Believe in Me

13

It had been about a week since I'd last seen Victoria. I hadn't texted or called her, nor had she me. I couldn't be upset about it though. She was just a girl I met at a bar....and casually followed to a club... Not in a weird stalker way.

I was sitting in Julia's bar while other demons and vampires enjoyed themselves. It's late at night, so our lower class vampires, the ones we actually call "vampires", were able to leave the mansion and.come have a good time. This was also when Julia was able to serve blood in the alcohol.

Most humans don't stop by here, which was why it was such a surprise that Victoria had shown up here. It had been evening time when she arrived, so she could've been fed on if the vampires had come out here that night. I guess she did get fed on, though.

It wasn't like I meant to feed on her. Sure, I can control myself, but I was just so hungry, and her memories were delicious. Of course, I couldn't get too far into her head. That would just mess with her psyche. Mother made it a rule to only feed on current memories, meaning while she's with a demon.

"Vampire" is too much of a degrading term for the medium and upper class demons who don't have to feed on blood, so we prefer not to be called the term. But humans don't like the term "demon" due to its religious purpose. The thing is, we aren't from a place called Hell, and we don't whisper sweet nothings to cause you to do bad things. That would be the Rogues--Guardians who decided they didn't want to be Guardians. Those are the real demons humans need to look out for.

I take a swig of my whiskey. Julia is pouring a double shot of vodka into a blood bag--the vampire version of a Bloody Mary. I chuckle at a thought in my head. What if the donor's name was Mary?

The sound catches Jules' attention. "What's so funny over there?" She slides the drink to the brunette vampire who ordered it and walks over to me, throwing a dish towel off of her shoulder and wiping the counter in front of me.

"Do you keep a record of the blood donors?" I ask casually, gesturing to the pack being downed.

She shakes her head. "Why would I do that? I just know the guy who gets me the packs."

I chuckle again and tell her the thought I had. She raises an eyebrow and shrugs. "Only you would think of something like that."

I raise my hands in defeat. "Hey, it was funny! Come on, you gotta laugh. If it was really from a lady named Mary... Oh the irony!"

She rolls her eyes, but I see a grin tug at her lips. "I think you've had a lot to drink tonight, Felix." She reaches for my glass, but I pull it away and down it before handing it over.

Once she cleans my glass, she turns and gives me a concerned look. "Are you okay? Since you visited Mother, you've been a little..." She trailed off, not quite sure what to say.

I knew what she meant. I'd been quiet, and drank more than usual. I couldn't exactly explain why, but when Persephone spoke about Victoria, it was like she knew--like she'd been watching me. And when she wouldn't stop staring out that window, something told me she was watching her.

"Have you seen that girl in here again?" I asked her.

Julia looked confused for a second, then her eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, someone is infatuated with a girl. A human girl." She emphasized the word as though she were disgusted with the idea.

"I am not!" I slammed my hand on the bar, which got a raised eyebrow from Julia, and I quickly lowered my voice and tapped my finger on the wood.  "I was just...curious is all."

Julia gave me a long look before shaking her head. "Nope. Haven't seen her."

I frowned and shrugged. "Alright."

I leaned back in the chair, lost in thought. The girl had seemed troubled, and it somehow brought her to this bar, to me. I wanted to go through her memories and find out why, but I knew that wouldn't have been a good idea. The only way I can sift through someone's memories is by consuming them, and that can do a lot of damage. Even if what was troubling her could be damaging her even more, I can't interfere with a human life.

"Didn't you get her number last time?" Jules' voice caught my attention.

"Yeah, I did, but I can't just message her randomly. You're a female, you should know this." I ran my fingers through my hair. "Women don't like a guy to blow up their phone. It's creepy."

She tilted her head. "True, but a simple 'hey' shouldn't hurt. And if she doesn't want to talk to you, you'll get left on read, but at least you'll know she's still alive."

I stare at her for a silent moment. She's right, but I don't think I could handle the rejection.

Another vampire calls her over, and I'm left to my thoughts. The bar seems to be picking up a crowd, so I decide it's time to leave. I leave my cash on the bar and head out.

***********

I stare down at my phone, the screen off. I had been turning it on, going to her text messages, and turning it back off again. I stare at my reflection. My hair is wet from my shower, a few streaks of water trailing down my face. Julia's suggestion kept ringing in my head.

Not a moment later, my phone lights up with a message. Stunned, I stare at it. It's not Victoria, but instead an unknown number. "Hey handsome, a shame you left before I could get your number."

I stare at the text, dumbfounded. I debate responding when another comes through. "I got it from the lady behind the bar. You seemed pretty close. I'm glad she said she's just your sister."

I frown and open the conversation before sending a response. "What makes you think I don't have a girlfriend?"

A reply comes almost immediately. "No guy like you would be alone at a bar if you did."

I find this woman almost annoying at her cocky attitude, but I can't help but feel relieved that I have a distraction. I pause. Maybe a distraction is just what I need.

"Why'd you want my number?" I ask her, half-hoping she's just looking for a hookup. I wasn't really in the market for a relationship, but a man has needs.

It takes a few seconds but she replies almost as quickly as the first time. "I was hoping to get to know you better."

I run my fingers through my wet hair. Should I even continue? She sounds like she wants more than a hookup. I decide to be outright with her. "Well, doll, I'm not looking for a relationship. So I think you should look elsewhere."

I set my phone aside, expecting that to be the end of the conversation. I close my eyes and lay my head back on my pillow, but all I see behind my lids is that girl Victoria. I see her looking upset at the bar the first time I met her. Then again at the club, running from a guy. She had told me that wasn't someone she would ever be with, but she refused to go into detail with me about him. She clearly didn't want to talk about her problems with me.

I heard my phone again and I opened my eyes. It chimed again and I looked over at it. It showed that there were two messages. One was an attachment. I opened the message and felt my eyes bulge in surprise.

"Maybe I should have been a bit more specific," her message said. And below that.... A picture of a woman's naked body. It was almost porcelain, with how perfect it was. She was thin, but not grossly so. Her pose showed her ass up, and her hair covered her face, but it was blonde. I couldn't see more than her hair, back and ass, but I knew before she sent her next message what she was after. "I would love to get to know your body better."

I gulped. I had wanted a distraction, and I was damn sure getting it. The question was, did I really want it? I suppose I wasn't going to get Victoria off my mind any time soon. I quickly sent a response. "I didn't even get your name."

"You can call me anything you like, but it's Eve." She replied, then in a separate text, "So baby, can I come over?"

Under normal circumstances, I probably would have said no. But after getting the previous picture, I could feel something else bulging besides my eyes. I squeezed my eyes shut, breathing deeply, before I opened my eyes and replied with my address.

I need a distraction, and she just happens to be available, I told myself as I pressed "send."