My Vampire and I by J. P. Bowie Page B

Vampire and I
by J. P. Bowie
He rose from the bed, treating me once more to the magnificent sight of his muscular back, the curve of his butt, the strength in his thighs and calves. Perfection personified.
    Did I mention his feet? Also perfect.
He returned carrying two glasses filled with red wine. Hmm
... why not the instant appearing act?
"Sometimes," he said, with a smile, "I like to pretend I am a mortal man and have to fetch and carry like everyone else." Oh yes, again with the mind reading. "I wonder if I'll ever get used to that."
"Of course you will, then we will cease to converse aloud."
"But I like the sound of your voice. It's sexy. Do I sound too whiny?"
"You sound delightful," he replied, handing me my glass.
He sat cross-legged on the bed facing me. "So, you are sure you want to know all the gory details."
"Are they gory?"
"Well, there is a certain amount of blood involved, Roger."
"Right. So Kurt didn't get to first base?"
"No, he did not. He might have had cause to think he did, but he did not."
I stared at his beautiful face, and wondered again for the umpteenth time since we'd first met how time had not ravaged him. I mean, eighteen hundred years . Vampire blood must be very powerful stuff.
"It is."
"Will you please stop that?" I protested, half-heartedly.
"Sorry. I can hear your thoughts, you see, as if you were speaking them aloud. It is just a natural reflex to answer."
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My Vampire and I
by J. P. Bowie
"That's okay. So, go on, let me have all the gory details."
    "Well, as I said last night, I can change you completely, so that you will take on the persona of a vampire. It is a gradual transformation, preferably done over a period of three of four days. When you awaken from what appears to be an extremely deep slumber, but is in fact, death, you will become aware of many differences. Some of these differences you will adapt to very quickly. Others take time. Your vision, hearing, and sense of touch will all become greatly enhanced.
    It can be very disturbing, at first."
I put my hand on his arm. "May I interrupt?"
"Of course."
"You said I would awaken from death. Would I really die?"
He nodded. "You must die in order to be reborn, Roger.
That is the hardest part to come to terms with, I know. When I was changed, Polonius did not tell me I would physically die. He said I would fall into a deep sleep. But I cannot lie to you.
You will die before you become like me."
"So you knew that you had not just been asleep?"
"Indeed. Sleeping and dying are two very different experiences. To die is not an easy thing, Roger. You will resist it, and you will be afraid. I cannot lie to you about that, either. If I did, you would hate me when you awoke."
     
"I could never hate you, Marcus."
     
He moved closer to me, his eyes glowing with a preternatural intensity that made me tremble. "You love me now, Roger, but if I allowed you to take this step without warning you of all its consequences, believe me, you would grow to hate me. Vampire emotions are no different from 68
    My Vampire and I
by J. P. Bowie
humans. We feel rage, hatred, and fear—yes, fear, Roger. All these human failings come with us from the grave."
"But, love too, Marcus. Surely, that did not die with you?"
He gave me a gentle smile, his eyes clearing as he did so.
"No, love did not die with me. It was reborn, just as I was.
Over the years, I have loved—not many men—a few really, if judged by the standards of my longevity. But always I gave myself completely to whomever I loved, sometimes to my own detriment."
    His eyes took on a faraway look, and I knew he was thinking of the time when he longed for death.
"What was his name?" I asked quietly.
He fixed his gaze upon me, as if seeing me for the first time, then he rose from the bed, returning a moment later with a gold-framed photograph. Not a photograph, but a portrait so exquisitely painted, it could not have been more lifelike.
     
"The painting is by Allan Ramsay," Marcus said, quietly. "A