“Because it’s like you’ve forgotten about us,” Samantha spoke up. “You hang out with Daniel and his friends, but you haven’t brought us along in a while. He doesn’t even come to the Island anymore to see you.” Shaking her head, Samantha said, “What the hell is all that about?”
Claire opened her mouth to answer, but immediately closed it. There was a point to that. Daniel hadn’t asked about her friends in a few weeks, and he had expressed his distaste for Staten Island to her. But even she knew the place was boring compared to the exciting nightlife of the city, so why he should prefer Manhattan?
“You guys, he lives in the city,” she explained. “No one who lives there would want to come out here. Besides, the transportation sucks.”
“But he works here, right?” Samantha said. “Why can’t he spend time with you after class? How come he never spends the night here?”
“Sam, calm down,” Monica patted her arm. Looking at Claire, she said. “It’s just that it seems to us that everything revolves around Daniel.”
Feeling frustration growing, Claire answered, “I can’t believe you’re saying this. I am not a doormat!”
“We’re not saying that,” Samantha said. “What we mean is, we’re seeing less and less of you, and we’re concerned.”
Claire darted her eyes between the two young women before snapping, “God, you’re treating me like I’m some stupid child. You were all for me dating Dan, and now you’re telling me not to?”
“No, Claire -” Monica looked apprehensive.
“Don’t give me that!” She stood up. “I’m happy with someone, and I’ll spend as much time with him as I feel like it!”
“Sit down!” Samantha yelled. A thump suddenly sounded above them, indicating one of their landlords was walking around. It was possible the Palermos’ could hear their argument.
Sighing, Samantha gathered herself and looked at Claire. “You do what you want. Just do your bit with the rent and bills, okay?”
“Yeah, fine.” She sat down again and the three finished eating in an awkward silence.
Claire was angry with her friends for the remainder of the day. But when she went into the city Friday, she realized they were right: it wasn’t fair that Daniel wasn’t doing his part in the relationship. But when she tried to ask that he come to the Island for weekend, he simply changed the subject, and Claire wasn’t sure how to bring it up again.
Thanksgiving week rolled around, and Daniel suggested they get together the night before the holiday. It had been a while since the two spent a romantic night alone and he felt this would be a good night. Besides, she was going to New Jersey to her family for the four-day weekend and he couldn’t make it. Plus, he had something to tell her.
“It’s something important,” he told her over the phone. “It would be best if it was just you and I.”
“Okay,” she said, noting he sounded as distant as they first met. She would’ve wanted to celebrate the night with Monica and Samantha or with his friends. But they had not spent some quality time together in a few weeks, so why not?
CHAPTER FOUR
Stepping off the ferry and entering Whitehall Terminal that Wednesday evening, Claire felt her heart pound in anticipation. Daniel had something to tell her, and that could be anything. The way he told her this sounded as if it would be a major turning point in their relationship. Perhaps he was going to ask her to move in with him? The thought of that had her overjoyed. Even though her roommates wouldn’t survive without her and they would have to get someone to take her place, they would be happy for her.
She stepped onto the escalator to get to the ground level of the terminal. Scanning the crowd as she descended, she didn’t see him waiting for her as he usually did whenever she came to the city. Biting her lip, she grabbed her phone from her handbag and checked to see if he had responded to her text when the ferry docked. Nothing.
Claire slowly exhaled. Maybe Daniel was still on the train to the terminal and had poor reception. But he always made it on time. Was the train delayed?
Before she could wonder if this was a sign of which way their relationship was headed, Claire spotted a flash of dark blonde hair lit by the lights outside near the terminal entrance. She looked closely and saw Daniel open the glass doors and enter the terminal. Her face broke into a relieved smile and waved to him. He saw her wave and smiled back.
When she got off the escalator, she walked right into his open arms. “Hello darling,” he said softly and they kissed. The kiss was deep and full as though they had been reunited after being apart for too long. Claire noticed he was panting a bit from possibly rushing up the subway stairs. She laughed silently to herself over her unfounded fears.
As Daniel took her hand into his and led to her to another subway train to go uptown, she was elated. She felt as if this night was going to be memorable and her love had great plans for her.
Indeed he did. First, he took her back to Les Lumières, where they had their first date. This time, Daniel got a table located in the back corner, a bit away from the rest of the restaurant so they could have more privacy.
At first, they chatted about their week. Claire was finishing up an article that was due the following Monday on a Brooklyn painter’s new exhibit. Daniel also had an article due which was about a growing non-profit organization catering to unemployed young men.
The two also talked about school and how the college was still reeling from Willis’ murder. Evidence of who killed him still had not been found, which baffled them both. Daniel brought up that the chairwoman still had not found a replacement for the courses set aside for Willis, though there were rumors she was looking to hire a new professor.
Claire flinched when she heard that and her boyfriend noticed. Waving his hand, he told her, “Don’t worry. I figured she would do something like that. After all, Willis’ classes were in the morning, something I cannot do.”
“But what about those 200 level classes you wanted?”
“Well, she did say I may be teaching Intro to Playwriting, mainly because the person who does it is moving up in the drama department and has no time for it. It all depends if the collaboration between the English and drama departments agree that I could teach it.”
She beamed. “That’s fantastic, Dan! Maybe this is a step for you to get plays produced?”
He modestly shook his head. “I mean, it would be great, but I don’t see it that way. I’ve got time to become a playwright.” Something caught his eye and he glanced up to see the waiter bringing over their orders.
When the waiter delivered their dishes and wished them a bon appetit, Claire leaned in and said quietly, “Was this the great news you had to tell me?”
He playfully frowned and he began to pour red wine into their wine glasses. “No, course not. I’ve got something better.” He poured the rich wine and handed a glass to Claire. He held up his glass a bit and said while looking directly into her eyes, “To the best friend I have got who has lit up my days as they grow darker.”
She giggled. “How poetic of you.” She clinked her glass with his and sipped her wine. When she put down her glass and picked up her fork, Daniel reached over and gently stopped her from dipping into her plate.
“This is what I have to tell you.” She lowered her fork and leaned closer. “Would you like to move in with me after this semester ends? And after that, spend part of December in Paris?”
Claire nearly yelped with delight. Paris! She always wanted to go there. She nodded quickly, “Yes! I will move in with you!”
Smiling from ear to ear, Daniel said, “Good. Then I’ll make the plans to help with your move in and for our trip.”
She could not contain her excitement. She was smiling to the point her face hurt, and panting with joy. When he reach for her hand and brought it up to his lips, she calmed a bit. He tenderly kissed her knuckles and said just as tenderly, “Je t’aime, Claire. Je t’aime.”
“I love you too, Daniel,” she softly said. They
gazed at each other for a few minutes or more, almost forgetting the food in front of them or the world around them. Meanwhile, Claire’s heart was throbbing heavily, as if the more it beat, the more love came in. She wondered how long she would feel like this.
A couple of hours later, they arrived at Daniel’s TriBeCa apartment. Claire was so overwhelmed with excitement and love, she was kissing his cheek down to his neck as he pressed the button to the elevator. He chuckled and shrugged her off. “Relax, dear, relax!”
“But I’m so happy!” she said, holding his hand with both of hers. “What more could a girl ask for?”
“Oh, I’m sure there’s more,” he said as the elevator door opened and they stepped in.
As they went up, she pinned him into the door of the car, slowly leaned against him and started to kiss him. He responded graciously but started to chuckle again when she wrapped her leg around his waist. “Not here. The cameras,” he pointed to one above them.
“Oh come on,” she said playfully. “Let’s give security a thrill!”
“Since when are you so daring?” he said, taking her leg off his waist. “You’re not drunk, are you?”
Stunned, she protested, “No, why do you say that?”
He shrugged. “It’s just…I don’t know…” The elevator door opened on his floor.
“I figured I could at least entice you,” Claire said as she followed him out.
“You don’t need to seduce me in an elevator to get me to sleep with you,” Daniel dug into his pocket for his apartment keys.
Claire crossed her arms over her chest. What had happened? He did a one-eighty so quickly she did not see it coming.
As they entered his apartment, Daniel was silent. Claire watched him as he tossed his black leather jacket on the couch and ran his hands through his shoulder-length hair, his back to her. He was contemplating something. What was on his mind? Why did he always pick the wrong moments to do his deep thinking?
Daniel looked over his shoulder at her as though he had read her mind. There was no tenderness in his eyes anymore. In fact, they almost seemed like they were laughing at her, in a sinister way.
She was stunned. He never looked at her that before, ever. It was as though a new person was occupying his body.
Taking a deep breath, Claire said, “Okay, Dan, what is going on?”
“No, no,” he cut her off. He put his hands in his pockets. Looking down, he went on. “There’s got to be a better way.”
“For what? Tell me! This is getting absurd!”
Raising his head slowly and looking at her, Claire felt a tremor go up her spine. His eyes were cunning, so unlike him.
“It’s not what I’m about to say, Claire. It’s what I’m about to do.”
Everything paused for a second, like the moment was holding its breath for the worst to happen.
Then suddenly, the dining room light turned on with Daniel standing by the switch several feet away from where he had been standing just seconds ago.
Before Claire could blink or even gasp, a sudden blur raced across the room and he was in front of the media wall unit, staring at her with gleaming eyes.
She dropped her handbag absentmindedly to the floor as her jaw dropped. “What…What is -?”
Before she could continue, he was behind her, seated on the black leather couch across from where he was a millisecond ago.
Stumbling back against the dining table, Claire finally let out a yelp. “What? Dan, what are you…”
Slowly, he stood up and began to walkover to her.
“No, don’t…don’t come near me,” she hurried away from the table. “What…the hell is going on?”
He didn’t answer, he just kept walking calmly over to her, his satisfied eyes fixed on her.
Claire was gasping frantically as she backed up against the wall opposite the dining table. Hitting the wall, her heart was pounding like it was at the restaurant, but this time with panic. She wanted to look for a way out, but the approaching Daniel held her gaze.
He stopped a foot away from her. A moment passed with Claire’s quick gasps filling the room.
“Did-did you…put something i-in my drink?” she managed to say.
He snickered without opening his mouth.
He paused and opened his mouth wide, baring especially the top teeth. He flexed his upper lip, and suddenly his two triangular eye teeth shot out into two long fangs.
Her heart froze and her gasps stopped before she managed to let out a weak yelp. “No, no. What is…this? Is this a kind of joke?”
“You know what this is,” Daniel said in a quiet voice, in a tone that matched his sinister gleaming eyes.
“I-I don’t,” she whispered.
Taking her hand, he guided her trembling fingers to his teeth. He let go right before they reached his mouth. On her own, Claire slowly reached out and ran her middle finger down one tooth before poking at the other. The teeth were solidly in his mouth.
Pressing against the second tooth, her middle finger went against it’s pointed ends and pricked her finger. Withdrawing quickly, she saw she had drew some blood.
Daniel noticed too. He looked at the bloody finger tip as intensely as he did at Claire with wide eyes. Then his turquoise eyes seemed to change color. The hue suddenly became fluorescent and seemed to dance away as the blood ran down her finger.
He reached for her finger and slowly brought it up to his mouth, where the two eye teeth still stuck out.
She was completely frozen in fright and confusion. She wanted to blink repeatedly but couldn’t. She wanted to breathe but couldn’t. All she could do was watch as the man she thought she knew took her finger to his lips, his eyes fixed on her.
He wrapped his lips around the bleeding finger and roughly sucked on it, spilling her blood into him.
“No,” Claire whispered. Then she got louder. “No, stop! Don’t do this! What are you doing? Dan, stop!”
Just as suddenly as the whole scenario began, Daniel dropped her finger, ran his tongue across his blood-stained teeth, flexed his upper lip again and the two elongated eye teeth pulled back to their former size.
“No,” he echoed. “Not tonight. Not like this.” He looked at her as though she was a piece of meat, something he was thinking about feasting on, just not right away. “Besides, I already fed.”
Claire was clutching her finger to her chest, pressed tightly against the wall, her mouth still hanging open. She didn’t know what to say or do.
As he casually began to walk away, she managed to sputter out, “This is fake. This can’t be real. What is going on?”
He spun around to her. “Fake? Not real? You think I was just putting on a show for fun?” He approached her again.
“Don’t come near me!” Claire gasped. She was slowly finding her breath again.
“I won’t do anything to you. But I don’t understand how you could think this is all fake,” he was inches away from her, placing his right arm next to her, against the wall, like he was preventing her from running away. He examined her. “You look frightened enough, so how could what I’ve done not be real?”
“It’s just…just…” she couldn’t bring herself to say the word.
“What?” he pressed her.
“You’re a vampire,” she finally whispered. How weird it was to say the word. She felt both silly and shaken at the same time. Silly because vampires didn’t exist. Shaken because somehow, they did.
“Exactly,” a slow smile spread across Daniel’s face and he removed his hand from the wall. Backing away, he continued, “Crazy as it sounds, it is true. Especially when you think about it.” He turned and went to the MP3 player and put it on. Soft alternative music began to play as he languidly sat on the couch, put one ankle on the opposite knee, put his hands behind his head and tilted it against the wall, closing his eyes.
Watching him wide-eyed, Claire slowly detached herself from the wall. Still clutching her finger, she crept over to where he sat, stopped once she
stood over him and continued to look at him.
He was always pale, very pale. There were times when he appeared to have a healthier skin tone, but the next time she saw him he would be albino-white again.
She only saw him at night, or in the late afternoon. He always insisted on not spending time with her in the mornings. He always had the windows heavily covered with Swedish curtains of his apartment in order to block any sunlight. But yet, he moved around in the late afternoon before daylight savings time. How could that explain anything?
“The sun is weaker as sunset nears.” Claire shook, startled. He must have read her mind.
Opening his eyes, he said, “I’m old enough to walk in the daylight, especially when it is cloudy or rainy out. But I can’t spend too much time in the light or it would hurt me. That’s why I go to Australia in the summer.”
“You’ve always looked so much younger than you claim,” Claire said, partially to him, half to herself. “You say you are 30 years old even though you could pass for a 25 year old.”
He nodded, staring straight ahead.
She lifted her eyes to the painting above him, one of the works that were clearly old. “That is hundreds of years old, not a few decades. You probably did it yourself.”
Daniel snickered.
Claire’s already widened eyes then grew bigger. “Them! All your friends! Are they…?”
“Say it, Claire. Better get used to it.”
“All of you are vampires,” she caught her breath. More was dawning on her. Daniel’s friends all spoke with peculiar accents, similar to his, accents that could not be placed. Whenever she questioned that, they would shrug off her confusion. And like Daniel, she only saw them at night, never during the daytime. They were all wealthy, despite questionable backgrounds, and all looked young for their ages.
Claire shook her head wildly. “No! This is impossible,” her voice grew stronger. “How can such a thing exist? You’re acting. You like to think you are a vampire, but you’re not. You’re one of those freaks who goes around believing that he is -”
The Dark Proposal (The Claire McCormick Trilogy) Page 6
