BXBX NOVEL Chapter 5: Dinner First, Talk Later
His vision turned sharp and he was instantly able to see subtle blemishes on her skin that couldn't be seen with the normal eyes.
To a human, vampires look like gods or goddesses but to other vampires, they sure look relatively normal.
"What time is it? How long was I out?"
"Twenty-four hours." Genesis smirked. "You sure took your time."
"Shit! My job!" He looked around in panic. All that he had left was his job! He knew he couldn't pay off his mountain of debt with his salary but it was better than having nothing.
"Relax." Genesis grinned. "I already sent an email with your resignation."
"No!" Ezra stared at her in horror. "Fuck! You shouldn't have done that!" How would he survive now? How would he pay off his debts?
"Have you forgotten you're a vampire now?" Genesis deadpanned. "Don't worry about money. There'll be plenty of opportunities to make some later. Besides, I'm sure Olivia has a stockpile of cash somewhere. A few million, I'm sure."
A few millions credits? Ezra rocked back in shock. On second thought, it made sense. If one lived for hundreds of years as a vampire but was still poor, it was better to just walk into the sun and die.
He sighed in relief. He had sugar mommies now. He could take life easy. They could even pay off his debts.
As Ezra calmed down, he looked around. The room looked like the home of an upcoming startup CEO. With its white walls, minimalistic design and tasteful black curtains obscuring what were surely floor to ceiling windows, it radiated an aura of understated luxury on a budget.
Ezra lifted himself out of the bed, his every movement graceful and intuitive. It was like there had been a previous delay between his thoughts and action that was now eliminated. His body moved automatically the moment he made the decision to move!
"Don't worry, you'll soon get the hang of it." Genesis smiled, noticing the amazement on his face. "Come, it's time for your first meal." She beckoned at him.
As if previously obscured, a tantalizing aroma filled the air. What's this? Blood?
Standing straight, he stared downward. Is it being a vampire or does the ground look farther than before?
Moving gracefully, he followed her out of the room. In the corridor was a full-length mirror. When he caught sight of his reflection, he had to stop and stare.
Gazing back at him from the mirror was a face he could hardly recognize. It was him and yet, not him. His formerly brown iris was now a bright red, spinning lazily in his eye.
His facial features had been aligned to be perfectly symmetrical and he now sported a sharp jaw making him look like a young aristocratic heir.
Dressed in a tracksuit, his formerly black hair, now a vibrant dark blue, fell down silkily to his shoulders.
Before, he stood at an average five feet eight inches but now, he stood a solid six feet. His shoulders were broad, giving him a perfectly athletic look without making him bulky.
"I look like a movie star." He whispered to himself.
"Get over here." Genesis said casually from the living room. Her voice was low but he could still hear it from the corridor. Enhanced vampire senses, check.
Saying a sad goodbye to his reflection, he smiled at having busted a vampire myth. It seems like mirrors don't really affect vampires.
He followed the corridor out to a living room that matched the aesthetic of the room and corridor. White walls and minimalistic furniture.
A wall was just floor to ceiling windows, giving the occupants a beautiful view of the night skyline of First City.
Even with the garish greenhouse towers spewing carbon dioxide into the air and the various delivery drones zooming round the place, it was like a beautiful painting by a street artist.
With his enhanced vision, he could pick out the faces of the people walking on the street.
"Is this a penthouse?" He blurted.
"Of course not! We're not that rich. This isn't even ours. It's Count Griffin's safe house." Genesis laughed from her spot at the dining table attached to the kitchen.
Count Griffin? Must be one of the mysterious Counts I heard them discussing.
Olivia stood there at the kitchen dishing something onto three plates. Wearing a blue apron over a red dress, she looked like a model for kitchen appliances. He couldn't help but imagine her wearing just the apron.
Ezra approached the table with a big smile on his face. He'd managed to gain two beautiful vampires to cater to his every whim. He sure had a beautiful life ahead of him.
"You're up? Not bad." Olivia commented as he sat at the head of the table.
"Yeah. So, what happens now?" He asked.
"Dinner first, talk later." Olivia moved and placed the plate in front of him. When he saw what was on it, he did a double take.
"Is that... chicken?" On his plate was chicken coated in blood. When the aroma reached his nose and he inhaled, it smelled exactly like chicken with another familiar tantalizing tangy scent. Yes. It was blood he smelt earlier. "How is this possible?
I thought vampires drank blood exclusively. What's with the chicken?"
"Blood may be delicious but try having just blood for hundreds of years. That's the first step to insanity." Olivia lectured like a particularly hot teacher. "When the ancients became tired, they found ways to infuse blood into human dishes. This way, vampires can enjoy blood with human dishes and digest it. This is my marinated blood chicken recipe."
"Don't think I can't hear the pride in your voice." Genesis laughed. "Since I can't cook, I'll be providing the blood wine." She picked up a green bottle of wine and placed it on the table. "Non alcoholic."
Ezra stared incredulously at the spread in front of him. This wasn't what he had in mind when he heard the word: meal. With reverent awe, he picked up his utensils, cut a piece of blood coated chicken and placed it into his mouth.
Paradise!
The flavors burst into his mouth. The familiar taste of chicken mixed perfectly with the new and delicious taste of blood creating a new flavor that had him chewing with pleasure.
"This is the best meal I've ever tasted." Ezra complimented Olivia as Genesis poured wine into his glass.
A hint of a smile appeared on Olivia's face. "Thank you." She nodded at him as she took her seat. While she was trying not to show it, he could see that she was pleased with his compliment. Score with the sugar mommy.
Silence descended upon the room as they all savored their meal. Ezra couldn't help but think about his life. In the span of twenty-four hours, he'd gone from an average orphan with a stressful, draining job to a handsome vampire with two vampire wives. It was a bit hard to believe.
Before long, the food had been devoured and Genesis had taken care of the dishes. Ezra steepled his fingers and leaned forward.
"Don't you think it's time I got the explanation to all this madness?"