Chapter Eight
Luis idly turned his phone over and over in his hand.
It’d been two weeks since he’d learned about the cost of the blood. Two Fridays taking Julien and Karim to the bar and back, plagued by the information.
Now it was Tuesday, and his red blood cell count had climbed enough that he’d need treatment again soon.
Friday was three days away.
Luis’s fingers tapped at the edge of his phone. He unlocked his phone, opening the texts he had from Julien. The last one was just Luis sending ‘here’ when he’d arrived at their house last Friday.
He started typing.
I had no idea blood cost so much.
Does blood from different people taste different?
Wild idea, would you be interested in my blood bag again next week?
He deleted all of those before they could be sent.
Luis: I have a weird question.
He sent that, and immediately regretted it. Half a minute later, there came a reply text.
Julien: Yes?
Luis: So uh. Was offering my blood to you guys… okay?
His cheeks were burning. Luis fingers tapped nervously against the edge of his phone.
Julien: It was. We enjoyed it very much.
Luis stared at the text message. Enjoyed? As in they were grateful for free blood, or that it tasted good?
Enjoyed?
Luis: Because I was wondering if you’d like the next bag too. I have to do my treatment again this week.
This time the reply took a while
Julien: That’s a very generous offer.
Then, almost a minute later.
Julien: Are you sure?
Julien: you don’t have to offer that– please dont think you have to
Luis stared at the last text. Of all the messages he’d ever received from Julien, every single one had come with perfect spelling and punctuation. His eyes flickered up to the time on his phone. It was late. If it were a Friday, they’d be at the bar right now.
Hm.
Luis: I know. I was just thinking that if you and Karim could use it, it’s better than just throwing it away.
Julien: very kind of you, darling
Luis blinked. Darling?
They–they must be drinking. That was the only explanation.
Another text pinged on his phone, opening a group chat between himself, Karim, and Julien.
Karim: He means yes, yes we’d love to have the blood.
Julien: don’t listen to him
Karim: DO listen to me, the voice of REASON
Julien: your irresponsible with blood
Karim: I haven’t had anything to drink tonight, so I am actually the sober voice of reason this time.
Karim: sjjj kmm k
Karim: sry, J trying to take my phone
Luis watched the texts come in.
Luis: ???
A full five minutes went by before there was a response.
Karim: Sorry, had to lock myself in the bathroom to text in PEACE. But to your question, we’d love to have your blood if you don’t need it.
To text in peace? Luis tried to picture Julien chasing Karim around for his phone, but his brain failed to conjure anything so… silly.
Luis: okay…
Karim: Just come over Friday with your kit or w/e
Oh. Okay. So, this was happening.
At their place? Luis supposed that made sense. Unlike the bottled and preservative-filled stuff, his blood bags wouldn’t keep well. Karim had also mentioned how it was still warm last time. Was that part of the appeal?
He took a deep breath. The idea of committing to this was as nerve wracking as it was exciting. But maybe giving his blood away to someone who could use it would alleviate some of his guilt. Make the whole process of his treatment a little less shitty.
Maybe.
Luis: Okay, Friday.
The reply came seconds later.
Karim: see you then
##
All the next day, Luis reread the conversation that had occurred. His eyes kept getting stuck on the we’d love to have the blood from Karim and the darling from Julien.
It didn’t mean anything. Julien had been drunk, and Karim just… hated bottle blood.
Thursday evening, just after sundown, Julien texted him again.
Julien: Please don’t feel obliged to bring your kit if you change your mind. Friday can go as usual, if you want.
Luis: I haven’t changed my mind.
There was a long gap before a reply came.
Julien: Then you must allow us to compensate you for it.
Luis frowned at the message. That was the opposite of what he wanted from all this.
Luis: it would otherwise literally be going down the drain. I don’t need money.
Maybe they thought he did though? He had taken the driving gig technically as a second job. In the interview he’d even said it was for the extra money. There was no way at the time he was going to talk about his budding agoraphobia.
Luis: really. I’m paid enough at my day job.
Julien: Will you accept dinner instead then? As a token of our gratitude.
Luis paused to think about that. Julien clearly needed there to be some exchange. Dinner… wasn’t the worst thing.
Luis: if you insist.
Julien: We do.
Julien: What are your feelings on Indian food?
##
Luis parked the car Friday in Julien and Karim’s driveway. It was earlier than he usually arrived, just after sundown, and the sprawling house was lit up attractively against the growing night.
Beside him on the passenger seat was his medical kit.
A few years ago, Luis never would’ve even dreamed of talking to a vampire, let alone going into their home. But here he was planning to go in and feed two vampires.
His mom would lose her shit if she knew.
Luis took a deep breath and then let it out. He hadn’t even told Cassie about what he was doing tonight, or what he’d done two weeks ago. He hadn’t actually even told her about the drugging. It had felt… too dramatic.
Plus, if he talked about it, she’d freak out and maybe drive back to make sure he was okay, and it would fuck up her very busy school schedule, and Luis didn’t want that. He didn’t want to keep holding her back.
He’d tell her, just later. In the end he hadn’t really been hurt, so it wasn’t a big deal, right?
Luis shook off the thoughts and grabbed his kit and got out of the car.
His knock on the front door was too loud. Nervous. It took a moment, then the door unlatched.
“Luis! Good evening,” Julien smiled, stepping aside. “Please, come in.”
Luis crossed the threshold, kit in hand. He tried to project calmness. “Hey.”
“Dinner’s almost ready, Karim’s so excited.” Julien started down the hall, motioning Luis to follow. “I figure we’ll have dinner, and then you can do your treatment. Do you want to leave your things in the guestroom for now?”
“Yeah, sure,” Luis said. He followed the vampire back to the same guest room he’d stayed in before and set the kit on the pristinely made bed.
“Now,” Julien said as he led him back out. “What can I get you to drink? Water? Tea? Wine? Oh, I guess not alcohol if you’re giving blood later.”
“Water would be fine,” Luis said.
The vampire led him down to the end of the hall where it opened up into a spacious dining room.
The dining room matched the general style of the house, the walls done in a rich blue damask wallpaper.
In the center of the room was a long elegant dining table lined with chairs, above which hung an expensive looking chandelier.
There was an antique glass cabinet on one wall, and a collection of moody landscape paintings adorning the opposite wall.
The table held a tall vase of overflowing flowers and three table settings.
“Are all the rooms like this?” Luis asked, looking around.
Julien motioned for them to sit. “Like what?”
“So… elegant.” Luis took one of the seats. “It’s beautiful, all of it.”
Julien made a sound of pleasure. “Oh, thank you.” There was a carafe of water on the table which Julien brought over to fill the empty glass at Luis’s place setting.
Tonight, Julien was dressed in another immaculately tailored button-down with a pair of charcoal gray slacks.
His hair was pulled back from his face in a neat bun, and it left the sharp planes of his face without distraction.
He always towered at least a head over Luis, but tonight he looked particular svelte.
“I’ve spent a long time making this house to my liking,” Julien said, returning the carafe and picking up a bottle of wine. “It was actually going to be demolished before we purchased it.”
“Oh, really?”
Julien poured himself a glass of wine. “Yes. We had to renovate it top to bottom to bring it up to code, it was an old property. But we wanted old when we moved to America. Something that could remind us of home.”
Luis took a sip of his water. “Remind you of Tangier?”
Julien chuckled, “Oh no, we never really had a residence there. Before here, we lived in France.”
“When did you move?” Luis asked.
“About twenty years ago.” Julien’s long fingers reached for the stem of his own glass, but then paused, thoughtful for a moment.
“France had become… unfriendly to us. I daresay Americans mind their own business more, and are more used to seeing diversity and brown skin. We’ve come to enjoy it here, especially more recently. ”
“I wouldn’t guess that America is better than France,” Luis said, surprised.
“It’s not without its issues,” Julien conceded, “but for Karim, it has been much better here. And if he is happy, I am happy.”
“I see,” Luis said. He still hadn’t learned more about Karim’s history, but he was starting to piecemeal together a rough picture.
“But thank you for the compliment on the house, I’ll pass it on to Karim. I had the vision for this old place, but Karim did much of the physical work. This table, for example, he refurbished.”
Julien caressed the smooth finish of the table. Luis followed the movement, and wondered what those elegant fingers would feel like on skin.
“It’s gorgeous,” he said, shifting his eyes off of Julien’s hands.
He met the man’s eyes instead. The corners of Julien’s mouth tipped up. “I greatly enjoy surrounding myself with beautiful things. Aesthetics are one of my greatest pleasures, so you’ll notice everything in the house does have a certain degree of… design.”
Julien’s attention grew heavy, and nerves buzzed to life in his stomach. “Yeah it’s… lovely,” Luis said.