize what he was doing until he had her head leaning back, his arms supporting her, and his teeth against her neck. As he opened his mouth, his fangs pressed ever so slightly against her skin, her mind suddenly reacted. She pulled away sharply, causing his teeth to create thin red lines on her neck. "Oh my god," was all she could say, backing away until her back was against the far wall.
"Don't be afraid," he said in that soothing voice, but this time she was not taken in. Trembling, fighting between disbelief and terror, she tried to think rationally, but found it impossible. Having a vampire in one's home left little room for rationalization.
"What the hell are you?" she asked. She knew the answer already, but she could not think of anything more to say to this abomination that had somehow taken over her mind.
Before she could even blink, he was beside her again, this time trapping her in the corner of the room. "Stop speaking," he ordered.
"No," she said defiantly, though inside her mind was racing with fear and horror. A slight flicker of confusion crossed his eyes.
"Stop speaking," he ordered again.
She opened her lips to refuse again, but found something prevented her from speaking. Thinking it was her fear, which had been intensifying to a point beyond that which she had ever experienced before, she took several deep breaths, then spoke: "No!"
His eyes widened. No human had ever before resisted his control. His mind whirled, racing; he was filled with confusion and shock, but at the same time, admiration for her strength. His lips curled into a smile as he realized that he was being challenged, in a stronger manner than he had ever before experienced. The feeling invigorated him, filling him with adrenaline, filling him with lust.