My Vampire Bromance

Chapter 12: Let's Go

"This is nice," Victor held up a dark burgundy sweater that Jenna had bought me up to my chest, examining it as if he were trying to figure out if it was suitable for going out clubbing.

I sighed, palming my hand down over my face in exasperation, "I really don't want to go." I hoped that if I looked upset enough, Victor would take pity on me. It didn't work. He simply dropped the sweater away from my face and looked put out.

"You are not going to get out of coming with me, Phillip Kosier," he said. I watched as Victor sighed, looking up at the ceiling as if he were thinking hard about something, "If it's the sweater, why don't you wear one of my shirts instead."

I raised an eyebrow at Victor, "I've been meaning to ask you about that." I looked off to the side of my bedroom and across the hall to my parents' room. I was unsure of when Victor had brought his clothes, but it hadn't been while I was awake.

At first, I thought he must only have one outfit, but then remembered that he never repeated the same outfit twice, except for the sweatpants and green sweater that I had given him on his first night here. He wore those every night. "Exactly when did you bring all your clothes here?"

Victor placed the sweater on the bed, then crossed his arms. "Oh, the third night I was here. You were sleeping, and I figured I'd go get them."

"Where were you staying before?" I was curious. Victor mentioned he was sleeping on the streets.

Victor eyed the side of my room, "It's neither here nor there. I am here now. Where I was staying before doesn't matter. But what does," he looked down at me disapprovingly, "is that you learn how to dress. Stay there. I'm getting you a shirt."

I watched as Victor left me standing in the middle of my room as he went to get a shirt. When he came back, I nearly had a heart attack. Every shirt he had was collared, with either florid patterns or embroidery. Red, green, gold, burnt copper; floral designs that were so busy I found it hard to imagine that they would look good on me at all. Victor seemed to struggle as well.

"It seems my style is more...how do I say, complicated than yours?" Victor stared down at me while I buttoned up a black shirt with red poppy flowers on it. He bit his lip, sharp eyeteeth showing at the sides. "It does look good though. Now," he said, "where are those jeans I saw in your closet?"

I watched silently as Victor rummaged through my closet, eventually bringing out the dark blue jeans Jenna had bought me. He threw them at me. I barely caught them in my arms as he came near me. Victor sat down beside me as I changed out of my sweatpants and into the fitted jeans.

"I think it's okay," I said, staring down at the dark-haired vampire that sat on my bed.

Victor smiled, shifting to the side, "Sit," he said. I obeyed and watched nervously as Victor pulled my right arm toward him. He undid the buttons around the wrist and started to roll the cuff up my arm little by little, taking care to fold it crisply each time until the sleeve was just over my elbow. "A man must take care not to look too stiff," he pulled my other arm toward him and repeated the gesture, undoing the cuff buttons and folding up the other sleeve. "If he does," Victor continued, "a woman will turn away from him."

"Why?" I asked, paying too much attention to Victor's fingers as they slid down my forearm to my wrist. They stayed there, pressing slightly over the large vein that sat right along my wrist bone.

Victor raised his gaze to my own, "If a man gives the appearance of being too stiff, it tells a woman that he doesn't know how to relax and have fun. On the other hand," he said, crimson eyes boring into mine. "If a man dresses too sloppily, it says he  won't care about his partner, because he can't be bothered to care about himself."

I looked away sheepishly, my round gold glasses falling down my nose. I knew precisely what Victor was talking about to. "Lucky for you," he said, pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose as he moved his face less than an inch away from mine. "You have me."

I watched as his fingers went from the bridge of my glasses to the top button on the collared shirt. He undid the first and second ones, fingers moving expertly as he threaded the metal beads through the holes. When Victor got to the third button, I grasped his hand, stopping him. "No, not that low. I can't," I said, my voice catching in my throat.

He smiled, his fingers stopping on the third button. "Of course, I forgot. You're not used to this." He winked at me, dropping his hands into his lap, "Well, Phillip, you look great. Now let's go." He extended his hand to mine.

I hesitated; my fingers starting to shake as I clenched and unclenched them against the fabric of my pants. I looked down at the outlandish designed shirt I was in.

Victor sighed. "Oh Phillip, you'll be fine. Now let's go." He gripped my fingers in his, pulling me off the bed, and led me down the stairs.

I wanted to say that I couldn't go. That I didn't want to. What the hell was I doing? I was dressed in some ancient vampire's clothes, ready to spend a night on the town with him.

"By the end of the night, you'll be getting all the women you desire," Victor said.

"Ah, sure," I replied. The more I looked at the vampire holding my hand, the less I wanted to try and woo women altogether.

What the hell am I thinking? Victor's a man! Victor is a vampire Phillip!

I looked into his eyes as he turned the door handle, still smiling down at me. He swallowed hard, his red eyes twinkling as the door swung open, revealing the night outside.

"Let's go," he said softly. "You'll be fine. I'll teach you everything I know." Again, he winked at me, but there was a look of stress on his face.

"What's up?" I said, pulling my hand from his. He tightened his grip, moving his hand, so my fingers were locked into his. My breathing shallowed. I wasn't expecting this. What even is this?

"I'm hungry," Victor said. "Let's go," he pulled me toward my car. Once at the doors, he finally released my hand.

"Where to?" I asked, unlocking the door.

"Downtown," he said. He winked at me, and it was then that I could tell how horribly thirsty he was. Though he smiled at me, his teeth were gritted. His chest rising and falling rapidly. "You look great, by the way," he said.

"Thanks," I said sheepishly, opening the car door and folding myself onto the car seat.

"Good enough to eat," he said darkly.

I swallowed hard, pulling the seatbelt around myself and buckling it as he slid in next to me. He touched my hair and breathed. "On second thought, I'll meet you here," he whispered harshly.

"Where?" I asked.

"Downtown on Egmont Street, in front of the Korean restaurant. There's a club right next to it. I'll meet you in there." Victor looked at me, eyeing my neck like he wanted to rip my throat out. "You look good," he said again. Then, tucking a stray strand of my hair behind my ear from where it had fallen out of my neatly styled bun; he evaporated into a thin, blood-red mist and disappeared from my sight.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" I shouted into the steering wheel. My face was red, the blood filling my cheeks in a way it never had before. The lower part of my body burned with an intensity I was trying hard to push down. "Why?!"

I gathered myself as I stuck the key into the ignition, started the car, and drove off into the night.