Unholy Embrace

Author
Neil Benson
Night to Dawn

Publisher Night to Dawn

www.bloodredshadows.com
ISBN:

Copyright by Neil Benson

First edition 2010

http://www.bloodredshadows.com
Printed in the United States of America

Editor:
Front cover illustration:

Names, characters, and incidents depicted in this book are

products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or
persons, living or dead are entirely coincidental, and are not to
be construed as truth or fact.

All rights reserved:

It is illegal for you to copy or distribute copies of this or any
copyright written work in print or electronic form without
expressed written consent from the publisher. Please do not
purchase unauthorized copies. For information: Barbara Custer,
c/o Night to Dawn, P. O. Box 643, Abington, PA 19001.

I owe a major thank you to my wife who has been a

major source of support and has read the novel more
times than she cares to admit; a thanks to Louise Bohmer
who edited the novel and gave me some critical ideas for
revisions; and a thank you to my publisher Barbara
Custer.
 1

An Unwanted Surprise
“Literature and most movies have accurately described the speed and strength of the
vampire. Few mortals have witnessed a vampire in the fighting mode and lived to tell
about it.”
In The Vampires among Us by
Thaddeus Romans

On a cool April night, Nessa and I held hands as we walked back

to Broadway from a theater on the upper West side. I heard a shrill howl
that made my neck hairs stand. Nessa pushed me behind her and turned
to face the alleyway. A dark, hairy body raced at her, emitting a growling
sound I had heard only in horror movies.
Nessa ducked, put her hands under the creature, and flipped it
headfirst into a dark blue delivery truck. A second, dark hairy body
emerged from the alleyway, growling as it displayed three-inch incisors
glistening with saliva. When the second creature tried to bite Nessa, she
grabbed its throat and snapped its head backward. She snarled, sank her
fangs into the creature's neck, and ripped through an artery, killing it
instantly.
The first creature rose and started to charge Nessa when I moved
to tackle it.
“No,” Nessa yelled, putting herself between the creature and me.
It swiped a hairy paw at her head, but she ducked, spun about, and
grabbed its throat from behind. With a squeeze of her hands, I heard
bones cracking. When she let go the creature, it fell to the ground.
Nessa looked around us for several minutes, sniffing the air with
her eyes closed.
“Any more of them?” I asked. “Whatever they are.”
“I don’t smell or hear anything for several blocks,” she replied.
“You just had your first opportunity to see werewolves in action.” Nessa
glanced at the creatures she had killed.
“They weren't in action for long.” I examined the paws of the
nearest werewolf. Five inch-long claws, tapering from one inch around at
the base to a razor-sharp tip, were lethal weapons.
“That’s why I screamed at you,” she said. “I appreciate your
courage, but the creature could have eviscerated you in one swift stroke.”
 “I’ve only seen werewolves in the movies. It was much more
terrifying watching real ones in action.” I shook my head, shivering at the
thought of what this creature could have done to me.
Nessa stared at me. “Frank, are you okay?”
I nodded. My heart still beat rapidly, and I could barely swallow. I
looked up at the night the sky, noting the three-quarter moon. “No full
moon?”
“They can inject themselves with a serum that enables them to
take on a werewolf shape whenever they choose,” she said.
The werewolves terrified me, but the creature Nessa became
frightened me almost as much. I stepped back and watched her fangs
disappear as her eyes returned to normal.
She stared at me, and then reached out.
I moved away from her.
“What's the matter?”
“Seeing you like that. What you did. I'm shaken.”
“I never wanted you to see me as a vampire. I am sorry the attack
by the werewolves put you in danger. Please come to my apartment so
we can talk about what happened.” Nessa rubbed my back. “A strong
drink will calm you.”
I took another step backward, not sure if I was safe with her.
“I would never hurt you.” She sighed. “Please trust me.”
“Okay,” I whispered, still numb from what I had just witnessed,
wondering what she would tell me.
The bodies of the werewolves began to turn human while we
stood there. “What are you going to do with them?” I asked.
“Not to worry.” Nessa took out her cell phone, punched a few
numbers, spoke softly into it, and then put it away. “In a few minutes a
truck will come, and the bodies and blood will be disposed of.”
“Is there a special werewolf removal service you know of?” My
mind spun like a top rotating at high speed. The woman, or rather the
vampire I loved, had just killed two werewolves and had casually called
someone to remove the evidence.
“In New York you can get anything done for the right price.” She
raised her eyebrows and smiled.
I tried to return her smile, but couldn't find it in me.
After we walked to Broadway, Nessa stepped into the street and
snapped her fingers. A cab appeared less than a block from us. When we
got into the taxi, we sat apart. She leaned back, resting her head against
the cushion, while myriad questions ran through my mind.
“Lincoln Square,” she said to the driver.
 “You got it, lady.”
Heavy traffic at this time of night made for a long ride. She sat
quietly looking straight ahead, while I wondered why I remained in the
cab. As I leaned my head back against the cushion, I thought about the
previous three weeks.
 2.

Three Weeks Earlier: Meeting in the Dark

“Undead vampires are real and travel among us despite what most people believe.
These vampires survive by their stealth and cunning as well as our disbelief.”
In The Vampires among Us by
Thaddeus Romans.

I drank a Heineken while sitting at the bar in Dark Cavern, the

most famous underground vampire club in Manhattan. It was an upscale
gathering place for people who considered themselves vampires, and
those who enjoyed watching them. I didn't believe in real vampires. I'd
read about the subculture in which some people drank blood from
people, while others supposedly took psychic energy. My friend Bill told
me he had seen real vampires in Dark Cavern, and I should check it out.
Bill, a diehard a vampire freak, had never exaggerated.
A baldheaded man guarded the entrance, examining everyone's
identification. After he waved me in, I walked down a flight of stairs into
a large room lit by red lights. The band played eerie Goth music. In the
center of the room, some people danced, while others just held on to
each other. Some of the dancers displayed fangs in their mouths. I
assumed they were implants or purchased from a local costume store.
I made my way to the bar at the back of the room and ordered a
Heineken. From there, I observed the people at the tables nearby when I
first saw her. She caught the attention of one male admirer after another,
each rebuffed until she sat alone. Her tight black sweater accentuated her
full breasts. I studied her copper hair, framing her fine-boned, pale face.
She was stunning, unattainable by any of the men who sought her.
A heavily muscled blond man sat down beside her without
invitation. She shook her head before he had a chance to say anything.
When he put his left hand on her shoulder, she grasped his forearm with
her right hand and twisted. The force of her motion lifted him out of his
chair and spun him on to the floor.
He landed on his back and slid a few feet. He shook his head, as
if to clear his mind, and then rose. He rolled up his shirtsleeve and
examined his forearm. Even from where I sat, I could see the marks of
her fingers. The man backed away, and then walked quickly to the other
side of the room. A few people looked over, but turned away. I couldn't
imagine how a petite woman could generate such force.
 As I gazed at her, she gave me a bemused smile. I hesitated, even
when her smile widened. She beckoned me with her finger, and I walked
to her table and sat down opposite her.
“Hello, I'm Frank Thornton.”
“Nessa Harcanu,” she said in a husky voice with a trace of an
accent.
“I assume it's safe for me to sit here.”
“I invited you, but he made an unwanted boorish advance.” Her
glinting eyes accentuated her message.
“I've seen judo and karate, but nothing that explains how you
flipped a large man over so easily,” I said
“It's all in the wrist action.” She winked at me.
“Why me?” Tall, with dark hair, I never had any problem meeting
women. However, she could've chosen other handsome athletic types,
and even a few businessmen,
“You're not an overgrown boy or a self-styled stud eager to add
me to his sexual trophy case.”
“You can tell that just by looking at me?”
“That and much more.”
“Okay, tell me what you know.” Her gaze caught mine as I issued
the challenge.
“You're an architect in his mid-thirties who would rather be a
painter,” she said without hesitation. She leaned back in her chair,
steepling her fingers, her bright green eyes studying my every move.
“How do you know that?” Was she a mind reader or something?
“There are traces of light green ocher paint under the nails of
your index and middle fingers on your right hand.”
I couldn't see anything, even when I held my nails under a light.
“I have excellent vision, especially at night.”
“There's nothing there to see,” I said.
“You failed to wash off all the ocher and pale yellow egg tempera
paint you used.” She licked her lips.
Nessa had just described the colors I had been working with
earlier in the evening. “I don't know how you guessed what I was using,
but there's no way anyone could see the paint in this dim light.”
“A vampire could.” She leaned forward, opening her mouth, and
showing the tips of sharp pointed fangs.
“Are those real?” I asked in a voice barely a croak. My heart beat
faster and the hairs on the nape of my neck stood up.
“There’s only one way to find out.” She raised her upper lip,
giving me a better view of her fangs.
 I backed away and started to rise, when she laughed.
“Sit down. I've no intention of hurting you.”
“That's good to know.” I laughed nervously. “What do you want
from me?”
“To get to know you better.”
“Why?” Considering what I had seen in the last five minutes, a
little caution seemed appropriate.
“Because you're passionate about art, and that's something I
value highly.”
“You could've found an artist.”
“I've done that. They're too egotistical and usually unstable. You
strike me as being grounded, not having an overly high opinion of
yourself.”
“How can you know so much about me?” I asked. “Did you have
me investigated or something?” I couldn't understand how she knew so
much about me.
She laughed again. “I would never have to resort to that.”
“Are you going to tell me how you do this?” She was playing with
me, but at least she wasn't doing it with her incisors.
“Another time.”
“Can I buy you another drink?”
“Fine.” Nessa appraised me with a directness I found discon-
certing.
I used a fifty-dollar bill to signal the waiter. “What are you drin-
king?”
“A dry martini,” she said to the waiter.
“I'll have a Heineken.” The waiter pocketed my bill and went to
get our drinks.
“A vampire wouldn't drink a martini.”
“I love a clever man.”
I decided to change the direction of the conversation. Her slight
accent intrigued me. “Where were you born?”
“Hungary,” she said. “I'll save you the next question by telling
you I came here sixty years ago.” She leaned closer to me. Her musky
fragrance inflamed me, and I had to restrain myself from kissing her.
Suddenly warm, I wiped perspiration from my forehead.
“Would you be interested in going someplace quieter?” she asked.
“What did you have in mind?” I was with an amorously inclined
beautiful woman, who was a vampire. Despite that knowledge, I could
feel the rising desire in my groin pressing against my common sense.
 “Let's go to your place,” she said. “I would like to see the home
of an artist and architect.”
“That would be fine,” I stuttered. The game was cat and mouse,
and I was the catnip. By the time our drinks arrived, we were leaving.
When we stood, I noted her slender, elegant figure. She picked
up a black cape and threw it over her shoulders, and I put on my black
leather jacket. When I opened the door, the wind struck us. I shivered,
but Nessa appeared unaffected by the weather.
She put her right arm around my left arm as we walked to the
end of the line of people waiting to get a taxi. “Let's move away,” Nessa
said, guiding me from the crowd.
I had just raised my hand when a taxi passed by everyone else
and stopped in front of us. I opened the door and followed her into the
heat of the cab. “Devonshire apartments on Fifty-First Street,” I said to
the driver as he merged into the traffic.
During the ride to my apartment, I studied Nessa out of the
corner of my eye. She sat with her lips pursed, giving me a slight smile. I
was glad that she kept her mouth closed because that way I couldn't see
any fangs. I didn't know what to say and felt uncomfortable breaking the
silence. When the cab stopped, I paid the driver, and then we hurried to
the entrance.
After we exited the elevator on the tenth floor, I opened my door
and took Nessa's cape, which I hung in the closet.
She stretched, raising her hands over her head, causing her black
sweater to pull tightly against her ample breasts.
“Do you like what you see?” She smiled like the famous Cheshire
cat.
"Yes, yes," I stammered, feeling like a teenager.
Nessa walked up to my two abstract paintings hanging on the
living room wall and examined them for several minutes.
“Do you like what you see?” I asked her.
“Both.”
“The paintings?”
“The paintings and you,” she said, eyeing my body.
Once more, I became aroused and blushed, unable to control my
responses to her boldness.
“You need to pace yourself. Would you be willing to show me
your studio?”
“My pleasure.” I was happy to change the subject so I could
steady myself. I opened the door, turned on the light, and she followed
me into my work area.
 She walked to the far wall and looked at my Japanese sword and
scabbard. “Where did you get these?”
“They're old family heirlooms.”
She looked at them a little while longer then walked over to my
draft table. “This is marvelous. Your lines are original and unconven-
tional. You have a special talent.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re an exceptional man.” Her gaze caught mine, telling me
that she was not playing any more.
“That’s quite a compliment.” I got the impression she measured
me in ways I didn't understand.
“May I look through your library?” she asked, examining my
bookcases.
“Sure.” I was uneasy with her tendency to ask permission after
the fact.
She looked at the titles for several minutes then pulled out Dr.
Bova’s book on immortality and extending life. “Immortal life holds a
fascination for you,” she said. “You’ll find living a long time doesn’t
bring the answers to the questions you seek.”
“Am I to assume you know that from personal experience?”
She put her finger under my chin and kissed me on the lips. “I’ve
seen the passing of more seasons then you could ever imagine. Perhaps,
if I like you, I’ll tell you about them.”
“That would be interesting.” I'm being seduced by a vampire. Am I out
of my freaking mind?
“Hush,” Nessa said, as if she could hear my thoughts. She
brushed my cheek with her fingertips, pressed her lips to mine, and
parted them with her tongue.
“Come.” She led me to my bedroom. As Nessa moved me to the
foot of the bed, I reached for her. However, she was quicker, putting her
arms around my neck and pulling my head toward hers. Her mouth
sought mine and we kissed passionately for several moments. She broke
off the kiss, stepped back, reached for the bottom of my dark blue
merino sweater, and pulled it over my head. Nessa kissed my chest and
flicked her tongue over my left nipple, causing me to tremble with
pleasure. She unbuckled my pants, dropped them to the floor, and pulled
down my briefs. She lowered me to the bed, handling me like a small
child, despite my outweighing her by more than seventy pounds,
She pulled her black sweater over her head, and then she
unhooked her black lacy bra, which barely covered her breasts. Her pear
shaped breasts peaked upward, her pale brown nipples erect. She
unbuttoned her black silk pants and dropped them to the floor with her
black lace panties. She smiled as she lowered herself just below my feet.
Then she leaned forward, kissing the inside my thighs, working her way
upward until she had me in her mouth. I arched to meet her, but she
withdrew her mouth after a moment. Nessa lifted her body above me,
lowering it as I entered her, rotating her hips while she made a deep-
throated moaning sound.
She aroused me to intense passion as she continued her supple
movements. She sensed when I approached orgasm, and would become
motionless until I backed away from the peak of pleasure. I don't know
how long she did this, but when she let me orgasm I was covered in
perspiration.
While I breathed heavily, my body drained of all energy, her head
nestled on my chest and her left hand stroked my face. Nothing like this
had ever happened before. I was a former college tennis player and
routinely ran 10k races, but I had never made love with a vampire.
The next thing I knew, her lips were pressing against my
forehead.
“How long was I asleep?”
“Not long,” she said.
I slid my right hand to my throat, feeling for punctures.
“You don't need to do that.” She flicked my hand away. She
leaned forward and caressed my throat with her tongue, causing me to
shiver with delight. If she was going to take blood from me, she could
have done it while I was asleep. I had to assume I was safe, or at least as
safe as any man could be with a vampire he had met several hours ago.
“Are you up for more?” She stroked me until she brought me to
erection. “Oh my.”
This time, I pulled back the covers so we made love on the
sheets. However, the intensity, and passion she aroused in me, and gave
in return, was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I fell asleep once
more and awoke to find her looking at me with a catlike grin. I don’t
remember how many more times we made love. Despite my exhaustion,
she would arouse me, and I would find strength I didn’t think I had.
Finally, I fell asleep and didn’t wake until after sunrise.

From the moment I saw Frank, I was attracted to him. Though

handsome, there was nothing extraordinary about him. However, when
we went back to his apartment, it took great effort for me to wait as long
as I did before taking him. I wanted to possess him sexually in every way
possible. By the time I left, I had worn him out, but I was more satisfied
than I could ever remember.
I wanted to see him the next night, but I knew if I moved too
swiftly and powerfully I would consume him. In addition, I wanted to
keep him off balance. That way I could maintain better control of the
relationship. Relationship? What was I thinking? We had only been together one
time.
I didn't see a particular path with him. Rather, I thought it best to
let things take their course and see what developed. I had several brief
affairs during the past fifty years, but none of them prepared me for my
feelings for Frank.
 3.
Work and Play: Twenty Days Earlier
“When a female vampire takes a mortal lover, she assumes complete command of the
relationship. The so-called Alpha Male among mortals is a mere plaything compared
to the power of the female vampire.”
In The Vampires among Us by
Thaddeus Romans

She was gone when I reached for her, but the heady smell of her
perfume was so intoxicating I lingered in bed inhaling the fragrance on
the pillows. I was more tired than I could remember after a night of
making love. My body felt drained, as if I had expended every ounce of
energy. I put on a robe and wandered through the apartment, reliving my
night of erotic wonder with a vampire. I remembered how cold she felt at
first, but became warmer as we made love.
I walked through my living room and questioned my sanity for
spending the evening making love with Nessa. She had promised not to
hurt me, but I examined my neck for bite marks anyway. I was relieved to
find none. When I went into my study, I saw a note on my drawing
board. "Later," was all it said. I knew she wanted to see me, but did I
want to see her? After I dressed, I ate a walnut croissant, washed it down
with instant coffee, and went to work happy, but exhausted.

“Good morning, Mr. Goldsmith,” Melissa, the receptionist, said,

putting her hand over her mouth to hide her smile. She was hired to
answer the phone for her decorative abilities not intellectual ones.
“Good morning Melissa.” When I touched my face, I felt the
stubble, realizing that in my haste to get to work I had forgotten to
shave. I hurried to my office where I kept a spare electric razor as well as
extra shirts and ties. I opened my door as Bob Smithers, a senior partner,
approached.
“Out late?” he asked with furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips. He
was short, balding, and portly. Though he could be pedantic and boring,
his bright blue eyes and stern gaze reminded me he wasn't a man to
underestimate.
“Working late on the Emerson home renovation. I'll tidy up in a
moment. Is there something you need?” He wasn't a creative or imagina-
tive architect. His main skill was closing important business deals.
 “No. Just make sure you take care. You're working on an impor-
tant project.”
“Sure,” I said, entering my office. When I put my briefcase down
and looked into the mirror, I was appalled by what I saw. With my
bloodshot eyes and unshaven face, I looked more like a panhandler than
a hotshot architect in a small but well-known architectural firm. I plugged
in the razor, and as I shaved, I thought about my time with Nessa. The
evening had an unreal quality to it, as if I was watching myself in a
mysterious movie with Nessa, who was always one-step ahead of me.
Being one-step behind wasn't as much a concern as the fact she was a
vampire.
I assailed myself with questions. Why didn't I leave when she
revealed she was a vampire? Why did I take her back to my apartment?
I wondered if I had any choice because of her strong aura of
power. She took control from the moment she invited me to her table
until she led me into my bedroom and overwhelmed me with her sexual
prowess.
When I finished shaving, I slumped in my chair wondering how I
was going to make it until five o'clock.
I made no progress on my project because Nessa was on my
mind throughout the day. The vivid image of her face possessed me,
even without closing my eyes. Whenever I examined my plans, her green
eyes, sly smile, and copper red hair dominated my thoughts. When my
mind on her lovely face, I sighed. I swallowed a hot coal when the vision
changed to her razor sharp incisors. It wasn't long before I got the
antacid.
I sent out for a sandwich so I could eat lunch in my office and
rest a few minutes. I kept the door closed throughout the day to
minimize contact with other members of the firm. I was in no shape to
carry on a rational conversation with them. Happily, I made it through
the day without more than a passing encounter with anyone else. As soon
as I arrived at my apartment, I undressed and fell into bed. Although I
slept for an hour and felt refreshed, I couldn't relax. I wasn't in the mood
to cook, and I didn’t want to go out to eat, so I called in an order from
the small Chinese restaurant around the corner.
An hour later, I paced as I ate Kung Pao chicken out of the con-
tainer and washed it down with a Heineken. After I tossed the beer bottle
into the trash, I put on my coat and was out the door on my way back to
Dark Cavern. When I stepped outside, the cool evening air revived me. I
was calm during the cab ride to the bar, but my tension returned when I
exited the taxi. I sat on the same barstool, sipping Heinekens as I
watched the door until two in the morning. I was disappointed; her vague
note left me wondering when I would see her.

The next morning I shaved and put on one of my better suits.

The last thing I needed was for anyone at the office to wonder about my
personal habits. I worked late to make up for the lost time I had spent
daydreaming about Nessa. How could I be so obsessed with a woman
who was a vampire, based on a one-night stand? Thinking about my
obsession didn’t make it go away. Later that evening I once again headed
for Dark Cavern.
It was the end of the week, and I made my way through the
crowded bar before I saw Nessa seated at the same table, declining the
importunities of a tall Nordic-looking man. Wearing a black camisole and
black fitted pants, she was as lovely as I remembered. She gestured for
me to sit next to her after the blond Viking left without his trophy.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” she said, as if I had missed a
previously agreed on meeting time.
“I was here until closing last night, wondering if I would see you
again.”
“My note made my intention clear,” she said, her voice a bit
clipped.
“Your one-word note was cryptic and gave me no clue where or
when.”
She touched my right hand. “Calm yourself. We’re together
now.”
Her touch aroused me so much I felt like an overeager teenager.
She purred as I ran my finger from her shoulder to her lips. She kissed
me, stood up, and put on her cape.
“My place?” I asked.
Nessa smiled and nodded.

After I closed the apartment door, I turned around and was

surprised to see her standing naked. I stared at her for a moment,
admiring her body, bereft of speech.
“Are you waiting for an engraved invitation?” she asked
mischievously.
I scooped her up in my arms and walked into the bedroom.

I awoke to a hazy morning sun brightening the living room,

covered by a blanket Nessa had placed over me during the night. I pulled
the blanket around me, went to my studio, and was relieved to see her
note, “Later, again.” She had me, in the way men are most vulnerable. I
should have been contemplating exit strategies, but all I could think
about was how much I wanted to see her.

Saturday, I went to my office to work on the Emerson home

redesign, now more than a week overdue. I worked until dinnertime,
satisfied that I had made up for lost ground. When my stomach growled,
I realized I hadn't eaten since breakfast. I went to Luigi's, my favorite
local restaurant, ordered fried calamari and lasagna, which I washed
down with a couple of glasses of Chianti.
I remained at home that night thinking about Nessa, aware that I
knew nothing about her except her passion for sex, she probably came
from Europe, and she was a vampire. I tried to think about the last piece
of information as little as possible. I had once read an article on the
concept of healthy denial, but I didn't think it applied in this instance.
On Sunday, I played racquetball with Jack Hershkowitz at the
Midtown club for over three hours to relieve my disquietude. Because he
had also played college tennis, our match was even. After playing four
games, which we split, we showered and made plans to play another
match. I ate at a small sushi bar around the corner then went to bed early
and slept well for the first time since I met her.

Monday night, I sat by her at the table confused about the rules
of the game being played. “So, we play by your rules or not at all.”
Nessa stroked my arm, smiling at me. She was playing with me,
but I felt helpless before the onslaught of her power and sexual provo-
cations. I was relieved she didn't reveal her fangs when she smiled.
I responded, despite my intention to remain aloof. When she
kissed me on the neck, I groaned. Moments later we left the nightclub.
This time we made love languidly in front of the fireplace, and I
managed to I stay awake. As we gazed into each other's eyes, I worked up
the courage to ask, “Is there any chance we could go out on a real date?”
“Like dinner and the movies,” she said, mocking me.
“Well, not for dinner.”
“Let's go to a movie,” she countered.
“Do you have something in mind?”
“There's a foreign film playing in a theater on the upper West
side that I would like to see. It's called Rashomon. A famous film made by
the great Japanese film director, Akiro Kurasawa.”
“I've heard of it, but I've never seen it. That's fine.”
 “Now that we have a formal date, there are other things to attend
to. Come to me,” she said.
She wrapped her arms around me, and we made love until I was
exhausted by her passion and fell asleep. After I woke, for the first time I
knew when I would see her.

The next day I worked hard to finish my plans for the renovation
of the Emerson House in Brooklyn Heights before the deadline.
“Frank, what are you up to?” a familiar voice asked.
When I swiveled around, I saw Ed Rabinowitz standing outside
my office. We’d become friends when I designed the plan for renovating
his home outside New Haven. Ed was a tall, gray-haired, patrician man
who walked with the style and grace of someone who was sure of himself
and his place in society.
“Come in Ed. I'm trying to update a late nineteenth-century
house while preserving its distinctive characteristics.” When we shook
hands, I noticed more liver spots on his hands since we last met over
four months ago. “How are you doing?”
“Just fine. Can't complain, especially for a man as old as I am.”
“And how is Myra?”
“Trying to be with the grandchildren as much as possible, which
leaves me with too much time on my hands. Sometimes I daydream and
long for the days when I was the young entrepreneur.” He sighed.
“What's happening in your life?”
“Just fine,” I smiled without meaning to.
“Do I detect a hint of something new and exciting in your life?”
He had a twinkle in his eye as he held my gaze.
“Well, I did meet someone.” Exciting wouldn't begin to describe
Nessa. How do you tell a good friend that you're in a love affair with a
vampire?
“That much I gathered. Tell me about her.” In many ways, he
was the man I wished my father had been.
“She's beautiful, and she's…” I found myself at a loss for words.
Ed smiled. “I'm sure she is. I can still remember when I was
young.” He chuckled.
“She's elegant and unlike any other woman I’ve ever met. She's
quiet, but not shy, and has a way of expressing herself in just a few
words.” Deftly done.
“Sounds like you met someone special,” he said. “I would like to
meet her, and I'm sure Myra would. By any chance are you going to the
fund-raiser for the Children's Hospital?”
 “I'm well-paid, but that's a little out of my league.”
“I'll see to it that two tickets are delivered to your home
tomorrow.”
“Thanks. That's very generous.”
“You're welcome. It will be my pleasure to meet the new woman
in your life.” He winked at me then looked at his watch. “It's time to pick
up Myra. We're going out to dinner tonight. It's been good talking to you,
and I look forward to seeing the two of you next week.”
“Sure. Give my regards to Myra.” We shook hands and he turned
and left.
I wondered how I was going to ask Nessa to come to one of the
city's most notable fund-raising events when we hadn't yet spent any time
together outside my bedroom. Perhaps our date would be the start of a
more meaningful relationship. I would ask her to go to the benefit with
me, depending on how well it went.