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I slide my card into the ATM and type in my password.
“Shit,” I mutter.
There’s a four-hundred dollar withdrawal limit.
I’m able to extract money twice before the machine tells me I’ve reached my daily limit.
Eight hundred dollars. That’s all I have to get Jane out of the city tonight.
It’ll have to be enough.
I shoot the glaring clerk my most dazzling smile as I leave.
Jane still looks pale when I gesture for her to join me from outside the lobby doors.
She stands with her arms crossed and hands clenched into tight balls. As soon as she notices me, her eyes grow wider and the green in them seems to intensify. She looks at the snoozing watchman; his head bowed to gaze at his illuminated cell phone. She approaches me nervously, and I can feel her apprehension as if it was a physical presence.
She exits our apartment building, staying in the shadows as she joins me. Her heartbeat thrums in my ears,thump, thump, thump-ing so loud and fast I worry she may collapse on the concrete from heart palpitations.
I link my arm with hers, guiding her forward. I notice the rush of her heartbeat slows once we touch. She isn’t scared ofme.She’s scared of this.
Her nostrils flare, inhaling and exhaling deeply as we blend into the evening crowd.
“Are you alright?” I ask.
She laughs, her tone incredulous. “No. Absolutely not.”
“Tell me why.”
She snorts. “Because a man wanted to slice me up a few hours ago? Because I’m running on no sleep, I haven’t eaten, and now I’m leavinganotherlife behind? Because you’re avampire?” She whispers the last word, scanning our surroundings.
“You’re leaving another life?” I watch her closely, noticing as her eyes widen in shock for a moment before returning to normal. Perhaps she hadn’t expected I’d pick up on her admission. “Tell me about that.”
We turn at the street corner, my destination shifting at her mention of food. It’s a silly thing to have forgotten. Of course, humans need to eat frequently. I was a man once; Iknowthis. And Jane’s stomach had made a funny little sound a few minutes ago.
She snickers, leaning deeper into me on impulse. I try to ignore the way that slight shift in my direction causes the hardness within me to weaken ever so slightly, but the tenderness is there, reminding me why I shouldn’t get any closer to this woman.
Why I shouldn’t, and why I must.
“There’s not much to tell. You know those generic-ass plots about a girl escaping her hick hometown to find herself in the city?” Her lashes flutter against her freckled cheeks as her gaze falls. “Yeah, well, that’s me.”
“I’ve found that real life is always messier than any fictional tale could ever be.” I give her arm a gentle squeeze before slowing our pace. “You can tell me all about it after you eat.”
Her features are so interesting to stare into, each twitch of her muscles telling me something new about how she feels or thinks. Even now, the slight lift of her chin tells me she’s curious about what I’m saying. I manage to look away for a few moments to take in the shopfronts that lay ahead of us.
The restaurant stands out from the surrounding stores, its red brick exterior unique and striking. The aroma of freshly cooked tomatoes and garlic bread fills the street, tempting the humans that pass by. Customers are sitting in outdoor booths lining the front of the restaurant, chatting and laughing as they share their meals. A woman wearing an apron is standing near the entrance, greeting customers as they approach.
“Come,” I whisper, guiding my lovely companion forward. As we approach the worker, I plaster on my most dazzling smile.
The young brunette’s eyes flash with heat the moment she catches sight of me, her throat bobbing.
“Table for two, please.”
Her mouth parts before closing again. The woman,Claire, if her name tag is correct, clears her throat and tries again. “Of course! We’ll have an outdoor sitting option available in ten minutes. W-would that be okay?”
I purse my lips, cocking my head in slight disappointment. Worry wrinkles poor Claire’s brow. “I’m sure you have something else available. Doesn’t this place have a private room for meetings and such?”
She stammers, her cheeks blazing red. “Yes, sir, but it’s reserved for an eight o’clock party.”
