Medford, Texas – Main Street
Wednesday March 12th 2059 – 8:45 PM
They had spent far longer at the restaurant than they ever planned. Laughing and joking and sharing stories of people and places both knew. As they walked back to the Hall they took in the night air. Medford was quiet now, but the streets felt alive to Elsa. She too was alive again; it felt electric to walk on these streets and see her signet reflected back. Both knew the draw and the danger but neither cared. The vampire clans shared little in common with each other. But the one thing all vampires could agree on was the eyes. The light of one of your own, was mesmerizing. The light of your clan color drew you in and would refuse to let go of you. It was why they were called aqua in the first place. It was the color each saw in their eyes when they saw another of their clan. Yes it was lovely to look at the other vampire colors, and there were many. But it was always the one of your clan, that captured you, held you.
"I can't believe how good it feels to be home! Do you ever get tired of seeing the aqua light in someone else…I cant."
Elsa felt free and alive and she wanted to give in to that feeling more. But to do so would mean crossing a line. They had teased each other and baited each other but neither had tried to cross the line yet. Zeke was happy and spoke to her comment about the eyes.
"I know, I could look in your eyes all day. I know that sounds creepy but this flipping call it just takes ahold of you. Thank you for going out with me tonight, I haven't had that much fun since…. since.. oh, hell I don't know when."
Zeke smiled a toothy grin and laughed as she twirled about the sidewalk. When he caught her by the hand he stopped her and pulled her in close. Zeke was about a few inches taller but not much. Elsa had on her normal shoes and remembered she was dressed in sweats at the time. She smiled at his manhandling her, and didn't care if she looked awful or not.
"Yes it's so hard to fight it. I want so badly to…."
She grew soft to his touch then, wondering if he would kiss her or just lead her back to his room. She marveled at herself, was she that easy? Yet she knew better, this wasn't about giving herself to him. It was about the call and its ever-present push on her heart. Just talking to him, speaking to him, and being held by him, excited her. And if laying with him would allow her to live another decade away from this place then was that such a bad thing?
The moment passed quickly and she felt his grip lessen until he released her. At doing so his face changed slightly, as if he was upset with himself for giving in to his desire. She saw that she had upset him, and wanted him to know it wasn't just him.
"I know, it's a wonder either of us have made it this long. Would it be so horrible if we helped each other. I am not opposed to it, in fact.."
She kissed him which surprised even her. But she knew she couldn't go on year after year like this. It had already been seven years, and nothing she did on the outside held a candle to seconds with another of her kind. She wanted Zeke, wanted to feel him, wanted him to calm her spirit, if only for a short time. After that kiss came one from him and she felt his hands on her body. They were shaking, and unsure. He lightly touched her as if any moment she would object. She didn't, and felt her own heart soften even more. He was sweet, tender and gentle. But she also felt something else from him, and that was his passion. She knew he had it there, hungry and held back. She wanted to tempt it out from its cage, to see it light in his eyes and to strengthen his touch.
The hall wasn't far by that point and they held hands as they made the last bit of the way. He looked as if he wasn't going to ask once they got to the floor. So, she helped him by pulling him playfully into her room. His response surprised her.
"You want me? Why..?"
She brushed off his reticence as just his last bits of his own will power ebbing. Her response was as honest as she could make it without spoiling the moment.
"I need you, and you need me. We are aqua Zeke we cant hide forever. I promise I wont use the word, I won't hate you after."
She was set on what she wanted, and he was wavering. Her continued kisses didn't hurt matters. She knew she was clear that she wasn't asking for more than now. She just wanted to feel complete for a night. So, the two of them could leave this place, and with peace of heart. He nearly said no, but by then he was fully in her room, finally he made his decision and then it began. The quick movements to strip all the last impediments. Knowing she was going to have relief she relaxed. They made love quickly, far too quickly for Elsa's taste. But she was surprised that afterwards he did not just run away. He stayed in her bed with her. There were no more stories or words. They touched… as strange as that sounded. He marveled at touching her hands and seeing the signet in her eyes. He said so more than once as they lay together. She took two fingers and slowly and intimately moved them down his own. It was something a lover had done for her once. Something so small, yet so erotic and tender. She knew he would appreciate it and he did. She marveled at how innocent he was, the wonder he had at every small thing. He didn't seem like a man who had been married and lived for as long as he had by then.
Did his wife not love him like this? Did she not talk to him, and touch him as she did now? He seemed to be astounded by just being there and living in that moment. It touched her in a soft way, he wasn't what she expected. It was both more and less than what she hoped for. He wasn't "alive with passion", but in retrospect was this not better? She wasn't sure really. Once the intimacy died down, they began to speak again. The laughter was quiet now, Elsa felt content in a lesser way than she hoped. Still, he was a gentle lover, and friend even now. There were other lovers she had that knew how to arouse her feeling, but nothing on what came after. For Zeke it seemed the opposite, he knew nothing of how to please her physically, but a great deal on how to emotionally. After she answered his question about how she felt, she asked him where he would go after he left Medford. That made him change his look. His face had a wistful expression on it, almost boyish.
"I don't know, I thought about heading west. When I was younger I always thought a life on the sea was glamorous. I dreamed of what it would be like to be an ancient mariner. Going place to place just on the stars. Sorry, I know that sounds campy, but I was a child and that was how I thought then."
She noted that Zeke wasn't as confident as she had thought he was. He was weaker somehow having made love, and laying with her. She wasn't a huge fan of that, in her fantasies her men were strong and brutish types who just needed a good woman to tame them. Zeke didn't need to be tamed, in fact beneath that cute exterior lay a complex man. She asked about the sea and what he would do.
"I don't know, I know it probably sounds stupid to a girl like you, but I thought I would sign on to fishing boat out of Washington or Oregon. See what fishing is all about, maybe see if the sea is where I belong. I don't belong here, and I don't belong with dad and his people. Perhaps the sea is where I belong?"
He said it with a bit of wonder and hope. She smiled for him and said she hoped he found what he was looking for. In return he asked about what she would do next. He said it with a bit more emotion than before. Hopeful, which made Elsa begin to worry. She didn't hesitate in telling him the truth.
"I guess go back to Boston. I figure I have two or three more years in that office before I can try to get back to the main offices in Denver. Maybe make VP, or Senior VP before I retire. I don't know what I will do with the next life, but I don't think it will be family then either."
He looked at her strangely and then said he wasn't asking about the job. What was she going to do for love in Boston. How would she go on like that decade after decade without heeding the call.
"I don't have time for that. I am on the road half of the year. And then there is what we are Zeke. Humans can't understand this, how could they? Plus, I would have to come back here. Besides all the guys back there, they want this, not me."
Elsa pointed to her breasts or to her body in general. Either way that pretty much described what most men she had met were interested in. In truth however, she wasn't much different. She wanted a release from men, an excuse to push back her needs for another day. Exactly like she was doing with Zeke, he had to have done the same countless times. She asked him about it, she wanted to lighten the mood and having a guy recount their conquests sounded like a good way to do that. Men seemed to have that vanity, and if you encouraged it they wouldn't stop talking. What she heard shocked her.
"No, I…. well, I can't say I have been with a lot of women since Persephone. I have come close a few times, but um."
What came out of her mouth she instantly regretted. She was so astounded she just looked at him.
"Seriously? You haven't had a woman since Persephone? HOW?"
The look on his face was instant. He had not taken what she said the right way. He mumbled something but she just spoke over him. She let loose an errant thought she had at that moment.
"I mean I think I understand why, its obvious right?"
She said it in a semi mocking tone, it was supposed to be a joke. With a punch line that he had been waiting on her. He didn't respond he just seem to reel from the failed joke. How could a guy like him just be a monk for decades? The man who she had enjoyed, with whom had been her partner, now seemed far lower in her estimation. That clearly was translated into her tone and appearance because Zeke got the message quickly.
"Sorry to disappoint you. No, I guess I am out of practice."
At the moment she thought he wasn't upset. And attempted to lighten the mood by teasing. He had been fine as a lover, not exceptional, but fine. She just smiled and laughed but the instant she did, his face changed. He turned around and quickly pulled the cover off him. He excused himself and gathered his clothing. She tried to stop him, sorry if she hurt him.
She wasn't sorry he was going; she felt awkward and was happy to see him go back. But she didn't want him feeling bad for tonight. At the moment she felt wonderful, and she suspected in the morning she would be fully ready to return home. Something that considering the circumstances was wonderous. She got out of the bed but this time covered herself with the sheet. She found the hypocrisy a bit funny but only just. A little voice said the fact that she was hiding her body from him mere minutes after making love said something about her. Yet she knew why she did, she didn't want Zeke to get the wrong impression. She didn't love him, and she had no illusions on that score. Zeke was sweet and she had needed him tonight, but just tonight.
"Hey…. Thank you for tonight. I mean it. Sorry to tease you, I hope you had as much fun as I did."
He paused half undressed and looked at her a long time. She saw something that frightened her. He was sad, was he thinking she wanted more? How on earth could he think that, they had just met for the first time in years, tonight?
"Yeah Elsa, I did. I wish you the best in Boston."
Nothing more was said and he quietly returned to his room. A moment later Elsa was in the shower and reviewing the evening. She was going to regret all that she ate soon enough. She made a note to herself that she should get up early and take a run. It would be the last time she would have to see Medford for perhaps another decade. And she would need to push back all the pounds tonight would bring.
Had she done Zeke wrong tonight? That look on his face as he left said she had. Yet she had given him her body, what more could he want? Neither of them were fit for this place, or for the traditional view of things. She was a bit disappointed in who she thought Zeke was. She had hoped for a move lively evening in bed. Still tonight had not ended as badly as she thought it might. She knew in the morning would come the much harder task of saying goodbye to a dear friend. One who wouldn't even know she was, the next time they spoke.
As she scrubbed away the last vestiges of the evening she took immense pleasure in feeling, or rather NOT FEELING the call. She would be fine, of that Elsa was sure. The tension was completely gone.
"Thanks Zeke…I so needed that."
In the morning the call would still be there even if it would be far quieter. Still, she had to be careful. Making love to Zeke was safe, but anyone else would and could be far more difficult to part from. In the end Elsa expected that tonight would be just what Zeke needed, just as it was for her.
Elsa had no clue just how wrong she really was.