A week later I found myself standing back in front of Caleb's house, gazing up at the mansion with wide eyes. There had been no valet tonight, so I'd left my car parked in the circular driveway and headed up the stairs by myself.
The car looked so pathetic sitting there, not old and yet not new, it's price tag visible without a physical tag on it. Shaking the thought away, I rang the doorbell, rocking from one foot to the other as I waited for someone to answer. I hadn't been able to contact Caleb to confirm this dinner after leaving the library last week, so I hoped that he was still expecting me. If not, this was about to be incredibly awkward.
But when the door opened, it was Caleb who stood before me, dressed in a blue button up shirt that he'd left open at the top and black trousers, his hair swooped over his forehead in a neat wave. The corner of his mouth lifted when he laid his eyes on me, slowly working their way from my face down my body and then back up again. I swallowed my nerves and smiled broadly.
"Glad to see you're still expecting me," I said, voicing my previous concern like it was a joke.
"Of course," he said smoothly, "I've been looking forward to you all week." The words vibrated through me and a flush of heat worked its way through my cheeks. "Come in."
Caleb led me into the mansion, guiding me through the now empty ball room and out a set of doors that led onto a patio. A small table was set up in the center, empty wine flutes sitting on top with a bottle of wine between them. Dots of condensation bloomed on the bottle, pooling in a circle at the bottom.
Caleb pulled a chair out and I took a seat, sucking in a breath as I attempted to ignore the flutter of my heartbeat. I'd been nervous all week and had spent most of the day trying to pick out my outfit, going through my closet and tossing outfit after outfit aside. I'd settled on a short summer dress, revealing the long expanse of my bare legs. With a set of heels, I'd finally pulled the outfit together, but despite how good I knew I looked, I couldn't help feeling slightly self-conscious when sitting in front of such a beautiful creature.
Caleb poured me a glass of the wine but left his empty, setting the bottle back down to level a stare at me. A servant appeared from the patio doors, carrying a separate bottle that I recognized immediately as not another bottle of wine.
It was blood. Which I should have been expecting, and yet the deep red that poured out of the bottle still shocked me.
"Don't worry," Caleb said as he grinned, revealing his teeth, "It's ethically sourced."
"Will you be having dinner too, or is that..." I let the sentence trail off, cocking one of my eyebrows.
He chuckled, a low throaty noise that sent my nerves buzzing, "I eat too. You don't know much about vampires, do you?"
"Well, you are kind of reclusive," I said, taking a small sip of wine.
"What can I say, we like our alone time."
"So why the parties?" I asked. The smell of fresh bread and herb wafted over me as the servant returned, setting a tray of rolls and flavored butter onto the table before me. My stomach growled and I reached automatically for one, letting my fingers sink into its fluffy exterior.
Caleb watched me as I split the bun in two, slathering butter over it. "I like the noise," he said.
His library had been near silent when I'd found him there last week, but I supposed to him, that may not have been the case. I swallowed before speaking, "Most people listen to music. Saves money."
"Most people don't have money to spend like I do." Caleb took his own piece of bread, dipping it into the blood before popping a piece into his mouth. He chewed slowly, and I found myself watching him as he ate. He seemed so human, and yet even the way he chewed was elegant. I wondered how long it had taken him to perfect that or if it'd come naturally. "So tell me something about yourself."
"I'm a librarian," I said. His eyebrows rose at that. "So, I also spend a lot of time alone. But I like my job."
"Is that how you met Drew?"
"How'd you know I knew Drew?"
"My servants tell me things," he said.
I pursed my lips, "No, it wasn't. Him and I have been friends for a long time."
