Bad Reaction

Malik stared at the empty beer mug in front of him.

I really screwed up.

He thought back to the day he met Trisha. He was finishing up a day at the bathhouse. When he walked onto the street, he saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life leaving the inn across the street. She was obviously not from the area and that only made Malik want to get to know her even more.

He attempted to follow her, but she quickly became aware of his presence and lost him at the bazaar.

Malik did not give up easily. He returned to the inn and promised the owner a hefty stack of akçe if he sent word when she returned. Then he went down the street to wait at the very tavern he sat in now.

As the son of a wealthy trader, Malik could marry any woman he pleased. But the local women bored him. All they wanted was the riches and status he afforded. He wanted someone who cared for him in spite of that. He tried to convince himself that was the reason he was so interested in her. But he knew it was something else. She had this exoticism to her.

Shortly after the innkeeper's son came to the tavern to inform him of the mystery woman's arrival, she walked in. She glanced around the tavern and then started to work her way in. She headed straight for the table he sat at.

Malik glanced nervously around him to see who else the woman could be walking towards, but there was no one. His table and the tables around him were empty.

Before he could react, she sat down across the table from him.

"You followed me earlier."

Malik looked around at the empty table.

“Me?”

“Don’t play stupid with me. You followed me and I want to know why.”

“Because you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” Shocked at himself, Malik clapped his hand across his mouth.

The woman smirked at him and then smiled. It was the most beautiful, radiant smile Malik had ever seen.

“Really? And just how many beautiful women have you seen in your life?”

“Hundreds. But none of them come anywhere close to you.”

He started to relax as she seemed to enjoy his attention.

“Well. I suppose I could let you buy me a drink then. My name is Trisha, what’s yours?”

One drink turned into many, just as one night spent together turned to several. It seemed as though Malik and Trisha couldn’t get enough of each other. They stayed out late, way past anyone else in town. Trisha never seemed to get up before sunset, but Malik just assumed it was because they were up so late the night before.

How could you not have realized it was something else?

Then Trisha came to meet him for dinner and told him she was a vampire.

I didn’t know they were real.

He had heard of vampires, but always assumed it was some crazy story parents told to get their children to sleep. They weren’t real.

But they are.

Malik had been shocked. And, admittedly, his initial reaction was one of disgust.

“Do you drink blood? Human blood?”

Trisha shoved away from the table.

“Sorry. I thought you were different. I guess I was wrong.”

“Trisha! Wait! I-”

But she was gone.

Malik stared at the empty beer mug in front of him. He suddenly realized he couldn’t live without Trisha, vampire or not. He loved her.

He ran out of the tavern without paying to chase her down.

Hopefully, I can get to her before it’s too late.

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