Blood Match (13 page)

Serena finally broke down and started to cry in front of her, she was getting desperate. Don came in the door at eleven and found Janet hugging her and patting her back gently.

“Serry, I want you to tell Don. Tell him everything you told me…” she said softly. “Let’s see what Don thinks.”

Donald was a theatre manager. He was by nature what you could only describe as ‘very sensible’. Serena didn’t think Don would believe her for one minute. Certainly not if Janet didn’t. And she was sure Janet didn’t and never would.

The two of them sat opposite her on the sofa together as she explained it all again. Don’s face was a picture. His eyebrows couldn’t get any higher in surprise at hearing her bloodsucking story.

“So, what do you think Don… about my little predicament?” She asked him. “Do you think I am on drugs too? Perhaps you think this is post stress related after studying too hard or maybe I have just had a nervous breakdown this weekend… come on then, spit it out…”

“Look Serena, you seem quite sane to me, the way you are talking is lucid enough. I don’t believe you are using drugs and I know you are quite level headed normally. So, from what you have told us, this means that we now have to accept we have vampires in our midst, occupying our boardrooms and maybe teaching our children in schools and perhaps even sitting in the Houses of Parliament for all we know… this all seems to be way out there in La La land, doesn’t it? But….. weird though it may seem and I really don’t know why, you are very convincing and I am starting to believe you.”

Serena could have hugged him. She looked back and forth between Don and Jan who seemed to be quite surprised that her very sensible husband could possibly believe all this nonsense when she didn’t.…

“You really are?” She said almost tearful with relief… “You’re not just saying that so I’ll be off guard and you can ring the nearest mental hospital and have me sectioned are you?”

“Look, I am trying to believe you Serena and no I am not going to do that. Stop being paranoid!” said Don firmly.

“Don, what can I do?” She asked him anxiously. “I’m so fucked, aren’t I?  I am really worried about Phil and Adam. I have to tell Ethan something. That’ll be bad enough. He is sure to find out about Phil as well. I know he will, he can almost read my mind. I am so, so fucked. Phil is fucked and Adam is probably…”

“Serena, enough of the fucked stuff thank you …! Now let’s get our heads together shall we … this isn’t the first love triangle in history, is it?” Announced Don sensibly.

Don starting brainstorming… thinking of things they could do. Some of them were so unacceptable they made her cry some more – like stakes through Ethan’s heart and cutting off his head…

It became quite clear to Serena during this exercise that she really did feel rather strongly for him. She just didn’t like the idea of a vampire’s life. It was an agonising impasse.

The three of them thrashed it out for a little while until they exhausted the small list of possibilities.

The consensus of opinion was simple.  She would go back to the flat the next day, call Ethan and Phil and ask them to come over. Don would come home with her too, for safety in numbers.  Then she would lay it out – all the facts for everyone present and see what happened.  She couldn’t help wondering if she was making more out of this than she should… perhaps Ethan would just give in gracefully.  He didn’t seem like a potential murderer, but then before she knew about it he didn’t seem to have the potential to be a vampire either…!

It was nearly midnight when she picked up her phone to call Phil and turned it on. She had several missed calls and a number of texts flash up. She listened to the messages. One from Phil and another from Adam asking her to call. She read her texts. One of them was from Ethan. How did he have her number? Of course he could have looked at her phone whilst she was at his place. He had plenty of time whilst she was sleeping.

She read his message. “I miss you despite everything.”

Her heart contracted with love, confusion and need. Those few simple words brought back to her just how it was between them.  He was just so incredibly lovely, for a vampire!  She wondered how long that would last, once he knew there was a human rival on the scene.

“I’m not at home right now… I’ll be back tomorrow.” She replied.

She called Phil and spoke to him for a while. He seemed okay about her leaving suddenly. She explained that she didn’t want to get heavy just now. He said that was cool, neither did he. He had other girlfriends he wanted to see too. She wasn’t sure if she believed him. He didn’t sound too bad, though. Maybe he expected it. She had been clear about the one night thing. She said maybe they could see each other in a week or two. He agreed. He was being rather too understanding about this… But it helped the situation just now. She needed to deal with Ethan first.

She received another text from Ethan. She read it twice to make sure she had read it right….. Her blood ran cold suddenly.

“Are you with him? I know about him.”

How could he know? She wondered in horror. Her mind ran through the possibilities. There really was only one. He had seen them. She remembered the moonlight through her window. The drapes had been open. He could easily have been watching her from outside with his perfect vampire vision. Like he’d watched her before in the club. He probably recognised Phil from the club too. He had seen all that went on between them.

Oh no, no, no!!

She asked her burning question.

“Please tell me you weren’t spying on me.”

“I wanted to watch you sleep. I didn’t realise I meant that little to you Serena.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Does it matter? What’s done is done.”

“It does matter. I need to explain.”

“I believed you were mine. My perfect mate. I had strong feelings for you. Goodbye Serena.”

She dialled his number. His phone was unobtainable, he had switched it off.

She burst into tears. She was stung by the thought of how much he was hurt by what she had done.

Well she had got her just rewards, hadn’t she? She didn’t need to tell him anything now. It was surely all over, her brief vampire love affair. She was shocked at how much she regretted this. She didn’t want this ending after all.

After explaining the latest developments to Don and Jan and assuring them she could now handle this alone she made the decision to drive back first thing the next day.

She spent the most dreadful sleepless night, finally falling to sleep at dawn, Janet woke her at eight as she left for work. She borrowed some money for fuel in order to drive back home.

Just a few hours ago she wasn’t sure what she wanted. She had been playing with people’s hearts. Phil. Ethan. Both. Neither?   Now this choice had been taken out of her hands she knew with absolute clarity that she wanted Ethan with her heart, soul, body and mind and damn the consequences. But she felt it may be too late. She had betrayed him in the worst possible way and he had seen it all.

Chapter 24

As soon as she got home she called the office and asked to speak to him.  Martha, the secretary told her he had taken a few weeks off. He was in Germany visiting relatives, she said.  Serena did not believe that was true. He was hiding away at home. She called his phone but it was still off.  She set off for his home. After driving around the country lanes for some time she realised she had taken no notice of their route in the darkness and didn’t really know where he lived.

She went home and tried looking his place up on Google maps. She knew it wasn’t any more than ten or fifteen minutes driving distance from that restaurant. She looked for some time but could not find the house despite its size. She looked up stately homes in Cambridge but none of the images seemed to match his house or fit the location.

Frustrated she gave up, trying to think of a more intelligent method of finding him. She thought that maybe he had gone to Germany after all…she was now unsure, it could make sense. She made up her mind to wait a couple of weeks and then try the office again. He may have calmed down by then. Perhaps she could persuade him to listen to her.

Just over a week later Serena received a letter. It was an offer of employment with a cruise company, dealing in customer relations. She had attended the interview over a month ago and had forgotten about it. So she at least had a job again. They asked if she could start at the beginning of the month.  In two weeks time. She called HR and accepted the position. The pay was good too. She couldn’t wait around hoping that Ethan might take pity on her and arrange her another job, especially after what she had done to him.

She may never see him again. The whole horrible episode was fading slowly in her mind. She wasn’t sure she should chase him now, what kind of a life would it be?  Best to let it all die… it hurt her so very much, but perhaps it was for the best. There had been no contact. He obviously didn’t want to have anything to do with her anymore. Her heart hurt incredibly badly with this realisation. It hurt every day…

Early in the evenings she put on her trainers and set off for a run. She wanted to run and run until she was exhausted and she wouldn’t care about what happened and she could just sleep and forget it all… Whist she ran she thought about things… she never stopped thinking about Ethan and sometimes about Phil too…

Phil had been good. He really had meant what he said. He had not pushed her or even called by much. Adam said he had already been seeing someone else on and off. It had started before their little love-in apparently. Obviously he had got his Serena bug out of his system now.

She would talk to him about it when she got the chance.

Chapter 25

Adam had arrived home after work from his late shift and he was starting to prepare one of his healthy evening meals for them. He was in the process of telling her that he and Emily were no longer an item. He didn’t want to be tied down at 24. Serena felt sad for Emily. She hadn’t taken it very well at all apparently.

“Besides I have a little milf going on” he explained.

“What’s a milf?” asked Serena confused.

“Serena you really are so unworldly at times…. A milf is a hot older experienced woman… it is actually an acronym for
mother I’d like to fuck”
 he said smiling widely at the thought. “Jane is my client actually, she’s 42 and believe me she is a very hot milf.”

“She’s what…?” Serena squeaked, completely stunned. “Adam, I just don’t believe you!”

There was a buzz from the front door. Serena made her way out to the hallway and looked into the video camera. She was more than surprised to see Nina, Ethan’s sister from hell standing outside. She picked up the phone.

“Hello Nina. This is Serena. What do you want?” she asked hesitantly.

“Serena. We have a problem. I am sorry I was so unpleasant to you before. Can we speak?”

“Ok. I am buzzing you in. Come up to the first floor. My brother is here.” she added as a warning.

Nina arrived at the door where Serena was waiting nervously. She was a very pretty vampire. Now that Serena knew, she could see the signs easily. The gorgeous olive skin. The shiny eyes masking the red glow behind the coloured lenses.

“How do you know where I live?” Serena demanded.

“I asked Ethan’s driver if he had ever taken you home. It wasn’t difficult!”

“Who is it Serry?” asked Adam coming out of the kitchen. He caught sight of the luscious Nina and his demeanour changed in an instant. He started to hit on her instantly, the new milf was forgotten in his haste to get at this new piece of female flesh standing in his hallway.

If only he knew!

“Well, who is your extremely beautiful new friend Serena? I don’t believe we have met, have we? I am Adam, Serena’s brother. Would you like a glass of wine? I have just opened a bottle of something special. Follow me…Miss…?” He took her little vampire hand and led her past Serena and off to the kitchen. Serena stood in the hallway speechless at his speed of attack.

“It’s Nina…. Nina Karrigan” she said sweetly. “Oh, how lovely…. I do adore Rose wine….just a little please Adam… I am driving you see…”

Serena followed them in.

“What problem do we have Nina?” Serena asked. “It must be highly important for you to actually come and visit me!”

“My brother Ethan is unwell. He hasn’t been eating for some time… since your visit, I am informed…. Do you understand me? It seems to be deliberate. He has tied himself up and locked himself in his room. He won’t let us supply him with food. It seems as if he has decided he doesn’t want to carry on, for some reason. He is getting very weak now. I was hoping you could persuade him to eat somehow. Offer to help… you know?”

Serena was obviously upset by this very strange news and Adam looked at the two of them in a state of confusion searching for a clue.

He tried to work out what was going on by himself. Ethan was the ex-boss, wasn’t he… and this could be the unpleasant sister Serry had mentioned? Not that she seemed unpleasant to him… But what on earth was all this tying himself up and starving himself stuff. This bloke was even weirder than he originally thought!

“Please bring your gorgeous brother along too” said Nina fluttering her long curled eyelashes at him sexily. “I’d like to keep Adam company whilst you help my brother to overcome his little problem, yes?”

Serena felt a hidden menace in her words. What she was saying was, Serena had better save Ethan or else… but what?

Adam looked smitten already. But Serena knew that he was being entranced, right here in his own kitchen.

“We should go right away then” Serena said decisively. “Adam, turn off the dinner. It’ll have to wait.”

Nina drove her sleek black Audi A7 with Adam sitting next to her whilst Serena sat rather cramped in the back. Adam had never looked so love struck in his life. This girl and this car were his dream come true. He would have licked her pretty little boots if she had asked him to.

If that didn’t impress him enough, the sight of KR Manor and all it’s splendor certainly finished him off. As they drove up to the front entrance he was quite overcome and almost salivating with lust for her.