The Seven Undeadly Sins: A Vampire Story

Part 2

Part 2

Los Angeles 2002

The cord of Tessa's CD player slaps against the side of her cheek as she runs the length of her apartment and back. Thirty paces forward, up the flight of stairs to her bedroom and back. Again, and again, and again. She needs to keep in shape but she wasn't about to pay for a gym membership or brave the outside in the ninety-degree weather. No, she would stay inside her tiny apartment and run with all her fans turned to the maximum setting.

She hit repeat on her CD player that was strapped to the side of her hip with an old belt. Avril Lavigne's Sk8er Boi started over and she hoped the repetition of the song wouldn't cause damage to the CD, she had just purchased it after all.

Once she was done with her thirtieth circuit around the place she stopped to take a gulp of water, pulling her headphones down and resting on her neck.

And then she hears knocking. It's repetitive and almost sounds like it might just be the hum from three fans going at once but when one big pound hits the door, she's sure it's knocking.

She opens the door to find an angry set of dark eyes meeting her. He looks about ready to rip her head off when suddenly his mouth falls open.

This causes her to wonder what his sudden change in temperament could mean. Does she stink from her workout? Is the ice blue eye shadow she put on earlier today smeared all over her face? She has never met this man before and doesn't know why her opening the door could make him change from angry to shocked disbelief in a matter of seconds.

Maybe he had the wrong apartment.

"Can I help you?" she asks when he doesn't make any moves to speak.

He closes his mouth and licks his lips like he's trying to bring moisture back into them while he face rearranges back into a shape of anger. His cheekbones turning to ice and the tick of his frustration apparent in the vein at this neck.

"I came up here to ask you to stop marching around like a herd of elephants," his brown eyes shine with frustration. "I'm trying to get some work done but it's practically impossible with whatever it is you're doing up here."

She feels sheepish for only a moment before replying, "I take it you are my downstairs neighbor."

His eyes flash saying isn't it obvious?

She tries a different approach. "I was just doing some running, but I can switch to weights." She offers him a polite smile, hoping this conversation is now over.

"You were running? In your apparent?" he looks at her like she's mental, "At nine-thirty in the morning?"

She shrugs adjusting the CD player at her hip, "Yeah, I was just trying to get some cardio in before it got too hot to move."

His lips twitch like he's trying to hold in a smile.

"I'll be more considerate next time," she gives him a genuine smile this time, "I'm Tessa, by the way."

She offers him her hand and he takes it.

"I know," is all he says and then he turns and leaves, leaving her gaping at his absence.

Tessa closes the door behind her, leaning against it in confusion. She's never met that man in her life, but somehow he knew her. Maybe they saw each other in the elevator before, but she's sure she would never forget his handsome face. His eyes like two eclipsed moons staring back at her.

Picking up weights and pressing play on her CD player, she tries to get back into her workout routine. But she can't help but wonder why he didn't offer his name.

It was a week later when she saw him again. Tessa had been out grabbing groceries and meeting with her agent to go over a script that she had an upcoming audition for. She was opening the door to her building, groceries in hand, and eyes on the script she was reading when she nearly tripped on a pebble on the floor. Afraid she would spill the contents of her bags everywhere, she opted to throw her elbows out to stop her fall, but she needn't worry. A strong pair of arms grabbed under her biceps to steady her.

She gasps out loud with the shock, she didn't even see him coming. But there he is, the handsome man from before, dressed in running shorts and a tank top, looking about to head out for a run.

"Are you alright?" he asks, and a feeling a déjà vu hits her and she almost falls backward this time.

He grabs her before she could fall again, his grip stronger this time, not letting go. Like he's afraid she'll topple over in another direction if he does.

Tessa just stares at him, unable to say anything, so he asks again, "Are you alright?"

She jerks out of his hold, not wanting to be close to him for another minute. The déjà vu feels like ice running through her veins.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you," she says as she rushes to get into the elevator, and away from him.

When she turns around to face the doors she sees a look of impatience on his face before they slam closed.

It's two days later when she sees him again.

Tessa was minding her own business when she overflowed her bathtub. She was too engrossed in her script and forgot to shut the faucet off. Normally this wouldn't be a terrible problem, but the apartment complex she lived in was cheap and so were the floors and her minor overflow turned into water damage for her lower neighbor. This also wouldn't be a terrible problem except that the man who lived below her gave her a horrible feeling she could never shake and seeing him again was not something she looked forward to.

When he knocked on her door the next morning to inquire why his roof was slowly dripping water she found herself ready for the fight she knew was about to ensue.

"Tell me," he says as she opens the door, "are you trying to get me to leave this building because I am very close to coming to my breaking point."

Tessa smiles her sweetest smile, "I'm sure I don't know what you are referring to."

But she did.

"I'm referring to how you stomp around your apartment in what I assume are combat boots and have somehow taken up tap dancing in your spare time, and also that you are now attempting to flood my apartment one droplet of water at a time."

Her smile didn't falter although her eyes narrowed in spiteful glee.

"I'm sorry that you think I spend all my time attempting to torment a man whose name I do not even know," her arms drip the sides of the door, her eyes shifting to doe shaped, "I'm just a starving actor trying to make my way in this big city, and if tap dancing and soft skin are what I need to do it, then that's what I'll do. It's hardly a crime."

She's being positively evil, but she didn't care. His proximity made it feel like she was walking on knives and his eyes looked like he wanted to gobble her up, and if tap dancing was his breaking point then she would be sure to make it her new specialty.

What she still didn't know was why she had such a strong hatred for this man. It was like this anger was there before she had even met him and was just waiting for the right person to manifest on to.

"Why don't we start over," he thrusts his hand out, "I'm Alex Bronwen and I live below you. I'd really like it if you didn't hate me."

She looks at his eyes and then his hand, trying to assess what his true intentions were.

Alex smiles wickedly. 

"Why don't you invite me in and we can discuss it over a cup of coffee."