Sucking in San Francisco Read online

  The streets of Chinatown come alive early. From my vantage point I hear shop keepers hustle to set up their wares of cheap tourist bunk for the street corners or sweep their shop fronts. Young professionals in expensive suits hurry on their way to the financial district. The smell of food being prepared for the daily specials in the restaurants wafts up towards my perch. Just for fun I send a flicker of power down the street and collapse the awning on a vegetable stand. The owner storms out and shouts at the neighbor sweeping his sidewalk. His neighbor is righteously outraged and yells back. I laugh. Now, to waste another day. I think I will try and track Lilith down.

  6 . LILITH

  “I still don’t see why I couldn’t just stop by some random bar on the way home,” I say in protest as we make the drive to this mysterious club.

  “Because I think you will like it, ma petite. Humor me.”

  We arrive. The club, on Union Street, isn’t too far from either of our homes. An upscale area composed of boutiques, cafes, bars and restaurants. Valet parking is provided in front of a nondescript building nestled between two boutiques. The rain-cleaned pavement shines, the air smells fresh and a touch briny. The sound proofing must be fabulous because I can’t hear anything as the car door opens, and that is saying something for a vampire. I’m surprised when the doorman greets Sebastian as Mr. St. John, the surname he currently uses. Vamps change identities when we outlive a normal life cycle. I still use my original last name, Goodwill, because no one is alive here who knew me when I was young. Bast must come here a lot if they know his name. Maybe this is where he was earlier tonight?

  “Come, Cherie.” He reaches for my hand and leads me through the art deco front doors.

  We walk into a lobby. To the left is a coat check. Through the entry and down the deep pile rug on the stairs, we enter the ambiance of a 1940s dance club, big band and all. The music swirls around us like the women’s dresses around the dancers’ sleek legs on the dance floor. Round, red velvet couches provide sybaritic relief for couples and dancers between sets. There is a candy girl to set the mood and a photographer to capture the moment. Black and white posters showcase old film and recording stars on the walls. A fifteen piece band is finishing a song when we enter. The club smells of mixed drinks and pine wood floors.

  “This place is amazing Bast, when did you find it?” I ask.

  “I bought it.” He grins. “As I remember, you are quite the swinger.”

  “You own it!” I squeal and hug him. He probably doesn’t realize that I’m so happy he has finally found something to do with his time besides pursue women.

  “This is a big investment,” I say.

  “I hoped you’d like it. I wanted to surprise you, we’ve only been open for a few weeks and we’re already doing quite well. I planned on bringing you here for your birthday next week,” he admits.

  I’m really getting thirsty with all the fresh warm blood in the room. My stomach feels like it’s trying to turn itself inside out. I can’t help it, all the blood. Mmm… but I resist.

  “Bast honey, I love this place and I’d still love to come here for my birthday. Let’s get Helena and Julian to come too.”

  The light in his eyes dims, but my hunger gets the better of me before I can think about it.

  “It’s a date, ma petite. Now let’s get you fed, I can see it in your eyes, you are positively famished.”

  I sigh in agreement and start to give into the hunting desire fighting for control of my brain.

  “Ahhh, over by the bar, that gentleman looks like he could be the lucky bastard - excuse me, a likely meal for you.”

  He winks at me. I grind my teeth and yelp. I have little points on them. I’m really hungry - my canines are coming out already. I have to be careful not to drool. Now I need to work some of my mojo.

  I saunter over to the bar and sit down next to a man who is deep into his whiskey and soda and needs a shave. He reeks of alcohol and his hair is slicked down with some kind of vile - smelling product. He looks up with bloodshot eyes and turns his stool towards me. I note the wedding ring on his finger.

  “Hi red,” he slurs.

  “Hi there.”

  “Buy you a drink?” he covers a small burp and gives me a lascivious look.

  “Sure, I’ll have a strawberry daiquiri,” I tell the bartender. It’s easier on my conscience for me to feed on bastards that cheat on their wives.

  “I like that, strawberries for the red head.” He laughs.

  Oh crikey, we got a winner here. I can’t get drunk from drinking alcohol but I can from drinking blood with high alcohol levels. I’ll be drinking ninety proof blood in a few minutes, I better be careful. I’ve made that mistake a time or two before and Bast had to carry me home. Not a pretty sight. Even worse to have Sebastian laughing at me. It’s not my fault I’m not the best hunter yet. I have to catch them when they’re drunk. It’s easier to lure my dinner that way. The bartender hands me my drink and I take a sip. Nice and sweet, perfect.

  “So, what’s your name?” I ask the top of my dinner’s head because his eyes are now focused on my chest.

  “Larry, Larry Becket,” he slurs.

  “Nice to meet you, Larry, I’m Lily. Do you come here often?”

  “Nope, first time,” he says, as he runs his hand over his eyes trying to focus them.

  My body starts to tense, ready for the hunt, and anticipating satisfaction of my thirst. “It’s a little hot in here, Larry. Do you want to take a walk outside?” I cut right to the chase, no pun intended. I can’t put up with this loser for long. Much more and I will be fangzilla.

  “S-Sure,” he stammers.

  Betcha didn’t see that one coming, Larry.

  We get up and start for the door. Larry throws a twenty down on the bar. At least he paid for the drinks and tipped nicely. You can’t believe how many times the drunks forget to do that and I have to pay the tab. I don’t mind. I figure I’m paying for my meal. Usually I would have wined and dined him a bit more but my body is in a hurry. Larry bumbles his way up the thickly carpeted steps and the bartender stares at us slack-jawed. I guess he didn’t see this coming either. As we get to the coat check I have to stop Larry and remind him to get his coat. His coat has a logo for “Larry’s Johnnie-On-The-Spot Cleaning” on the back of it. Where have his hands been? A shudder runs through me. As long as he doesn’t taste like sewage.

  We step out onto the wet pavement into the brisk night air and slip into the dark recesses. Right on cue Larry starts pawing me. I dodge the predictable fumbling and groping before I lead him deeper into the shadows and then pull him close to me. I can smell his cheap cologne, his body odor and under it all his sweet, tangy, too good to be true, O positive. Just as he thinks I’m going in for a kiss, I pull his head to the side and wipe his neck with a handi-wipe.

  “Sorry, Larry, got some lipstick on you.”

  When he relaxes into his blurry-eyed stupor, I tilt his head to the side and in a flash, bite into the nirvana flowing through his jugular. The taste is almost orgasmic. I’m so hungry. I really shouldn’t go so long between meals. My stomach starts to relax its death grip. I am relishing the rich taste of his blood and suck until I’m full. Larry stands still and trembles a bit. Our dinner experiences a bit of temporary paralysis. The whole experience is pleasing, I’ve been told. I don’t really remember my own bite as I was almost drained. That was an entirely different kind of experience. I carefully lick my fangs and wipe my mouth. I watch as the bite wounds heal. While I straighten my dress my teeth start to recede. I pull Larry along behind me, a vapid expression on his face. I tote him back into the club and sit him down at the bar. The bartender is still giving me a, ‘what the hell were you thinking going with that guy?!’ look.

  The whole process has taken no more than fifteen minutes but the result will last me the week. I have a bit of buyer’s remorse. I really hate living off humans but I love the blood. A necessary evil.

  I search the room for Sebastian. He’s at
a table with two drop-dead gorgeous women, of course. A blonde and a brunette. All I ever have to do to find Sebastian in any room is follow the trail of women. It’s pathetic really. I can’t even get a date for the evening and Sebastian just walks into the room and has a handful of women to choose from. I mean there’s nothing wrong with me. I attract men. Just not ones I want. So maybe there is something wrong with me. I’ll have to think about that tomorrow. My heart twists a little knowing I will never be one of his women. I walk across the room and his eyes follow me with the look of an approving mother. I wink and he laughs. As I near the table he stands up and introduces me to the women he’s sitting with, ignoring their pouts. I sit down next to him onto the blood red, soft velvety couch.

  He whispers in my ear, “Feel better now?”

  I give him a slight nod and lower my lashes demurely. Might as well really piss off the gals - it works. They are practically burning to scratch my eyes out with their own glaring eyes and half hidden sneers. Sebastian eats it up. If there is anything he likes, it’s for me to flirt with him. I cross my legs, letting my dress slip so a good piece of leg is showing. Sebastian notices and growls in my ear. I chuckle.

  “Sebastian, I love what you’ve done with this place, it’s so nice to have a decent club to come to,” the slim brunette says, trying to recapture his attention.

  He glances at her before returning his eyes to me. “Thank you Indio. The decor was inspired by Lilith. She is so fond of the forties.”

  I look up in surprise. Sebastian’s staring down at me with those burning eyes again. What is he playing at?

  “Well isn’t that sweet,” says the natural blond, although the way she says it, dripping with sour milk, implies she is thinking anything but. Isn’t she the bitchy one.

  “Thank you, Iris. It was meant to be a surprise for Lily’s birthday next week, but I couldn’t resist giving her a bit of a sneak peek tonight.”

  If looks could kill I would have died twenty times over.

  “Indio, that’s a beautiful name,” I say.

  “Thank you, Lilith. I’ve always liked it,” Indio replies a bit on the snarky side.

  “What kind of work do you do, Iris?” I ask, thinking her hair was the only natural thing about her.

  “You could say that I am a group leader,” Iris says, as she aims sly glance at Indio.

  The girls continue to fawn over Sebastian but he is distracted. I’m getting bored with them. Our vampire vision lets us easily see the taint of magick. Iris and Indio have a slight glimmer about them. Magick. I wonder about the little group Iris leads. Well, witches and vampires have always had a tenuous relationship. We acknowledge that the other exists. Vampires have used witches for spell casting favors in the past and in return vampires have promised not to feed on witches. My ‘family’ has never had any need of a witch because Helena is gifted in the magickal arts. What is Sebastian doing hanging out with these two? Of course I was hanging out with a jinni tonight, I’m one to talk. I decide that Aidan could hold his own amongst the beautiful people here.

  “Well, Sebastian, I need to get to bed soon. Take me home, sweetheart?”

  The small talk is killing me.

  “Of course, ma Chere.”

  Oh yes, daggers are flying at me from all directions. The club is almost empty and the band starts packing up. It’s that time of night where you either hook up or go home lonely. Looks like my gal pals are taking door number two. Ha!

  I slide off the sofa and hold out my hand for Bast. Might as well do it up right. He smiles wickedly at me and takes my hand. I steal a look over at the bar to check on Larry and see that he’s starting to come around. He’ll feel like he has a slight hangover. He would’ve had one anyway. Probably have a slight bruise on his neck, but not much of one, I’m pretty gentle.

  Sebastian stops to say something to the bartender and then we walk out. He pulls me closer as I shiver from the cold night air.

  “You should have brought a jacket, Cherie,” he chides, trying to warm me up by rubbing my arms as we wait for the car. My body responds and warms up in an unwelcome way.

  “I know, but then I couldn’t have a big handsome man like you to keep me warm,” I say.

  “You really know how to toy with me,” he murmurs, resting his chin on the top of my head.

  “What was up with the vamp tramps in there? I thought they were going to have me for dinner.”

  He smiles. “Yes, you gave them quite the show and me as well,” he says. “Actually that was a bit of research. Indio and Iris are two witches in a coven I’ve been hearing about.”

  “They seemed especially put out with me. You’d better watch out, Bast, or you’ll end up with a love spell put on your sweet ass.”

  He laughs loudly at that and squeezes me tighter.

  “Too late, my dear, you’ve already stolen my heart.”

  “Along with half the women in San Francisco.”

  He shrugs. The valet brings the car and Sebastian holds the door open for me. The heater is on full blast and is blessedly warm. We ride in silence through the dead streets. It’s a silence filled with unspoken thoughts on my part, but it is comfortable. After seventy-six years, we’ve known each other long enough to be quiet together. I stare out the window and think about Sebastian and how good it felt to have his arms around me when he tried to warm me up. Stop that Lily! I am definitely not looking for a relationship right now! Especially one that’s guaranteed to rip my poor dead heart in two. We arrive at my condo. He skillfully parks the Mercedes and moves with vampire speed to open my door before I can.

  The birds sing a sweet lullaby outside my window. That means dawn isn’t far away. Beddy-bye time for me. I only have to sleep a few hours a day, but none of my family has to. It’s frustrating. It always seems that I have to conk just when things start to get good. On the other hand, I like having down time once in a while. I suspect Julian is keeping a notebook on me, for “research purposes.” They say they all had to go through this and that eventually I will be able to stay up like them, I am still an infant.

  I give Bast a peck on the cheek and wave goodnight to him before hitting the elevator button to go up to my condo. Helena has asked me numerous times to move into the mansion with them. God knows they have the room and it wouldn’t put them out financially, but I cherish my independence. Besides, I spend almost all my free time over there anyway, it’s not like they don’t see me every day.

  The thing about vampires and daylight burning us up is a myth. We don’t like hot places with lots of direct sunlight, though. That’s why you find most of us in the Northern hemisphere. My family prefers San Francisco’s climate. We wear sunglasses during the day to protect our sensitive eyes and during the rare sunny days we put on sunscreen because we do sunburn easily.

  I have just enough time before dawn to change into some silk jammies and write in my journal. I certainly have enough to write about. Aidan hasn’t been far from my thoughts all night and I’m starting to wonder about Sebastian. What did Sebastian mean when he said his club was inspired by me? He seemed put out when I asked that Julian and Helena join us on my birthday. Too bad he’s out of my league and out of the question. I couldn’t compare with all the beauties he’s had. Before I fall asleep my phone chirps and I look over to see Bast sent me a text.

  Sleep well :)

  7 . AIDAN

  With the sun fully up and the day started, I fall back into my melancholy mood. I slip down onto the street and wander through the maze of Chinatown. It’s still relatively quiet and I am alone with my thoughts. I long for the oblivion of sleep but it’s not an option for me. I have seen every scene before me played out a thousand times in a thousand different places. I sigh and think of how sweet the peace would be if I could just end it all.

  Lilith asked if I had anyone to share my life with. If only I did. I think it would be almost bearable if I did. To have someone to talk to. To hold and touch a physical, willing companion would be like having the sun in m
y hands. There is no such thing as a female djinn.

  I watch the humans scamper around me and both pity and envy them. Their short lives are so full of possibility. They have no idea of the pain I endure in my solitary existence. So many of my kind have gone insane in captivity, I guess I am lucky that hasn’t happened to me, or am I? Insanity might be the only escape left for my kind, yet I would rather endure this mundane existence than one of being captive.

  There is some hope left in me. Some small part of me wants to live and be a part of the total energy of this world. I’m just not sure how I fit in. A jinni in a midlife crisis. Maybe I need a sports car and a red headed secretary. Well, I can summon a sports car and Lilith is red haired. There I go thinking about her again. I have to track her down today. It is irritating me not being able to figure her out.

  8 . LILITH

  I wake up with the sun pouring through the windows and with a jinni on my mind. I make my way to my glass and marble bathroom and climb into the shower. The warm water does little to work the knots out of my shoulders but warms my ever cold body. I take my time and then towel dry and run my fingers through my hair. Gotta brush the little fangs before I pull on a dark grey silk and grommet dress. Some heavy liner and black mascara and I’m ready. Time to balance my checkbook. Ugh!