Vampire Manifesto (15 page)

“
Guess this is the right place.” Ethan announced.

It wasn’t as crowded as I thought it would be once we got inside, then again, it was also in the middle of a work day, so considering those factors, it was more than expected.

“
So what’s the deal?” Ethan Blackwood asked. “Why the sudden interest in some author you’ve never heard of before today.”

It was an honest question, one I hadn’t really pondered until it was asked. Honestly there wasn’t anything special about this dude or his book. I’d never read any of his work before and I doubt if I would even read his book for the assignment.

“
I’m not sure really.” I admitted. “It’s just something about the way Adahy described him, I don’t know, he just seems interesting.”

“
I’ve only read the one script.” Ethan admitted.

That’s when I saw him, sitting at a little table towards the back. He didn’t look how I imaged him in my mind, which oddly enough was a good thing. He was in his late twenties, early thirties, black shoulder length hair, scruffy five o’clock shadow, kinda reminded me of Jude Law a little.

The line for autographs wasn’t that long, I figured a five, maybe ten minute wait at the longest. Not that…

Wait…

No, it can’t be.

I turned to Ethan. “Hey, can you grab me something to drink from that little coffee spot thingy over there please?”

“
Sure. Anything you want in particular?” He asked.

“
Um…something sweet and chocolate with lots of caffeinated goodness.” I said.

Ethan kissed me suddenly, like, really kissed me. “Be right back.” He whispered in my ear before heading off.

“
Oh and with caramel!” I screamed out after him. I licked my lips. His tongue tasted like lemonade pixie sticks.

But that was just static cling.

There was something more important than sugar coated kisses on my mind at the moment. I headed towards the opposite direction, moving in between the aisles, scanning them thoroughly before moving to the next. Each one came up empty. Every one of them filled with nondescript people doing nondescript things. Maybe it was just a trick of the lighting. Maybe it was my mind playing…

“
Looking for something in particular?”

That voice. I could be half blind, half deaf and on my death bed and I’d still recognize that voice. I’d remember it always and forever, just like the song. I turned around and there he was, leaning against a bookshelf, dressed in all black, despite the Florida heat, those grey eyes with tiny flecks of amber, just like my name, staring at me with an intensity that has never been matched, not even by Ethan.

My Black Haired Savior.

“
You know, one might not think that you were not a stalker per say and yet, you do exhibit stalker like behavior.” He mused.

And just like that, the new car smell was gone. “Hey, you’re the one that’s following me.”

“
Really?” He mused. “So I’m the one scouring each aisle, examining it from top to bottom before moving on to the next, searching for what exactly? Oh that’s right, me.”

He was smug and I could tell he was enjoying himself quite well. “So you gonna tell me your name this time or are you just gonna do your ninja thing and vanish.”

“
Quite the inquisitive one aren’t we?” He asked. “You do know what happened with curiosity don’t you?”

“
Yeah, he became President.” I stated. “So what’s your deal, who are you?”

“
Connor. That’s what they call me.” He smiled and when he did the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end for no reason.

“
That’s what they call you?” I questioned. “So that’s not your real name then?”

“
Never tell anyone your real name.” He came closer, stopping less then an arms distance away. “There’s power hidden behind a name, but you already know this, don’t you,
Madison
?”

He came even closer. I took an involuntary step away.

“
Everyone has always called me Madison.” I exclaimed. “Ever since I was little.”

“
So that’s not your
real
name either?” He countered. “It is what it is. The last I remember, you were bleeding in the street.”

“
Yeah, I wanted…I just wanted to thank you. For helping me out the way you did.” I was getting butterflies in my stomach, the good kind you know, yet I was scared as hell.

“
You already have.” Connor said.

“
So, you just like hanging out in book stores?” Awesome come back line Madison. Just awe-inspiring…

“
I’m just…” Connor paused briefly. “Doing a little research I suppose.”

“
On what?” I asked.

“
The newly introduced criminal element…”

“
Really? There a lot of, uh…” I glanced at the book he was keeping tight to the chest, reading the title across the front cover. “
Mythological Creatures in Urban Society
running around the mean streets of Palm Coast?”

“
You’d be surprised.” He came closer. This time I didn’t back away. We were only inches from each other.

Within kissing distance.

“
You could just shoot them in the leg. I hear that works these days.”

“
We should only be so lucky. Speaking of which, you're still not riding around with that gun in the trunk are you?”

I had forgotten all about that thing.

“
Uh…yeah, kinda. It makes me feel safe.” I lied.

“
You do understand that in all likelihood, it’s a murder weapon. I’m sure he probably killed somebody, somewhere with it. Or if not that, it must have some trace to some random crime. If you get pulled over by the Cops, you might inadvertently link yourself to it.”

“
I told you, it makes me feel safe.”

“
You’re lying.” Connors pupils dilated somewhat, the flecks of amber glowing brighter than before. “Tell me why you’re so interested in me.”

“
Because you saved my life and I think you’re extremely hot, although not as hot as my boyfriend. You also scare the hell out of me and my best friend thinks you’re a vengeful spirit or something like that, but sometimes, all I think about is you. You’re also standing way to close for a casual conversation and its making me feel extremely uncomfortable and awkward, but in a good way. I like it.”

Whoa Madison, what the hell was that??

Connor moved even closer, so close I could feel his lips brush against my ear and as he spoke, I closed my eyes and inhaled sharply.

“
What are you doing later this evening?” Connor asked. His breath smelled like cinnamon sticks. “Would you like to hang out with me?”

“
Uh...sure.” I couldn’t manage anything else. My heart was beating so fast, I could hear it thundering in my chest. His voice sent electrical currents down my spine and I was frozen in place unable to move.

“
You okay baby?”

My eyes snapped open, but Connor was gone, nowhere in sight. Instead, I found Ethan standing in front of me, waiting patiently for me to grab my coffee.

“
Um, yeah. I’m fine, it’s just…” I glanced around, but I couldn’t see Connor anywhere.

“
It’s just what?” Ethan was drinking a very large Frappuccino with lots of whipped cream.

“
It’s just static cling is all.” I took my drink from him and took a sip. It was a Caramel Macchiato and it was delicious.

Ethan seemed overly eager. “Come on; let’s go grab a spot.”

We waited in the back of the line, which had become obscenely longer from the first time we entered the book store. Ethan was beside me, holding my hand while sipping his Frappuccino. Sometime between now and when he first went to get us drinks, his enthusiasm level about getting an autograph spiked exponentially.

“
You know that screenplay I read back in the day, I didn’t know it was a book first.” he announced.

“
What screenplay?” I blurted out. I was having a hard time concentrating, the after effects of Connor still present in my system like a drug.

“
The Vampire one, Fledgling.”

I rolled my eyes. “Love the title. Very Original.”

Ethan squeezed my hand. “Nah, it was actually pretty good. Time travel. Alternate dimensions. I was impressed.” Ethan produced two books from underneath his arm. “So I’m getting the Fledgling one and he had another, Ambrosia, I don’t know, I’ve never heard of that one, but the cover looked pretty cool so…”

He was still talking, but my mind was elsewhere. It’s just that, he was here, my Dark Haired Savior, my Connor. It was so strange seeing him again, being able to speak without the threat of physical harm lingering in the atmosphere. He was just as mysterious as before, the unnatural state of being that is Connor overwhelming my senses, so strong that it even blocked out thoughts of Ethan in the process.

He was just as unnerving now as he was when we first met. Every fiber in my being was telling me to run, yet the echo of him left in my mind’s eye whispered for me to come closer to the flame until my fingers burned from the heat.

He wanted to see me again,
tonight
was his exact words. I wanted too of course. Already told him I would, yet an undying urge to simply stay away from him was hard to ignore. He was even more of an enigma now that we had spoken, the mysticism that I had built up around him in my mind only amplified by the magnitude of his persona.

Oddly enough, he was still a jerk, yet it was difficult to tell if it was just false bravado put forth by an overly compensating Y chromosome or if asshole was just a part of his genetic makeup as a whole. Regardless, my gut feeling, my internal instinct to just run in the opposite direction when in his presence overruled all.

And what was up with that round of Truth or Truth? I have no idea why I would tell him those things. It was like my mouth was a facet and my leaky brain just kept flowing words out of it.

I looked up at Ethan, he was still rambling on about John Rogers and it was clearly obvious to me that he hadn’t realized that I had stopped paying attention a long time ago. Yet just the sight of him was enough to banish thoughts of Connor to the recesses of my mind. I didn’t need more then Ethan. I didn’t need to know Connor anymore then I already did.

He saved my life and for that I am eternally grateful, however that doesn’t mean he can become a part of my life as well. There was room for only so many mysterious men and Ethan Blackwood had already filled that quota and then some.

There was a commotion at the beginning of the line, loud enough that it even caused Ethan to stop his incessant ramblings and take notice. It was from a woman who was increasingly becoming louder in her conversation with the Author.

“
What do you mean you’re done signing autographs for the day?” She was very volatile.

“
Just as it sounds my dear, I would have thought the sentence self-explanatory.” Rogers was calm in his demeanor, yet even from this vantage point, I could tell his attention was elsewhere.

“
I’ve been waiting in this line for like, fifteen, twenty minutes.” She yelled.

“
Then it was time well spent.” Rogers replied.

“
Not if I don’t get an autograph, it isn’t.” There was a resounding agreement from the patrons that stood directly behind her as well.

“
Any day above ground is time well spent.” Rogers wasn’t even bothering to look at her anymore, instead his attention was drawn towards something behind Ethan and myself.

“
How ‘bout I don’t buy any more of your books, how ‘bout that?” The woman was very adamant about her perspective boycott of all things John Rogers.