Page 1 of Santa's Wish
CHAPTER 1
SANTA
The best partof being a vampire was, after a few decades, nobody remembered your real name. Since I frequented taverns, bars, nightclubs, what have you, where "everybody knows your name," it benefited me to change mine.
What was my real name? Didn't matter. I changed it to Santa years ago. My sire liked to say I had so many gifts, so I gave him a silver blade to the heart.
Needless to say, I changed my name and tried to drop off Empress Marcella's radar. When she showed up in Boston earlier this year, I almost shit a brick, figuratively speaking. My friend Key told his own story about that. He called itGrave Throbbing, of all things.
BUT I digress. This Santa story begins at the VIP lounge at the best vampire bar in all of Boston …
"Who wants to sit on Santa's lap?" I hollered to thecrowd outside the VIP room door. December's flashing neon sign called it Santa's Workshop, which wasn't quite true. My workshop was in the room behind it. I fabricated all kinds of cool sex furniture and machines for our revolving calendar of themes and kinks. November had been The Gobbler, a stand-up cutout of a turkey with a hole for my dick. Now that my friend Key and his sister Greed had moved on to sweet jobs with the vampire council, I tailored the gimmicks to me, my favorite person.
Speaking of Greed, she waved from the bar. Her brother was with her, and was that his boyfriend? I cringed when they kissed. His boyfriend was hot, and I kinda wished he was kissing me.
Nah. I tamped down the feelings of inadequacy and made my way through the crowd toward them.
"Hey, Santa," someone yelled from behind me. I turned, and the gorgeous someone pointed to the VIP room door.
"Back in a minute," I said. "Hold your horses." Not like people actually had horses nowadays, but it was still fun to say, especially when the guy flipped me off and folded his beefy arms over his chest. Damn. I would definitely come back for more of that, but first …
"Hey, if it isn't my two favorite elves!"
"Santa!" Greed grabbed my chin and kissed both cheeks when I drew near. "We've missed you!"
I doubted that. I'd practically begged Key to inviteme over when I'd helped him pack the moving van on November 1. Here it was, December 4, and I still hadn't seen the inside of their swanky apartments.
"I've been meaning to call you," Key said as he kissed both of my cheeks, the same as his sister. He pointed over his shoulder to the quiet vampire still seated on his bar stool. "This is Harley. Harley, Santa."
Harley offered his hand instead, and I shook it, giving him a smile. He didn't seem like the type of vampire to posture, and he didn't crush my hand in his grip, which I appreciated. Key had found a good one.
"Thank you for the … coffin," Harley said. "It's … interesting."
"Oh, Harley." Greed laughed at him and handed him a tumbler of blood with a pink umbrella in it. "Santa's an old friend. You can tell him you like the sex furniture he made you."
I did my best not to laugh at Harley's discomfort and flashed Key a sympathetic grin. "I see your sister hasn't stopped giving you grief for every little thing."
"She has not." Key held out his arm, and Greed left her stool to stand at his side as his armrest. "She's shared the love with Harley, as you can see."
Harley raised his glass before downing half of it in one gulp. I hadn't had my fill of blood, either. I asked the bartender, Jameson, to bring me one. It would be the cheapest they offered for the staff, but at least it was a step above the synthetic stuff.
"What brings you in tonight?" I asked once I had my drink in hand.
"Work party," Greed said.
"Here?" Things were really improving at Boston’s vampire council headquarters if they'd started partying at Fanglory.
Greed laughed. "At the hotel down the street. We decided it was boring and came here instead." She was interrupted when a dark-skinned woman with jet black hair slipped between her and the empty barstool and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Ah, there she is! Santa, this is my girlfriend, Ithande."
The beautiful woman nodded and offered her hand to me as well. She didn't bat an eye at my name. Neither did Harley. Maybe the nostalgia was wearing off.
"Greed has told me so much about you," Ithande said. "Did you really let a whole room full of guys circle jerk onto you while you were deep throating someone else?"
"It was my birthday." It had been fun, but at the end of the night, I'd gone home alone. That part hadn't been so great. I glanced at Key and Harley, who sat with their heads together, whispering about something romantic, from the way Harley was blushing.
My birthday would be here again in March, a big round one with two zeros at the end. I'd never really wanted to reach 200, but the day loomed ever closer.I'd never thought I would reach an age where I thought bringing multiple people pleasure each night was … boring.
Boring. There. I said it. My life was fucking boring. Predictable. Same old. Everything I thought a monogamous relationship would be. Bo-ring.
