Chapter 2
"Hey what's your name?" Paula asked the female vampire sprawled beside her on the massive bed, naked and sweating after heated erotic hours of night.
"Seriously Paula? It's Monal. We hunted together last month. Those vampire hunters from the outer state who came to hunt us and went in plastic bags. Remember?"
"Oh yes Monal. Listen Monal, get dressed and get out. Take another room till it's twilight and then go home." Said Paula, herself getting up off the bed and walking across the room to unhook a dark blue robe from the hanger in the corner of a big dark room built inside the house that was specifically constructed to block any ray of sunlight. The room was deadly quiet and dark except one roof lamp hanging beside the door, to it far opposite, there was another door that was half open. The costly collection of exotic cosmetics and glass covered jewellery could be seen from the open edge of the door. Paula caressed her bracelet wearing hand on the robe, the stars and diamonds hanging on it shone magnificently on the cloth.
She slid her body into the soft silk robe and approached the door.
"Okay sure. But—" Monal said and Paula stopped before pulling the door open.
"What?" She snapped.
"It was fun, right? Don't you think so?"
Paula smiled at this and crossed the space with Monal, jumping abruptly on bed with both her knees digging into the mattress. Monal looked at her expectantly, her eyes craving for more of the night.
Paula grabbed her face with both her hands and kissed her hard, and when she left, they were both out of breath despite themselves.
"It was fun alright but, now, you need to go." Paula said and slides off bed.
"So when will I see you again?"
Monal asked and, without turning back, Paula opened the door and left. Walking down the hallway, she passed three sets of stairs. First, that goes down the main hall, second that goes down to the other side of the house into the dark alley that further opens to the back of the house, into the pool area and there that goes up to the next floor.
Paula came to stop before another brown wooden door just like hers and knocked twice on it.
No answer.
She looked over the railing, down at the main hall. There was nothing but a huge couch and a wooden table placed on a red rug.
"Merlin!" She called, knocking the door once again.
This time there was a voice of some shuffling from inside the room and after seconds of that, the door opened to reveal a tousled haired Merlin, just out of sleep and only in his boxer shorts.
"Don't you ever sleep?" He asked, rubbing his vampire eyes with the back of his knuckles.
"Can I come in? I am coming in." Paula shoved aside Merlin and entered the room. She went over to the bed and sat down on the edge, glaring at Merlin.
"What do you want Paula?" Merlin asked, standing with his arms crossed, his back sticking to the closed door.
"After you said all that stuff to me about being bored of this life. It stuck to me and now I am questioning my life slash death."
"You said I was in a haze."
"Yes and you put me in this boring depressive scenario of yours. Now I can't stop thinking about several versions of what if's."
"Well, maybe you too are bored of this lifestyle. Maybe you want a change too." Merlin walked over to Paula and sat beside her. "I talked to Leonard and he gave me this terrific idea." He continued.
"Leonard gave you an idea?"
"Yes and it was a good one. We can start a business, any small business. Not just under vampire authority, among all living beings, like humans. It will be fun. Don't you think so?"
"Hey hey. Don't get your hopes too high. I never said I would be joining you. I said you made me question myself, that's all." Paila said, jumping off the bed and raising her hands up in defence.
"Okay. Just think about it, that's all I am saying."
"Okay." Paula said.
"Alright then." Merlin said.
"Fine." Paula said and literally ran out of the room, slamming the door shut. Merlin knew, it won't be long with appropriate approach, before Paula would also jump on the same boat with him.
He quickly unlocked his phone and called Leonard.
Leonard picked up on the third ring.
"Still having an afterlife crisis?" Asked Leonard immediately.
"You got me."
"What's up? I got something important going on here." Leonard said half panting.
"I can understand the sensitivity of your situation Leonard and very will know where you are busy at. You said something about business last night."
"I did? Huh? Strange."
"Yes. So, I am going for it. I just wanted to say, thanks mate."
"Alright buddy. Now let me get some job done in peace."
"Okay I won't disturb you again. Anyways I was gonna go to that college hosting graduation night. Need some good time before I can ask dad for some startup help. You coming?"
"Sure I will and you don't need your dad for a business. What would you ask him for?"
"Some money of course."
"Money? What do you need money for? Just do the vampire trick. Hypnotize, kill, fang their neck."
"I am not starting my business with that. See you tonight." Merlin hung up and stared up at the ceiling, counting hours till the night party. Fresh blood, willing preys, a whole room full of dumb student pretending to be smart to get layed. What's not to want?
Paula was in her room, searching through her old stuff, the small booklets, the old vacation socks, nail polish box with empty bottles and family pictures.
She takes one out, with the four of them. The father, Simon Bale, Merlin, her, and their mother, who died a human.
After all these years, she kept all her pictures with her mother. After the tears long dried, feeling long lost, pictures were still there. She placed everything back in place and went downstairs to the kitchen plus bar.
"Hey Lenny." Paula greeted licking the base of Lenny, the family bartender's earlobe.
"Paula. What a pleasure." Lenny said dramatically bowing before her. Lenny was the one hundred and seventy year old vampire who turned into his human fifties and was forever stuck with the age of a fifty-six year old make body.
Lenny taught them a lot about modern inventions and changes to the human world that came in the nineteenth century. "To what do I owe this visit?
"Come on Lenny. I visit you all the time."
"You do, when you need to refill your blood needs and no employees of the house are available to bring it to your room which was last time three months ago."
"Lie. I came in last week."
"You came to yell on Merlin for killing your prey."
"Well, still I did come, for whatever reason. Anyways I need to ask you something. Have you ever considered doing something other than this, doing anything other than you do daily with your life?"
"Last time I thought about that, I ended up here, working for your father. And, it's been good so far. I have everything I need, a job, free time to unload stress, party at this age and a vampire progeny."
"I am sure Lenny. See you around." With that, Paula left. She knew what she needed and it was not everything this life offered. She needed more thrill, more to screw.