The Crimson Chronicles

The Blonde

Vlad Dracula Tepes sat at a cafe in Paris, France. The year was 1925, the middle of a decade-long party worldwide. Not that he took part in such frivolities. He left that to the young people. No, Dracula was not in Paris for pleasure, although he thoroughly enjoyed his food from this cafe. He was there for business and business only. Despite his associate, Lucien Renault, trying to get him to go with him to a club named "Le Chapeau Noir," he was there to get business done and go home. Home being his estate in the mountains of Romania.

He took a sip of his coffee and looked around. As he took in the scenery of Paris, he spotted something. Or rather, someone. A young blonde woman who couldn't have been over 20. She was well dressed and held on the arm of an older gentleman. She was obviously a local and spoke French as she ordered her lunch. She, seemingly feeling eyes on her, turned slightly and made eye contact with Dracula. He felt his breath leave his body as he saw her face completely.

She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his three-hundred-year existence.

She gave him no more than a glance as she went back to talking to the man she was with. He suddenly had questions pop into his mind. Was she with that man? Were they romantically involved? Or was that her father? She certainly looked nothing like this man...

His musings were interrupted by a booming voice.

"Ah, Monsieur Dracula!" his associate, Lucien Renault, grabbed his attention.

"Hello there, Lucien," he replied half-heartedly. He looked back to where the blonde was to see her and the man gone. He sighed to himself. It's not like he was going to talk to her.

"My friend, you seem... distracted. I hope I have not interrupted anything," Lucien said apologetically.

"No, Lucien, I was just admiring the city," Dracula gave him a small smile.

"Yes, my home is one of the greatest cities in the world. Perhaps it is the greatest city in the world!" the Frenchman boasted. "But I did not come here to tell you these facts. I came to extend my invitation tonight to visit 'Le Chapeau Noir.' I implore you, my friend. Your business here is done. Let loose. Who knows... you may find a young lady you like, no?"

"I am afraid I once again must decline your invitation, my friend," Dracula smiled softly at the notion of finding a "young lady to his liking." Talking to and engaging with women wasn't his thing.

"Please, Dracula, just tonight. Come for a few drinks with me, and if you wish, you may leave."

Dracula sighed. Lucien was clearly not going to give up on this, and drinks with a friend didn't sound too bad.

"Fine," Dracula conceded. "A few drinks won't hurt, I suppose."

Lucien laughed and clapped Dracula on the back

"Good man!"

***

Dracula decided that he wanted to leave the moment he walked into 'Le Chapeau Noir.' It was loud and stuffy. Two things he hated. Before he even walked into the building, he heard the jazz music. When he and Lucien walked in, he saw what kind of place this was. People were dancing, drinking, and laughing. He saw several young ladies in the laps of men. He wondered if they were employees of the establishment. Everyone who was visiting the club looked filthy rich, all of them well-dressed.

Unsurprisingly, Lucien had his own booth here. He apparently knew the owner. A waiter recognized Lucien immediately and seated him in his booth. Lucien ordered his drink, and the waiter looked to Dracula for his order.

"Whiskey on the rocks, please," he muttered. The waiter rushed off to get the men's drinks.

"What do you think, my friend?" Lucien asked him.

"It is exactly what I expected," Dracula responded.

"Just wait till the show starts," Lucien said vaguely.

Their drinks were brought, and minutes later, the lights dimmed, and a spotlight appeared on the curtains of the small stage in front. Everyone hushed, and Lucien nudged his arm.

"Watch this,"

"Mesdames et messieurs! Ladies and gentlemen! I present the one you've been waiting for, Chérie de la Nuit, Mademoiselle Lilith DeMois!" the emcee announced. Everyone cheered; this performer seemed quite popular, her stage name on a sign on the front of the club.

The curtain opened, and a blonde dressed in a rather risque outfit appeared in the spotlight. The girl's hair was done up, her dress barely falling to her mid-thigh, and black velvet gloves adorned her arms past her elbows. She looked up to the audience, and her face was illuminated. He couldn't believe his eyes. It was the same blonde he spotted at the cafe. She had a lot of makeup on, but it was undeniably her. He almost didn't notice when the music began. She began to sing and dance to the music. The words were in French, so he had no idea what they meant, although he could surmise that it was suggestive due to how she danced. And boy, did she dance. And she was good at it, too. She didn't miss a beat as she swayed, kicked, and gyrated to the jazz music. At one point, she made eye contact as she sang, and his heart skipped a beat. She was so beautiful. He hadn't felt like this in a long time.

Eventually, the music ended, and the curtains closed. As the audience clapped, Dracula almost felt disappointed to see her go. She bowed all the way before the curtain closed. He sighed. He knew she would never give him a second glance...

"Well, someone seemed to have enjoyed the show," Lucien pulled him away from his thoughts.

"I can appreciate the arts, even when it is a mite... provocative," Dracula argued. Lucien just chuckled and took a sip of his drink.

The door backstage opened, and the performer walked in on the arm of the same man from the cafe. She was now in another black dress. While it was still revealing, it wasn't as revealing as the previous dress she wore. It was long and shimmered in the dim light, still with the long black gloves. She wore a black headband that sparkled in her pretty blonde hair. She was guided by the man to a table filled with rich older men. As he observed her, he saw that the waiter brought her a drink without her having to ask. She took it and began to sip on the cocktail, laughing when called for and obviously flirting with the men. He didn't know why, but seeing her flirting like that made him uneasy.

"That is the owner, Pierre Beaumont," Lucien pointed out the man she was with. Dracula nodded.

"That girl, Lilith DeMois, has performed here for about three years. They call her 'Chérie de la Nuit' for... obvious reasons. Pierre always says that she is why his doors are open," Lucien explains.

Dracula nods and continues to watch the girl.

"Is she with him?" Dracula asks Lucien. Why... he doesn't know. Lucien chuckles.

"Heavens no. She is the daughter of a friend of his. After her father died, he took her in and eventually gave her a job," Lucien clarifies.

Dracula nods. Lucien's eyes light up as he spots someone behind Dracula.

"Ah, Pierre! How are you, old friend?"

Dracula turns to see the owner of Le Chapeau Noir, along with the pretty blonde, standing beside their table.