The Letter

New York State of Mind

Viggo roused from his deathlike slumber and sat up promptly. The first destination on his to-do list, the library. He wanted to be at its opening, which was in about twenty minutes.

The perks of being a vampire—if there is any—is that he didn't feel the effects of jet lag. Therefore, he didn't need extra time to rest. He had things to do.

Throwing the covers back, he stepped out of his luxury bed, opened his suitcase, and retrieved a metal flask under his clothes. Unscrewing the lid, he took a swig, the crimson liquid dribbling down the corner of his mouth.

Rejuvenated, he screwed the lid back on, put the flask back in the bag, wiped his mouth, and opened the curtains to the outdoor terrace to take in the sight of the Manhattan skyline. Brief glimpses of the sunrise broke through the overcast sky.

Trekking out onto the terrace into the cool air, he observed the hustle of bustle of the city coming alive at daybreak; the noise of rush hour traffic, honking horns, the clack and screech of the subway trains zooming over the tracks—it was all music to his ears.

After taking in the sights and sounds of the pulsating city, he strolled into the marble bathroom to take a shower.

Chewing her nails, Raven waited with Beth in the living room. After the blow up the night before between the pregnant woman and her mother, she would not leave her alone with the quarrelsome woman.

The atmosphere was tense. 

Though she advised Beth to rest for her sake and the baby's, Raven found herself unable to sleep. She felt too on edge. Even the usually bubbly Angelica was antsy.

Her mother descended the wooden staircase lugging a roller suitcase behind her, its wheels plunking on each step like a death rattle. Her eyes were puffy. "Your father will be here in about twenty minutes," she said sniffling. "Do you realize how expensive gasoline is with how far he has to travel?" 

Beth opened her purse and took out a single crisp one-hundred-dollar bill. She approached her mother, standing rigidly at the base of the stairs. "This should take care of the cost of gas."

Her mother kept her arms at her side, refusing to take the money.

Sighing, Beth took her mother's hand, placed the money in her palm, and folded her fingers over it. "I can't believe that you're throwing me out. Your mother," she said, her chin quivering.

"Don't guilt-trip me, mother," Beth said. "We need time away from each other."

"You won't keep me from seeing my grandchild will you," she said, a lone tear streaking down her face. "No, mother," Beth replied. 

"I'd like to have breakfast before I go if that is all right," she said. "Will you join me?"

"Of course, Mother," Beth said.

"Señora," the maid said, signaling for the woman to follow her into the kitchen.

Shaking her head, Beth looked at Raven watching, in silence, the pathetic scene.

Showered, Viggo turned on the flat-panel TV for noise and grabbed a shirt and pants from his suitcase. The library will open in five minutes. Dressed in under a minute, he tousled his damp locks, put on his jacket, and headed out, taking the stairs to the lobby.

"Hi. Which direction is the fitness center?" He heard a woman ask the front desk clerk.

On his way out the doors, Viggo gave a passing glance at the blond woman, dressed in a skin-tight fitness outfit, standing at the counter as the clerk gave her directions.