The Dark Proposal (The Claire McCormick Trilogy)

by Megan Cashman

  The last box had miscellaneous items, such as some jewelry and knickknacks, which Hilde again told her to sell. As for the several photo frames of her friends and family, there was literally no more room on the shelves for them, so Claire made a mental note to buy a photo album sometime soon.

  When they were all done, the two sat on the couch and watched a late night talk show. Things were quiet between them, but it was a peaceful silence, the type between those on friendly terms. They did laugh and chat about the guests on the show, but they didn’t have the deep conversations as they had earlier.

  It was a quarter past midnight when Daniel and Michel returned from having their fill of blood. They were gone longer than they said they would be, but Claire knew better than to ask questions. Daniel was now in charge of her, as much as she hated that fact.

  “Ah, you two got a lot done tonight!” Michel said upon seeing the flattened boxes piled against the coffee table.

  Daniel looked around his living room, taking in the new books and knickknacks. Nodding, he turned to Claire and said, “I guess it’s safe to say you’re going to be here for a long while.” She could only smile.

  Seeing that, Daniel told the other two it was time they leave since he had to grade essays. They agreed and embraced him good-bye. Michel was able to kiss Claire on the cheek, but the increasingly friendly Hilde planted a peck on her lips. She seemed delighted to have finally passed that barrier.

  When the door closed behind them, Daniel looked at her and said, “You can go to sleep if you want. I’ll be staying up doing what I said.”

  On cue, a yawn came over her and she said, “Yeah, it’s been a long day. A hard day, too.” Then her eyes widened. “Oh no! I forgot to call them. I told them I would.”

  “You can do that tomorrow. I’m sure they’ll be fine with that.” He put his hand on her lower back and guided her to the bedroom. There, Claire changed into her pajamas while Daniel turned the bed down for her. As he did, he asked her about Hilde. “You both seemed more at ease around each other.”

  “Yeah, she helped me unpack.” Claire said. “We bonded, I guess.”

  He looked pleased and gestured to the undone bed. She climbed in and asked, “What time will you be coming in?”

  “Probably when the sun rises. I’ve got twenty seven papers to go over, and then got to print out our plane tickets.” He sat down beside her and looked into her eyes, a glimmer of tenderness in his. “I understand none of this was easy for you. But as time goes on, you’ll get past it. A new world is about to open for you, and I believe you’ll enjoy it.”

  Taking a deep breath, she said. “I don’t think I will enjoy everything overnight.”

  “Well, no,” he said. “But in time, you will.” Smiling, he squeezed her hand and gave her a kiss. He then stood up and began walking out.

  “Hey, Dan?” she called out to him. He stopped from turning the lights off and looked at her. “What am I going to have for breakfast tomorrow?”

  Daniel thought for a moment and said, “We’ll worry about that in a few hours.” He flicked the lights off. “Bon soir.”

  Like he said he would, Daniel came to the bedroom at a quarter to seven. He didn’t say anything when he walked in, but as he began to change into flannel pajamas, Claire sat up. She was wide awake and did not see the point in sleeping anymore. This was one of her last days as a human, her last chance to enjoy New York in the daylight. She was not going to let the opportunity pass.

  “Morning,” she said to him.

  “Uh, yeah, good morning,” he said. He roughly tossed his clothes into the hamper. He must have gone through another batch of poorly-written essays.

  “I’d like to get something to eat,” she said carefully. Now that she had moved in with him, and was to be submissive to him, she wondered what he could and would do to her.

  “Okay,” he said, running his hands through his hair. “I only have wine.”

  “Is it all right if I get some coffee and a bagel?”

  He paused, took a few breaths and looked at her. “Yeah, go ahead. I’m won’t stop you.”

  She slid out of bed and walked over to one of the dresser drawers where Daniel had made room for her sometime before she moved in. She began to choose her clothes for the day when he spoke up from making sure the thick curtains were tightly shut.

  “Try not to stay out too long. I don’t want you wandering off yet.”

  She stopped from lifting a sweater from the drawer and hesitated. “Can I go out later on? Like in the afternoon?”

  “What for?” he said, glancing down at her.

  “I’d like to buy some clothes for Paris. Hilde told me my wardrobe needs work.”

  He thought that over for a minute. Then as he climbed into bed, he said, “I see nothing wrong with that. But I’ll have to be awake in order to give you the money, unless you want to max out your credit card.”

  “I’m not paying the utility bills or the rent, am I?” This was a genuine question. Daniel never told her if she would have to do her part in maintaining their home.

  “No need,” he said, lying down with his hands behind his head. “I’ve got all that taken care of for a long time. Think of me as your sugar daddy.”

  She had to giggle at that. “Okay, so I will use my credit card. I’m just going to get a few items, no big deal.” She headed for the bathroom to get into the shower. When she closed the door, she heaved a sigh of relief. That was one hurdle she got over. Maybe he would give her some freedom for who knows how long.

  She showered quickly, thinking of what she wanted to do and see during the day. It was mid-December with a dusting of snow on the ground, so she couldn’t exactly sit under a tree in Central Park and watch people go by. She decided walking around the city and simply enjoying it with the sun out was enough.

  She dried her hair, dressed, and headed out for breakfast. There was a bagel shop a few blocks away, so she joined the rest of the world in lining up in the crowded store to get a whole wheat bagel with melting butter sliding off the edges, and simmering black coffee with some milk to cool it.

  While she waited, Claire found herself surrendering to all that was around her. Even though it was dreary day with a distant sun, everything was colorful and shining. The dark wool coats people wore looked bright to her, the small piles of white snow poking out from under the black soot glittered like crystals. The cold, polluted wind tickled her face and smelled sweet in her nose. Even the taxis that sped by her, their horns beeping rudely made her almost giggle. The world was so alive, and she felt like a newborn in it.

  She was loving this experience until she got back to Daniel’s building, and realized she did not have the key to the apartment. She nearly dropped her food when that thought came to her, and the world got dull and dark. Great. He seemed to be in a lousy mood earlier, and now she had to disturb him. She had no idea how he react to that type of situation.

  She placed her breakfast on top of the short wall around some bare bushes outside of the building, and dug out her phone. She had put back both Daniel’s apartment and cellphone numbers in her contact list last week, and tried the apartment first.

  After two rings, he answered with a grumbled hello.

  “Hey babe,” she tried to control her anxiety. “Um, I don’t have the key to the apartment. Can you let me back in?”

  “Huh? Oh, right. Hold on.” He abruptly hung up.

  She went inside and waited to be buzzed up. It didn’t take long, and once she exited the elevator, Daniel was waiting in the doorway. She felt relief as he didn’t look too annoyed.

  “Sorry about that. I’ll get you your keys when we get back from France,” he closed the door and locked up.

  She slowly lowered her coffee and bagel onto the dining room table. “Am I to stay here all day?”

  “Not necessarily, but I want to be awake when you go out. This way I could buzz you in when you get back.” He scratched his face roughly and headed back to bed.

 
“Please don’t make too much noise for the next several hours,” he called over his shoulder. “And be careful of that bagel and its crumbs; I don’t want any rats or roaches.” He heavily shut the bedroom door behind him.

  Claire slowly began to eat. She knew he would be irritated to some degree, but having him basically tell her she was to be a silent prisoner for most of the day stung her. Was he always like this in the mornings?

  For the next couple of hours, Claire worked on her freelance assignment that was due the next day. She never had to squeeze so much time into a big project like this before. She would have done it earlier this week if there hadn’t been so much going then.

  When she was finally done, and had sent in the article, Claire thought about calling her parents and even her brother. But they were all at work, so it wouldn’t be best to disturb them. Besides, calling them would be like a farewell. There was no way she would say good-bye to her family.

  Biting her lip, Claire refused to cry. She had done too much crying lately and this was not the time or place to do more. She had to hope that somehow, someway…

  Gathering her strength, she read one of her books or watched TV for the next few hours. Daniel didn’t stir until about 2 PM when she heard him move around in the bedroom. When he emerged, fully dressed for the day, she was watching the latest episode of her favorite reality show. But he was disgusted when he saw the TV screen.

  “Turn that off,” he said. “You’re more intelligent than that crap.”

  “It’s just something to laugh at,” she responded. But she quickly changed the channel when she saw a flicker of anger in his eyes.

  He went to the kitchen and opened the garbage can to see the remains of her breakfast. He shut the can door and said to her, “Remember to throw that stuff you brought home somewhere else. I said I want no rats or roaches.”

  She waited a few minutes before asking, “Is it okay that I go out now?”

  “I’m not holding you prisoner,” he said, more calmly. “If you want to go shopping, then fine. But don’t take forever, and don’t do anything foolish.”

  Nodding, she turned the TV off, put on her coat, gathered her shoulder bag and grabbed the garbage. He watched her from his spot in front of his laptop at the dining table, his demeanor calm but distant. She knew he wanted to say something, but did not press him to. She pleasantly told him she’ll be back and headed out.

  She dumped the trash into a waste basket right outside the building and briskly walked to the nearby SoHo neighborhood to shop. She had always wanted to buy the stylish clothes from that area, but she reminded herself not to overdo anything lest Daniel would get upset. Then again, he would probably find fault with everything she did now, based on how he had been acting since the crack of dawn.

  Again, Claire prevented her anxieties from letting her absorb the atmosphere around her. She tilted her face up towards the late fall sun to let it shine on her face and marveled at the buildings that looked so brilliant in the daytime. But she did not want to take in too much or she would definitely be saying good-bye to the light.

  Two hours later, she was heading back to the apartment. She had bought a dress, two tops, and some jewelry from one of the boutiques she always dreamed of shopping in. It felt weird to be going to a place where the rich and stylish frequented at first, but then she decided to have fun. It was clear that Daniel wanted to spoil her so she wouldn’t object to becoming a vampire. He knew the high life enticed her, and now he was giving it to her, in exchange for her soul.

  Perhaps that was what made her love him. He was clearly rich given the neighborhood where he lived, and he had studied in England and France. When he showed interest in her, it was arousing to see that a good looking, well-educated man with money to his name could like her and not judge her for her average background. If only she hadn’t got caught up in the fantasy of living the high life or she probably wouldn’t have developed feelings for Daniel.

  Did she love him? Did he love her? If he did, she would have to play along or else something terrible could happen. But she no longer loved him. There was no way to feel affection for someone like Daniel.

  Once she was back inside the apartment building, he buzzed her in and again, he was waiting in the doorway when the elevator doors opened. He looked amused at the sight of the two shopping bags.

  “You had fun, I see,” he laughed.

  Claire laughed too. “I went someplace reasonable. Pricey, but reasonable.”

  “Well, let’s see what you got!”

  She took out the jewelry first: a wide, beaded bracelet and vintage earrings. She then showed off a royal blue silk V-neck top and a cashmere ivory turtleneck. The final item was the dress she intended to wear for her transformation. Her hands shook as she lifted the strapless black velvet cocktail dress out of its garment bag and held it up, her breath struggling to come out.

  “It’s beautiful,” Daniel hushed. “It’s going to look lovely with that necklace.”

  Claire forced a nod. When she had picked out the dress, she was busy imagining all the parties she could attend while wearing it, forgetting that her blood would come pouring out on to it. She had deliberately forgotten that because of the elation of shopping at the SoHo boutique.

  Daniel’s blue-green eyes were intent on her, a soothing expression in them. He knew what was on her mind.

  “Claire,” he reached over and put his hands over hers. “Everything is going to be alright. There is nothing to get upset over.”

  She fought against a choke and lost. “I’m not saying you’re not going to stop missing everyone you care about,” he continued. “But you’re going to meet new friends who will become like family, and I will always be here. Time heals wounds. One thing I can definitely say I learned is that such pain does not last forever.” He pressed his forehead against hers and whispered a few soft words until she calmed down. He then kissed her forehead gently and squeezed her shoulders.

  “You might as well put it back in the garment bag,” he nodded at the dress. “Wouldn’t want to get it damaged.”

  She agreed and did so. She took the clothes and put them away in the bedroom.

  For the remainder of the day, Claire curled up on the couch with the TV on, while Daniel emailed his students their final grades. He told her about how disappointed he was in some, but proud that many had learned from him. She did some talking as well, asking about what they would do in Paris, besides the obvious. This led to a discussion on what kind of future they would have together. They talked about being writers forever, using pseudonyms if they had to, and traveling the world together. Claire had to admit to herself that it felt exciting knowing she could go anywhere in the world, though she would have to be careful at what time of day she would travel.

  The dreamy look on her face as she talked about visiting places she had never been to might have prompted Daniel to begin telling her about his life - the one after he made a vampire. She couldn’t help but listen. Maybe it was the intoxicating way he spoke or the words he used to describe life in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and North America through the centuries. Either way, it reminded her of the days before all this madness, when she and Daniel would just sit and talk for hours because they knew how to keep each other listening.

  As he told his story some more, she admitted to herself that he did have a nice streak. He was easy to hold a conversation with and easy to be around. During that afternoon into early evening, Claire felt she could learn to enjoy his presence again.

  But when he went out to hunt late that night, she wanted to pinch herself back to reality, but she couldn’t. It was useless. In a few days she would be like him, hunting and killing innocent people. There was no stopping that; she had given her word to end the deaths of people she cared about, and to prevent whatever torture would have come to her. Any reasonable person would have agreed to join the vampires, so she did nothing wrong or selfish. It was only natural.

  She was watching TV when he retu
rned close to midnight. His skin was flushed with a healthy glow thanks to the night’s blood. She flinched when she saw him, but not out of fright. He noticed, extended his hand and led her to bedroom. “It has been a long while,” he purred into her ear.

  “You’re right,” she whispered back. “It has been.”

  With the lights on, Claire and Daniel made love through the night. The conversation they’d had earlier brought them closer together, and this was the final connection that sealed their newfound relationship. Even he had to say her transition was going well.

  “You seemed more at ease today,” he said, lying beside her, propped up by his elbow. He slowly ran his hand down the side of her body. “I’m glad to see that. I was afraid things would be tense between us.”

  She squirmed a little and gently placed her hand on top of his. “I guess I figured this is for the best for us. There was no way we could have gone on if I knew what you were. Especially with the secrecy of the vampires.”

  He nodded emphatically. “I know it was not easy to make this choice. It’s like being a star-crossed pair in a way.” He stopped tracing her body and looked into her eyes. “But, you will adjust, and what upsets you now, won’t in the long run.”

  “Out of curiosity, what if it won’t?”

  Slight darkness appeared in his eyes and he frowned, “Why would you ask that?”

  “Well, it is big change for me. Perhaps too big for me to handle?”

  “Oh come on, Claire!” He laughed. “Once you see the world differently - and you will, you’ll be amazed by it - you won’t want to go back to being human. I have never heard of any one of us wanting to return to being human once the dark blood entered us, and I’ve been around for a long time.”

  “Okay, okay.” She sat up. “I’m just nervous, that’s all. It’s the fear of the unknown that I’m going through.”

  “You’ve got nothing to fear,” he whispered softly. “I’m here to guide you, to help you and to be with you. And soon, you’ll be as excited as I was when I first became like this. You’ll embrace your life more than ever before. I’m telling you, the world will be at your feet because you have and do anything you want! There are no rules, nothing to fear, no limits. You’re going to love it, ma chere, I promise you.”