you've got a really cold hand!"
"It's cold outside," Beth said. "I could go sit down and wait for you to notice me and buy me a drink if you'd like?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Jesus, Mark!" one of his friends said.
"Dude, she's a hooker, get rid of her," the other one said.
"Hang on," the first one said. "What do you do and how much?"
Beth's eyes widened. "Hooker?"
"You're not?" Mark asked.
"No, I'm not," Beth said. She turned to the first friend that asked her what she'd do and smiled sweetly at him. "If I were, you couldn't afford me. Which is just as well, you wouldn't be able to handle me."
He laughed. "I don't know, there's three of us and one of you."
Beth tilted her head and smiled, considering it. She'd never tried draining more than one but Penny said her body would adapt. Then again, that first time her belly had swollen until she looked pregnant. Was that the adapting it did? "Maybe another time. Right now I'm only interested in Mark."
"You— what the heck is this? I didn't do anything to—"
The bartender delivered three beers behind the men, pausing the discussion until they paid for the round. As soon as they were gone, Beth licked her lips and stared at friend number one. "I'm thirsty, do you mind?"
He frowned. "Excuse me?"
Beth leaned by him and grabbed his beer. She lifted it to her lips to cover her fangs extending. She bit her tongue and retracted her fangs before pretending to take a drink. Her tongue blocked the beer from entering her mouth and instead allowed her blood mix with the beverage.
She put it down and grimaced. "What is that, horse pee?" she asked and turned to Mark's other companion. She reached for his light beer. "Do you mind?"
Before he could answer she repeated the gesture. She set it down and shrugged. "Better. Mark, aren't you thirsty?"
"You don't want to try mine?" he asked.
"Do I look like Goldilocks?"
His laugh was nervous but he took a drink of his pale ale while the other two watched, stunned by her bold behavior.
As soon he lowered it Beth smiled. "Good, I didn't want you to taste the beer on my breath."
"Wha—"
Beth kissed him, surprising him and slipping her tongue through his open lips before he knew what was going on. She let another few drops of blood spill from her tongue before she healed the wound and deepened the kiss. On either side the two friends shifted awkwardly before reaching for their beers and taking a drink.
By the time Beth pushed her very interested partner back the bottles of Mark's friends were both empty. She smiled and looked at Mark. "Well, do you want to get out of here?"
"What?" he asked, his eyes glazed over. He shook his head and tried to focus. "Why? Where?"
"To fuck," Beth said and smiled. "Some place close. You're cute and I want to gobble you up."
"Gobble me up?" he repeated.
"Oh yeah, baby, I'm going to drink you dry."
He took another drink and set it on the bar. "Uh, guys, um, I'm gonna—"
"Dude, did she just admit to swallowing?"
Beth turned to friend number one and winked at him. She licked her lips and made a show of swallowing loudly. "Every last drop."
"Fuck me!" Number two said.
Beth turned and tilted her head. She looked him up and down and shrugged. "Maybe next time, but only if Mark doesn't work out. I'm going to do him so good he's never going to want to leave."
Number one clapped Mark on the shoulder. "Get some!"
Mark grinned and nodded. "I can't believe this is happening," he mumbled as he turned to Beth. The lines on his brow softened and a grin forced his lips upward when he looked at her.
Beth licked her lips and winked. "Believe it."
He nodded and reached for her hand. Beth let him take it and helped steer him back out of the bar and out into the cold. She felt him shiver and smiled. Soon he'd be feeling passion and bliss until he felt nothing. Her final kiss was the greatest gift she could give a living person.
Beth pulled him out, turning and wondering where she could find a quiet place to drain him
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