new story ... untitled for now
She had that kind of rare beauty he didn’t see much at the bar. Dark hair, sparkling, almost sinister eyes of unspeakable depth, milky white skin, dimples in just the right places when she smiled. She had energy. No, that wasn’t it. It was true, but it wasn’t what made her stand out among the other women in the place. There was just something about her, something deeply attractive that he couldn’t quite name. But whatever it was, Alex wanted it.
One of his buddies noticed his inattention to their conversation and gave him a nudge.
"What’s up, Ray?" Alex asked, without looking away. He simply couldn’t. He was too afraid she might be a mirage that would disappear if he lost sight of her for even a second.
Ray cast his eyes in the same direction, and quickly figured out what his friend was staring at. He wondered how he had failed to spot her before.
"Go talk to her! Don’t just stare at her with your jaw on the floor." Now Alex did look away, but only for a few seconds. He felt that even that was too much.
"No way." he said, chuckling a bit at the very thought of seducing such an attractive girl. She would never go for him.
"It’s been a long time for you, man. Wait much longer and you’ll go crazy. Trust me, Alex, I’ve been there. I’ve been at this much longer than you have. I know what it’s like. You’ve got the charm now; it comes with the territory. Just go talk to her. She’ll be yours in fifteen minutes flat."
Alex licked his lips, contemplating his wise friend’s advice. Ray was right, it had been a long time. Too long. And here she was, a living, breathing goddess of beauty right in front of his eyes. What was he doing sitting on a barstool?
He took a deep breath, and, still unable to turn away from her, he said loudly so that his friend could hear above the Friday night crowd, "Let’s make it ten minutes."
He got up and made his way toward her, wishing he could lash out at anyone who got in his way as he squeezed through the crowd to where she and her friend were seated at a table in the corner. It was darker over there without the lights of the bar standing over him. He liked it.
"You ladies mind if I join you?" It was bold, possibly too bold. He regretted it immediately; they would surely turn him away. There were so many better things he could have said! He cursed himself for being no good at being suave, for being incapable of living up to his name, the reputation of his kind.
His goddess turned and looked straight up at him, and he felt himself being swallowed by those eyes, those endless pools of black water that could have been two separate universes within themselves. Her friend was nothing compared to her; she was chubby and blonde, curly-haired and a bit perky, although that could have been the alcohol. She looked straight at Alex as he stood above the dark beauty, but he barely noticed her. His attention was entirely taken by those eyes. She was just what he had been looking for, what all those of his kind looked for. And this one was all his. Finally, she spoke.
“I’m not usually into strange men in bars who dress in all black, but how could I say no on a Friday night when everyone’s out looking to get laid?” She was sassy. That was good. Alex liked when they put up a fight.
“So is that a yes?” he asked her, painting on his most charming smile.
She smiled back. “It’s all yours.” she said, nodding her head toward the empty iron chair that sat across from her and her blonde friend. He sat, and as he did so he got a whiff of her perfume. It was an attractive smell to say the least; soft and gentle, but undeniably sexy.
Her chubby friend got up just as he took his seat, seeming to sense that she had become a third wheel.
“I think I’m just gonna head back to my place and get some studying done, actually. Sorry I can’t stay to talk, but it was nice meeting you.”
“Nice meeting you, too. Have a nice night.” he said, shooting his dark beauty a curious look, as if he were surprised by her friend’s sudden impulse to excuse herself.
“Are you sure, Hannah?” she asked, brushing a lock of her luscious hair behind her ear.
“Yeah, it’s fine. I’ll see you later.” She pushed in her chair, slung her purse over her shoulder and hurried out of the bar.
“Well, that was interesting.” Alex said with the cutest puzzled-looking smile he could muster.
“That was weird.” She returned his puzzled expression, except hers was authentic.
“So what’s your name?” he asked, the dark blonde hair on the back of his neck standing at attention in the presence of such an astonishingly beautiful woman.
“Ari.”
“Short for Arianna?”
“Arielle.”
“Pardon my saying,” he said, using all the charm he had in him, “but I think it would suit you better to go by Arielle. It’s such a beautiful name, it’s perfect for you. Ari doesn’t nearly do justice to your beauty.” He made sure that his tone was sincere yet playful. If he was too serious she would doubt his sincerity, although his words were completely true. She truly was too stunning for a name as simple as Ari.
“And what’s your name?” she asked, raising her eyebrows a bit at the straightforwardness with which he had expressed his opinion of her name.
“Alex. Short for Alexander, if you were going to ask.” He smiled sweetly.
“Wow, handsome and psychic. I should come here more often.” She played with the straw in her drink, what looked like rum and Coke. Alex could remember having heard somewhere that women who played with their straws while talking to a man were often thinking of playing with something else, wink wink. This was it, he suddenly knew. It seemed too soon, but something told him it was right. Only lately had he found that trusting himself was always the best idea.
“You should.” He gave her his best toothless smile, cute and naughty at the same time. Women always ate it up. “And do you know where else I think you should try going?”
“Where’s that?” She took a few long sips of her drink, never removing her eyes from him. He had her entranced, and it hadn’t even been five minutes yet, never mind the ten he had promised Ray. He watched the up-and-down movements of her slender throat as she swallowed. He had to admit she may have had him a bit entranced as well.
He leaned forward, so close he could smell her sweet shampoo. He answered her almost in a whisper.
“The alley behind this bar.” It was risky, but the instant it was out of his mouth he knew he had her. He could tell she normally wasn’t such a dumb broad, he had sensed something different in her. First he had driven her little blonde friend away simply by using his own negative energy, and now he knew it was just because of his talent that Arielle had given in, and that pleased him. He broke out in a full smile. Arielle was smiling too.
He took her hand, and they left the bar through the back door, the door drunks often mistook for the Men’s room. He glanced back at Ray on the way out, and his friend held up three fingers. That’s got to be a record, he thought as he and his dark beauty slipped through the back door.
Twenty minutes later, Ray, Charlie and Len stood by the car smoking cigarettes. Ray looked at his watch. The other two were getting impatient. He didn’t know what their rush could possibly be to get home; they had endless years ahead of them to do whatever it was they wanted to do so badly.
Just then, the new happy couple emerged from the alley beside the building, two shadowy figures in the dark of the unlit passage. Ray saw that Alex and Ari were smiling as they stepped into the moonlight hand-in-hand. He was pleased to notice that her new teeth were already coming in.
Alex flashed his friends an accomplished smile as he helped his new lady friend into the backseat. They all got in, and Ray started the car and sped off, taking them back to the abandoned church basement they had called home for almost eighty-two years. Ray always tried to keep to the posted speed limits, but they were cutting it close this time. The sun would be up soon.
He looked back at Ari and smiled. She smiled back. Alex had been lonely, and now everything was perfect. She was one of them now.
comments are appreciated!
One of his buddies noticed his inattention to their conversation and gave him a nudge.
"What’s up, Ray?" Alex asked, without looking away. He simply couldn’t. He was too afraid she might be a mirage that would disappear if he lost sight of her for even a second.
Ray cast his eyes in the same direction, and quickly figured out what his friend was staring at. He wondered how he had failed to spot her before.
"Go talk to her! Don’t just stare at her with your jaw on the floor." Now Alex did look away, but only for a few seconds. He felt that even that was too much.
"No way." he said, chuckling a bit at the very thought of seducing such an attractive girl. She would never go for him.
"It’s been a long time for you, man. Wait much longer and you’ll go crazy. Trust me, Alex, I’ve been there. I’ve been at this much longer than you have. I know what it’s like. You’ve got the charm now; it comes with the territory. Just go talk to her. She’ll be yours in fifteen minutes flat."
Alex licked his lips, contemplating his wise friend’s advice. Ray was right, it had been a long time. Too long. And here she was, a living, breathing goddess of beauty right in front of his eyes. What was he doing sitting on a barstool?
He took a deep breath, and, still unable to turn away from her, he said loudly so that his friend could hear above the Friday night crowd, "Let’s make it ten minutes."
He got up and made his way toward her, wishing he could lash out at anyone who got in his way as he squeezed through the crowd to where she and her friend were seated at a table in the corner. It was darker over there without the lights of the bar standing over him. He liked it.
"You ladies mind if I join you?" It was bold, possibly too bold. He regretted it immediately; they would surely turn him away. There were so many better things he could have said! He cursed himself for being no good at being suave, for being incapable of living up to his name, the reputation of his kind.
His goddess turned and looked straight up at him, and he felt himself being swallowed by those eyes, those endless pools of black water that could have been two separate universes within themselves. Her friend was nothing compared to her; she was chubby and blonde, curly-haired and a bit perky, although that could have been the alcohol. She looked straight at Alex as he stood above the dark beauty, but he barely noticed her. His attention was entirely taken by those eyes. She was just what he had been looking for, what all those of his kind looked for. And this one was all his. Finally, she spoke.
“I’m not usually into strange men in bars who dress in all black, but how could I say no on a Friday night when everyone’s out looking to get laid?” She was sassy. That was good. Alex liked when they put up a fight.
“So is that a yes?” he asked her, painting on his most charming smile.
She smiled back. “It’s all yours.” she said, nodding her head toward the empty iron chair that sat across from her and her blonde friend. He sat, and as he did so he got a whiff of her perfume. It was an attractive smell to say the least; soft and gentle, but undeniably sexy.
Her chubby friend got up just as he took his seat, seeming to sense that she had become a third wheel.
“I think I’m just gonna head back to my place and get some studying done, actually. Sorry I can’t stay to talk, but it was nice meeting you.”
“Nice meeting you, too. Have a nice night.” he said, shooting his dark beauty a curious look, as if he were surprised by her friend’s sudden impulse to excuse herself.
“Are you sure, Hannah?” she asked, brushing a lock of her luscious hair behind her ear.
“Yeah, it’s fine. I’ll see you later.” She pushed in her chair, slung her purse over her shoulder and hurried out of the bar.
“Well, that was interesting.” Alex said with the cutest puzzled-looking smile he could muster.
“That was weird.” She returned his puzzled expression, except hers was authentic.
“So what’s your name?” he asked, the dark blonde hair on the back of his neck standing at attention in the presence of such an astonishingly beautiful woman.
“Ari.”
“Short for Arianna?”
“Arielle.”
“Pardon my saying,” he said, using all the charm he had in him, “but I think it would suit you better to go by Arielle. It’s such a beautiful name, it’s perfect for you. Ari doesn’t nearly do justice to your beauty.” He made sure that his tone was sincere yet playful. If he was too serious she would doubt his sincerity, although his words were completely true. She truly was too stunning for a name as simple as Ari.
“And what’s your name?” she asked, raising her eyebrows a bit at the straightforwardness with which he had expressed his opinion of her name.
“Alex. Short for Alexander, if you were going to ask.” He smiled sweetly.
“Wow, handsome and psychic. I should come here more often.” She played with the straw in her drink, what looked like rum and Coke. Alex could remember having heard somewhere that women who played with their straws while talking to a man were often thinking of playing with something else, wink wink. This was it, he suddenly knew. It seemed too soon, but something told him it was right. Only lately had he found that trusting himself was always the best idea.
“You should.” He gave her his best toothless smile, cute and naughty at the same time. Women always ate it up. “And do you know where else I think you should try going?”
“Where’s that?” She took a few long sips of her drink, never removing her eyes from him. He had her entranced, and it hadn’t even been five minutes yet, never mind the ten he had promised Ray. He watched the up-and-down movements of her slender throat as she swallowed. He had to admit she may have had him a bit entranced as well.
He leaned forward, so close he could smell her sweet shampoo. He answered her almost in a whisper.
“The alley behind this bar.” It was risky, but the instant it was out of his mouth he knew he had her. He could tell she normally wasn’t such a dumb broad, he had sensed something different in her. First he had driven her little blonde friend away simply by using his own negative energy, and now he knew it was just because of his talent that Arielle had given in, and that pleased him. He broke out in a full smile. Arielle was smiling too.
He took her hand, and they left the bar through the back door, the door drunks often mistook for the Men’s room. He glanced back at Ray on the way out, and his friend held up three fingers. That’s got to be a record, he thought as he and his dark beauty slipped through the back door.
Twenty minutes later, Ray, Charlie and Len stood by the car smoking cigarettes. Ray looked at his watch. The other two were getting impatient. He didn’t know what their rush could possibly be to get home; they had endless years ahead of them to do whatever it was they wanted to do so badly.
Just then, the new happy couple emerged from the alley beside the building, two shadowy figures in the dark of the unlit passage. Ray saw that Alex and Ari were smiling as they stepped into the moonlight hand-in-hand. He was pleased to notice that her new teeth were already coming in.
Alex flashed his friends an accomplished smile as he helped his new lady friend into the backseat. They all got in, and Ray started the car and sped off, taking them back to the abandoned church basement they had called home for almost eighty-two years. Ray always tried to keep to the posted speed limits, but they were cutting it close this time. The sun would be up soon.
He looked back at Ari and smiled. She smiled back. Alex had been lonely, and now everything was perfect. She was one of them now.
comments are appreciated!