CEO of a conglomerate with interests in medicine and renewable energy sources. One thing vampires excel at is innovation over the long term.”
“So you’ll be CEO forever?”
He watched as I drank my wine, eyes focused on the movement of my throat.“No, we cycle through to keep things looking human. I’ll be CEO for a few decades and then someone else comes in to be the public figurehead.”
“Why do you want to look human? Doesn’t everyone know you’re a vampire already?”
He shrugged. “We have survived by our discretion and old habits die hard. We’ve only been integrating openly into society for the last few decades. One step at a time.”
“Not to mention I could see competitors claiming unfair advantage.” I paused, struck by a thought. “There are human CEOs right? The corporate world isn’t run by an oligarchy of vampires is it?” If true, it would completely change how I read the business case studies in my textbooks.
He laughed. “No. We aren’t that proliferate.”
“Can I ask you a more personal question?” I wanted to address some of the concerns I had about blood courtesans.
Kristos crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “I can’t promise to answer.”
“That’s fair. Okay, here’s the thing, you’re attractive, you’re rich, what do you need to pay me for? Can’t you just get a girlfriend or something?”
“That’s an easy one. Would you want to be married to every meal you ate?” He pointed to my plate. “You can eat and the meal is done. A girlfriend is a meal that nags and demands attention. Worse, it’s like agreeing to eat only bananas for the rest of my life.”
“You have a point, but no girlfriends, ever?” That puzzled me. Did vampires not fall in love?
He waved a hand. “Every so often I have had a relationship. We are not immune to the laws of attraction, but it’s difficult to date a human.”
“Yeah, what do you do when you’re sick of bananas?”
“Hire another courtesan.” He shifted in his seat. “Sex and feeding are so entwined for us that it’s just easier to keep it at a business level. Otherwise, we are forever cheating on our significant others and,” he waved a hand, “then it’s just too much drama.”
“What about other vampires?”
“Yes, it happens. Not so much for me. I find female vampires to be overly aggressive. They gain so much strength, they lose the vulnerability that I find attractive. Vampires are all hard edges and I like soft curves.” He reached over and ran a finger along my forearm, the simple touch causing me to flush.
“That’s an insightful comment coming from a guy.” I picked up my knife as an excuse to break contact and cut another piece of chicken.
“I’ve had a lot of time to think about these things.” He watched me with an amused gleam as if he knew how nervous he made me. “So what about you?”
“What about me?” I asked, confused.
“Your boyfriends.”
“Oh. None.” Realizing that wasn’t an answer that would jive with my employment application, I hastened to add, “None to worry about.”
“Any long term relationships?”
His gaze probed mine and I tried to look nonchalant. “Oh sure.” If you counted crushes from afar. I’d spent about a year in unrequited lust for a guy in high school. It never went anywhere because I was a debate team geek complete with braces. In college the braces had come off, but mom’s chemo started taking up more than my spare time. I’d barely noticed anything except how far behind I was in my classes.
“Come here.” He held out a hand, waiting while I put down my silverware and set aside my napkin. Standing, I let him pull me onto his lap, straddling his legs with mine. “By the time I am done with you, I will know all your secrets, carnal or otherwise.” He kissed the spot on my neck where my pulse jumped, pressing his tongue against it. An electric arousal shivered through me and I gasped when his hand grazed my nipple,
“So you’ll be CEO forever?”
He watched as I drank my wine, eyes focused on the movement of my throat.“No, we cycle through to keep things looking human. I’ll be CEO for a few decades and then someone else comes in to be the public figurehead.”
“Why do you want to look human? Doesn’t everyone know you’re a vampire already?”
He shrugged. “We have survived by our discretion and old habits die hard. We’ve only been integrating openly into society for the last few decades. One step at a time.”
“Not to mention I could see competitors claiming unfair advantage.” I paused, struck by a thought. “There are human CEOs right? The corporate world isn’t run by an oligarchy of vampires is it?” If true, it would completely change how I read the business case studies in my textbooks.
He laughed. “No. We aren’t that proliferate.”
“Can I ask you a more personal question?” I wanted to address some of the concerns I had about blood courtesans.
Kristos crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “I can’t promise to answer.”
“That’s fair. Okay, here’s the thing, you’re attractive, you’re rich, what do you need to pay me for? Can’t you just get a girlfriend or something?”
“That’s an easy one. Would you want to be married to every meal you ate?” He pointed to my plate. “You can eat and the meal is done. A girlfriend is a meal that nags and demands attention. Worse, it’s like agreeing to eat only bananas for the rest of my life.”
“You have a point, but no girlfriends, ever?” That puzzled me. Did vampires not fall in love?
He waved a hand. “Every so often I have had a relationship. We are not immune to the laws of attraction, but it’s difficult to date a human.”
“Yeah, what do you do when you’re sick of bananas?”
“Hire another courtesan.” He shifted in his seat. “Sex and feeding are so entwined for us that it’s just easier to keep it at a business level. Otherwise, we are forever cheating on our significant others and,” he waved a hand, “then it’s just too much drama.”
“What about other vampires?”
“Yes, it happens. Not so much for me. I find female vampires to be overly aggressive. They gain so much strength, they lose the vulnerability that I find attractive. Vampires are all hard edges and I like soft curves.” He reached over and ran a finger along my forearm, the simple touch causing me to flush.
“That’s an insightful comment coming from a guy.” I picked up my knife as an excuse to break contact and cut another piece of chicken.
“I’ve had a lot of time to think about these things.” He watched me with an amused gleam as if he knew how nervous he made me. “So what about you?”
“What about me?” I asked, confused.
“Your boyfriends.”
“Oh. None.” Realizing that wasn’t an answer that would jive with my employment application, I hastened to add, “None to worry about.”
“Any long term relationships?”
His gaze probed mine and I tried to look nonchalant. “Oh sure.” If you counted crushes from afar. I’d spent about a year in unrequited lust for a guy in high school. It never went anywhere because I was a debate team geek complete with braces. In college the braces had come off, but mom’s chemo started taking up more than my spare time. I’d barely noticed anything except how far behind I was in my classes.
“Come here.” He held out a hand, waiting while I put down my silverware and set aside my napkin. Standing, I let him pull me onto his lap, straddling his legs with mine. “By the time I am done with you, I will know all your secrets, carnal or otherwise.” He kissed the spot on my neck where my pulse jumped, pressing his tongue against it. An electric arousal shivered through me and I gasped when his hand grazed my nipple,
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