My Gentleman Vampire: The Undead Have Style

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Member/Guest

“Fashions fade, style is eternal.”

Yves Saint Laurent

The next morning I lay in bed for some time reviewing the previous night’s events. I was getting more used to the new mattress, and I allowed myself the luxury of enjoying the warmth and the crisp cotton sheets. I was confused and conflicted; I was becoming fond of David despite his “otherworldliness.” He had helped me a lot already and seemed to care about me. What’s more, he was good at lots of things I was weak at, and frankly, he was fun! I knew I was cerebral, over analyzed everything and wasn’t spontaneous. I needed someone like him in my life.

Finally, I got up and went into the kitchen to make coffee. David told me he was moving on with the decorating, and he had been busy! The family room was completely empty save for paint cans and supplies. Arabella was curled up on a big pile of drop cloths and yawned when she saw me. David had left a note detailing his plans. His handwriting was perfect Palmer penmanship. 

“Good morning, Natalie, darling. As you can see, I’ve started the redecorating. Hope you don’t mind, but I think we should just do it, don’t you? The furniture from the family and the pukey green room is in the garage. I guess you can donate it. I’ve painted sample areas on the walls. Take a look and let me know what you think. See you later, David.”

I walked around with my coffee inspecting the paint David had rolled onto the walls. The family room looked like white to me and so did the color on the wall of the green guest room. I’ve never been good at distinguishing shades of white. I poured another cup of coffee and stood in front of the swath on the wall in the family room, determined to be helpful. Okay, maybe it’s a brown white.  And the guest room is a blue white. At least David would see my desire to be involved. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.

More importantly, as the cobwebs in my mind cleared, the work of the previous day’s writing began to fall into place. I had begun to develop my main character for the book, and I had a lot of work to do that day. After some fruit and a quick shower, I retreated to my drab and dark cell to work. Lunch was already in the fridge, a Cobb salad that David had made.  I carried it back to my office so as not to break my momentum. The time passed quickly. Before I knew, it there was a knock on the door. The sun was below the horizon. I stood up to stretch and called to David to come in. I had accomplished a lot and needed some company.

“So, how was your writing today?”

“Excellent, David. I’m right on schedule. I approve of the colors you picked for the paint. Are you going to let me in on the decorating plans? You don’t know my taste.”

“Do you know what you want, silly girl? Let’s have dinner and you can tell me things you like and don’t like. Then you must let me have free rein. Oh, and don’t forget, we need to go back to Nuit Boutique to pick up your clothes. We need to stop by the ATM on the way.”

“Can do. We don’t need to worry about Antonio and Chad, do we?”

“We shouldn’t have to,” he said. “Ralph knows we’re coming back, so he’ll take care of security. You’ll wear your new necklace and we’ll bring Arabella to make sure.”

#

There was a private party at the Nuit Boutique mansion that night. A jazz pianist provided the spark as the alternative crowd pulsed happily with the syncopated rhythms. Ralph greeted me like an old friend and ushered us up the stairs to the boutique. 

The clothes we’d picked out two days before were simply perfect: classic slacks, elegant blouses, jeans that fit my long-legged frame and somehow gave me a round butt. Ralph and David oohed and aahed and David went into stylist overdrive.