And that bothered him. He didn’t want to give another man the opportunity to get close to her. Inhaling a deep breath, he decided to walk right up to her and find out what fate had in store for him.
* * * *
Alexi watched Greg disappear behind a group of neighbors chatting. The urge to run after him took her by surprise. She’d never pursued a man before, yet she couldn’t help the way she felt. When she’d noticed him during her speech, she relaxed and her heart felt at peace. Maybe her attraction to him had something to do with the fact he was gay or bisexual. Since he was involved with another man, she doubted he’d try to use her for sex. The reason seemed logical to her.
“It was nice to meet you,” Alexi said to the female witch named Charley and the elf named David. “Please excuse me, I see someone I need to speak with.”
Carrying her purse, Alexi slipped between the two and followed the path she’d seen Greg take. Her heels clacked on the hard floor and with each step her toes ached. The snug fit of her shoes encouraged her to slide them off and discard them. A task she’d perform later. She passed a group chatting and spotted the backside of a tall man with dark hair that reminded her of Greg. The man spun around and took a step, coming close to smashing her sore toes and bumping into her.
“Oh, hi, Alexandria,” Greg said, his eyes wide and expression one of surprise.
“Please, call me Alexi.” She gave him a smile. “Are you leaving already?”
“No, no of course not.”
“I want to thank you for what you did last night. I returned your items and met your roommate.” Alexi pressed her lips together and shifted her weight on one foot, hoping to ease the pain crawling up her leg. Damn the shoes.
“Yes, Corey informed me.” He glanced at the bar. “Would you like a drink? Or, do you drink?”
“I don’t drink much. My body absorbs any liquid content quickly, so alcohol has a strong effect.”
“Really? Does that happen to all vampires?”
“Yes, some like to drink much like humans do because of the effect. For me, a drink every now then is all I can handle. And right now I could use a glass of wine.” The liquor would take her mind off the needlelike pain shooting up her toes and spreading into her ankles and calves.
“Please…” Greg extended his arm. “Let me get one for you.”
Alexi headed for the bar with the pain in her feet getting worse by the second. She really needed to get rid of the shoes. Finding a spot at the opposite end, she set her purse on the counter and leaned forward. A robust middle-aged man wearing a green polo shirt stood behind the bar. After he served drinks to another customer, he stepped toward Alexi.
“A glass of wine and a beer, please,” Greg said.
“White? Red?” the bartender asked.
“Red, please,” Alexi answered. She always preferred red, and the sweeter, the better.
She turned her gaze to Greg as the bartender fixed their drinks.
“So, you don’t drink much,” he said. “What about food?”
“No, I don’t eat food. I tried it once a long time ago when I was still a young vamp. It tasted good, but my body rejected it.”
“Don’t feel bad. My body rejects food on occasion too,” Greg said, and she grinned. A sense of humor was always a plus for a man.
The bartender set their drinks on the counter. Greg claimed the cup while she lifted the glass. Sipping her wine, she surveyed the clubhouse. People sat at tables covered with white cloths in one half of the room. Men and women stood in groups, talking and holding plates or cups in the other half. A row of tables with food dishes backed up to a portion of one wall. Alexi didn’t smell anything since she’d cut off her sense of smell before she walked in the clubhouse. Selecting to use her heightened ability at will was a vampire trait she thoroughly enjoyed, especially in large gatherings. All the odors, food and human, might have made her gut churn in disgust.
She
* * * *
Alexi watched Greg disappear behind a group of neighbors chatting. The urge to run after him took her by surprise. She’d never pursued a man before, yet she couldn’t help the way she felt. When she’d noticed him during her speech, she relaxed and her heart felt at peace. Maybe her attraction to him had something to do with the fact he was gay or bisexual. Since he was involved with another man, she doubted he’d try to use her for sex. The reason seemed logical to her.
“It was nice to meet you,” Alexi said to the female witch named Charley and the elf named David. “Please excuse me, I see someone I need to speak with.”
Carrying her purse, Alexi slipped between the two and followed the path she’d seen Greg take. Her heels clacked on the hard floor and with each step her toes ached. The snug fit of her shoes encouraged her to slide them off and discard them. A task she’d perform later. She passed a group chatting and spotted the backside of a tall man with dark hair that reminded her of Greg. The man spun around and took a step, coming close to smashing her sore toes and bumping into her.
“Oh, hi, Alexandria,” Greg said, his eyes wide and expression one of surprise.
“Please, call me Alexi.” She gave him a smile. “Are you leaving already?”
“No, no of course not.”
“I want to thank you for what you did last night. I returned your items and met your roommate.” Alexi pressed her lips together and shifted her weight on one foot, hoping to ease the pain crawling up her leg. Damn the shoes.
“Yes, Corey informed me.” He glanced at the bar. “Would you like a drink? Or, do you drink?”
“I don’t drink much. My body absorbs any liquid content quickly, so alcohol has a strong effect.”
“Really? Does that happen to all vampires?”
“Yes, some like to drink much like humans do because of the effect. For me, a drink every now then is all I can handle. And right now I could use a glass of wine.” The liquor would take her mind off the needlelike pain shooting up her toes and spreading into her ankles and calves.
“Please…” Greg extended his arm. “Let me get one for you.”
Alexi headed for the bar with the pain in her feet getting worse by the second. She really needed to get rid of the shoes. Finding a spot at the opposite end, she set her purse on the counter and leaned forward. A robust middle-aged man wearing a green polo shirt stood behind the bar. After he served drinks to another customer, he stepped toward Alexi.
“A glass of wine and a beer, please,” Greg said.
“White? Red?” the bartender asked.
“Red, please,” Alexi answered. She always preferred red, and the sweeter, the better.
She turned her gaze to Greg as the bartender fixed their drinks.
“So, you don’t drink much,” he said. “What about food?”
“No, I don’t eat food. I tried it once a long time ago when I was still a young vamp. It tasted good, but my body rejected it.”
“Don’t feel bad. My body rejects food on occasion too,” Greg said, and she grinned. A sense of humor was always a plus for a man.
The bartender set their drinks on the counter. Greg claimed the cup while she lifted the glass. Sipping her wine, she surveyed the clubhouse. People sat at tables covered with white cloths in one half of the room. Men and women stood in groups, talking and holding plates or cups in the other half. A row of tables with food dishes backed up to a portion of one wall. Alexi didn’t smell anything since she’d cut off her sense of smell before she walked in the clubhouse. Selecting to use her heightened ability at will was a vampire trait she thoroughly enjoyed, especially in large gatherings. All the odors, food and human, might have made her gut churn in disgust.
She
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