Become the Night

Dinner with the wolves Part 1

With my face flaming red from embarrassment, I head out of the pharmacy, or as I've begun to think of it, Alexis' domain. I walk a few stores down to Blood Bar.

The outside of the bar/restaurant is a dark wood that almost looks like a log cabin. There's light and music spilling out from the inside. The bright sign above the door that announces this place to be the "Blood Bar" casts an eerie red glow onto the patrons entering.

I enter the bar and stand in the doorway, scanning the area for Garrett. The all-wooden floor is jam packed with people. The wide-open floorplan is haphazardly filled with tables of varying sizes, all wood, all of which are currently filled. The bar that runs along the back wall is also wood, shined to a gleaming finish and trimmed with silver, it too is completely packed. All along the walls are black and white photos of famous vampires in cinema, ranging from Nosferatu to Louis de Pointe du Lac from Interview with a vampire, to Angelus from Buffy.

I spot Cindy at the bar, and she waves me over. I head her way when I feel a hand clasp down on my shoulder. I yelp and whirl around. Garrett is behind me, attempting, but failing, to hold in laughter.

"Thanks for taking twenty years off my life." I have to pitch my voice over the sounds of Bon Jovi. He motions for me to follow him. I turn back to Cindy to wave bye, but she has her back to me now. I turn around and follow Garrett off the main floor and to the back area. It's significantly quieter back here, and we can talk without having to yell at each other.

"That's better. You made it." He sounds happy to see me. He certainly looks good. He's currently wearing a dark blue silk shirt over black slacks with the top two buttons undone. On his feet are what look like very expensive loafers, also in black. His dark hair is mussed, as though he's been running his hand through it constantly. I have to stop myself from letting my tongue hang out. I feel incredibly under dressed next to him in my jeans, sneakers, and casual button down.

"Hey, yeah. It's hard to miss this place. It's got a cool vibe to it. I take it that vampires own it from the name and the décor."

"Yeah. My family owns it." He sits on a padded couch and pats the seat next to him, inviting me to sit.

"Your family, huh?" I think on that one for a moment while I get comfortable.

"I saw the movie vampires out there. Kinda cool." Then, because I can't help poking the dragon, or in this case, vampire, I add with a mischievous smile, "I didn't see any Twilight though."

"Twilight? Do I look like I fucking sparkle?" The words sound harsh, but he's smiling when he says them.

"Well, maybe not sparkle, but you certainly shine." I know I'm flirting. I don't know where it's coming from, but I can't help it. He howls with laughter and claps his hand on my knee.

"What's so funny back here, huh?" I hear a familiar voice ask.

"Nothing, Jame. Just Cal being funny." It's the first time he's said my name, and my heart soars. Jamie comes around the partition from the same way we entered.

"Hey, Cal. How you doing out here?"

"I'm doing fine. Garrett has been great through the whole trip." I would have gotten up to give her a hug, but I noticed that he hasn't taken his hand off my knee, and I'm in no hurry to move it myself. I feel his thumb rubbing my knee-cap, and my bones go to mush.

"Yeah, he's a good guy." The way she says it makes me think there's something else to the statement.

"So, what you need, Jame?"

"Dad asked me to check on you. He wondered where you'd gotten off to."

"Well, you can tell Dad that I'm having dinner with my friend." His hand squeezes my knee briefly, then his thumb continues its massage of my knee-cap. I have nothing to add to what he told her, so I keep my mouth shut.

"I'm not your messenger. However, since I happen to be headed that way, I'll let him know. Don't get used to it."

"Thanks, sis."

"Bye, Cal. After you get settled in, give me a call. We'll hang." She waves as she leaves.

"Bye, Jamie. Nice seeing you again." I wave back at her.

"Good, now we're alone again." He smiles, once again flashing his fangs. He leans towards me, as though to let me in on a secret. I lean closer to him. I want so bad to kiss him. I want it more than I want to take my next breath.

He leans even closer. I can now feel his breath on my face. He moves his hand to my chin, lightly pulling me towards him. I couldn't move if a rampaging buffalo came tearing through the room. Before I can think another thought, his lips are on mine. Soft at first, then more demanding. I return the kiss demand for demand. I feel his fangs scrape my bottom lip, and it makes me tremble. My body responds to him in more than just a kiss. Garrett moves his hand from my chin to cup behind my head. My hand feels as though it's moving of its own accord and mirrors his, cupping his head.

I'm so lost in the kiss that I don't notice someone standing in the doorway.

"Ahem," we hear the person clear their throat. The kiss ends and I jump back. I don't get far since Garrett's hand is still holding my head.

"Hey, Dad." Garrett greets the man standing and staring at us. Dad? I panic. This is not how I wanted to meet his dad, flushed from kissing and uncomfortable, physically. I try to move further away, but it's no use. Garrett has me solidly by his side.

"Garrett." His dad merely says his name, as though that says it all. "I wasn't expecting to find you in here making out. The wolves are expecting us."

"No problem, Dad. We'll be right along."

"I don't want to have to come back here to get you. Five minutes." He holds up his hand, palm out with all five fingers extended, as he walks out of the room.

"Well, that was certainly embarrassing. I'm sorry."

"Sorry about what? That was great. Did you see his face?" Garrett is getting a big kick out of this. Meanwhile, I feel like crawling in a hole and not coming out for a very long time.