Dori, the vampire and Jude, the vampire hunter, get to know each other a little better.

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“What’s your story, Jude Raynor, other than you flunked out of school and are now in the family business that you claim to be bad at?”

“I am bad at it.  It’s not just an idle claim.  I couldn’t hit you from where I sit now, even if I were armed, I’m that bad.”

I couldn’t help but shudder at his casual mention of killing me.

“I’m sorry.  That was insensitive,” he said as leaned toward me and tried to make eye contact.

I waved him off, “You can’t help what you are any more than I can.”

“Would it help if I told you I’ve never killed a vampire before, haven’t even wounded one.  Hell, you’re the first one I’ve even talked to.”

I frowned.  “How did you know what I was when you met me then?”

“Your smell,”  he said then shrugged.  “Then later, your fangs.”

After a quick whiff of my shoulder area, I grimaced then said, “My smell?  Is it a good smell or a bad smell?  How would you describe it?”

“I like it but I’m not sure how I’d describe it to you–maybe a combination of roses and steak?”

“Ooh, that doesn’t sound good.”  At least he hadn’t said ‘death’.  “You smell delicious to me.”  I grinned at him, hoped he’d get my joke and not freak out…though he really did smell tasty, probably B+ blood type, not that I was that much of a hemo connoisseur.

He chuckled.  “I’ll just bet I do, to you anyway.  And my blood type is B+ in case you were wondering.”

“How did…no, of course I wasn’t.  Puh-lease.  A little credit for some couth here.”  My eye roll didn’t seem to convince him but only made him laugh harder so I added with a flip of my hand, “B+ is so McDonalds anyway, right up there with O+.  I’m more partial to the negatives, if you must know.”

He stopped laughing and looked at me as he seemed to be trying to find his next words.  “Could I see them?”  He pointed with each of his index fingers to his mouth.

I frowned and turned away to look out the side window.  “I’m surprised you haven’t seen them enough already,” I said to the window then turned back to face him.  “I haven’t learned how to retract them yet and am always flashing a bit too much of the old pearly whites; one of the reasons I’m such a vampire school dropout.”

“There’s a school for vampires?” he asked with an incredulous look on his face.

I couldn’t help but snicker.  “No, I was only kidding, silly.  At least I think I was.  I should ask my sire.  Maybe he’s been cheaping out on me.”

“What did you do before you became a vampire?”

“I worked in a cubicle farm at the IRS doing tax return audits.  I know, I know, you’re thinking, ‘she went from one type of vampire to another’ right?”  When he smirked at me, I shook my head and heaved a put-upon sigh.  “Go ahead, get it out of your system.”  I beckoned him with my hand and he obliged with a snort of laughter.

He laughed a few more seconds then said, “I wasn’t thinking that but that’s really quite funny. Vampire auditor!  Out for blood,” he quipped in a movie trailer voice.  “I’m sorry, Dori, I don’t mean to be unkind.”

“It’s okay.  I’ll let you off this once,” I said wiggling my index finger at him.  He grabbed it and for a split second I panicked until he relaxed his grip on my finger and instead took my entire hand in a gentle hold between his own.