upholstered with purple velvet. The walls and rugs were trimmed with marabou feathers, which exuded the scent of pink cotton candy. The side tables, baseboards, and wallpaper were trimmed with gold flecks that hinted of sparkle and celebration.
"Promise me you won't ever make a decision about my life without consulting me. Ever. You have to understand I know what's best."
"You put your life at risk for years. How could I know?"
"Not then," I snapped over my shoulder. "Now. Promise. As my friend."
"I promise, Eden." He wrapped his arms around me. "I promise. So now you know what you may become; now you know what I am."
"Maybe we can find a way to enjoy what we are."
He pulled his head back. "I think we can. What do you think of the suite?"
I pulled away from him. "I've never been in a room this nice," I said as I twirled around. "I mean, outside of work. Guess when I was working I didn't notice much." I pressed a button on the remote near the oval king-sized bed and the drapes parted to reveal the Las Vegas skyline at dusk. From my vantage point, I could see the glittering replica of the Eiffel Tower and the gushing fountains of the hotel a few buildings over. I placed my forehead against the cool glass, watching Patrick's reflection as he strode up to stand behind me.
I turned and faced him as he gazed at me. "What?" Up until this point, I thought he saw me only as a very attractive friend. I still couldn't believe someone as handsome as he was could possibly feel any romantic notions toward a woman like me. Especially if he was a ZOM-Bie , as Cupid so emphatically put it. Now, as we stood in a hotel room, he seemed very masculine.
"Are you all right?" he asked as he ran his finger over the middle of my chest where the arrow had hit.
"Fine. It's like it never happened."
"You won't always bounce back so quickly. She needs to change you fully, or the wounds will stop healing."
I nodded as I stared at him, mesmerized by the look in his eyes. I could always appreciate prurient interest but wilted under the guise of one who sought to look deeper into my soul. As Patrick looked at me now.
"We are both creatures of the night now," he said. "This day may be the last we will ever see. Every day we will change. You will become a vampire in a matter of time. Incapable of love."
"What about the myths of vampires falling in love?"
"That only happens in the movies," he said. "Vampires are animals. We are all animals, but vampires are animals at their base form. Maybe not all. Maybe only the ones I've met. And when you are an animal, there is nothing left to love but things that have no heart. Like booze, whores, drugs. My mouth is running away from me again. Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."
"Of course not. I'm not...that person anymore. I never will be again even if I am changed. How can I become again what I already was? I was incapable of love, but now..." My hands caressed his shoulders and looped around his neck.
"How can you be so sure?"
I threw my arms around him and held him close. I panted as I forced myself to hold back in a way I never had before. I held him tightly for one more second before I pulled away and bit my lower lip as I turned from him. I crossed my arms over my middle and hugged myself close as I strode to a plush sofa and sat down. "Because now that I know I will either die tomorrow or I will live for a very long time, I actually want to take care of myself. The time...the time makes all of the difference. When I was a child, I simply thought about how much longer until I leave this house full of people who were horrible to me. When I came to Vegas, it was how long until I could leave the club. How long until I could leave my boyfriend. How long till I could end my life or drink myself to death. How long until my next meal, my next hit, my next high. How long? And now, I realize I have all of the time in the world, or only a matter of hours. And here I am, with you,
"Promise me you won't ever make a decision about my life without consulting me. Ever. You have to understand I know what's best."
"You put your life at risk for years. How could I know?"
"Not then," I snapped over my shoulder. "Now. Promise. As my friend."
"I promise, Eden." He wrapped his arms around me. "I promise. So now you know what you may become; now you know what I am."
"Maybe we can find a way to enjoy what we are."
He pulled his head back. "I think we can. What do you think of the suite?"
I pulled away from him. "I've never been in a room this nice," I said as I twirled around. "I mean, outside of work. Guess when I was working I didn't notice much." I pressed a button on the remote near the oval king-sized bed and the drapes parted to reveal the Las Vegas skyline at dusk. From my vantage point, I could see the glittering replica of the Eiffel Tower and the gushing fountains of the hotel a few buildings over. I placed my forehead against the cool glass, watching Patrick's reflection as he strode up to stand behind me.
I turned and faced him as he gazed at me. "What?" Up until this point, I thought he saw me only as a very attractive friend. I still couldn't believe someone as handsome as he was could possibly feel any romantic notions toward a woman like me. Especially if he was a ZOM-Bie , as Cupid so emphatically put it. Now, as we stood in a hotel room, he seemed very masculine.
"Are you all right?" he asked as he ran his finger over the middle of my chest where the arrow had hit.
"Fine. It's like it never happened."
"You won't always bounce back so quickly. She needs to change you fully, or the wounds will stop healing."
I nodded as I stared at him, mesmerized by the look in his eyes. I could always appreciate prurient interest but wilted under the guise of one who sought to look deeper into my soul. As Patrick looked at me now.
"We are both creatures of the night now," he said. "This day may be the last we will ever see. Every day we will change. You will become a vampire in a matter of time. Incapable of love."
"What about the myths of vampires falling in love?"
"That only happens in the movies," he said. "Vampires are animals. We are all animals, but vampires are animals at their base form. Maybe not all. Maybe only the ones I've met. And when you are an animal, there is nothing left to love but things that have no heart. Like booze, whores, drugs. My mouth is running away from me again. Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."
"Of course not. I'm not...that person anymore. I never will be again even if I am changed. How can I become again what I already was? I was incapable of love, but now..." My hands caressed his shoulders and looped around his neck.
"How can you be so sure?"
I threw my arms around him and held him close. I panted as I forced myself to hold back in a way I never had before. I held him tightly for one more second before I pulled away and bit my lower lip as I turned from him. I crossed my arms over my middle and hugged myself close as I strode to a plush sofa and sat down. "Because now that I know I will either die tomorrow or I will live for a very long time, I actually want to take care of myself. The time...the time makes all of the difference. When I was a child, I simply thought about how much longer until I leave this house full of people who were horrible to me. When I came to Vegas, it was how long until I could leave the club. How long until I could leave my boyfriend. How long till I could end my life or drink myself to death. How long until my next meal, my next hit, my next high. How long? And now, I realize I have all of the time in the world, or only a matter of hours. And here I am, with you,
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