Girlfriend's A VAMP Guy's A TEACHER

Chapter 20 - Think Fast

"Ignoring my questions. Not a good start to a healthy relationship." I pointed out.

"And you ignore mine as well, monsieur Arishto."

There it is again. That name for me... It sounds vaguely familiar, and yet uncomfortably strange. "Why do your kind call me Arishto?"

"My question shall be answered first." His voice became low and demanding. "Arishto."

I struggled to compose myself. I wasn't going to learn any information from this stubborn vampire without first obliging to his condition. He refused to waver under my interrogation so why should I waver under his?

"I don't know." I shrugged with honesty then added a little bite to my bark. "I've been drinking holy water and maybe it backfired."

A low chuckle emanated from his throat. "Laurence warned me of your struggle to grasp onto reality and resorting to distasteful raw humour. It's surprisingly... appealing. I can understand why my fiancee has her eyes on you. Tell me. Why not become a Esxlave de Sang for our kind, since you cannot become Kin? Then you would at least be granted a small lease in her life."

My teeth grind together at his audacity to rub salt in my wound, to remind me of how I shall not share a life with Rachelle because I wasn't a Esxlave or Kin. "Elaine never had to ask me questions. She knows who I am with a glance; why don't you ask her?"

His lips tensed instantly, the muscles on his cheeks tightening. Good, I exposed a weakness in his ability. He doesn't know a thing about me, except that Rachelle 'has her eyes on me'. Some strong, ancient vampire he is. Elaine had more precious influence on me. Then again, she wasn't Rachelle's suitor either.

"Why are you here?" I demanded.

"Zzzip." Gerard let out a sharp exhale and snapped his fingers in the air. "You don't ask questions any longer. I am a French and Spanish teacher. No more, no less. And you are a Science teacher. No more... no less. Comprendre, monsieur McKenseth Arishto?"

"I understand perfectly, monsieur Duke Gerard Valmonte Le Ghent." I narrowed my eyes and refused to waver.

His eyes bled dark when I said 'Duke'. "S'il vous plaît... call me Gerard. I am no Duke here."

"Hm. Where is Rachelle?" I blurted out, my nerves turned into restlessness. I wanted to force an answer out of him. His smooth, suave coolness was tearing my insides apart, making me more curious than ever before.

"Not with you."

A spark of anger ignited in me and before I could think, my hand reached into my shirt pocket, grabbed the ballpoint pen and slung it in Gerard's direction. Towards his face.

With a wisp and whoosh of the air, Gerard caught the pen in his left hand, the point merely a few inches from his face. In the blink of an eye, the tip of the pin was in front of my right eye, my sunglasses gone, and Gerard's large body looming over me. I gasped and held my breath, trying not to move or the tip of the pen would touch my eye.

He muttered a few French phrases into my ear, his cold breath making me shudder. A tinge of fear shook my insides as I heard him inhale, probably smelling the scent of my blood and thinking about ripping my throat out. Great, I'd angered an ancient vampire with my own burst of rage. When did I become outspoken and short-temperamental?

"In English, please." I whispered, holding my breath.

He slowly removed the pen from my eye and flipped it around, shoving it back into my shirt pocket. From his other hand he dropped my sunglasses into my lap. "Like I said. I am French and Spanish teacher. No more, no less. Now if you'll excuse me, monsieur, my class awaits me."