SWNOVELS The one where she attends a party (Chapter 4)
Uncomfortable, that is the only way to describe how I am feeling.
People are milling about, talking, smoking, flirting. The sounds of the base can be felt clearly from the sidewalk but when the bouncer opens the door for someone- the music streams out so loud I think they can hear it all the way in the Ostend.
The Goldkellerei that was dead during the day is alive a night- undead I guess. Haha.
Men are dressed in dark tight-fitting suits with sleeked-back hair and women are in skimpy black dresses with heels so high they should be reclassified as stilts. Their hair is perfect, their makeup is perfect. All of them look sexy and I think I hate vampires a little bit more now because of that.
I too am wearing a black dress, but let’s say it’s a little more… business than sexy. Plain and fitted, but not tight, I pared it with black pumps and a small pearl necklace. I look back at the men and women standing around the entrance- yeah I would look more in place at a funeral than whatever sort of vampire meets model party this thing is. Why do I need to do participant observations again?
Oh right, because Tobias is making me. And well, von Graf seems to think I look like a delicious snack- in a medium-rare steak kinda way.
Swallowing I head up the steps and present myself to the bouncer who so kindly raises his immaculate black eyebrows at me as if to say ‘are you really going to make me refuse you?’ The guy is huge, dark hair, tall, bulky for a vampire but simply fit for everyone else, with brown eyes filled with judgment.
“Alexia Hemsworth. Mr. Von Graf is… um, he invited me”
The bouncer takes his sweet time letting his eyes roam over my figure, no doubt assessing me too homely for his precious master. Don’t worry, dude, I know I know.
It’s not that I consider myself unattractive. I go to the gym, I have a good figure, I wear a reasonable amount of makeup. But compared to the gods and goddesses around me… well let’s just say I probably look like that little mouse that von Graf called me.
He finally opens the door letting me through, which has me breathing a sigh of relief.
“The master is usually on the second floor” is all he says to me in a deep voice. Shit, do they all have sexy voices too? How am I supposed to handle this?
I nod as I head inside. I have no intention of seeking von Graf out immediately; I want to delay becoming dinner for as long as possible. Plus, I’m supposed to be mingling, talking to vampires, observing, maybe I can get someone to agree to schedule an interview. A smile breaks out on my face. Oh, I could talk to some blood bunnies too!
Inside is filled with people. People drinking and grinding on each other. It’s a fancy club-like atmosphere; the lights are low and the music high. The chandeliers are lit and their light reflects off the embossed gold in the wallpaper. But generally, it’s dark, giving the room a mysterious atmosphere since it’s hard to see exactly what is going on in the dark corners… or what you are stepping on.
I’m not sure where to start first so I mosey up to the bar, thinking a drink will help me blend in a little. Also, maybe a little drink will help me overcome the slight nervousness I feel. To get there I have to force myself between gyrating bodies, ugh. I push past a group standing near the doorway and fight my way through the sea of bodies that mush together to block my way. I’m forced to go between a dancing couple and immediately feel something wet touch my arm. Ugh, there is nothing grosser than random man sweat.
The bar is set up is in the second room, past the foyer, in the main room of the restaurant. It long, almost taking up an entire wall of the room and it’s a deep wood with gold finishes. Behind it is shelves filled with different liquors and fancy champagnes, the good stuff. I hope they have something here cheap enough for a measly Ph.D. student like me to afford. The whole thing is backlit and is bathed in a warm yellow glow like antique light bulbs found their purpose.
It’s crowded with some people sitting on stools and others standing next to them. Couples are making out ignoring the personal space of others. I try to find a space near one end of the bar and try to wave to the bartenders who, for whatever reason, don’t see me.
Next to me is a couple going at it. It’s more of a display rather than a private moment.
The woman is sitting on a stool in a black dress with silver woven through it, the man in a black suit between her legs. He is grinding against her, her dress hiked up around the top of her thighs as he palms her ass. One of her arms is thrown around his shoulder while her other hand is taking through his hair. The strap of her dress is knocked off her shoulder and the top of her right breast is peeking out above a lacy black bra I can’t really see their faces owing to the darkness and the fact that his tongue hasn’t left her throat.
Suddenly he pulls her hair back causing her head to bow back exposing her throat and I see rather than hear the hiss as he opens his mouth wide showing his fangs before he violently bites her throat. I try to look away from the horror, but no one around is reacting. I can’t see much, but briefly, I think I see a small trail of blood down her neck.
Her face pinches together in a grimace. God that looks painful. I reach up to place my hand around my own neck and the small trickle of blood continues down her neck to her chest.
Fuck, should I stop him?