Page 24 of My Road Trip with a Vampire: Season One
“Back in my day, we called that our intuition,” he says, tapping a finger on the steering wheel while I stare with my mouth open. He glances at me and starts to laugh.
“I’m just screwing with you, Bea. I’ve been around a long time. I know what a vibe is.”
“Funny,” I mutter.
“Let’s go check out the vibe and work from there.”
We have to drive around a huge pond to get to the park, and I imagine it's gorgeous in the daylight. The night smells like leaves and distant bonfires, but something damp hangs in the air.
“Shit. It might rain,” I say, stepping out of the car.
“I think you’re right,” Dennis says, blinking up at the sky. "We should probably set up the tents before it starts."
“Tents? What happened to fancy hotels?”
“You’ve been doing this for a while now, are you telling me you’ve never had to rough it?"
“I try to avoid it."
He grins and flicks on a flashlight, the glow highlighting his sharp jawline and making the shadows of his eyelashes stretch toward his cheeks. He looks too beautiful to be a monster.
“Come on, it’ll be fun. We can tell scary stories.”
"Sure. Lots of fun," I say and help him grab the equipment from the cargo space.
I’m too busy forcing poles into their proper slots to talk, but when I look up Dennis is almost done with his tent. The light from the lantern is bright enough to show the stilted structure before Dennis zips the cover over it.
His leather jacket parts as he tugs on the material, showing a glimpse of his neck and the muscles of his chest working beneath his fitted shirt. It’s hard to pull my eyes away, but I stare down at the parts I’m holding. I’m never going to get this thing together on my own.
“A little help?” I ask, raising my eyebrows and looking back to the pile of poles forming behind me.
“Sure thing,” he says and takes my pieces, fitting them together in an instant. I’m so fixated on the deft movement of his hands that I’m taken aback when I feel him looking at me. “You need something else?”
“No, I’m just going to grab my raincoat,” I say, moving to his tent to grab my duffel.
I start digging through my stuff, thinking of Dennis sleeping here. I hope he doesn't have visitors like the guy from last night. I'd be able to hear every deep breath and moan out here.
The thought makes me feel hotter than I should be on this chilly night.
We’re co-workers,I remind myself.You know better.
I'm trying to think of anything else when a sense of dread crawls over me. I know it the instant I feel it. My eyes shutter tight, and I feel cold like I'm back in the walk-in freezer at Bob's. The lining of my coat does little to warm me.
I shiver, and a gust of wind stirs the cover of leaves over the tent. The whisper of an indistinct voice kicks up in the breeze.
“Dennis,” I say, panic climbing into my throat.
He’s in the tent before I have a chance to explain what’s going on. He’s got a pole in one hand, and his fangs are visible as he swings the flashlight around the space.
“I can feel it,” I say, and he drops the light by his side.
“Already?”
I nod. The prickling sensation drags across my skin like fingernails. It’s an invitation. This ghost wants me to come and play.
“I think it’s time to explore.”
I touch the amulet hidden under my shirt and grab a bag of salt from my duffel. I’d like to bring a few more things, but it feels like somebody's watching me.
