The Vampire from Hell (Part 3) - A Vampire on Vacation (Sample)

Chapter 2 - Awaiting Judgment Day

Jeremy, Max's son stepped out of the back supply room. "Do you mean Legends-of-the-Fall Brad or Fight-Club Brad?" Obviously he had been listening to our conversation. 

"Snack time," the voice inside my head mused. 

"Fight-Club Brad," I replied as I carefully eyed him, making a mental note to not let my eyes glow at him because of my insatiable appetite of late. No one in the House of G told me that my bloodlust would reach new levels while being around humans on Earth. I suppose, however, they wouldn't have known that. 

It would have been super easy to feast on Jeremy - he was young, soft, and doe-eyed, but I couldn't do that to Max. Besides Jeremy was no longer scared of me. That was a bonus. If you recall from a previous blog entry, our first meeting when he snagged my iPhone out of my hands had left him with a dismal opinion of me. Dismal isn't the right word. Horrified is probably a better choice. ITunes gift cards had finally won him over. Jeremy was a harmless enough guy, despite his lack of intelligence. I paused for a moment while listening to him explain to his father what items they needed to order. 

What had my friend, Lynn said about Jeremy? The tequila clouded my brain. Finally it dawned on me. She had said his elevator didn't reach the top floor. Silently I laughed. Lynn loved to 'people watch' as she called. With our spending a lot of time together in the recent months, I had learned that her judge of character was actually really good. If she didn't like someone immediately on a hunch, it was usually for a good reason. Jeremy was one of those cases. Even with his letting his hair grow out of his Justin Bieber hairdo, she didn't like him. I told her Jeremy was harmless enough and didn't see any reason to worry further about it. 

Max glanced over at Jeremy with irritation etched on his face because he had been interrupted. "Why do we need more cases of tequila? I placed an order week before last." 

I noticed Jeremy's hesitation. He twisted his lips in a comical frown. I had no problems reading his facial expressions. The song Poker Face by Lady Gaga popped into my head. He did not have a 'p-p-p-poker face, p-p-p-poker face.' This time I grunted a little to hide another giggle. 

"Max," I spoke up. "I think I'm the reason you're low on tequila." I raised my tall shot glass, and clinked it against the skull-shaped liquor bottle that was his house brand. 

"I thought you were in here a lot with your friends, but cases worth? Come on?" 

In the recent months I had been partying with my friends. A lot actually. I was on vacation, so yes, it was true. I had been in his neighborhood bar so much that Max considered me a regular, not a tourist. After Lynn and the others wandered home, I'd spend some evenings talking with Max in the bar until dawn or going for long walks in Golden Gate park to watch the sun rise. 

Max was as smart as an online encyclopedia. He knew everything, but he didn't come off pompous or arrogant, just knowledgeable. I had increased my overall education about Earth a great deal by getting to know him. I had been tempted many times to ask Max if he had a brother because he reminded me a lot of G, even though I knew it was a silly idea. 

"I'm celebrating National Margarita Day every day. Well, minus the margarita mix and salt," I said to both of them, filling my glass for another shot. 

"Sounds like you've already had too much. You think your friend will mind if you're smashed when he gets here? Thank god, your place is within walking distance from here." 

I nodded, hating to admit that Max had insisted on walking me home more than once after our evening talks. I also refused to admit to him, or anybody else, that the drinking kept my mind numb. I didn't thirst for blood when I had a drink in my hand. Don't get me wrong. I wasn't perfect and I had slipped up a time or two while vacationing on Earth. Maybe that's what I had to answer for. My sins. By not having Michael's blood, I had figured out alternative methods. Drinking alcohol was the best I could come up with so far, with the exception of drinking human blood here and there. Nobody's perfect, not even this vampire.