Maybe I’ll ask Sean and Chelsie what they’re wearing. They seem to be more prepared than I am for this job.
I tuck my key into my pocket and poke my head out of the door. There’s nobody in the hallway. Even though Eloise said that no vampires come up here, I can’t help feeling a little nervous. I tiptoe out of my room, locking it carefully behind me, and I knock softly on the door marked “11.”
No response. I try “12.”
Nothing. They must have gone downstairs already.
I check my watch. I see with a start that it’s 11:45pm, and I hurry down the stairs. I don’t want to be late on my first night of work.
CHAPTER 4: HARD AND SOFT
Paige
It was quiet on the third floor, but as I go down the stairs, the sound of pounding music and laughter grows louder and louder. I was expecting some classical piano, maybe the hushed tones of whispered conversation, but this sounds like an exuberant house party.
My nerves heighten. It’s not that I don’t like parties, I’ve just never been very outgoing. I’ve always attended parties with Amanda, who acted as a buffer when I felt awkward or didn’t know anyone else. I wish I hadn’t waited so long to come downstairs. I should have asked Chelsie and Sean to wait for me, so I didn’t have to come down alone.
But it’s too late now. And I need to think of this as a job. I’m not a teenager at a party, I’m an adult providing a necessary service.
And getting paid very well for it.
As hard as I try to focus on that, I can’t stop the squirming feeling in my stomach as I continue down the stairs. What will it be like, getting bitten by a vampire? Is it going to hurt?
That’s a stupid question, ofcourseit’s going to hurt…
“Paige!” shouts an upbeat voice.
A familiar voice. It’s Chelsie, beaming up at me from the bottom of the stairs. She’s holding an enormous glass of red wine, and waving frantically with her other hand.
“Over here!” she yells, as though it’s possible to miss her.
A rush of relief comes over me, and I hurry down the stairs towardher. She’s standing beside Sean, who’s busy scanning the hallway. There are some other people here, holding glasses of wine, wearing red dresses, heels, unbuttoned shirts…
“Do you see any vampires?” Sean whisper-shouts.
“I think they’re in the other room,” Chelsie says, nodding down the hallway. There are several open doors, where the sound of music is coming from.
I notice that Chelsie and Sean are more dressed up than I am. Chelsie wears a tight, form-fitted red dress, cut low over her chest. Her wispy hair is up in a tight ponytail, her neck on display. Sean wears a pair of black dress pants low on his hips and a tight, black V-neck shirt.
“Wine, miss?” says a voice behind me. A server bends down, holding a tray of wine glasses. He’s dressed formally in black and maroon.
“Oh!” I gasp. I’ve never been served like this before, and it makes me a little uncomfortable. “Um, ok, thank you…”
I accept a glass from the tray. My hands are a little shaky, and I take a sip of the wine to ground myself. I’m not much of a drinker, and I’ve never liked wine much, but this isdelicious.
“It’s good, right?” Chelsie says, taking a generous swig from her glass. Then she grabs my other hand. “Come on, they said that there would be a speech at midnight!”
I would rather stay out here, but Sean and Chelsie make a beeline for one of the open doors, where the sound of music is coming from. This house seems very old, so I’m expecting it to be a small room, and I’m surprised when we enter an enormous, cavernous space.
It’s easily the size of a large restaurant, or a lounge. It’s very dark, lit only by a few red, neon lights. The decor is a combination of gothic and modern, with low, velvet couches and sleek standing tables around the perimeter. In the center of the room, the floor lowers down a few feet into a dance floor, where people are packed tightly, their bodies oscillating to the thrumming, bass-heavy music.
Thisis where the vampires are. I can’t immediately tell exactly who’s alive and who’s dead, but there are a few people who are clearly not completely human. There’s a man with long, blond hair laid out across one of the couches, another, shirtless man in his lap. He’s not drinking his blood, but his fangs are out, peeking down overhis lips as the other man strokes his cheek.
Across the room, another vampire leans against a standing table, his pale eyes gazing intensely at a woman who’s dancing. She notices him, and smiles provocatively in his direction, flipping her bloodred curls over her shoulder.
My stomach sinks.
I’m a complete idiot.Howdid I not realize that this is what this was going to be like? I’m completely unprepared for this, and totally out of my element. I turn to ask Chelsie if she knows where the bathroom is, but her and Sean have already disappeared into the throng. I’m all alone, standing awkwardly in the doorway.
