Page 6 of A Vampire Bewitched
But that was seven years ago. Why would someone do it again after all this time?
What if it wasn’t a joke? What if it was for real? Could she take that chance? Could she believe that maybe it was an actual lead about her sister? After all these years?
You bet your ass she could.
She slung her purse over her shoulder and yelled, “I’m leaving now, Mark. See you tomorrow.” Without waiting for a response, she practically ran out of the office, nearly falling on her face when her cheap heels hit the slick floor in the reception area.
She was halfway across the parking lot before Mark manage to yell from the front door, “Wait, I’ll walk you out!”
“I’m good!” She waved before she tossed her bag over to the passenger seat, hopped into the driver’s seat, and started her eco-friendly gas-electric hybrid. Some quick hand over hand action backing out of her parking space sent off a whiff of herself and Emma wrinkled her nose…Ew.
Hitting the gym at lunch for her kickboxing class was a necessary evil, but the time crunch didn’t give her much time to clean up afterward. She glanced at the clock. If she hurried, she’d have time to run home to shower and then to the bar.
Jumping out of her car, she locked it with the key fob as she ran up the steps to her porch. The keys fumbled in her hands, and she almost dropped them three times before she finally managed to get the front door unlocked.
Bursting into her house, she ran upstairs, flicking on lights as she went. At her dresser, she yanked open the top drawer and grabbed some clean underwear. She yanked out the first pair of jeans she found and threw both on the bed.
Hopping on one foot at a time to remove her heels her work clothes were halfway off by the time she reached her closet. She threw her clothes in the hamper and her shoes into a corner.
Spotting her comfy lavender sweater, she tossed it on to the bed with the rest and streaked into the bathroom. Keeping her back to the mirror to avoid what she would see, she turned the water on.
It was an unconscious action after all these years—avoiding mirrors.
The cool water raised goosebumps as it hit her skin. Dumping shampoo on her head, she scrubbed her hair and body with the same suds, then stood under the water just long enough to rinse. The water never had time to heat up enough to steam up the mirror.
Dressed and (sort of) blow dried, she threw on her sneakers, grabbed a protein bar to eat on the way, and ran out the door, barely remembering to lock it behind her.
It was 8:20pm when she walked through the front door of The Vineyard, pausing just inside to let her eyes adjust to the dim lighting. She’d never been to this place, even though it was only five minutes from her house.
The shoddy interior looked like every other small town watering hole. Same old red, leather booths. Same kerosene lamps along the wall. Dance floor, if you wanted to call it that, on the left, complete with a drunken couple slow dancing to a fast song. Bar straight ahead.
She proceeded that way. A drink to calm her nerves sounded like a good idea. Other than the inebriated dancers and a few stragglers, the place was fairly empty for a Friday night.
She sat down on an empty stool at the end of the bar and turned it slightly sideways so her back was to the wall and she could keep an eye on the entrance.
The bartender put down the glass he was cleaning at the other end of the bar and shuffled down to her.
“What’ll it be darlin?” His voice was as ragged as his grey hair. But his pale, blue eyes twinkled merrily. Grabbing a cloth, he sprayed the bar with disinfectant and wiped it down.
She liked him immediately.
“I’ll take a Jack and Coke, please.” She set her bag up on the clean bar and made herself comfortable.
“Strong drink for such a little girl,” he teased, giving her a contagious smile.
He was missing a tooth, right in front. She couldn’t help but smile back.
As he shuffled back down the way he had come, Emma looked around again. Upon further inspection, she saw that although the furnishings were old and the floor was beat up from all of the boots that had trod across it, the place was at least clean.
Maybe I should come hang out here sometime. Socialize and shit. She snorted and rolled her eyes at herself. Likethatwould ever happen.
Emma never went anywhere except work and the gym. And honestly, she was surprised she still had this job after being there a full year. Usually she didn’t last at any one place more than a few months before she’d have to quit and move on, and not always because she wanted to. She’d had some really cool jobs in the past, and had worked with some really nice people.
But, inevitably,itwould happen. She’d get irritated with someone over something stupid, a stapler would fly off their desk and into a wall all by itself, and then the sideways looks and whispers would start. Her co-workers would now be afraid of her. They would stop coming by her desk for small talk. Stop inviting her for lunch.
It would be her childhood all over again.
Once, they’d even started a petition to have her fired due to “feelings of unease and inherent creepiness.”
