Shannon reached forward and tipped out more wine into her glass, “You better tell me the whole story.”
The story poured out of me as we drank the wine. From my first time seeing Garin step into the coffee shop out of the rain through the running, the escape, the attacks, the love, the fear, and the violence. My decision to break it off. Too much.
The kids weaved in and out asking for help to hang blankets over chairs in their room transforming the mundane objects into a fortress guarded by ferocious stuffed animals. A lot of dinosaurs did guard duty.
Shannon asked, “What are his good qualities?”
“Educated, talented, great with his hands –”
“– Oh yeah!?” she raised an eyebrow.
“Yes. No. You’re awful.” I wanted to toss a pillow at her if the kids hadn’t taken them all, “And ambitious in spite of family wealth –”
“– because of compound interest over centuries,” Shannon set her glass on the end table, “Which makes me ask: is he centuries old? Like creepy centuries old? Even if he looks younger?”
“No! But his family is old.”
“A lot of pros but a big bad negative in the con column.”
“Yeah.” I drained my glass. The bottle seemed empty too.
“I guess I’m still having trouble believing. Are you sure he’s a vampire?”
“Yes.” Concern washed over me, “Promise you’ll keep the secret?”
“Who would believe me?”
“Some.” I remembered the Militia’s sign at the Victorian Festival. Seemed like long ago but only weeks since the parade. “They fear pitchforks and torches.”
“Can vampires even have family? Is there a future in the relationship?”
“I think so. The vampire trying to take the company from Garin is dead. Real dead not undead.”
“– Mommy, what’s a vamp’s-ire?” Josh asked at her elbow. I hadn’t seen him come back in the living room.
Shannon said, “You should go play with your fortress.”
Josh waddled over to me and pressed a small brown bear against my chest, “Grizzly protects you. Don’t be sad.”
“Aww,” I hugged Josh, tears welling along my lower lids, “Thank you.” My voice cracked with, “You better go play.” I wiped my hands across my face.
“Now what do you think of kids?”
I smiled through the tears, “Still not yet. But your sales techniques are improving.” I sniffed. “A lot.”
After her son left the room Shannon said quietly, “Trouble breeds trouble … much more trouble. I’m glad you stopped that relationship.” Then I saw her face flinch, “If he wasn’t a vampire or had money would you still want him?”
“Can he still be gorgeous?”
“No – average. What’s the man behind it all?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I should spend more time with him?”
“Think about it … you’d bring a vampire into the rest of our family’s lives?”
“I know.”
“Around my kids.” Shannon’s voice increased slightly in volume and speed, “I put helmets on my kids when they ride bikes and safety seats in the car and double check the seat belts are tight and fully latched. Stuff Mom never did for us, but not Mom’s fault because no one did back then.”
“I remember riding in the back of a pickup sitting on the wheel wells too.”
“Everyone did.”
“But since we know I don’t want to encourage you on this. Promise me you’ll stay away from him?”
“Yes.”
“No difference than dating gangsters, drug dealers, or thugs. It’s dangerous not only for you but for my family. My kids.”
I decided getting out of this particular conversation sewer would be good, “How did you find Michael?”
Shannon relaxed, “College Halloween party. We danced. He had drunk too much and smelled of burlap. Every time I’m in the craft store or the home supply warehouse and I smell burlap I remember that night.”
“Why did he smell of burlap? Popular cologne? I’m not sure I’d like that.”
“He dressed up in a crazy peasant outfit he made himself using a burlap bag tied with thick cord like a medieval peasant. Then he had a cloth on his head. He quoted lines from some old television show with every beer. I still have a picture,” Shannon went to the book case that filled a whole wall at the side of the living room and retrieved an old photo album. “See?”
“That’s funny.”
“He’s not too wild side but I like some predictability.”
“After that good hands crack you gave me, does that predictability extend into the bedroom?”
“No. We both work on spontaneous.” Shannon put the photo album away, “We remind each other about sex. Easier since I cut caffeine when having kids. Though I really craved it after those sleepless crying baby nights. Years of working in an office drinking coffee and caffeine-laced pop I used to get migraines. Now I think my headaches came from withdrawal symptoms of caffeine imbalances. Michael doesn’t get angry and mean either since he stopped.”
“So you don’t have any communication issues with Michael?”
“Here’s a hint on husbands and the whole communication problem in popular media. Communication for husbands includes intimacy in the bedroom – their version of the conversation. A lot of wives neglect that. They claim too many caffeine-induced headaches. A relationship disconnect with an initiating conflict. Wives want the communication leading into intimacy. Husbands won’t be communicative unless you’re actively intimate.”
“That would be more useful if I had a guy.”
Shannon got up and pressed the television power button and flipped the remote to their media center input. I saw a splash of XBMC and an Ubuntu operating system icon.
“Hey, that’s the same operating system on my computer. Garin installed it for me.” A pain shot through my heart. I wasn’t getting over him as much as I thought.
“Michael put ours in. It’s been nice. The kid’s videos are on a hard drive now rather than on the living room floor getting stepped on. We stream content from Amazon. I thought you’d like to watch a movie with me?”
“Sure.”
Shannon flipped through the pictures of movies, “Do you have any other possible guys you know to date?”
“You’re not preparing to fix me up.”
“No. My friends are married or I only know older guys. None of them had kids young enough to date you.”
“This guy from the coffee shop asked me out.”
“Tell me details.” Shannon sat down in her chair, “He’s normal, right?”
Hunger tugged at me, “You have any chips?”
“In the snack pantry.”
I retrieved the bag of potato chips lurking there and flopped on the couch.
“Chips!” exclaimed James, sitting next to me with hands ready for the bag opening ceremony.
“They never hear you when it’s bedtime but the crinkle of snack bags brings them running.”
The other three rushed out and lined up next to me on the couch. Like four little poodles licking their lips in anticipation. “You don’t let them have these often do you?”
“No.” Shannon got out of her chair and went into the kitchen, “kids, over here in the kitchen. I have some vegetables for snacks. Maybe Aunti Anna can have some too? Then you can have a few chips.”
The poodle team bounded across the living room and hopped into chairs at the kitchen table. Sad faces when they saw the vegetables as promised. They poked at the carrots and celery while Shannon put out little tea-cup bowls and filled them with some chips. “Eat half of that snack and you can have some chips.”
“My negotiator sister at work.”
“You wait. You’ll get to do this someday.” Shannon put a bowl in front of each child and instant happiness lighted their faces. “You’ll find they are not much different from corner office VPs though.”
“I hear our movie starting,” I gra
bbed the bag of chips and a fistful of carrots.
“Mommy, I want to color.”
“I want to draw.”
“Me too.”
“Yes!”
Shannon got up. “Tell me what I miss.” she rolled out a stack of bins with paper and crayons and other art supplies.
“Mommy, I want to paint!”
“And me too!”
“No, we’re not painting today. Too much mess and supervision needed for that.”
“Oh …”
“But Mommy!”
“No, you can do a lot with crayons and the pencils in here.”
“Ok.”
“But I want to paint!”
“No Julie. This weekend we can do some painting. Or chalk on the driveway.”
“Chalk on the driveway? Yes!” Julie ran for her shoes.
“Julie, it’s still raining outside and I said tomorrow.”
“I can get my boots on and my rain coat is in the closet!”
“No you’re staying inside. Here is some paper.”
I laughed. I knew this went on all day. “Chief snack factory and entertainment hub.”
“Won’t be so funny when you have some of your own,” Shannon smiled.
Shannon had the kids settled in for a while. “Ok, we’ve got about thirty minutes.”
“You talk like a Director between meetings.”
“You laugh …” Shannon sat down by the television. I didn’t have too many details on the movie events since I had watched her and the kids. We quickly figured out the movie villain got closer to tying the hero to the railroad tracks.
“Aunti Anna.” Joanna said next to my ear.
“Yes?”
“I made this for you.” she held out a sheet of light blue construction paper. Stick figures for her whole family and me scattered around the page. She wrote in child lettering, her R’s backward while her S’s looked like twos. Our names blazed under each picture in red crayon. A lot of hearts floated like butterflies around the page.
“I made you something too!” said Julie. She scribbled a flock of people and no words.
James rushed over followed by Josh, “And us too!”
“Aw, so sweet. These are fantastic.” I said looking through the drawings and at the little faces – perfect little nieces and nephews.
“You can take the pictures home,” suggested Joanna.
“These are really great drawings. Thank you.” I gave them each a hug.
Shannon smiled, “James, why don’t you take those over and lean them against Aunti Anna’s purse?”
“OK.”
I asked, “What’s happening at the castle?”
“The princess is held hostage by the evil robot.” said James as he came back.
“Where did you learn the word hostage?”
“Police TV.” James said.
“How are you watching police shows?”
“You’ll see …” Shannon grimaced. “Long nap and up all night. But mostly it’s from television advertising their own shows about ‘what’s up next’ over and over again all day.”
I winked at Shannon, “James, why don’t you take your brothers and sisters and rescue the princess?”
“Good plan,” Shannon said to me, “you’ll do ok.”
James led the troop of children marching toward the blanket castle.
“Those are really nice drawings. Did you put them up to it?”
“Nope. That is their work.”
“They’re really cute. I’m hanging the drawings on my refrigerator.”
-:- -:- -:-
“Michael, I appreciate you driving me back home.”
“No problem Anna.”
“I could drive.”
“I’m not sure what she thought. You split a bottle and only had minimal snacks.”
“I’ve had wine before.” I didn’t add that I’ve killed before too. My mind flashed to slicing the knife through the neck of the vampire Yashar.
“Maybe. But your sister and I are responsible for you.”
“We watched a movie after so I’m sure I’m alright.”
“Not a good idea that Shannon gave you wine when you’re not twenty-one yet.”
“Soon. Soon I’ll be twenty-one,” which reminded me Garin taught me a human could not be turned into a vampire until twenty-one. The drinking age of more than one elixir.
“I’ll have a talk with Shannon.”
“No it’s ok. Among family.” I saw the familiar wrought iron fencing and brick face of my building. “There. Drop me off at the sidewalk.”
“No, I’ll walk you up.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“I insist.” He slowed his Taurus against the curb and we went up.
I rummaged in my kitchen junk drawer. A few pizza store magnets scurried around under the other random bits. I caught them and pressed them over my new artwork ensemble. I stood back, “They’re really cute.”
Michael said, “Yeah, they’re getting better at drawing. I always laugh when I see Julie’s drawings. She puts huge potato heads on her people.”
“She focuses on the faces. Especially the eyes and talking mouths. James focuses on the robots.” I looked at Michael, “Great kids. What do you think if you fast forward and glimpse the adults they will become?”
“Those adults will be here soon. I remember getting these types of drawings from you. And look at you now. Life speeds faster the older you get. I can’t imagine the whir of the machine of time by my eightieth or one hundredth birthdays. I’m glad Shannon will make that trip with me.”
“I remember how the summers seemed so long when I was ten.”
“Summer? A blink now. Enjoy it.” he turned and stepped out the door. He paused, “You’ve got a lot of exciting times before you. The big life choices. First job. Maybe marriage. Maybe kids. Financial decisions. An open road for you. Think before you leap but sometimes it’s the leap you don’t think about that eliminates the regrets. Keep your head about you and if you get stuck Shannon’s pretty smart and can help you think it through. Oh, give us a call when you want to retrieve your car.”
“Thanks Michael.”
-:- Four -:-
Garin coiled his black Camaro down the ramps in the parking garage. Its new tires squeaked as they scrubbed around the polished concrete. The bright sunlight knifed across the hood as he rocketed out of the structure into the street and roared toward Ramsburgh Industries.
Tall chain link fencing stretched around the plant. Four unfriendly layers of razor wire topped the fence fronted abruptly with aggressively trimmed trees and shrubs several paces outside the barrier. Garin eased his car to the security gate. The shiny black guard box squatted on the small island between the two strips of tire blackened concrete. A burly security guard stepped down from his booth, “Can I help you?” His mirrored sunglasses devoid of expression.
“I’m Garin. I’m here to talk with Sandro Gruber, Vice-President of Engineering and Development.”
“You have a meeting scheduled with him?”
“No. But he’ll want to meet with me when he knows I’m here.”
“Wait a moment.”
The guard worked like a shadow behind the mirrored glass talking on a handset. He grabbed an ID card with a picture captured from the booth camera and Garin’s details scraped from multiple government databases. He came back to Garin.
“Here’s your radio frequency ID Mr. Ramsburgh. I think you can park up by the executive spaces today. Use the one with Yashar’s name on it. Reminds me we need to get that changed since he’s not here anymore. Have a good day Mr. Ramsburgh.” The guard held the button for the metal gate to retract.
“Thank you.” Garin shifted into gear and eased the car into the employee lot. A black SUV parked closer to the main lobby in the second to last spot. The placard on the wall stated Sandro Gruber. The nearest parking space remained empty of the previous Finance executive’s vehicle so Garin pulled into that space. Garin paused before the si
gn in front of his Camaro stating the prior Finance executive’s name. He reached for the metal plate and ignored how it gripped the concrete block wall with security headed stainless screws. His strong hands easily ripped the plate and the four three-inch screws from the concrete wall. He crumpled the aluminum plate like a sheet of paper as he walked toward the main entrance. He tossed the aluminum wad into a trash receptacle where it thundered around in the cavernous bin.
Garin stood in the immaculate lobby amid the lounging couches and chairs that looked dated yet new and barely used. Plants hid stealthily in various corners or hovered over the edge of a chair as if furtively reading secret papers over someone’s shoulder.
The smiling receptionist pulled her headset back and motioned to one of the couches, “He’ll be right up for you.”
“Thank you,” said Garin as he continued to stand.
Sandro gazed through the bullet proof glass door as he paused for a breath looking into the lobby. Then he took another step and the glass door sensor slid the door aside. “Good morning Garin,” greeted Sandro with a handshake. He motioned to a wood door opposite the sliding glass as he came through. “Please take a seat.” A dozen chairs stood army platoon straight around the mirrored granite table. The door clicked shut with the sound of a refrigerator seal. Sandro said, “I think you remember this is a secure room.”
Garin said, “Yes,” and carefully watched the other vampire take a seat on the opposite side of the table from him.
Sandro said, “It’s unfortunate Yashar was murdered. While I suspect the Militia caused it, I haven’t heard any results of the investigation. Any data or rumors or clues?”
“It’s still being investigated.” Garin looked at Sandro’s eyes, “I want the financial records.”
“You remember how Yashar explained that difficulty last time.” Sandro fidgeted. Disconcerting for a vampire. A human emotion vampires lost and often gave away a real human with nervous energy. “The top secret security nature of a military weapon development and manufacturing site precludes sharing the books.”
The Vampires Of Livix Twin Pack (Volumes #1 & #2) Page 21
