Glamour Bites

Cassi had sat in silence for nearly five minutes after I had told her about Andreas and the basement I had woken up in. By the time I had arrived at her house, I had started to remember the details of the night before, though I was beginning to wish that I hadn’t.



A male vampyre had taken me by surprise and hit me in the head hard. I had awoken once while he was thrusting himself inside me, but it had only been for a second before his hand had hit me and knocked me unconscious yet again. I hadn’t seen his face and the little clues I had gotten about him said it hadn’t been Andreas. That was the extent of my memory of the night before, and I had told it all to Cassi.



She moved from her seat on the chair across from me to sit right next to me on the big overstuffed couch. She wrapped her arms around my shaking shoulders. She sighed and shook her head. “He had no right, Lexi. No one deserves that. I won’t let it happen again, even if that means I’ll have to learn to stand up to him.”



It meant a lot to me to know that Cassi was willing to put her life on the line for me. It also meant a lot to know that Cassi had been through this and would understand more than anyone what I was going through. She had managed to live her life after the incident, giving me hope for my future.



“Thanks, Cassi, you don’t know how much this means to me.”



“Yes, I do. It means as much to you as it did to me four years ago when I sat where you’re sitting right now.” She brushed my long red hair out of my face and looked into my eyes. “You’ll just have to learn that one asshole does not make all males assholes.”



With that wonderful insight, I remembered that phone call I had gotten on the way over. I smiled at her and nodded. “Speaking of non-assholes, I got a phone call from Ian, the bass guitarist for Teeth and Claws. We have a dinner date with him and the other guys of Teeth and Claws Friday night before their concert, which we happen to be getting backstage passes for.”



If the squeal she had emitted had been any louder or higher pitched, I would have gone deaf. I laughed at the expression of girlish glee on her face as she hugged me hard enough to bruise.



I pushed her off me with a laugh, unable to comprehend her words, though they seemed to be thanks. “Cassi! Take a deep breath. I can’t understand you when you go all squeaky on me. You’d think you were a twelve year old girl and not a thirty-five year old vampyre.”



“Sorry, Lexi, but I’ve been trying to get tickets to that band for months now and they always seem to be sold out. Now you know that I’ll have to love you forever. There’s no way you will ever be able to get away from me again.” She hugged me again, this time softer, but she didn’t release me completely.



I stayed there, in Cassi’s arms, for what felt like forever, then realized that I was crying. I wiped the tears off my face violently and pushed her away gently. “Oh no! I don’t want you to love me forever. That’s worse than death!”



She growled and smiled playfully. “Oh you know you love me.”



“Maybe a little. Now I should be getting home. Need me to drop you anywhere?”



I stood and she stood with me. “As a matter of fact, I need to go by the Academy. I seem to have some blood I need to clean up and a class in an hour.”



I blushed and shrugged. “Sorry about that, Cassi, but it was an act of desperation. I’ll help you if you want me to.”



“No, no, Alexia. You are to go home and get to sleep. Make sure that Cliff is fed and at the food of your bed. How is the big mutt anyway?” She held the door for me, grabbing her gym bag.



“He’s fine. He’s probably worried about where I was all day. He’s almost like living with my dad, though he’s hairy and a wolf / husky half breed.”



Cassi laughed and nodded. “Sometimes, I’m not sure if he really is a dog. Maybe he is your dad in disguise. Maybe he sees all those little sexy strippers you have dancing for you in your bedroom.”



“Ha, ha, Cassi. But you know that you’re the one who brings the strippers to my house.”



She rolled her eyes and we slid into my Jeep. “I only bring those little, or should I say BIG, strippers to your house because you need to loosen up a little.”



I laughed and turned around the corner, seeing the Academy down the street. I was not going to comment about the strippers she brought to my house. Most of them were men she had taught to dance who merely needed someone to judge their dancing. And go figure, I was always that someone.



I pulled into the Academy of Dance and Music, stopping in front of the main door and the line of vampyres waiting to get in. Cassi smiled and looked at me. “Well, I have to get to work. Call me if you need me.” I rolled my eyes and she grabbed my arm, showing me her true strength underneath her small exterior. “I mean, Alexia Elizabeth Mooren. Don’t be stubborn. If you need me, for anything, call me.”



I nodded and she let go, climbing out of the Jeep and headed toward the door. I turned my attention to the road when the door opened again. “What do you …?” I turned to the door and found Andreas sitting in the Jeep with me, fear rising up inside me.



“I heard what happened to you, Alexia. I wanted you to know that I didn’t do it.” He turned those entrancing blue eyes to me and I saw something there that I had never seen: remorse. He was upset about what had happened to me, and I didn’t think it was because he hadn’t gotten to me first. “I swear to you, Alexia, I will find whoever did that horrible thing to you and kill them myself.”



He moved to leave the Jeep and I moved to grab his arm without realizing it. He looked at my hand where it rested on his arm and then turned those remorseful eyes to my face. “Thank you, Andreas. I have remembered a little of last night and knew that it wasn’t you, but …”



He shook his head, cutting my words off. “I know, darling. You awoke in my home so you automatically believed that it was I who did that horrible thing to you. Know that I would never do such a thing to a woman. I have seen it too many times in my lifetime and find it appalling. I am sorry that you suffered in my home. I wanted nothing like that for you.”



I had always been able to tell when people were lying or faking emotions and Andreas wasn’t doing that. He may not have the same emotions as others did, but right now, he was remorseful that I had been harmed on his property.



I said nothing, shocked at this side of him, so he continued. “Again, I swear to you that I will kill the one who harmed you. You may not like me, but know that I will keep you safe when you need it.”



He gently took my hand where it rested on his arm and laid a kiss on it, getting out of the car. “Andreas?” He turned and looked at me. “All this time I thought you were just a power hungry asshole who thought that all women were meant to be the slaves of men and that you only wanted me so that you could say I was yours. I’m beginning to think that’s not exactly true. Thank you.”



He nodded and shrugged. “I once thought that women were inferior to men, but I’ve learned over the years that there are some women who are meant to be worshipped by their men. If you would actually give me a chance, maybe you’d learn that about me.”



He had a point and I hated him for that. I couldn’t promise him anything, but I would at least try. “How about I give you that chance? Maybe dinner on Saturday night? Around ten?”



I almost regretted asking, but he was willing to help me, I might as well try to get to know him. “Dinner at ten on Saturday would be wonderful, Alexia. You might like me more if you know me.”



“Now, Andreas, I’m not promising you anything. I will go to dinner with you, but only as friends. Understand?”

He tilted his hand and nodded. “Completely, my darling. I shall see you Saturday then. Be safe.”



He turned and walked down the sidewalk toward his nightclubs. As he walked away I couldn’t help but notice how nice his ass was. I shook that comment off and started down the road, heading home.



I had two dates in one week. One with a guy I liked and the other with one that I had despised the day before, but now found fascinating. I had a great deal to think about tonight. So many boys, so little sleep time.