Contest Entry

It's Not Nice To Anger A Vampire

   


    “You know I cannot attend a meeting during the day!” Markus growled and raked his long tanned fingers through his sandy-brown hair. “Why do you insist upon doing this to me, Gerry?”
    Gerry only glanced up at Markus, from his desk, with a sly grin. “It keeps you on your toes, Markus…and anyway, I’m sure you can be creative, and find a way to be there.”
    Markus groaned and turned on the ball of a foot, angry with his friend, for putting him on the spot like this. He gaited heavily to the door and reached for the knob.
    “Oh, and Markus…” Gerry waited for the tall, well-dressed vampire to stop. “Make sure you’ve got your game on. The investors are very interested in this proposal.”
    “I swear that one night; you will fall asleep, and wake to a new existence. Then we shall see how you like it!” Markus didn’t turn to answer, but stared at the knob before him intently. It occurred to him that he had no need of physically turning the knob, when he could use his power to open the door.
    “And who would watch your back, then, Markus?” Gerry’s chuckle was offensively arrogant.
    With another growl, Markus threw the door open, and left Gerry’s office. He cursed, under his breath, all the way to his limo. Getting in, he barked an order, to his chauffeur, to take him home, and rode in agitated silence to the mansion outside town.
    It worried him that he was so angry. Usually, he could brush off Gerry’s many attempts at proving the falsehood of his existence as a vampire. But this event seemed to hang on, like a violent storm, brewing hot within.
    Maybe it was time to even the odds a little. He grinned at the thought, which pacified him and soothed his wrath a little, for the time being.
    Markus and Gerry were two very close friends that had shared practically everything in life. It had begun in high school, and continued through their adult lives. Gerry was a handsome six foot tall man, with short dark hair, and hazel eyes. His lips were full, and appeared in a pout most of the time. He was healthy, strong, rippling with well defined muscles, he had attained, by working out at the gym for years.
    Markus was the adventurous one of the two, who often had a wicked grin on his thin lips. His sandy-brown hair was a bit longer and usually kept in a tight ponytail at the base of his head. That night was a rare occasion, being it hung loose around his shoulders. Dark eyes reflected his mischievous nature. He had worked out at the same gym, tanned at the same salon with Gerry, and practically had lived with him, before he’d been turned. But things changed a little after that fateful night.
    When Markus arrived at the mansion, he made a quick exit of the limo, and disappeared, before the chauffeur had a chance to exit the car. Dashing across the polished marble floor of the foyer, he bounded up the stair. His movements were so quick; the human eye could never perceive his presence.
    Finally, he entered his office and went directly to his bar, in the far right corner, where he poured himself a drink to soothe the remnants of his anger. Gulping down half the tall glass of absinth, he sighed heavily at the warming effect.
    “That’s better.” He smiled, then ambled to the desk.
    Markus sat and stared at his laptop, thinking. How will I attend this meeting tomorrow? He set his glass on the desk, and booted up the computer. It was high time he checked his email for the day, and at least work on the presentation.
    Within an hour, Markus had finished the proposal and emailed it to Gerry. With the wondrous properties of high-speed, he received a reply almost immediately.
    It read: “Nice work, Markus. See you in the office tomorrow. Ten A.M. sharp!”
    With a growl, Markus clicked on his tray to start a net meeting with Gerry. He had a few words he’d like to share with his friend. How dare Gerry be so arrogant! This is the final straw! He thought.
    Then it occurred to him, how he would make the meeting.
    A slow grin produced itself, on Markus’ otherwise angry expression. His dark mysterious eyes glimmered with mischief, and rather devilish intent. As Gerry’s face came into view on the screen, Markus sat back in his high-backed, leather chair, and became the perfect picture of smug calm.
    “Be sure you have your laptop ready for me at ten, Gerry. I’ll be there for certain,” the contentment that rumbled in Markus’ smooth masculine voice, made Gerry chuckle.
    “So, you’ve decided to show up after all.”
    Markus watched Gerry bring a cup of coffee to his lips, and smiled at the picture on the cup that depicted a kitten hanging from a limb. He mused about the fact that within a few hours, Gerry would be doing just that.
    “Yes, but not in person, Gerry. You know I cannot go out in sunlight. You’ll need to have your laptop on and ready to accept a net meeting, my friend.”
    “Oh, for the love of God, Markus…”
    “I’ll see you in the morning, Gerry,” Markus cut him off, and ended the meeting promptly.

***

    The meeting went well and Gerry was pleased to have the newly signed contract on his desk. He perused it, one last time, before he stood from his office desk, ambling to the coffee pot. On his mind was the thought that Markus had been rather animated and charismatic, during the net meeting. Though he had always known Markus to be both, his friend seemed exceptionally so that morning.
    As Gerry turned from the small table and coffee maker, he heard a noise outside his office door. A curious expression came over his face, sparking his hazel eyes to instant life, as a prickle skittered through is body. No one was supposed to be in the building, but Gerry, at that late hour. With that thought in mind, he ambled to the door to take a look.
    As he opened the door, a rush of air brushed him, but the only person he saw was a short Hispanic man, who was cleaning the offices.
    “Hola, Señor Morgan,” the janitor smiled brightly, as he spoke to Gerry.
    “Hola, José. Have you seen anyone else in the building tonight?”
    “No, Señor, no one but you.”
    “Thank you, José,” Gerry mumbled and turned with a subtle shrug, closing the door.
    He froze in his tracks towards his desk, when he saw Markus standing behind it looking over the new contract. The hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stood on end, producing a shiver. He caught his breath in his throat, not able to expel it for a few seconds.
    “How the he—”
    “I see we’ve signed a new contract, Gerry. I’m quite pleased,” Markus purred triumphantly, cutting his friend off before he cursed aloud. “I want a copy of this.” He barely glanced up at Gerry, then back at the papers he was reading. “For my own records, of course.” A wicked smile produced itself.
    “Well, of course.” Gerry decided to ignore the warnings he so persistently sensed that evening in the presence of his life-long friend. He made his way to the desk, and reached for the document to do as was requested.
    With lightening speed, he found himself pressed to Markus’ body, and in his iron embrace. He gasped and looked up into Markus’ strangely alluring eyes.
    “I have a surprise for you tonight, my friend,” Markus purred softly.
    “Markus, don’t! Please!” Gerry pleaded, a quiver laced in his words.
    “I think it high time, you come to the realization of the truth, Gerry,” he ignored his friend’s pleas, leaning his head closer, all the while he spoke.
    “Markus! You’ll regret this! Who’s going to do the office work, and represent you?”  Gerry tried to think of everything to halt his friend, before Markus made a fatal mistake.
    “I’ll think of something, Gerry.” Markus chuckled lightly. “Besides, William has been longing for your position. Perhaps, I shall introduce myself, and see if he can stand the strain.”
    The laugh Markus exuded was nearly poisonous to Gerry. He squirmed violently, trying to fight his way out of his friend’s mighty embrace. Terror rushed through him in waves, wondering if Markus would turn him or just suck him dry and leave him for dead. At any rate, he regretted pissing Markus off the night before.
    “If you don’t still yourself, this might hurt, Gerry,” Markus warned, which made his friend settle, motionless, for the moment he needed. He refused to use his power to hold Gerry, desiring his friend know every second of what was about to transpire. And he delighted in the prospect of fledgling to have around, teach and be close to his side.
    Then, again...
    Hmm...decisions, decisions, Markus thought.