A Vampyre's Daughter

by Jeff Schanz

She seemed uncertain. “I do, but… that’s your unique name for me. Now there’s two Lia’s. I am no longer the only one.”

  Brandt laughed. “It’s an honor usually bestowed to someone famous or just special to the owner. Anyway, it’s not my Lia, it’s just a Lia. Uh, not that you’re actually my… Uh, I mean, you’re the only real one.” He wanted to slap his face for that verbal mess. “It’s just supposed to be a compliment.”

  She seemed not to mind and accepted the explanation. “Then I like it.”

  There were a number of portable shades and tents all along the narrow street that adjoined the dock. They ducked under each one so Lia could have a little reprieve from the sun as they walked. Though her clothing and parasol seemed to be doing the job, they were being cautious until they knew the total exposure she was going to get with a whole day planned.

  Each booth had something to sell or offer and Lia wanted to see it all. Trinkets, jewelry, t-shirts, gadgets, carvings of sea creatures, lotions. One lady handed out a sample of some perfume and Lia squealed with joy. Another lady sold her cruelty-free eyeliner and eyeshadow. Lia had no need for it on her island, but she enjoyed talking with the lady so much, she felt guilty if she didn’t buy the set. She wanted to talk with everyone. They, in turn, liked her attention until they realized she wasn’t going to stop talking to them and they would miss other customers.

  Lia was fascinated by every person she walked past: The ladies in their short shorts, tank tops, and tight leggings; the men in their cargo shorts, flip-flops, and colorful hats. They stared at her as well. Besides the fact that she was pretty, her child-like joy at everything she saw was infectious. She danced as she walked. Elderly women laughed and clapped at her as she twirled and swayed. Elderly men took her hand and danced with her. She was always in the shade but was nevertheless in a spotlight. Despite being the most clothed woman on the pier, she had the most magnetic attraction of any woman there.

  She got a little tired and dizzy from the strength of the sun and they took the time to go into a little pub to sit in the cool dim lighting. They sat at a table and Lia grasped Brandt’s hand.

  “I think I am the happiest woman here,” she said, beaming.

  No argument at all.

  Under normal circumstances, Brant would be careful with the kinds of foods he ate in order to stay in shape, but he figured being shipwrecked and surviving on fish and MREs for a week and a half deserved a splurge for a day. He ordered a burrito and nachos. Lia said she would taste them, but didn’t want anything herself. As Brandt ate, Lia was mesmerized by the TV hanging above the bar. Her mouth hung open as she stared in fascination. Brandt tried to explain it, but his explanation wasn’t adequate to match her wonder. Then someone went over to the jukebox and played a song. The song was Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

  Her face burst into radiance and she tried to pull Brandt out of his chair. “This is your song!” she said, ecstatic. “Go sing it.”

  “Um, no. Not here. Maybe later. There’s places you can do that, but…”

  “Then let's go somewhere you can do that,” she said and tapped her fingertips together.

  He shook his head and laughed. All the people here, all the things on this island to do, and I’m still her entertainment. “Later,” he said.

  She looked sullen for a moment but quickly snapped out of it once he had finished his burrito. His fork hadn't even dropped before she pulled at his hand to go to another place. He slapped down some bills from the brick of money he got from the bad guys' bankroll, and they left the pub.

  She pulled him up to a shop window that had very bright tourist clothing.

  “Those are the stockings I saw those women wearing. May I have one?” she asked, nearly pleading. She was referring to some multicolored leggings hanging in the window. The window also had some bathing suits and sarongs.

  Brandt nodded. “Lia, I think it’s time we turn you into a modern woman.”

  Walking into the store, Lia noticed the placard of a tan model sporting a minuscule bikini. She covered her mouth with her hand. “But modern women wear so little.”

  “Only when they swim in the pool, sweetie.”

  “Pool?! Is there a pool here?” She was shivering with glee.

  Brandt almost swallowed his own spit in laughter. He was having as much fun as she was.

  A half-hour later, they emerged with two bags of stuff. Lia was gleefully skipping when she went too far into the sun and had to step back suddenly.

  “Where is the pool?” she asked.

  “The hotels have them. They make you get a room to use their pool. If you’re feeling up to it, we can get one. It’ll also help us store our stuff and take a break out of the sun when you’re tired. It’s probably a good idea.”

  “I would like that,” she said. Brandt wasn’t sure she fully understood the implications, but he’d explain it as best he could. Maybe he’d just try to get two rooms. They had plenty of bad-guy cash.

  The front desk clerk apologized. “I’m sorry sir, but I only have the one room left. But it is a suite. There is a fold-out couch.”

  There were other hotels on the island, but Brandt didn’t feel like wasting the day checking each one.

  He turned to Lia and sighed. “Listen, we’re kinda stuck. It’s just the one bed. But you can have it. I’ll take the couch. I promise I’ll be a gentleman.”

  Lai shrugged. “I trust you, Mr. Dekker.” She stifled a grin. She really did think that calling him Mr. Dekker teased him. It kinda did.

  They went up in the elevator, which was another first for Lia. She wanted to press all the buttons, but Brandt put the kibosh on that. Their room was vast and had a beautiful view of the beach. Ironic. Every time he had ever been on a beach vacation, he always got the view of the pool. Lia had seen nothing but the ocean for years, and all she wanted was the pool.

  She looked at the view from a distance. “I’ll look at it more tonight.”

  There was too much sun on the balcony. Likewise, the pool was going to have to wait until the evening as well.

  She lay on the bed face up and stared at the ceiling fan. “This is the most fun I’ve had in fifty years. You are the best friend I could ever have.”

  Friend. Yes, that’s what I am.

  Brandt showered for the first time in nine days. Swimming in the lagoon had taken away the nasty but didn't quite cover clean. He also shaved. Though he wasn't obsessed with a clean-shaven face, Lia's pristine skin versus his homeless-guy scruff made him embarrassed to be seen with her. When he was done, he showed Lia how the shower worked. She couldn't believe that an endless supply of water just came out at any temperature you liked. He left her to try it on her own, and he went back into the room and dressed.

  He had bought himself some new clothes, like a nicer button-up shirt so he wouldn't feel like the slacker guy that nobody could believe was with that nice, cultured girl. Along with that were a pair of khaki pants, black shoes, some cargo shorts, jeans, surf shorts, and a Catalina t-shirt for a memento.

  He knew they'd be hitting more shops as soon as Lia was done showering. He had seen a bookstore and knew no trip anywhere with Lia would be complete without seeing if there was a book that she may not have. There was also an old vinyl record store he spotted and wanted to get Lia some albums she could play on her phonograph. She'd be able to hear real singing for a change. Gotta get her caught up a bit. Tchaikovsky hasn’t put out a new album in a while. Plus, he could introduce her to some of his favorite blues and rock artists. Once she was safely back on her island again, he would at least left her with something more than his memory.

  You sure you can’t stay? Nobody followed you. Maybe nobody is ever going to follow you. He didn’t believe that. But he was starting to have a little hope that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance this war could end sooner and easier than he expected. And then what?

  Evening came. They had exhausted every store, every tent, and every ba
r in Catalina. At least it seemed that way. Lia was the Energizer Bunny. She had been in and out of the sun all day, yet seemed unaffected. Maybe his blood really was powerful.

  His memories went back to the moment on the mountain when she had bitten him. He had feared a vampyre’s bite, but when it happened, it was actually pleasant. He was starting to think that a lot of things in his life were not as they seemed. Maybe his judgments weren’t as accurate as he believed, either, which lead to his renewed regret over his rash war on an international drug kingpin. A couple of weeks ago, he had nothing to live for, and now, all he wanted to do was be with this weird, wild, and wonderful woman as she danced and smiled, and shopped. And swam.

  After yet another shower (the novelty hadn’t worn off, and apparently, hot water didn’t affect vampyres), Lia was in the bathroom putting on her bathing suit. She refused to let Brandt see it when she bought it. He didn’t get it, but, whatever. It was probably a modesty thing.

  “Ok, no laughing,” she said behind the door.

  Why the hell would I laugh? Then he thought, Oh, God, she’s bought some old long-legged suit with a skirt or something. She’ll look like “old folks’ day” at the public pool.

  She opened the door. Brandt’s heart stopped. She slowly turned for him like she was a runway model, showing off a simple red one-piece with ties behind her neck, open in the back. It had high hip lines and a low cut cleavage, yet would still be considered modest on most other young women. On Lia, it was the sexiest thing he had ever seen. Maybe it was because he knew how revealing it would be in her mind, or maybe it was because he was the only one who had ever seen her like this. At least in a hundred years. Whatever the reason, he was speechless.

  “Is it ok? Does it show enough?” she asked. “I just couldn’t do the bikini. I feel naked as it is. But I didn’t want anyone to laugh at me.”

  Brandt shook his head. He meant to accompany the action with a denial that anyone would laugh at her, but the words got stuck.

  Her smile sunk. “Oh, I look stupid, don’t I?” she said, misunderstanding his reaction. “I’ll embarrass you.”

  Brandt had dated many women. Dated is too strong a word. Most of them were pretty. He had slept with models, actresses, and athletes, and even a porn star once. Women found him attractive, and in turn, he was used to having his choice of them. But most were only beautiful on the outside. Maybe one or two of them had potential to stick around, but most of them were looking for more than he had to offer. He had a modest amount of money he had saved from the Army, but he had no steady job, no career ambition, no hot car, and no investments. And women found him uninteresting past his looks, generally just concerned with guaranteed monetary comfort. They knew they were hot, and that afforded them choices. Here was a woman in front of him that had a body like an Olympic ice dancer, a face and skin like a Middle Earth elf princess, hair like a Nordic model, and couldn’t fathom that men might want her. She had the world at her feet everywhere she walked. Everyone wanted to touch her, dance with her, be with her, talk with her. And all she wanted was to listen to Brandt tell her stories and sing badly. No matter where they went and what they did, Brandt was still the most interesting thing in her sight. And there she stood in front of him, a classic beauty in her simple red one-piece, worried she wasn’t good enough to be seen with him.

  Brandt was suddenly not so interested in leaving the room.

  She crossed her arms. “Oh, I should’ve just bought the bikini, shouldn’t I? I look silly.”

  Brandt breathed deeply. “Sweetie, you are going to shame every other woman at the pool.”

  She cocked her head, puzzled. “Why?”

  “It’s a compliment,” he said. “Here, let me show you something.”

  Brandt led her back into the bathroom. There were no mirrors in Viktor’s house, and maybe she hadn’t looked at herself in a long time. The mirror over the sink was fogged over from all the showers. He took a small towel and rubbed the mirror clear. He nudged her in front of the mirror. She touched the mirror surface and then touched her own face.

  Brandt leaned his face next to hers. “You look incredible and I’m the one who will look silly next to you,” he said.

  He had on a pair of baggie surf shorts and a t-shirt that sported “Catalina” across the chest. Lia was silent a moment and then blushed.

  “You exaggerate, but it’s sweet,” she said.

  She wore a sarong down to the pool. When they got there, they were virtually the only ones there. It was evening, so there were no sunbathers. There was an old, fat guy lounging near the deep end, and some very furry man shaking out his towel in the far corner. Nobody else. Brandt took off his shirt and Lia suddenly started fidgeting. She glanced at Brandt for a moment, then bashfully turned away. She had seen him shirtless before, but he had been bruised and banged up then. He was used to women staring at his cut physique, though usually they didn't blush.

  Brandt sat down on the pool entry steps and Lia gingerly stepped into the pool. She made it waist-high before she panicked.

  “What if I – I slip, and…”

  They had this conversation in the elevator before they arrived. Lia was petrified because she couldn’t float. Brandt assured her she could stay in the shallow end. Brandt thought the argument was over. Apparently not.

  “Lia, it’s waist-deep. Even if you slip, you can just stand back up. And I’m right here. You’re safe.”

  She grinned nervously and turned around slowly on tip-toes. She waded from one side of the shallow end to the other, then came back to Brandt. She sat on the step with him.

  “I don’t think I like swimming as much as I thought,” she said.

  He chuckled. “There’s plenty of other things to do. The night is young, as they say.” Especially for a night-loving vampyre.

  She nodded, then grabbed his hand, stood up, and suddenly swimming was over.

  Back in the room, Lia primped in the bathroom, enjoying the now un-fogged mirror, trying on her new makeup and hair products. Brandt put on the nicer clothes he had bought, and they prepared to hit the bars, clubs, and whatever else the Catalina evening had to offer.

  Lia came out, and once again Brandt was speechless. He had never seen her with makeup on. She could’ve been a movie star. She wore her shoulder-less white outfit that she had worn in the boat the previous evening, this time with heels she had just bought. Her hair was brushed to frame her face.

  Brandt didn’t need much of anything except a teeth brushing and a comb through his short hair, then he was ready to go. He held out an arm and they went downstairs.

  They found an improv club that offered Karaoke, much to Brandt’s chagrin, which Lia insisted upon. There was a good-sized stage and some performers did more than sing. A few of them had a full dance routine to accompany their bad singing. Brandt went to the bar to order some whiskey and fries for himself, and some wine for Lia. The place was packed and the order took forever. While he was waiting, Brandt watched as several men sent Lia drinks. She accepted them all, oblivious to their intention, and waved appreciatively to each sex-hungry land shark. By the time Brandt came back, there were three glasses of wine, two daiquiris, one margarita, and one tequila shot littering her table. However, she hadn’t touched any of them. She thanked Brandt for his own offering of wine and sipped at it while he ate his fries.

  The show was getting rowdy, and some of the performers were getting risqué with their dance moves on stage. Lia kept nudging Brandt that it was his turn, and Brandt kept saying, “Maybe the next one.” An hour and a few whiskeys later, Lia’s stern frown signaled she was getting impatient. She placed a hand over his glass and gave him an admonishing look. “You are delaying.”

  He burped a whiskey bubble and said, “I’m not going to get out of this, am I?”

  “No,” she said. “Journey!”

  Brandt slumped. “Anything else, please. I can’t hit those notes.”

  “I don’t know any s
ongs. You pick. Just get up there.”

  Brandt grunted. Lia wasn’t about to give him any chance to back out. She started clapping loudly. “Dek – ker! Dek – ker! Dek – ker!” The crowd chimed in and started looking at Brandt.

  Brandt shot her a “you’re gonna get it” look. She shrugged modestly playing the innocent card. He stood up and stomped to the stage. The crowd encouraged him. He looked over the selections. Everything looked hard. He finally saw something by an old band called Cheap Trick he thought he could handle. He grinned and thought he could embarrass Lia a little if he played it right.

  The music started. The drum beats slapped. His courage, or maybe the whiskey in his stomach, heated up his blood. He began.

  “I waaaaant you to want me. I neeeeed you to need me.” He pointed at Lia and sang at her. The crowd “ahhhd,” and Lia clapped, not realizing he was trying to embarrass her. It wasn’t working. She was enthralled. Brandt got more risqué. “I’d looooove you to love me. I’m behhhhging you to beg me.” He gyrated like he was making love. Lia was still clapping, though she was finally blushing. Ha! Gotcha!

  The crowd was into it. He was no worse than anyone else and had good moves even if they were a little vulgar. When the song was over, he was about to leave the stage but got a rousing ovation. Lia was leading it.

  She stepped forward. “One more! One more!” she shouted.

  There was a mischievous grin on her face. She knew he was trying to embarrass her and was returning the favor. Oh, game on, sister. Brandt turned around and looked over the selections again. He smirked. He pushed the button for “Billie Jean.” Checkmate, babe.

  “Gimme a hat,” he called to the audience. Someone tossed him their straw fedora. Perfect.

  The music started. The beats thumped. He hit the pose, hand on hat, foot on tiptoe, hips thrusting. “Hoo hoo, hoo hoo,” sang the background voices. The whiskey was peaking and he kicked out and danced. And he slayed. He was better than when he did it on her island.

  He got another standing ovation when he was done, then he bowed and jumped off the stage. Lia looked peacock-proud as he sat back down. He’s with me, her eyes beamed.