if it were a fine jewel. "You sure your hand's okay?"
I held out my hand for her inspection. No tell-tale signs betrayed the collision. "Immortality," I said, "means near-instant tissue regeneration. Had the ball struck your hand, or Kern's, or even Henry's ample paw, or any mortal at the ballpark, a visit to the hospital would have been necessary to repair crushed bones and smashed blood vessels."
Nicole gazed at me thoughtfully. "You arecompletely invulnerable?"
"No." I shook my head. "The heart. That is one area whereHollywood is not dealing in complete fantasy. A sharpened wooden stake, though crude, would, as you Americans say, do the job, as would a bullet or a knife."
"The heart." She bit her lip. "A vulnerable heart. Can a vampire's heart be broken?"
"Yes."
After a short, awkward silence, she took my hand, surreptitiously stroking it with a finger. "You know, this was fun. I mean, considering all that happened, it was nice to just have a nice, normal time. And - " She paused demurely. "And, if wecould have nice, normal times, well, I'd like to see you again. What do you think?"
What do you think?
Are there four more imposing words in this infernal language?
Chapter 13
A Loaf Of Bread, A Bottle Of Wine and Thou
Christ, you're such a schmuck. You got this babe who's got the hots for you, and you didn't know what to do?
Sir, you are quite the vulgarian. Do not scoff. You talk so loosely, as if you would have known exactly what you would have done if you were me, but you cannot even imagine what it is like to be me.
Fine. Whatever. So, what did you do?
I sought the counsel of a professional, who did put things into a perspective far wider than I would have imagined.
"Maybe you might think about actually taking off your clothes." That was Jasmine's ultimate response to my question regarding the situation with Nicole.
Walls. She spoke of walls surrounding me, behind which she said I hid.
My rules are different, was my reply. Self-preservation is imperative. Those walls Jasmine spoke of are a human construct, irrelevant to one such as myself.
Jasmine shook her head vigorously, her soft flesh pressed close to me. An expert at reading people, she saw right through my facade, but hell's damnation, do not walls have their use? Why in the name of all the false gods of heaven would I risk existence for a few fleeting moments of mundane pleasure?
Why indeed.
"Maybe you might think about actually taking off your clothes," Jasmine repeated, toying with the top button of my shirt. She undid the first then second button, rolled on top of me and rubbed her breasts against my smooth, hairless chest until her nipples came erect. "You're hiding behind your clothes, and you're hiding behind lame excuses."
"I beg your pardon."
"You heard me. Like you've never had a human lover in all these years you've been alive? Like you've never been intimate with a human woman? C'mon, maybe you can fool that little girl, but you're not fooling me." She rose to her knees, straddled my midsection, reached down and undid the remaining buttons. "She's not gonna wait forever for you to make up your mind."
I smiled at her. "Perhaps, it is foolish to ask questions when the answers are already known."
Jasmine reached for my belt buckle. "I wish you luck with your little girl. I'm gonna miss you, Al. You want me, you know where to find me."
"Your sentiment is greatly appreciated."
She grinded her pelvis against my loins. "Just remember, some jobsare best left to professionals."
****
Her father's book was still in my possession, which offered a pretense for inviting her to my little apartment a second time. Why not offer her dinner as well?
It was no surprise when she accepted my offer, enthusiasm clear in her voice.
Dinner was veal Parmesan, with pasta and zucchini and a nice Chianti. Nicole ate with great relish, and when she was done, we moved to the futon where we continued our conversation as she sipped her wine, the fruity bouquet pleasantly tickling my nostrils.
"I do remember my grandmother's stories," Nicole said. "She would talk about vampires, but I never believed her. I'd pretend I did 'cuz I loved hearing her stories."
"What kinds of tales did she tell?"
"She'd tell stories about creatures rising in the night, appearing in a cloud of mist, feeding off the blood of the living. My favorite was about how when she was just a little girl, she was in the woods, gathering wild berries.