“To talk business.”
“We don’t do business with your kind.”
The vampire steps into my room and closes the door behind him. I could scream, but he’d likely kill me, turn into a bat and fly away with my body. My luck, he’d leave me in the desert for the wild animals to eat me, once he’s drained me of my blood. “Please don’t.” I hold my hands up and back away slowly, but he steps back and leans against the door.
“I’m asking for five minutes. I’m not here to hurt you, suck your blood or kill anyone at your party. I’m here to talk business. I’m a legitimate businessman looking to break into the Vegas market.”
I square my shoulders and muster up all the courage I have. “My father doesn’t do business with vampires. I suggest you take your money to a state that favors your kind. Nevada isn’t it. Now get out of my house.” I point and stomp my foot for emphasis.
5
Roman
Her lips purse as she examines me, and I can’t tell if she’s scared or if she’s pissed off.
“My father doesn’t do business with vampires. I suggest you take your money to a state that favors your kind. Nevada isn’t it. Now get out of my house.” My kind. I refrain from rolling my eyes as if we haven’t walked the earth for hundreds of years in secret.
Raising my hands in mock surrender, I smile and relax against the door of her bedroom. “Listen, I have more money than all of those plastic faced, cheating, liars combined. Give me a chance to talk about my plans, and let’s just pretend for a moment that we’re two people, which we are, just talking business. You don’t even know me.” Assaying her face, I can see that she is at least mildly intrigued by me. After all, I’m not showing fangs, I look like any other normal guy for the most part, and I’m certainly not threatening.
Although her shoulders relax slightly, and she stands a bit taller, she’s firm. “You need to leave. There’s no way my father is going to give you what you’re looking for, so you’re wasting your time.”
Part of her wants me to stay; I can sense it. Her fingertips fondle the cross that she wears for protection, and while it doesn’t have any real power, and couldn’t stop me from physically doing anything, I respect it. I know I need a new plan, and I decide to retreat and regroup before there’s any kind of scene. I’m unclear how her guests feel about doing business with a vampire, but I suspect they all have similar views.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Fiona. I’m not what you think, and I wish you’d give me the chance to show you who I really am.”
“I know who you really are…” she trails off.
“Roman. My name is Roman,” I reply softly.
“Roman,” she repeats under her breath.
While her intrigue is evident, it’s also clear that it’s time to go. “I hope to cross paths with you again, Fiona,” I say, swiftly leaving the room and making my way out of her penthouse. It appears that no one noticed her absence, or noticed me at all, which is how I prefer it to be. Dejected, but determined, I head to Clutch to eat and see if I can come up with a new plan.
Clutch is an elite club, catering to vampires specifically. While there are plenty of humans about, and most of the bartenders are mortal, the clientele consists of vampires and humans. It is a place where we can be ourselves. Humans are only permitted if they agree to the terms of Clutch policies, which mostly involves volunteering themselves physically for feeding us. There’s usually a degree of sexual pleasure involved as well, but that’s not why I’m going. I’m hungry, and I need to think.
As a regular there, I don’t need to show my mark to get in. In fact, the doorman Corban and I have known each other for many years, and he waves me right in.
“Sir,” he says as I approach.
“Stop calling me that. It’s ridiculous.” I shake my head at his formality.
Grinning, he shows his fangs are out. “Just doing my job, mate.” He lets out a chuckle. His pale skin, the same color as mine, shines with a bit of a red glow from the neon light above us.
“Yeah, yeah. Is Selene here?”
“She is indeed. She’s always here, mate.” Corban’s slight Australian accent has always been something I was jealous of. It was easy to get the ladies as a vampire, but a vampire with an accent, now that was something special. I’d never had an accent except for the brief time I spent in England. I somehow picked up a bit of a British one at the time, and still somewhat enjoyed using some of their euphemisms.
“Thanks, brother. I’ll catch up with you later. I need to eat.”
“There are plenty of delicious morsels to feast on tonight my friend. Mmhmm.” He licks his lips. He feeds far more than he needs to, mostly because it’s offered to him on a silver platter by merely working here.
With a grin and a nod, I pass by, entering the club. I think it’s much like one would expect a vampire club to look. There’s a fair amount of red velvet and black curtains everywhere, and while much of it resembles a typical nightclub, there’s an innate sensual vibe in the room. The room has a husky sounding trance mix, not fast enough to dance to, but too rhythmic to be considered mellow. Heightened senses give me the ability to smell and hear the humans, tucked away into dark corners, letting their bodies be used as fuel for us. It’s as if it were always meant to be, humans and vampires coexisting. It is a place where I feel comfortable, among my people, and those who choose to accept and enjoy us.
While it may seem vile or taboo to some, the natural connection between a vampire and a human in these circumstances is quite beautiful. The human receives pleasure. So enjoyable, they tend to come back for more time and again. The joy can be kind of a pure necessity, but it can also be extremely sexual in nature, as tends to be the case most often. Yes, it’s a bite, and yes, the human’s blood is consumed, but the intimacy involved can be quite erotic. In fact, making love, or simply fucking when you are feeding, can be amazing for everyone involved. All of these are allowed at the club so long as permission is granted, which is the point of places like this. The vampire, of course, receives food, replenishment. We don’t have to feed often, but we do have to feed. The connection is magical under the right circumstances, and in my lifetime I’ve come upon a human every now and again who I want to pleasure and to feed on more often than just what’s necessary. It’s been a long time since then though.
I know I need to find sustenance for myself tonight, but I need to find Selene first and discuss my options for what I should do next. She is not only the owner of Clutch, but has been a friend, business partner, and a confidante since I became a vampire. We traveled the world together for more time than I can even recall, and we also chose to settle ourselves in Las Vegas at the same time as well.
It doesn’t take me long to find her, behind the bar, talking to some human men who are fawning over her. Vampires are beautiful, and she’s no exception. She notices me immediately, and as I approach, she dismisses the disapp