Standing at the back door, I bit my bottom lip, watching the man stagger through his back gate. A narrow alley divided the two rows of units, small courtyards between us.
I'd seen this guy before, he was a drunk or addict, something. He staggered in at strange hours and struggled to get through his back door. I don't know why he didn't go through the front door, not that it mattered. All that concerned me was how this would suit our situation.
He looked like he was the same shape, weight, and height as Constantino. The clothes that he wore suited the nightclub environment which I figured was the easiest place to find someone for Constantino. Drunk and easily lured into a deadly situation.
The thought of what was going to happen filled me with anxiety. I didn't know how to deal with it, and it worried me that I'd freak out or that my conscious would weigh me down. Did I have what it takes to be an accomplice to murder? Before I knew it, I'd be more than just an accomplice, and I think that made my stomach turn harder.
Dusk was upon us, I looked at the beautiful sky that was a mixture of oranges and pinks. Becoming a vampire would put an end to many things in my life, and I don't know how to take it. My life was done in the great outdoors, in full sun. It was not hiding in the shadows or slinking around at night. Yet apparently, that's going to change. As to when I don't know.
The man stumbled, and I saw my moment. Frowning at Constantino, I pointed at the chair he was sitting on.
"Stay put, do you hear me?"
He said nothing and I pushed through the back door. Rushing over to the man, I called out to him.
"Are you alright?"
Bleary-eyed, he looked at me.
"What's that, love?"
"You seem a little uneasy on your feet. Let me help you in."
For a moment, he frowned but shrugged as he turned back.
"Ain't got nothin' if you're looking to score."
I was looking to score but not in the sense he was thinking.
"I can, however, give you the number of my go-to guy. A real legend."
He pushed open the door, and the smell of a dirty house assailed me. It took all my strength not to dry reach into his beer can riddled garden.
"He'll set you up with a few freebies. A real looker like you could get yourself a whole lot if you get down on your knees and pray if you follow me."
The sod winked at me. I gritted my smile and followed him into the fleapit.
"Sure," I muttered.
"Let me get that number for you."
He staggered through the rubbish and furniture, I looked around and found a few ideal things, stuffed them into a bag and then hot-footed it out of the place.
Constantino looked at me like I was a mad woman when I leaned on the closed door, almost out of breath.
"I ran back, shut up."
Dumping the plastic bag on the table, I sighed.
"I've never stolen a thing in my life. The things we do, honestly."
I pulled out a pair of pants and showed them to Constantino. An eyebrow raised at me.
"I know, it's leather, but I think you'd look good in them."
Let's hope they fit.
"As a bonus, that jacket of yours would look good with it. Trust me on this one."
He looked intrigued at the shoes, inspecting them for quite some time.
"And the last thing that I borrowed, never to return was this. I thought it was probably not very appropriate, but hey, we could get a marker, scrub out Queen and change it to King. God save the King?"
Nothing.
"Not a fan of the Sex Pistols? Guess not then. Was that a bad joke? It was, wasn't it? Forget the shirt. I'm sure the one you were wearing will be dry in time for tonight."
I turned into the kitchen, dumping the shirt on the counter. When it was dark later, I'd toss the shirt onto his stairs. He probably won't even know it's missing.
"Luuu-ceee."
Gasping, I turned around. Constantino was right behind me, and I didn't hear a single thing. He took the shirt, giving me that curled smirk that made me sit up and take notice of him.
"Noh Gohed."
"No God?"
He pointed to his fangs.
"No God for vampires?"
He nodded.
"Well then, I guess it's lucky that I didn't believe in God or Heaven anyway. On a first name basis with the devil by any chance?"
"Noh Deh-vel"
"No Devil for us either? Gee, thank goodness for that."
"Luuu-ceee?" He asked, pointing to his fangs.
Silence hit us as we looked at each other, smiles on our faces.
"Maybe," I said softly.
Because at the moment, I was definitely sitting on the fence. A week ago, I would have said that I was tipped against it, but right now, I wasn't. I needed to know the pros and cons, not being able to discuss it with him made the decision difficult.
"In the meantime, get into those clothes while I get ready. You can use the bathroom if you want."
I didn't own a lot of dressy clothes. In fact, I didn't own a dress. I had a few skirts, but that's it. Picking a skirt, I dragged out the shirt that worked well with it and dressed quickly. Getting out of here wouldn't be easy, not with the possibility of someone watching us on the street and now, drug man in the alley. I wanted to travel a few suburbs to ensure that the deaths were not close to home, but it wouldn't happen, it had to be the city. Tonight would not be easy considering that the city was filled with cameras, but I knew it was the better choice than a suburb.
Somewhere near a nightclub would be ideal. Like I thought earlier, drunk and easily lured away. The bite marks clearly healed quickly as neither Dana or Nelson said anything about wounds. I hoped it was the case, at least then the cops wouldn't know what the cause of death was.
The ideal target was someone that would not scream loudly or at all, maybe a woman that would think that Constantino was getting amorous. That certainly had its benefits. He could get close, snuggle in and bite her easily. Hands might wander, but so long as it was kept clean, I wouldn't get upset.
Because yes, it was turning that way. My thoughts were becoming clearer, and I could see the possibility of something with Constantino as interesting and what I wanted.
Opening my bedroom door, I was faced with Constantino in the bathroom. He didn't shut the door, again but thankfully this time, he was dressed. Well, he had the leather pants on which was good because it wouldn't be another embarrassing moment but not so good because my curiosity was growing.
The lean structure was pale but enticing. I found myself staring as he tousled his hair, looking at his reflection.
Slowly he turned and joined in the staring competition. A sly smirk filled his face and Constantino said something that I'm sure was incredibly naughty. The look on his face certainly made it seem like it was highly likely. I had no idea what he said, but still, I smiled.