It was the night of the SPCA dinner and Nadine paced back and forth in the large closet nervously. She was torn between what to wear, a soft pink lace dress with sleeves that stopped at her elbows and a high and low style skirt or a gold dress that the top half was adorned in lace with the bottom half of layered chiffon. There wasn't a set dress code for the event but Nadine wasn't sure which would of been more appropriate. The pink dress showed more of who she is but the gold showed she was with one of the richest and powerful man in the city.
"Gold it is." She said to herself as she finished getting dressed. She adorned herself with matching accessories that either contained gold or rhinestones including her shoes and purse. She never really matched what she wore before, but at the snap of Trent's fingers, she could have anything.
She had stopped at the main kitchen and had one of the workers fix her a glass to drink. It was a normal eight ounce sized glass, but she was used to drinking from smaller glasses still. She finished her glass and pulled out her cell phone to check the time. "Shit." She set the glass down and hurried out.
"Miss, you need to feed!" Came from one of the workers in the kitchen.
She was already out the door and while she could hear what was being said, she dismissed it.
"I'll just not eat anything. That's simple enough." She thought to herself as she stood in the elevator, waiting for the doors to open to the parking garage. Trent was waiting impatiently as she managed a smile when the doors opened.
"You know, I like to arrive to places on time once in a while." He scolded as he opened the back to the car that they'd be riding in.
Nadine flashed a cheeky smile as she climbed into the back seat, and Trent followed behind her. "In time it'll be a subconscious habit to consider how long it takes to feed for events like this." He'd say with a smile, putting his hand on her thigh. Nadine gave a nervous smile know she didn't do exactly what he was expecting. "You are full, aren't you?" He narrows his eyes at her when he sees the nervous smile.
Nadine gave a nervous nod, managing a even more fake smile. "Oh yes, most defiantly. For sure." She gives a reassuring nod as Trent continues to look at her with a sharp look. "Like eating a burger." She gives a another nod and a quirky smile.
As they arrived at the event Trent stepped out of the car first, before reaching with a hand to help Nadine out of the car, tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow as the pair walked into the building. Nadine didn't recognize any of the people that were attending but she managed a polite smile as Trent introduced her to select people. "Chief Rodriguez, you remember Miss Burns."
Nadine had remember meeting the Hispanic looking gentleman and gave him a polite nod. "The elusive Mr. Jones and the even more elusive girlfriend. A pleasure to see you again Miss Burns."
Trent would start to usher her off to great other guests before the pair were stopped by the news paper reporter.
"MISTER JONES!" She'd say with excitement, grinning from ear to ear. "It is such a wonderful pleasure to see you again! I thought meeting you in the park was a treat, now tonight I feel truly blessed to be graced with not just your presence but your girlfriend's as well."
Trent would rest his hand around Nadine's waist, keeping her closer to his side. "Miss Naomi, a pleasure to see you again as well."
He flashes a cocky smile before looking to Nadine who was looking around uncomfortably. The park, while crowded, was more open but this event was indoors and made the girl feel more uncomfortable. A bright flash from a photography camera catches Nadine's attention and she looks back at the reporter lady and her camera man.
"A photo of the lovely couple for the paper?" the reporter asked as Trent pulled Nadine even more closer and the two flashed a bright and cherry smile as the camera's flash goes off to photograph them. "I do like your girlfriend, Mr. Jones. I look forward to seeing you two at more events." The reporter darts off, dragging her camera man as well to interact with the other guests.
"Don't look so tense. I'm sure you've looked at a cow at the zoo before. Same concept, just looking and not touching." He'd lean in to whisper into Nadine's ear. "Just relax."
Trent continued to usher Nadine around as if showing her off to those at the event. He stopped behind a man in a light grey suit as he cleared his throat to gain the man's attention. The man turned around and he looked to appear to be in his early forties with smokey grey hair and an eager smile on his face. "Prince Jones, a pleasure to see you out an about among the humans."
Nadine's attention had been looking around eyeing at the crowd around her before her attention snaps to the pair of men when she hears Trent referred by his vampire title. She looks between the two men confused.
"Oh come now, you don't think that only him would attend an event like this?" The man said as he held out his hand for her. Nadine placed her hand into his with a smile.
"Besides, these humans are so wrapped up in trying to prove who can donate the most money to a charitable cause. Prince Samuel Ziegler, of Winter Haven." He smiles as he kisses the back of Nadine's hand. "So you are the famed Newborn that has caught the attention of Prince Jones. I was one of the few who knew before you were turned about his interest in you. Your former job was located in my city."
Nadine tried to manage a smile as she relaxed slightly knowing she and Trent weren't the only vampires there. Samuel would turn to gain the attention of a woman who was holding a glass of champagne and was in the middle of talking to a group of people. "Willie, care to meet Prince Jones' Newborn?"
The woman would glance for a moment before turning around as if she had just seen a famous celebrity, letting out a gasp of excitement. The late thirties looking woman had short strawberry blonde curly hair and wore a solid blue dress that looked like she stepped out of the 1920s. "Oh, my, goodness! It is a pleasure, miss!"
Trent leaned to give Nadine a soft kiss on her cheek before giving a bow to the two others. "If you excuse me." He'd pull away from Nadine, making her feel like she was going to topple over as she had been relying on him like a security blanket.
"Willie Buchanan, my husband is the Prince of Bartow. He doesn't do crowds and Bartow is commonly more busy then the other cities in the county." She'd offer her hand for Nadine to shake but Nadine's attention had diverted to watching Trent continue to move from various groups of people. "Don't mind him, this is the rare time he's seen outside that musty old bank. He's just trying to make a grand statement before scurrying off like Cinderella leaving the ball in a hurry at midnight." Willie would say trying to gain Nadine's attention again.
"It's just," She'd look back to the pair before quickly giving the woman's hand a shake.
"The heartbeats?" Samuel would attempt to finish Nadine's thought as she gave him a nod. "You learn to find your own way of dealing with it." The pair would stick to Nadine's side as they make their way to one of the many round tables that were set up for guests to take a seat at. "I'm sure all the smells are making her nervous too."
Willie would chime in as she takes a drink from her champagne glass. "Oh what I'd give to be in your shoes again. To experience the newly heightened senses all over again."
Nadine sat there uncomfortably as she hopes that the unavoidable doesn't happen. Trent finally takes a seat next to her, placing his hand on her thigh. "I hope these two didn't bore you too much."
Glasses of champagne are placed on the table for those there and Nadine gives a long hard stare at it her glass. The other three look at Nadine as she looks up and around at them. "I can't stand the taste of champagne. I'm really a hard liquor type of girl. Put a blood marry in front of me and I'll down those for days." She gave a soft chuckle hoping that her joke was well received.
"So Prince Jones, are the stories true from what happened in Tampa?" Willie would look to Trent trying to help change the topic.
Trent would give a soft shrug of his shoulders before taking a sip from his champagne glass. "Depends on what the rumor was. If you are asking if Nadine stood up to an Elder vampire and killed him, then yes. I wouldn't of choose someone who'd become an embarrassment to become a vampire." He'd say coldly before taking another sip from his glass.
Nadine was about to excuse herself from the table when waitstaff came around and sat plates of food in front of them as well as the rest of the guests that had taken their places at the other tables.
"Oh god, your stuck now. He's going to lose his shit at you." Nadine thought to herself as she stared at the food in front of her. She wasn't full, not one bit because she didn't have enough blood before leaving for the event that night. "Relax, play it off as you need to go to the ladies room. Or you have an eating disorder that you haven't gotten over with because old habits die hard, right?" She was lost in her thoughts when she realized once more, the three vampires were staring at her. She looked up doing her best to manage a smile. "I don't think I've smelled something so good. I've had food like this before but..."
She was quickly cut off by Willie. "You should have that Prince of yours let you out of that musty bank more. There's so much you could enjoy with your new senses. Wait till you actually taste it." She'd say with a smile before digging into her dish.
Nadine looked to Trent as she stuck her fork into the the food on her plate and placed it into her mouth. He was suspicions of her behavior the whole evening, but upon seeing her being to eat her meal he allowed himself to shrug off those suspicions. The taste of the food was almost an overwhelming experience for Nadine. Her heightened senses made a plain dish of beef cubes with broccoli on a bed of white rice and topped with gravy taste like ecstasy in her mouth. She had forgotten the whole reason why she was worried about eating as she was lost in the taste of her meal. Waitstaff brought by wine glasses, filling the glasses with wine now and Nadine was quick to take a drink from her's.
"Easy young one. Don't want a photo in the newspaper over how unladylike you eat." Samuel chucked as Nadine finished her last bite, managing a nervous smile.
"Craaaaap. You done did it now." She thought to herself as she realized she let herself get lost in the food.
She tried to excuse herself from the table when the lovely reporter lady, Naomi came around to their table. "How about another photo for the paper, Mr. Jones? I think I've never seen you linger at an event for this longer." The camera man lifted up his camera prepared to take the photo and as the flash went off at the same time as the entire meal came right back up, creating a mess of vomit and wine on the table.
Nadine didn't give anyone any time to react as she hurried out of her seat, even causing a waitstaff member to tip over a tray of dishes as she hurried from the table. She made her way out of the large room the event was at and found a nearby room that was out of the way. She darted inside and locked door behind her before sliding down to the ground and fighting the urge not to cry from her utter and undeniable embarrassment.
Trent was just as quick to start to follow Nadine when she rushed out of her chair before Samuel took a hold of his arm to stop him. "Let her be." Samuel turned to the report to try to brush off what just happened. "I'm sure the young lady had too much to drink judging by how skinny she looks."
Naomi had already whipped out her notepad with a nod and took off, dragging her cameraman with her. "You got that shot yes, please tell me you did."
Trent glared at Samuel determining if he could break the man's arm without drawing to much attention.
"I'll go check on her." Willie said as she got up and went off in the direction Nadine had rushed off in.
"Let Miss Buchanan tend to your pet and we will step outside so you can vent your frustrations." Samuel said as he motioned with his head toward a set of glass doors that led outside.
The pair got up and made their way outside. Samuel was calm and collected over what happened, while Trent was furious that Nadine had managed to do exactly what he was trying to avoid. Samuel pulled out a cigar holder and offered one to Trent.
"I'm sure you kept that lighter she sold you." He'd say with a smirk but Trent ignored the offer as he walked over to a railing and leaned onto it.
"I shouldn't of brought her. She refuses to accept what she is." Samuel casually ignored Trent's venting as he lit his cigar.
"Newborns aren't ones that can be shown once and then assumed they accept it on a whim. Even back when we were newborns, I know I wasn't quick accept that I had to slaughter people in order to live. I was a farmer, so I understood that my perspective of -what- I had to eat changed, but it was still an odd concept to wrap my mind around." He'd take several puffs of his cigar. "And to add to the fact she's a Newborn to one of the most ruthless vampires around, it's a hard concept to just throw her out there and assume she will instantly adjust. Or does she not know who you -really- are?" He simply stood where he was as he talked, watching Trent continue to keep his back to him. "She's got a quirky charm from the times I met her when she was a human. I can see why you found an interest. To see someone who looked like the perfect embodiment of innocence be thrown into a world that is nothing but that, I am surprised she hasn't had a mental breakdown yet." He takes several more puffs of his cigar.
Meanwhile Willie was standing outside the door of the room Nadine was in. "Miss Burns, please why don't you come out and we can get you cleaned up. They do a date auction after dessert. I'm sure us ladies can get some humor in watching Prince Jones and Ziegler being auctioned off for a fancy date. They always end up raising the most money due to their handsome charm that make either one unique. And their dates are ones that ladies end up being blown away over. Well, if Prince Jones stays, he normally doesn't stay this long." Willie finally heard someone shift around before the sound of the click from the door unlocking.
"He's furious at me. I can feel it. I think I'll just stay here." Nadine hadn't opened the door just yet.
"Oh honey you don't know that. The only way you could know exactly how he feels is if you have a bond. And Prince Jones would know better then to create a bond with another vampire." Nadine would open door with a serious look on her face, letting the woman know her statement was wrong. "Oh my goodness, he didn't!" She'd say before dragging the girl out of the room. "Well, that does change things. But I don't think his anger is as bad as it feels. And," She reached into her purse and pulled out a handkerchief. "You don't seem all that much of a mess. I have a feeling the staff even got the mess cleaned up." She tucks the handkerchief away before pulling out spare makeup pallets to touch up the girl's make up. "Ah see, all better. Like it never happened."
Nadine could still feel Trent's anger and continued to not budge from where she was standing as Willie tried to get her to move. "Prince Jones is just old fashioned. He's been a vampire for so long that he expects those around him to behave in the same manner as you. He's forgotten that we were all in your shoes. He may appear all tough and frighting, but he really does have a soft spot for you. It's all over his face when he looks at you."
Nadine felt Trent calming down which allowed her to muster up the confidence to be in his presence again. Willie and her came back to the table just after the two men had taken their seats. Nadine sat on the other side of Willie as she wasn't ready to really face any possible repercussions.
"Well I will have to say this has been the most interesting night in all the years I've attended this event." Willie said trying to lighten the mood at the table.
"We are leaving." Came from Trent in his cold and sharp tone.
"Oh Prince Jones, don't be so hard on her. I think I can speak for Samuel and myself when I say that we don't see you in any negative way." He didn't care to listen to the woman as he stood up and walked around the table before grabbing Nadine's arm to drag her out.
After arriving back at the compound Trent didn't allow Nadine to go change as he dragged to the floor the holding cells on. "Trent please, I'm sorry." Nadine pleaded as tears ran down her face.
"You'll learn how to act accordingly, dammit and eventually you'll learn that you can just pretend that you are some vampire from one these fantasy stories!" He threw her into one of the cells before shutting the door behind her. "Maybe eventually you won't embarrass me when I decide to take you out in public." Nadine press against the glass of the cell as she watched Trent storm off. Tears continued to stream down her face as she leaned against the glass.
She had cried herself to sleep that night and as morning arrived so did her breakfast. Nadine awoke to the sounds of choking, gurgling and a rapid and panicked heartbeat. She hadn't had anything to eat since before the charity event and was starving by the time morning came around. She crawled over to the body on the floor and took hold of their arm. She looked out the window of her cell curious if Trent was nearby as she felt his presence but didn't see him anywhere. Nadine turned her attention back to the human who was bleeding out and bit into their arm sucking the remaining life out of the body.