The Touch Series: Initiation

by Cecilia Lonski

  He nodded. I always hoped for a verbal response but it never happens. What happened to him and what he witnessed caused him to stop talking to anyone. I can't even remember how his voice used to sound like. I gave him a wink as I passed by him to enter my room.

  Artie sat at my desk and was going through my school yearbook. “So, any new hot high school graduates you can set me up with?”

  Ever since we met half a year ago, Artie has suffered from a serious crush on one of my friends, Celine, who only dated blond jocks and not guys with high IQ's and a nerdy sense of style. I tried to persuade her though, especially since I always thought Artie was cute even with his somewhat flamboyant style. I always told her to think Dylan O'Brien with Tom Ford as his personal stylist – with the addition of the fangs, of course. She was never interested unfortunately. But that never stopped Artie from consistently pursuing her.

  I grabbed a bottle of Smirnoff and sat at the edge of my bed facing him. “You know Celine is going out of state in the Fall right? There would be no point.”

  He sighed heavily as he dropped the book on my desk. “Yeah, I know.”

  He reached out to open the brown paper bag that was on the other side of my desk, which contained the Thai he requested. After helping himself to a plate and passing one to me, he sat back down in front of me. “So, another town meeting, huh? What's this one about? Should the town have Cherry or Peach Pie Day?”

  “Haha,” I shook my head at him. People who weren't from Richmond always laughed at our ways. We always had random, sometimes weird, town holidays and events. Sometimes it was annoying but a part of me always thought that it was cute. And it was one of the few things I liked about the town. “I think it has something to do with coming up with ways to attract more tourists for the summer.”

  “Well, the town sure has its appeal. I mean, there's the amazing pies, town hall square dance nights, and the Founder's Day festivals that actually might not have any historical accuracy to it whatsoever.” He snorted before becoming distracted by something; he turned to face the door before looking up at me. “So, is he any better?” I knew he was talking about Nicholas. For a vampire, he wasn't the stereotypical cold-hearted vampire who didn't care for humans. No, Artie was entirely different. And he cared deeply for Nicholas. He even offered to compel Nicholas to speak but I wanted Nicholas to come out on his own. But Artie always meant well.

  “No. If something he has been reading more and more. Which, I guess, in a way is good. It's better than being scared and sad in his room all the time like he used to be.”

  “What do the doctors say?”

  “The same old. We just need to be patient and wait for him to have the confidence to speak to us. We can't force him in anyway. Um... there's... this therapist who deals with child trauma who also deals with speech therapy a few miles away from here. We've heard really great things about him and one of Nicholas' friends who was with him that night...” I looked to the door before I continued. “well, he has been able to start talking again after seeing him. Not anything major but a few words. So my parents are hoping Nicholas can see him. But the doctor is always booked plus he is super pricey. So...”

  “And that's where Josef would come?” Artie knew me too well. He knew I would need a really good excuse to need money if I agreed to join Josef's entourage.

  “Yeah. I just hate when my parents struggle to pay the mortgage and bills, let alone the medical bills. They really would not be able to afford this therapist and the insurance won't cover it at all. You know, I don't really want to talk about it. I actually want to talk more about Mr. Constane.” I really did, I had many questions. Plus, talking about Nicholas and his condition always made me depressed.

  Artie took a second helping of beer from the case and crossed his legs on top of my desk. “Shoot.”

  “Okay, for one, why can't I call him by his first name?”

  At that, Artie became tense. “If you become his friend and he trusts you then he will allow you to call him by his first name. For now, it's Mr. Constane. You have to remember that he is an old vampire so his views on tradition are different from yours.”

  Which takes me to my next question. “How old is he exactly?”

  He shook his head. “I can't tell you that. You can ask him yourself. And if he is comfortable with you, he will gladly tell you.”

  I looked around the room as I decided what I wanted to ask next. “How did he get so rich?”

  “He owns a successful trading business.”

  “What does he trade?” Not drugs, I hope.

  He looked at me as if he read my mind. “Nothing illegal.”

  Okay, next question. “Why does he do this? This group, club or whatever?”

  He looked down at the floor as he seriously thought about it. “It's a long story really. He has just always felt the need to be around others at all times and to help others financially. Before he was adopted by his wealthy vampire family in Romania, he struggled to survive as his human father neglected him and his ill human mother couldn't work. Then his vampire family practically saved him and took more than good care of him. So, I suppose you can say that he feels that he needs to do the same for others. I know that all of this sounds improper but he means well by all of it. He has paid for many girls' college educations, got them fantastic referrals for jobs, landed them high quality internships, and more.” He now looked at the bottle he was holding. “He wants girls to have what his biological mother never had. The opportunity to actually live. And not just live, as in walk and breathe, but live to experience the world at the highest level possible.”

  I took in everything that he said and suddenly saw Josef in a different light.

  “It also never hurts to have a lot of girls around when we have plans to have fun.”

  At that, I threw my pillow at him which he caught without flinching. And thankfully, he laughed.

  ***

  Having breakfast with my family always felt like the same scene that played over and over again. It was the same setting, same food and same conversation.

  I picked at my omelet. I couldn't eat, especially since today was the day I was going to find out if I made the cut for the group. I felt nervous because I didn't know whether I even wanted it even if I was offered a spot. I glanced over at Nicholas who was eating his waffle while staring out the window towards the forest.

  “What's wrong Quinn? You've barely touched your food.” I looked up to find my mother staring at me with concerned eyes.

  I waved her concern off. “I'm just feeling a bit sick. I have a quiz today and I'm not feeling very confident about it.”

  My dad looked up from his newspaper to look at me. “Did you study?”

  I rolled my eyes as I looked down at my plate. “Yes”

  He looked back at his paper. “Well then you should have no problem with it.”

  If only he knew what was really going on...

  My phone buzzed as my mother opened her mouth to say something. I looked down to see a text from Artie.

  You made the final eight :) You have a meeting with the group leader at our house today. Can you make it at 7?

  Surprisingly, I beamed at his text. I couldn't believe that I made it! Why me? Maybe Artie forced him to... All of a sudden I felt more queasy. “May I be excused to go? I rather get to my class early to go over my notes some more.”

  “Sure, have a good day today”. My mother gave me a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Instead, I found sadness in them. I ignored it though. She was always pretty dramatic over many things.

  I kissed Nicholas on the forehead before I headed out the kitchen.

  ***

  As soon as I got on campus and many miles safely away from the prying ears of my parents, I called Artie.

  “Hey, I'm guessing you got good news today?” I could practically hear him smile. I didn't want to kill his mood but I simply had to know.

  “Artie... is this what he wanted or did you force him to because you knew w
hy I needed the money...” I tried to keep my voice composed the entire time as I headed towards my class.

  He answered quickly without hesitation. “No way! Trust me. Josef always chooses for himself. He wouldn't waste his time taking you on if he truly didn't want to. Actually...he fought with Jacob to get you in the group.”

  “What?” I couldn't believe what I was hearing and I couldn't stop smiling either. But wait, who the hell was Jacob? “Wait, who is Jacob?”

  “He was the other guy in the room. He's Josef's main wing man you can say.” He snorted on the other end. “He likes to be involved in the process because he wants to make sure he likes the girls as well. Unfortunately, Josef tends to allow him to poison his head. But this time he didn't.”

  “Oh, wow. Well... I mean, Jacob sounds like he sucks... but that was really nice of Josef.” I found my seat in the classroom and practically melted into it.

  Artie cleared his throat. “Mr. Constane.”

  “Oh, yeah sorry.”

  “Quinn?”

  “Yes?”

  His voice was full of concern at this point. “Don't look into this too far. He doesn't see girls in his club like that.”

  I felt my cheeks go full-on warm. “Like what?”

  “He doesn't see them romantically.” He sighed again and began to whisper. “Don't end up fancying him, okay? It won't be reciprocated and you'll get hurt. And then I'll blame myself.”

  “Okay number one: don't say 'fancying'. This isn't England. Two: I don't see him that way and I won't. I just thought it was nice of him to fight Jacob over me. That's all. Geez.” If Artie knew how I really felt about his friend, he would lose it. Best to keep it entirely to myself. Though I enjoyed talking about guys to Artie. He was always cool like that and I always went to him for advice. He's like the best gay friend who wasn't gay at all. Not even a little bit gay.

  “Okay, good... And I thought you liked everything about England? You once told me that you always wished to live in a Richard Curtis film.”

  “I do. I was just teasing you. Get with the program, Artie.”

  He laughed before saying bye and wishing me luck later tonight.

  Tonight. I was going to see him again. I don't know why but I couldn't stop smiling all day on campus.

  CHAPTER four

  The cab drive to Josef's and Artie's was an experience of its own. We drove into Pine Glen which was a prestigious neighborhood that was heavily gated. And all of the homes were stunning. Many of them were situated on elevated hills and the lights inside the homes illuminated the night.

  We finally arrived at the house and it was breath-takingly beautiful. A massive red-brick mansion with ivy covering most of it. Red roses covered most of the front lawn. As I stepped out of the cab, it took all of my might not to run around and dive into the mesmerizing red pool of flowers. I certainly didn't want to come across like some weirdo and someone who definitely didn't belong in this neighborhood.

  I walked up to the front door and looked over the front of my floral baby-doll dress and checked that my bun was in place before I rang the bell. Once I did, a tall man in a suit opened the door. He gestured for me to come in without saying anything. I smiled at him before I stepped in.

  It was just as beautiful inside as it was from the outside. White marble floors with white walls and red oak wood panels circulated the hall. There was a mosaic on the cathedral ceiling. And the grand staircase was carpeted in red. There was certainly an element of romance within the house.

  A tall, red-head woman walked towards me with a stern look. She looked about near her late 20's and was impeccably dressed in a maroon top and skirt. “Name.”

  “Hello, my name is Quinn Turner.”

  “I'm Gwen Lance. I will be your group leader and supervisor while you are under contract. Follow me.”

  She led me to another massive room that was filled with the other girls that made the cut. Along the walls were tables of food and drinks. In the middle of the floor was a row of seats. Eight of them.

  “Please help yourselves to the refreshments provided. In five minutes, you will take your seats and we will begin.” Gwen promptly walked out of the room, leaving a chill in the air.

  I helped myself to a glass of champagne and made my way to a group of three girls who were giggling about something.

  “Hi, I'm Quinn.” They all looked my way and quickly walked away towards the bar area. “Okay, it was nice to meet you”. Over my shoulder stood the other four girls who didn't seem friendly either.

  This was definitely not going to be a place to make friends.

  Gwen walked back into the room with stacks of paper in her arms. “Sit”

  We all sat down quickly as she passed out forms to each of us. “These are the non-disclosure agreements. You will have time to look over them tonight and officially decide if this is for you. If not, you know where the door is.” I quickly glanced around to see if others were affected by her rudeness but they weren't or at least they didn't show it.

  “Now, there are rules. Rules which every one of you must follow or you will be punished. By signing that form you agree to those terms. If you break three of them you will be immediately sent home. I am going to quickly give you a rundown of what will be expected of you and what Mr. Constance wants.

  Number 1: Never address him by his first name. It's Mr. Constane. Always.

  Number 2: When he is in your presence, speak when your are spoken to.

  Number 3: You will not be in his presence intoxicated or drugged in any way.

  Number 4: You will all be on your best behavior individually and when you are together. What you do affects him as well.

  Number 5: Do not touch him or make inappropriate gestures.

  Number 6: You will not flirt or misbehave with his friends or other company while under the contract.

  And number 7: You will listen and follow everything he says.

  She looked down the row of chairs. “You have the next hour to go over your contracts and sign them tonight if you wish or take them home if you need more time. After that, you are free to have dinner and talk to one another.” She left us immediately to look over the contract.

  Nothing about it seemed unusual. Most of it was to ensure the protection of Josef's reputation and public life. Though there was one part that shot at me immediately:

  Under the permission of both parties involved (Josef Constane, Quinn Turner), a relationship of blood feeding and/or any sexual encounters may occur if both parties comply with health and sanitary regulations.

  I was confused. No, actually confused wouldn't be the right word to describe it at all! We were not allowed to touch him but something as intimate as sex may happen. And – what? SEX? I was panicking in my seat. I was told that this was not the relationship that would take place. That was definitely going to be my main question and concern when I meet with him tonight.

  I decided that I needed to take a walk to ease the apprehension I was feeling. We wouldn't start our one-on-one meetings for another 20 minutes. And I desperately needed to kill the time.

  I asked one of the waiters where the restroom was and she kindly gave me directions. I walked into a hall and tried to remember the directions. Of course knowing me, I got lost after a minute. I decided to take a risk and take another corner down the hall. I circled around the corner to find an open door which led to a bright white room filled with statues and paintings on the walls. It was like a mini art museum and I loved it. Artie did mention once that Josef liked to collect pieces but this was something else entirely. I walked up to a beautiful watercolor of a crying woman surrounded by dead flowers and weeds. It was dark and sad but beautiful at the same time. I inched forward to try to read out the artist's name on the bottom right corner but I couldn't read it properly. I scanned the rest of the room and noticed a similar theme along most of the paintings; romantic dread. I wondered if there was a personal reason or connection to it all for Josef. I suddenly heard a group of men talking.
I looked up back at the door to find Artie and a group of men walking down the hall. Josef was in the middle of the group and when he saw me he no longer focused on what the man next to him was saying. He looked as if he was surprised to see me and after a long glance he turned to Artie who followed his gaze to find me. Artie came quickly towards me looking unhappy.

  “Quinn! What are you doing here?”

  “I needed to use the restroom and I got lost. The door was open and I couldn't help but check it out. Sorry.”

  He closed his eyes and shook his head as he grabbed my arms and pulled me out of the room and into the hall. But before he pulled me around the corner, I enthusiastically waved to Josef which made the group of men laugh. It was either very brave of me or super cheesy. Oh well.

  Artie pushed me back into the room with the girls and whispered, “Please, stay in here or Gwen will have your head!” I actually believed him. She stormed my way with blazing eyes. And Artie quickly left me to fend for myself. Pussy!

  She was suddenly right in front of me. “Where were you?!”

  “I got lost trying to find the restroom.” I gave her my best innocent voice and look as I looked down with a pout. “Sorry.”

  She looked up to the ceiling and took in a deep breathe and let it out. “What you do effects him which effects me. Please don't wander and get into trouble. Now, get back in your seat!”

  I slightly curtsied at her, letting her know that I truly did not intend to step over her again. I took my seat as did the rest of the girls when Gwen told them to.

  “You will each see Mr. Constane soon. Remember to not embarrass me.” Her eyes pierced me to my seat as she emphasised that last bit. “And welcome to The Club.”

  ***

  The Club? I assumed that's the official name. Very creative and doesn't give anything away. I tried to stop myself from laughing out loud which must have looked ridiculous as I noticed a few of the other girls looking at me with disapproving looks.