The Girl At The Bar

The bar was loud and packed with people.

It was truly the last place I wanted to be. I spent most of my time on the road going from small town to small town. At this point, I’d been to every little farming hamlet in the Midwest.

Alas, I had business in the city so I had to blend in with the office drones as they made their nightly ritual to the bar before going home. Their hour of cocktails serving as libations to the gods of spread sheets and TPS reports.

It was the tail end of happy hour, the bar was three people deep. With dozens trying to get the bartender’s attention and beginning of the dinner and drinks crowd was starting to fill in.

I was making my way to the other side of the bar when I bumped into a young woman.

“I’m sorry miss,” I said.

“You’re fine.”

As he turned away she asked, “Do I know you?”

“I don’t think so.”

This could be bad. I had to keep a low profile, and running into someone that knew me could be bad for business.

“You look really familiar.”

“I get that a lot. Price of being average looking.”

“You don’t look average to me,” she said with a slight, knowing smile.

“Well I pale in comparison to present company.”

Which was true, she was nearly six feet tall and stunning, with wavy brown hair that fell to her shoulders, raven hair and blood red lips. But it was her eyes that were most striking. They were pure green like an Irish countryside after a rainstorm.

“Haha, someone’s a charmer.”

“Does that mean it’s working?”

“Maybe,” her smile got a little wider.

“I’ll take that. You have a nice evening,” I started to walk away.

She looked a little stunned, but recovered. “You as well.”

I wandered around the bar for a little longer talking to a few people hoping to find something I could use for my current project.

As I meandered among the people, I saw the young woman I spoke to earlier. She made eye contact and motioned me over to the table at which she was standing.

“You left before we got to know each other.”

“I promise I’m not worth knowing.”

“Oh I doubt that. I’m Anna.”

“Jasper.”

“That’s an unusual name.”

“I’m an unusual guy.”

“Really? How so?”

“Well now, I can’t spill all my secrets right off the bat. What fun would that be?”

“Oh a man of mystery.”

“More of a man of privacy. Let me get you a drink.”

A waitress took our order and Anna ate something from the trendy small plate on the table.

She winced and almost spit it out, “Too much garlic.”

“I hate when that happens. Do you have a sensitivity?"

“You could say that.”

The waitress brought our drinks.

“Enjoy,” I said and took my drink.

“You’re leaving again?”

“I’m best in small doses I promise.”

As I walked away I set the drink down on a table while the couple standing there wasn’t looking. I couldn’t see it being poured and I was beginning to think I shouldn’t take any chances.

I made the rounds, and in doing so ran into a couple people I’d gotten to know since coming to the city.

The evening was starting to wind down, and I ended up next to Anna again as she sat the bar.

“Are you going to leave a girl just sitting at the bar all night?”

“Most likely.”

“That’s not nice,” she said gently hitting me on the arm.

“There are plenty of other guys here.”

“None are half as intriguing as you,”

“I’m not intriguing.”

“Yes you are. And you keep walking away. It’s driving me crazy.”

I leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “I’m glad it’s working.”

“It’s getting late. Would you to go back to my place?”

“Oh I’d love to, but I won’t. I have an early day tomorrow.”

“Oh that’s not fair.”

“Goodnight Anna.”

I walked home after the bar. It was a nice night and the moon and stars were out. Well, some stars, I spend most of my days in the countryside so the paltry few that showed up would have to do.

I paced around not quite wanting to go home yet. I found a nice little 24/7 diner with a midnight special. I wolfed down the burger and fries and left some cash at the counter.

It was only a block away from the neighbor where I was staying. I made a mental note to come back tomorrow.

I made my way to the house I was renting, bending down to fiddle with the little box that controlled the sprinkler system. They weren’t supposed to go off till tomorrow, but I wanted to change that.

I barely made it in the house when I heard a knock at the door, and I was reasonably sure I knew who it was.

“Hello Anna,” I said opening the door.

“What’s going on here?” she asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m not someone people say no to.”

“Oh I bet.”

“And yet you kept blowing me off.”

“It wasn’t intentional I just had things to do.”

She stood for a minute, “Aren’t you going to ask me in.”

“Absolutely not.”

“And why not?” she said starting to slide one of her dress straps over her shoulder to improve her positioning.

“Because I know what you are. And I know vampires need permission to enter a home.”

She was stunned.

Flabbergasted really.

“And please don’t be offended you really are quite charming. But these contact lenses keep your seductive powers at bay.”

She was mad now and her fangs were showing.

“How?... How did you know?”

“In your haste for your next victim you never asked my last name.”

“Which is?”

“Ford.”

“Ford? As in Jasper Ford? He’s…he’s dead.”

“I assure you I’m not.”

For the first time I saw fear in her eyes. She was of course, standing in front of her people’s most notorious hunter.

Then came the rage.

“You…monster I’ll rip you apart.”

“Oh I doubt that very much.”

“You need to leave at some point; you can’t stay safe in there forever.”

“I’m really not worried.”

“Why not?”

I looked at my watch, “Because the sprinklers will be on any second now.”

“So?”

“They’re filled with holy water. I’ve been expecting you for some time now.”

The treated water was one of the few things that could end her.

She didn’t speak. Hey jaw only dropped knowing her fate was sealed.

“Have a good night Anna,” I said closing the door as the screaming started.