We dated for a year before he proposed, and things went downhill from there. His divorce had lagged on due to custody disagreements and he finally agreed to a paternity test so that he could get custody of their son. It came back that he wasn’t the father, and it broke something in him. That was the beginning of the end of us. He loved his son more than anything, and was crushed to find out that he wasn’t biologically his. He turned to the bottle for comfort. We were working things out, and I tried to give him space to deal with what his ex-wife had done to him. It was never really the same after that, though. The writing had been on the wall for a while, but it still crushed me.
A part of me was glad to have escaped the noose of marriage, though a larger part was heartbroken. He was the first man I’d ever pictured myself creating a family with. I sat nursing my drink, attempting to find meaning in our sudden encounter. I thought of the conversation I’d had with Katie just last night, and suppressed a snort. Of course I’d run into him and have my entire world shift again. Slamming the remainder of my drink, I decided to ignore the whole occurrence and enjoy my first experience of Miami. I wasn’t going to let the ex-love of my life ruin my vacation. This trip was all about me, not about rekindling a lost love.
My hotel was a few blocks from the pier that I was departing from, but close enough to downtown Miami that I’d be able to enjoy the nightlife before departing on the ship tomorrow. I managed to book the same corner-room for tonight as I would have for the two nights after we returned. It had an amazing view of the Miami city strip along one wall, and along the adjoining wall the curtains were open, revealing the dark Atlantic Ocean. The vast blackness after nothing but lights was eerie.
I quickly changed into comfortable jeans and a deep red halter-top. I checked out the results in the oversized bathroom mirror, making sure that I looked presentable. I had been dying my hair a dark auburn for a while now, and the ends curled up just above my elbows. My dark brown eyes looked black against my pale skin. My breasts poured out of the halter, displaying my cleavage in the best light.
Katie had always been athletic and toned, while I was referred to as healthy. Whatever people meant by ‘healthy’ I didn’t really care—I took it as a compliment. I turned side-on to the mirror, examining my protruding breasts. Sometimes I wondered if I would be considered athletic, too, without such a large chest. Alas, the boobs blocked the rest of me. I quickly touched up my make-up, and walked out the door with my head held high.
I had always thought of my hometown as being a haven for someone single, but I’d never been to Miami. The strip was lit up with signs advertising bars and clubs, all offering girls free drinks until various times. I assumed this was an unspoken way of encouraging men to gather for the promise of drunken sex. I could already tell this was my kind of town. I took a few minutes to enjoy the scenery before I chose my destination.
Krypt Keeper sounded like a fun club to go to, and my curiosity got the best of me. Stepping around a group of people who were stumbling down the sidewalk, I made my way in the direction the sign pointed. Sure enough, when I finally got past the ID check, there were goths and vamps flooding the place. A Zombie, B-Positive, and Bloody Mary’s were the obvious drink options, but the most intriguing to me was a drink called Dracula’s Vein; it had vodka, cranberry, and a secret mix that infused a spice I’d never tasted before to the alcohol.
The music was loud; dance with a techno under-beat. I was in my own personal heaven. I was sitting at the bar enjoying my second drink when I saw Keith walk through the door. My pulse quickened and I had to close my eyes to bring it back under control. He was with all his old friends and was the most breathtaking of them all. He was six foot two with short dark brown hair, deep blue eyes, and a body that was honed to perfection from working construction. He was, unfortunately, still able to make my body melt and burn all at once.
“Vaht is a luvley voman like you doing here unaccompanied?” A perfect Dracula wannabe had found his way to me. Great.
I thought I was playing unapproachable bitch better than that, but unfortunately not. I was also hoping that Keith wouldn’t see me getting hit on by a dork. I had to have more appeal than that.
“Look, Vlad, is it? I’m flattered that you decided to come over and talk to me, but I’m just not interested in anything right now. Thanks, though.” I gave him my best toothy smile that could never be mistaken for anything more than a grimace, and turned away, barely giving him a cursory glance.
“You wound me, darling.” He’d dropped the accent. “It’s Stephan, not Vlad, and you were starting to look rather lonely sitting here all by yourself. I thought I would buy you another drink or see if you would like to dance.” He had silver eyes, and they were fixed intently on my own. I found myself unable
