The club was hopping yet again. Another Saturday night out. Marty and Mirella had been out together three or four nights a week for a month and they were really clicking. They had much in common and Marty couldn't believe the great conversations that they had. He counted himself so lucky to have found her. He was already thinking of telling her that he loved her.
They were sitting in their usual booth having drinks with Cassidy. Mirella sat next to Marty and was all cuddled up against him. He had his arm around her and she was nestled in with her head against his chest. They didn't seem to stop kissing. They were that annoying couple at the table that didn't stop and Cassidy had had enough.
"Why don't you guys go to Marty's place and get it on already?" she said with a peculiar mix of sarcasm and derision.
"Cassidy!" Mirella exclaimed. "How about some decorum out in public?"
"Me have some decorum in public? You guys haven't stopped canoodling since we sat down. It's a little embarrassing. Besides, you're barely talking to me. I really feel like the third wheel here tonight."
Marty was amused. "Well, what happened with you and that guy I brought over a while back?" he inquired remembering the too thin guy with the multi colored hair.
"Oh my he was sooooo dull. I thought that he would be an exciting guy but he had no talents, no skills, no ambitions. He wasn't an artist or a writer or anything. He worked as a clerk at a convenience store. He didn't want to try going to college or anywhere to try and better himself or even so much as become a manager. He's just going to live out his meager existence in his little studio apartment watching tv. And he wasn't very bright, either."
"Wow. Tell us how you really feel about him." Marty laughed. Mirella laughed too. Then she hugged him tight and kissed him again.
"Oh my God you guys are killing me." Cassidy harrumphed.
"Okay, okay. Sorry Cassidy. I just can't keep my hands off of him. He's so lovable." Mirella apologized.
"Well, cut the shit." Cassidy quipped, laughing even though she was really only half kidding.
"Okay Cassidy, I'm going to the bathroom and when I get back we can find a guy for you. Let me out, will you?" Cassidy stepped out so Mirella could get out and sat down as she headed for the bathroom in the back of the club.
"So ..." she started "You and Mirella are really hot and heavy, huh, Marty?" Marty smiled broadly thinking of Mirella. "Yeah I can't get enough of her. We are so compatible in every way. We have amazing conversations that last way into the night. She's so bright and creative and full of knowledge, really an old soul."
"Annnndddd ... "Cassidy fished a little.
"And what?" Marty responded, even though he had a good idea of the question to follow.
"How's the sex?" Cassidy asked finally.
"Cassidy, I really shouldn't talk about that. It's between her and I what happens with us in that regard." then, leaning toward her so he didn't have to shout as loud " but the sex is amazing. We can leave it at that."
He leaned back in his seat and suddenly his smile faded to a grimace.
"Really, there's only one thing that bothers me. No, it doesn't even really bother me as much as it perplexes me. I can never get her to see me in the daytime. We only go out at night. Even when she stays over, when I wake up, she's long gone. We haven't had one breakfast the morning after or met for lunch or anything. Whenever I suggest a day activity she seems to have some other plans or just changes the subject so she can evade answering. It's kind of weird, isn't it? Or am I reading too much into it?"
"I'm sure it's nothing." Cassidy assured him. "Besides, what's the difference? You see each other all the time, why do you need to do day activities? All the fun stuff happens at night anyway."
Just then Mirella returned. "What are you guys talking about?" she asked sitting down on the other side of Marty so Cassidy didn't have to get up again.
"Oh Marty was just giving me some dirty details of you guys' sex life." Cassidy joked.
"Ha Ha, very funny Cassidy." then to Mirella "I was doing no such thing, my darling. I was just telling her how we have amazing conversations that last into the wee hours."
Mirella feigned the leer of a stern teacher and winked. "Okay Cassidy, let's find you someone with whom you can have conversations that last into the wee hours."
She glanced around the club while sipping from her drink.
"Is there anyone that tickles your fancy?"
Cassidy looked around the club absently stirring her drink. There was a group of jock types at one of the high tops near the bar who were loud and rowdy. No interest there. She scanned the bar. It was just the usual crowd, really. Nobody was popping out at her. "No, not really." she finally sighed.
"Well, let's get out of here, then." Mirella suggested. "We always come here. If you want to meet someone new we have to go someplace new. I saw a flyer for a band on the wall outside that was playing tonight. Let's go check that out."
"Sure" Marty and Cassidy agreed in unison.
"Let me go pay the tab." Marty said sitting up. He gave Mirella a kiss as she stepped aside for him to go to the bar and pay.
"You look discouraged, honey." Mirella said to Cassidy when Marty was gone.
"Yeah" she sighed "I don't have high hopes for meeting someone tonight. I'm just not feeling it."
"We'll find you someone sooner or later, hun." Mirella chided. "He may not be as great as Marty but we'll find someone." They laughed and Cassidy punched her in the shoulder playfully.
Marty returned and they left together. Emerging on the street Mirella found the flyer again to see where the band was playing. Okay lets get going, it says they go on at 10 and it's 9:45 already. $5 cover.
`
There was but a short line at the new bar and Marty paid their cover. They went in to see that the place was pretty full so they went to the only seats available, a high top near the bar. Marty got them drinks as Mirella talked Cassidy into scoping the bar for a guy she liked.
"C'mon there has to be someone that you find attractive."
"I don't know. I'm really not much in the mood to be honest. I think we should just have a few drinks and enjoy the music and then call it a night."
"Oh you're no fun tonight. Is anything wrong?"
"Not really. Just a general malaise. I see how happy you are with Marty and I want that but I don't know if I'll meet someone with whom I will click like you two. He's crazy about you."
"Yeah I'm pretty crazy about him, too."
"Oh, I have to tell you. He's wise to the daytime nighttime thing. He's wondering why you won't do anything during the day. I tried to play it down but you'll have to deal with that soon."
"Oh geez. I was hoping to get a little further in before explaining that. I don't know if I can tell him. How will he react?
I mean, He's basically a cop. Well, a cop in training. What if he tries to arrest me or has real cops arrest me?"
"I don't know but you'll have to deal with it sooner or later."
Marty returned with drinks. "Okay, let's get Cassidy a man." He said setting the drinks down.
"Not tonight, Marty." Cassidy replied. "I'm not in the mood. Let's just enjoy the band and call it a night."
"Oh no, are you okay? Do you not feel well?" Marty asked.
"No, I'm fine, just not in the mood." Cassidy said feeling blue. Then Mirella stood up.
"Oh I have to use the bathroom again. I'll be right back." She kissed Marty with her hands on his chest. Once she departed Marty repeated his query about Cassidy not feeling well and she repeated that she was fine.
"How about we dance?" Marty finally asked. "Maybe you'll feel better."
"Okay" Cassidy said standing up. Marty put their napkins on top of their drinks and they headed for the dance floor. Once out there Cassidy couldn't help but laugh at Marty as he tried to dance. He was trying so hard but just couldn't stay in time. He had no moves and Cassidy was laughing out loud.
"See? You're feeling better al-" Marty stopped mid sentence. He saw through the crowd and couldn't believe it. Mirella was slipping out the side door with some guy. He was at once hurt and confused. She was just kissing me and now she's slipping away with another guy? We'll just see about this ...
He headed for the door without another word to Cassidy. She was dumbfounded. "Marty where are you going?" she asked his back as he walked away.
Marty threw the door open and stepped out. There he saw Mirella with her face buried in the neck of some guy.
"What the fuck are you doing!?" he yelled.
Mirella was startled as she looked up.
"Marty, wait. It's not what it looks like." she stammered but he was already walking away.
"No, I get it. If you want to fool around with other guys go ahead but you won't be with me while you're doing it. I'm out of here. Good luck getting home."
He strode quickly across the dance floor. "What's going on?" Cassidy asked as Marty approached.
"I'm leaving." he said. "Do you want a ride or are you staying? Decide."
Mirella came running up to him.
"Marty please, it's not what it looked like. I only want to be with you."
"Don't even try it. You were making out with that guy. And if you want to make out with him, you are welcome to him, but I'm gone."
"No, I wasn't making out with him. I ... I-" she couldn't say out loud in the club what she was really doing. And she wasn't sure she could say it to Marty at all.
Marty didn't say another word. He looked at her with hurt and anger gripping his face and his eyes already wrapped in tears and left. Mirella and Cassidy were left standing there stunned.
`
Marty returned home still in a rage so when Mirella rang the bell he was already frustrated with the idea of a visitor, much less her, when he opened the door.
"What do you want?" he asked angrily.
"I need to explain. I promise that if you'll listen you will understand." she said meekly hoping that he would calm down enough to listen. She was unsure he could handle what she had to tell him in order to salvage the situation but she knew it was the only way.
"You have three minutes. If I don't like what I hear you're out. Understand?" he said curtly. He stepped away from the open door and walked into the kitchen, taking a seat facing the doorway. Mirella ventured in and stood in front of the table. "Can I sit?" she asked.
"Sit, sit if you want but don't get too comfortable. You're out on your ass in two minutes and fifty seconds. Talk."
Mirella took a deep breath. She was uncertain that Marty could handle what she was about to tell him and, more importantly, was unsure if she was ready to tell him. She struggled to begin.
"I know what you thought you saw warrants your behavior but I swear it was not what it looked like."
"That's not a good start. The clock is ticking." he said tapping his wrist where a watch may have been had he worn one.
"I wasn't making out with that guy." she said. And then another deep breath, hesitating. "I was feeding on him."
She had said it. She wasn't sure she could but she had. She knew it would confuse him so even as he was struggling to find meaning in the sentence she had just spoken she began to tell him the whole truth.
"I am a vampire. I have been for about 300 years. I feed on human blood. Our code is that we feed on unworthy humans that make the world a better place with their absence but we all need to feed. I was feeding on that man. I had been watching him for some time as a target which is why I frequented that club. I was following him.
Tonight when I saw him I decided it was time. I lured him out there with the promise of lust but I guarantee you I was only interested in feeding on him."
Marty sat dumb. He stared at her blankly.
"That's your best explanation? That's what you say to cover it up? Get the hell out of here. There is no such thing as vampires and, I've seen you eat and drink. Vampires only drink blood."
"It's true we take our nourishment from blood but we can eat and drink for pleasure or to fit in. We take little nourishment from the food or drink but we can digest it."
Mirella retorted.
"I am telling you the truth, Marty. I wasn't ready to tell you my secret but this incident has forced my hand. Remember that I told you that I had a condition? And why do you think you've never seen me in daylight?" she finished.
"Prove it. Drink my blood right now. If you're really a vampire you can bite my neck and drink my blood."
"If I drink from you there are two options. Either I drain you dry and you die or I leave you with enough to survive and you turn. Neither of those options are suitable for you nor do I want to make you choose from them." she stated awaiting his reply.
"Okay so, why can I see you in the mirror?" he asked loudly.
"Some of the things people think that they know about vampires is just fallacy; well fiction. We are flesh and blood like you. We are immortal but not undead, nor are we sent by the devil. In fact, some vampires are religious themselves, a remnant of their former human lives. We are simply another path evolution took. Thousands of years ago there were wars between our kinds. Eventually humans came to outnumber vampires so greatly that the vampires made the humans believe that they had defeated them and continued to live among them, hiding their true identities. Since then we have lived amongst you, feeding off of the worst humans we can find to rid the world of them and so as not to take good people away from the world. Nearly all of us have some human companions. We hold no ill will toward humans, we see them as good and bad and we must feed, so we feed on the bad."
Marty's head was spinning. Could this possibly be true? It's true she always avoided the daylight. She was always gone in the night when they were together and he never saw her in the daylight but can it be true that vampires actually exist? Have existed among humans undetected for thousands of years? Feeding on the worst of us and befriending the best of us?
He stood up and pushed in his chair. "I think that you should leave." he said flatly.
"Marty, no!" Mirella begged pushing tears from her cheeks. "Please believe me. I speak the truth because I think that I love you. I didn't want you to see what you saw and I had planned on this conversation taking place later in our relationship but please know that I care for you and want to be with you."
"I just need some time to digest this. I'm not throwing you out for good but this is quite a shock. I have to have time to think about it. I will call you but for now, you need to go." Mirella tried to be empathetic and thought it made sense that he would want some time to mull over the impossibility she had just told him.
"Very well," she stood and pushed in her chair "I will go for now but if I don't hear from you soon I will try to contact you, know that. And know that I care for you more than any man in my many years. See you soon, my love." With that she opened the front door and left, closing it behind her with a soft click.
Marty wandered into his bedroom, his head spinning with this information. He fell on the bed face down at an odd angle. Without meaning to he fell asleep that way, still in his clothes and shoes.