"Liz? It's okay. Really. Tomorrow, you're not going to stand me up, right? You'll be here?"
She hesitated. She was never going to see him ever again. She couldn't. She shouldn't. "Yes."
He smiled. "Good. If you need anything— anything— you call me. All right?"
She nodded and smiled. "Thank you."
"Being a cabbie was my backup plan if the cop thing failed," he teased.
Beth grinned and shook her head. "Not just that, for being nice. I don't know many nice people."
"Don't worry, I've got my faults too. Now get inside, even your lips and, um, tongue were cold. Get warmed up."
Beth nodded. "I'll try. You were doing a good job of warming me up though."
He laughed. "Now it makes sense! You are trouble – but I'll do my best to keep you safe."
Beth wanted to say more but she stopped herself. She was doing more than just teasing and flirting with him, she was tempting fate. How long until somebody stopped and asked questions about a cop car parked in front of a driveway? How long until her story was blown. And then what? She'd have nowhere to go at best. At worst, she'd get arrested.
She offered him a final quick smile and opened her car door. Cold wind gusted in and blew her coat and the ruffled fabric of her shirt and half jacket beneath it. She ignored it and climbed out of the car with only a minor mishap on her cramped shoes.
"You okay?" he called.
"I will be," she said before shutting the door and making her way up the driveway. She waved at him again and stopped until he got the message and drove forward. Beth watched him go to the end of the street and turn before she turned in the direction of her dorm.
After almost two blocks she stopped and glared at her feet. She was slow and in pain, all because of the shoes. The sidewalk was covered in frozen slush and ice. Making each step treacherous in her heels. Fed up, she kicked them off and bent over to pick them up.
Her bare feet felt the uneven surface and seemed to conform to it. She wasn't bothered by the cold or the jagged edges of the ice. Beth sighed and looked ahead to where she could make out her dormitory in the distance behind a few other buildings. Three blocks to go, give or take.
Beth started forward again and made it half a block before she sensed movement behind her. Whether it was a brush of air or the sound of fluttering, she turned her head to look back and then nearly jumped off the sidewalk.
"Penny!" she gasped.
The dark shapes of wings retracted behind the woman, leaving her looking like she had the night before dressed in a black bodysuit. She looked at Beth with a cold glare that revealed nothing. "Come with me Beth, this place isn't for you anymore."
"But—"
Penny silenced her by holding out her hand. "Come with me now. I will tell you what you must know."
Beth shook her head. "I just got here! I need clothes and— and— and I met somebody! A nice guy, for once. He's a—"
"Enough!" Penny snapped and dropped her arm. "This is not your life anymore. You're not a little girl fawning over boys. You're not in college. You're not even human!"
Beth stared at her, her eyes stinging for want of tears that wouldn't fall. "I'm still alive," she whispered.
"Not for long," the vampire said. "Your body is dying. A day, perhaps two. Then, if you are strong enough, you will rise and feel the thirst."
Beth's chin trembled as she stared at the imposing woman. Penny extended her hand again. Beth swallowed and took it. Penny was right, she had nothing. What might have been was ashes, burned up in the fire of the frat house.
Dark shadows covered her as Penny's wings extended. Beth was jerked up into the air as her creator leapt into the night sky and carried her back to the east.
Chapter 6
Beth stumbled forward and fell to her hands and knees when Penny let her go. Her breath hissed through her teeth even though she didn't feel any pain or cold from the salt and ice covered alley floor. She jerked her head up and around to see Penny staring down at her. The wings that had carried them through the night sky had already disappeared back to wherever she hid them.
"Your wings," Beth mumbled.
"Get up," Penny snapped, ignoring her question. "You won't like it if somebody walks by."
Beth followed Penny's gaze as far as she could and realized the woman was looking at her butt. In the short skirt she was totally exposed on her hands and knees. Beth winced and scrambled to her feet, stumbling a few steps until she caught herself. She glanced down at her bare feet and frowned. She'd dropped the shoes when Penny carried her into the air.
"Come on, hurry," Penny demanded.
"Where are we going?"
"You said you needed clothes."
"I do, but—"
Penny stepped to the mouth of the alley and looked left and right. She held her arm out to keep Beth behind her. "Is this what you want to look like?"
"Is— you mean dressing like a slut? No!"
Penny turned and let her eyes drop and then lift back to Beth's. "You look very appealing. Even better with shoes or boots with a heel to help your posture. I meant your body."
"My body?"
"Yes," Penny sighed, showing her exasperation. "Are you happy with it?"
"Do I have a choice? I mean, yes, I look better than I ever have, but I can't imagine how I'd get any skinnier or anything. Bigger boobs would require surgery and— what"
Penny was shaking her head. "Aren't your breasts large enough already?"
"Well, yeah, I guess. I never really thought much about it. They're bigger than they were when I grew up, but smaller than when I looked like Shamoo's mama."
Penny blinked. "Shamoo? The whale?"
Beth waved her hand. "Figure of speech. I was really heavy not very long ago."
Penny nodded. "Soon you can decide how you look. If you wish to make changes, we'll need to get you some loose clothes. If you want to stay the same, you can have more to choose from."
Beth held out her hand, palm facing Penny. "I don't understand. Are you talking about exercising or something else?"
"Something else," Penny said. "I will teach you how if you survive the change."
"If I sur—what? Survive? I thought you already made me like that. You bit me and the sun hurts."
"You're still alive," Penny explained. She glanced around and shook her head before reaching out and taking Beth's hand in hers. "Come, I'll tell you more as we shop."
Penny's grip was firm but not painful. She could tell that Penny had strength to spare if she tried to pull away. "Shopping? This late?"
"I've made arrangements," Penny said.
Beth walked out onto the sidewalk and fell beside her mysterious benefactor. Penny didn't let her hand go, causing Beth to glance down and then up at the woman. She studied her as they walked, paying no attention to the other people or even where they were.
Penny's black bodysuit was made out of a fabric Beth had never seen before. It clung to her like a second skin. The ends of her sleeves blended into her skin so perfectly she couldn't see the seam. She followed Penny's black cloaked arm up to her shoulder and across her chest as it was silhouetted by the lights of cars passing by.
Beth gasped. "Oh my god! You're naked!"
Penny kept moving but turned to smile at her. "Keep walking."
"But— but—"
"If I had clothes and revealed my wings, they'd get in the way," Penny explained.
Beth stared at her and walked several steps before she nodded and asked, "So I'm not crazy, you really do have wings. But, where are they?"
"I'll show you that later, if you survive."
Beth scowled. "Okay, so this surviving thing. What's that mean?"
Penny turned instead of answering and led her up some steps to the doors of a building. She opened it with her free and let go of Beth's other hand so she could walk in. She followed behind and shut the door, then paused to lock it.
"Your body is dying. The blood is taking over, but sharing this
gift is a complicated thing. I had to take enough blood to be sure you change and do so swiftly, but not take so much that you wouldn't have the strength to survive the change."
"So that's all? I just have to wait?"
"No, you must not be driven insane either," Penny said.
"I don't understand, why would I?"
"Have you voided yourself yet?"
"Voided myself?"
The vampire sighed. "Used the restroom."
"Oh, um, yes."
"From the way you said it, I can see it was unpleasant."
"Oh my god!" Beth admitted. "It was horrible! I thought I was dying."
"You are," Penny deadpanned. "The blood is changing you. It gets rid of what isn't necessary. I prepared you with my blood, helping you fashion your body the way you secretly want it to be."
"Hold on a minute— what isn't necessary? All of me is necessary!" Beth protested.
Penny smiled. "No it isn't. Once you die you will never need use the restroom again. Our nourishment comes from blood, nothing else. Try to eat food and you will be ill. Your body will reject it."
Thoughts of her dinner date tomorrow popped into her head. "Drinks too?"
"You can drink," Penny admitted. "Small amounts though. Alcohol will do nothing to you. Too much and it will be like eating a meal, you will vomit it up. It's unpleasant, I do not recommend it."
"You've tried?"
Penny nodded. She turned and looked down the hallway. "I don't know, exactly, the blood no longer needs, but I imagine many organs used for digestion aren't needed anymore. We can talk about it more later, for now there are a couple of boutiques open that might interest you. We will be the only customers and the people that run them are under my protection. Anywhere else you must take care what you say or show. Here that is not the case."
"Woah," Beth breathed. She shook her head. "This is so much… um, can I ask one more question first?"
Penny lips curved up in a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Go ahead."
"Why didn't anybody outside freak out? You were naked! I mean, you still are."
Penny nodded. "In time you will learn how to encourage people not to look at you. Some people see through the aversion, but they are very rare. You were one of those that saw me and I recognized it. That was one of the first signs I had that you were special."
Beth gulped and dropped her face to try and hide her smile. "I'm not some stupid puppy you can win by praising me."
"Good," Penny said. "If you were I would have made a terrible mistake."
"Why did you do this to me?" Beth asked. "I mean, all of it?"
"That's two questions," Penny warned. "But I'll allow it. I did it because I'm lonely. I want someone to spend my time with and I saw in your eyes a spark that called to my heart."
"Called to your heart?"
"Figure of speech," Penny said with a wink.
"Wait, are you telling me you're crushing on me?" Beth gasped. "Oh my god! I'm not even a—"
Penny stepped up to her and rubbed her hand against Beth's cheek, cupping it gently. "You don't remember everything yet, do you?"
Beth's breath hissed through her nose. She inhaled the faint perfume Penny wore, something from yesterday? "Remember what? You said you tried to make me forget, but then you said I was getting them back. I— I've had questions about things. Crystal, she was my friend, right? But then I thought she hurt me or something? I don't remember. There's something about her."
Penny pulled her hand back and nodded. "There is. You'll remember soon. When you die, if not sooner."
"Jesus, that sounds bad!" Beth said.
Penny smiled. "It's not. It's a horrible thing to go through, but I believe you will rise stronger for it. Not just your body, but your soul."
Beth stared at her and shook her head. "I was so mad at you. Scared too. Of you and of what was happening to me. I felt like you trapped me. Like I didn't have a choice."
"You forced my hand," Penny said. "You'd already turned me down when I offered my gift to you."
"I did? When? I don't rememb— oh, that's part of what you made me forget?"
Penny smiled. "Are you still mad at me?"
Beth hesitated. She wasn't. She wanted to be, but she wasn't. "I should be, but I'm not."
Penny smiled. "Good."
"Why? Because you've got a girl crush on me?"
"You flirted with me first," Penny said.
Beth gasped. "I did not!"
"There is much you don't remember," Penny said. "I've lived thousands of years. I can wait."
"Oh my god," Beth groaned. She shook her head but a fluttering in her stomach made her doubt herself. Had she flirted with Penny? She remembered the girl at the frat party. She'd been okay with letting that bitch touch her. More than touch her, she'd used her mouth and—
"This is too much," Beth mumbled.
"Clothes?" Penny asked.
Beth glanced down at her outfit and nodded. Clothes were a great idea. She looked up to Penny and saw Penny's hand was extended to her again. She sighed and placed her palm in Penny's. "Clothes."
Chapter 7
Beth slid into the seat at the bar with a soft groan. After all the shopping and trying on different things, her muscles ached and she was thirsty. Penny had assured her that the clothes would be delivered by the time she got to her room, sparing her that misery at least. The bartender, a tall blond woman with several thousand dollars invested in her chest, sent a smile her way and started to walk towards her.
"We're good, Candy," Penny said as she slid into the seat next to her.
"Oh, okay," Candy said. "Friend of yours, Penny?"
"Yes," Penny said. "A very close friend."
Candy's eyebrow rose and she smiled. "Good for you!"
Beth turned to look at the smiling vampire woman. "Very close?" she asked.
Penny winked. "Let her think what she wants."
"I'm not gay," Beth said.
"Pet, that doesn't apply to us. Not anymore."
Beth tilted her head and glanced away. She wasn't sure what Penny meant by that, or if she wanted to find out. She looked up at the flat screen television mounted above the mirrors behind the liquor bottles. She read the caption stating that an unknown shipwreck had been discovered off the east coast.
"We can still have sex," Penny said after several seconds passed.
"Gross! I don't want to have sex with you."
"I meant people like us. Well, women like us."
Beth turned her focus away from the coverage of the salvage company working to recover the mystery ship. "Women?"
Penny looked in the mirror, her eyes glancing about to insure there was no one within earshot. "There are no men."
"What? Why?"
"A long time ago we came together and decided the blood couldn't be trusted to men," Penny said. "They spread it without fear of consequence and nearly undid us all. People knew of us and they were banding together to seek us out and destroy us."
"Okay, so what about all the male vampires out there?"
Penny winced. "Don't use that word."
"What? Vam— why?"
"It is an uncommon word and people can overhear it more easily. It brings attention and awareness, two things we do not want."
"I saw what you did to those assholes that attacked me," Beth hissed. "What are you afraid of?"
"The sun," Penny stated. "At night we are strong but not invulnerable. We can be worn down and incapacitated. There is a reason that stories speak of destroying us by a spike or a bullet that lodges in our heart. That or cutting off our heads. Either will disable us until the sun, a fire, or something else destroys our bodies."
Beth blinked and shook her head. "Holy shit. I can't believe I'm having this conversation."
"It's real, Elizabeth. And you will soon be bound by this reality."
"This is too much. And you calling me Elizabeth makes me feel like I'm in trouble."
Penny smiled. "I'm sorry, I want you to under
stand the importance of what I'm saying."
"Oh, I get that," Beth agreed. "So, um, what happened to all the males?"
"We killed them."
Beth stared at her, expecting a smile or a wink to show she was kidding. Penny's face remained emotionless. "Holy shit! All of them?"
Penny nodded. "A few may have escaped, but we haven't heard or seen anything of the ones who are missing and it's been nearly five hundred years."
Beth frowned. No male vampires. That meant she was going to live forever but she'd only have Penny and any other vampires she met as companions. If she wanted to mess around she'd have to find a guy. A living, breathing guy.
"You said we can still have sex?"
Penny nodded. "Yes, everything feels the same. You can't get pregnant or catch any diseases. Built in safe sex."
Candy signaled and walked towards them. "Hey Pen, I know you're busy but Scarlet was asking about you earlier. She looked upset."
"Scarlet?" Beth asked, turning her gaze on Penny.
"One of the dancers," Penny said. "She's been having problems with her son."
"And you help?"
Penny offered a wry smile. "I do what I can."
"I've seen what you can do," Beth hissed.
Penny shrugged. "Sit tight and think about what I've told you. I'm going to see what Scarlet needs."
"Wait—" Beth said and then hesitated. "If there's no guys… I'm confused."
"You flirted with me, Pet," Penny said. "You told me about loving your friend and wanting more, and experimenting to learn more. You told me how you admired pretty girls and couldn't stop being attracted to them."
Beth gulped. She started to shake her head and stopped. There was a sense of familiarity to Penny's words. It felt right, like she'd done or said those things. "That sounds like me, but I don't understand. I mean, I'm not gay."
Penny smiled. "We can talk later. You don't have to be gay. Now or ever. I didn't give this to you so we could be lovers. I did it because I enjoy you. I'm smitten with you, Pet, but soon you will learn that lust and passion for the flesh are not what drive us. It was your experiences and your closeness with another woman that influenced you, I think. And your desire to have the body you wanted, rather than the one you have."
Forever Kiss Page 4
