  Blair watched Forge and Lucas leave. He turned away abruptly, avoiding Ben and Simon, knowing they scrutinized him. Blair held up the jeans in his hand and laughed nervously. “I guess I’d better go and change.” “How old are you?” Simon asked. “Huh?” Blair asked. Simon sighed, set his paper down, and folded it on the table in front of him. “It’s a fairly simple question. How old are you?” “I… uh… I’ll be thirty in a few weeks.” “How long have you been a vampire?” Simon asked. “Five years.” “Who have you lived with during that time?” “I… what does this have to do with anything?” Blair snapped. Simon leaned forward. “Forge was thirty-one when he was turned. That makes him two hundred thirty-nine, give or take a few months. Do you have any idea what it requires for someone to live that long and survive all the changes society goes through?” The pain under Blair’s heart, which had been mild when Forge left, increased and felt like it thudded for a few breaths, then eased off. He shook his head. “People have no idea what the average person’s life was like even fifty years ago. Things change radically, including attitudes and beliefs, to the point you have to almost reinvent yourself to fit in with each generation. Most of your family, your friends, aren’t going to live that long. Our bodies might live for what seems like forever, but our minds sometimes don’t fare as well. It’s a basic need, to be with others who are like you and share your past. Declan and Forge have lived as long as they have, and not become raving psychopaths, because they had each other. You certainly do not maintain any sort of good relationship that long without loving the other person.” “I never thought of that,” Blair said. He couldn’t look at Simon or Ben, so focused on the tabletop. Simon sighed. “While you’re thinking about that, think about this as well. You, Ben, and Lucas are lucky to have grown up when you did. Yes, there is a lot on the news about marriage equality and gay bashing, but at the time I realized I was attracted to men, not women, it was a crime. If I’d been caught, I would have been imprisoned and sentenced to two years hard labor. If they’d caught Forge and he was lucky, he’d only have been castrated. There was no closet back then, only a deep, dark abyss.” Blair winced and saw Ben do the same. “It was more likely he and Declan would have been executed. I’m sure that’s why Declan left France in the first place. It’s partially why we’ve all stuck together. Lucas has also told me it’s a necessity for creatures to live with those who are their kind and have similar needs. We’re not just vampires, we’re homosexual vampires.” Simon looked from Blair to Ben, then continued. “Don’t be so hard on him, either of them. I, for one, am grateful to know there are others who’ve lived much longer than me and did it well. Not perfectly maybe, but well.” “Guess I was so busy being pissed off at Jonas being with another guy, I didn’t think about how much this whole screwed up thing would hurt him,” Blair said quietly. “Don’t do that,” Ben said. “What? Think about someone else’s feelings? Isn’t that what Simon was just telling me to do?” “Don’t call him Jonas,” Ben and Simon said at the same time. Ben added, “I think if his mother were alive, she’d call him Forge. It’s better you forget the first name altogether.” Simon nodded his agreement enthusiastically. “Why?” Ben looked at Simon who shrugged. “That’s been the rule for as long as I’ve known him,” Simon said. “Thanks.” Blair left, and as he climbed the steps to the guest floor, he mumbled, “Nuts, they’re all nuts.” Simon called after him. “It’s part of our charm!” “So is the Vulcan hearing,” Ben shouted. An hour later, Blair was dressed and was armed with directions provided by Ben and Simon to decent clothing stores. He drove Lucas’s Jeep to the part of town where the shops were located. The stores Simon recommended, while nice, were pricier, with more formal clothes Blair wasn’t comfortable wearing. Ben had suggested a few other stores more to Blair’s tastes, and budget. He took his time, wandering leisurely from store to store. They were all located within the same few blocks, and it was easier to park in a city lot and do his shopping on foot. If—and right then the thought was still an if—he moved there, he’d need warmer clothes. What was considered a pleasant autumn day in Ohio would have had people in New Mexico shivering. For now, T-shirts, a few long-sleeved Henleys, and some lightweight pullover sweaters and jeans would suffice nicely. Blair walked through a store with clothes that appealed to him, looking over the selection. He glanced up from the racks when he had the unsettling sensation of being watched. There were a few other shoppers, none of them noteworthy. A woman with two small children, an older couple, and two other guys casually moved among rows of khakis and jeans, dress and everyday shirts. None of them paid any attention to Blair. If he was honest with himself, he was the guy most out of place, dressed all in black. He decided to find clothing in lighter colors. Blair caught sight of a man standing out on the sidewalk. At first glance, it seemed he was simply window-shopping. Until Blair moved through the store again and realized the guy was watching him, keeping track of Blair’s path through the store. Blair decided to experiment. Crisscrossing the store, he covertly glanced at the man every few seconds. With each of Blair’s movements, the man shifted his weight or turned his head, clearly keeping Blair in his sights. Blair tried to memorize the stranger’s features without being obvious. He had sandy reddish hair—a much lighter version of Forge’s very dark mahogany—that was neatly trimmed with a stylish cut. Thanks to vampire vision, he could see the guy’s eyes were dark blue, very unlike the bright, vibrant blue of Forge’s eyes. Blair pulled a shirt off the rack and pretended to scrutinize it by holding it out toward the light from the window. The guy was taller than Blair, but not as tall as Forge. He looked in healthy shape, but not overly athletic, and wore glasses with brushed pewter frames. A month ago, Blair would have found this man very attractive. Now all he could do was compare the man to Forge and wasn’t surprised when Forge’s features were much more preferable. He returned the shirt and moved across the store, rifling through packages of socks, then picked out a pair of sunglasses. A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed the man was still watching him like a hawk. Blair made his purchases, putting the sunglasses on as he left the store, hurrying past the man and making sure not to look at him. Two doors down was an outdoor apparel store. Blair ducked in and again, the man loitered outside. This store was two floors, so after spending a few minutes browsing the first floor, Blair proceeded up the steps. The man stepped inside and stayed on the first floor, where he would likely have a good view of the second floor. Blair picked out a denim jacket. On a table near the stairs was a locked display of hunting knives. Blair considered buying one of them. “Now I’m nuts,” he mumbled. “What do I need a knife for? I’m a damn vampire.” After purchasing the jacket, Blair decided to go to the local electronics store. Being followed and not having a phone was freaking him out. Good selection or not, Blair needed a phone. As he walked, he kept glancing around but didn’t spot his follower. The store, though small, was well stocked. Blair got caught up in examining his options and started when he felt someone behind him. Blair turned, expecting a salesperson. Instead, it was the man who’d been following him. “Are you knowledgeable about these things?” the man asked, a smooth smile warming his face. “I… yeah,” Blair said. The guy looked geeky, but he wasn’t or he wouldn’t have to ask a stranger in a store about a smartphone. Human bodies make a lot of noise. Forge’s off-the-cuff statement screamed in Blair’s head. Pay attention to what a body does. There was the distinct sound of fluid rushing through the man, but no heartbeat. He gave off none of the heat a vampire, human, or werewolf would have, though it varied from creature to creature. Moose was hotter than them all. “I think these people work on commission. Ask them.” Blair pushed past the man. He’d need ID to get a phone activated anyway. Blair was at the store exit when the thought hit him that the man hadn’t drawn a breath. Or exhaled. He hurried from the store to the parking lot. Blair unlocked and scrambled into Lucas’s Jeep. He saw the man sitting on a bench not too far from the lot. Ben had written down directions to the police station. Blair glanced at the paper as he drove. Half a mile from the electronics store, the man was standing at a street corner, watching the Jeep. Blair’s heart was racing in his chest by the time he reached the police station. The enclosed garage had a big sign over the entrance informing him authorized personnel only. Blair doubted having sex with a detective gave him authorization, even if he was said detective’s soulmate. The visitor’s lot was out in the open, between the main building and the employee parking garage. There were security cameras everywhere, and Blair wondered if he was tense enough to show up. He spotted the man on the sidewalk in front of the station. Blair hurried up the steps and into the building. Once inside he took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. There was a desk with thick glass separating it from the room Blair stood in. He stepped up to it and smiled at the officer on the other side. He hadn’t done anything wrong, or broken any laws, and still he was nervous when he asked, “Is Detective Forge here? Or Dr. Coate? I’m a friend, Dr. Coate lent me his Jeep. Sorry to bother them at work.” Blair would clearly never make a good criminal, he blathered out everything. The officer, an older man with a wide, grayish mustache, smiled broadly. “Dr. Coate is like that. Good guy. He’d give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. They were out on a call. I’m not sure if they’re back, but you can wait here, and I’ll check. What’s your name?” “Blair Turner.” “Got some ID?” Blair’s heart sank, and his panic ramped. “My wallet was stolen. Detective Forge knows about it.” The cop nodded and tapped his hand against the counter. “Coffee’s free if you want some, there’s bottled water, too.” He motioned to a spot on the opposite side of the waiting area. “You sit tight, and I’ll find one of them. Let us know if you need anything.” Blair sat on one of the chairs and glanced out the door. He was in a police station. Certainly, whatever it was that had followed him wouldn’t do anything in a building occupied by trained people armed with many weapons.     Comments are closed.
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