Life of the Party!

Life of the Party

By Merry Marcellino

I was so excited! Tonight was a big party and Brianna had invited me! It’d been so long since I’d socialized any more than a cup of tea with Brianna. Studying took up most of my time and working in the local pub. Brianna and I took night classes together at the university. That’s how I met her. We hit it off immediately. She was the opposite of me, long, dark hair down to her waist she mostly wore in a braid or bun. Tall, at least to me, at five foot six inches. I was five foot two inches so most people were taller than me. My hair was a blonde pixie although I did have purple streaks here and there. It was my rebel side. We were both a little pale although Brianna’s fair skin was stark against her dark hair. 

“Ouch!” I wasn’t paying attention and poked my eye with the mascara wand. Swiping a tissue from the box on the counter, I wiped away the offending black gunk from eye and surrounding skin. I had to pay attention or I would look like Elvira, Queen of the Night! Laughing at myself I finished applying makeup and double-checked my face. Not bad. 

Moving to my bedroom I slipped into the red dress I’d bought for the occasion. It clung to my curves in the right places.  Off the shoulder, short sleeves with a high low hem it showed off my legs, which looked pretty toned, if I did say so myself! The hem was about five inches above my knees in the front, just hitting the back of my knees. My nails were painted red to match the dress. Brianna had loaned me the polish. I didn’t take time for pampering myself with makeup so Brianna provided all of that for me. “You can’t go to a party without makeup and your nails painted!  Live a little!”

Hearing the honk of a horn, I shook myself out of my thoughts, rushing to grab my crossbody purse. It was black to match my high-heeled ankle boots. I only needed my ID, money, just in case, and lip gloss. I was traveling light tonight. 

Running out of my apartment, I almost forgot to lock the door but skidded to a halt when I remembered. No need to give anyone easy access. Not that I had anything worth stealing. My laptop was probably the most expensive thing I owned.

The cool night air hit me as I flew outside. It was early evening but the dark had descended blanketing the town. The moon was out shining brightly so it was easy to see, even if the orb cast shadows around me. 

I heard a sharp wolf whistle and my head snapped in the direction of the call. A teen stood on the corner watching me as I headed to Brianna’s black mustang. Watching me with interest he blew a kiss at me. Giving him a narrow gaze, I opened the passenger door. I didn’t want to encourage the teen. I lived alone and I didn’t need any unwanted attention. 

“Hey Brianna!” I locked my seatbelt carefully around my dress.

“Hey Jo!” 

My name is Josephine, but I only used it for official paperwork. I preferred Jo. 

“I’m excited about this party! I haven’t been out for so long!”

“That’s why I invited you. You need to get out more. You spend too much time in your books, working at a pub, watching everyone else live! It’s time for you to live!” She smiled her eyes on the road. 

“Where are we going anyway?” I hadn’t asked Brianna where the party was being held. I trusted her. She’d been my best friend since we’d met at the beginning of the year. She had also lost her Mom which is why we hit it off. We had that in common. 

Brianna drove fast, the lights of the town passing in a blur, blending in like a kaleidoscope of colors. Our town was situated near the ocean and we headed in the direction of the bay, salty air permeating the car. 

“My friend, Mark has a great house looking over the ocean. We’re going there for the party.” Her excitement was contagious. My heart beat faster in anticipation.

We reached the house quickly, Brianna’s foot heavy on the pedal. Outside cars were parked sporadically, people milled about drinking and laughing. Music blared from the open door of the house.

“Come on! Let’s go in!” She grabbed my hand, pulling me into the house. The two-story house was decorated with colorful streamers hanging from the ceiling. Almost every picture or sconce hanging on the walls held some kind of decoration. A rainbow of tablecloths adorned tables laden with all sorts of food. The aroma made my stomach rumble. A man in navy blue dress pants with a white dress shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows met us as he fought his way through the crowd to us.

“Brianna! You made it! This must be Jo!” 

“Hi Mark!” She kissed his cheek. “Yes, this is Jo.”

I held out my hand to him, but he yanked me to him, kissing my cheek. “We’re not formal here!” Laughing he put an arm around both of us leading us to another room where the music was so loud I couldn’t hear anything Brianna or Mark were saying. He grabbed two cups handing them to us. Smelling alcohol I only took a sip. Being at a party where I only knew Brianna made me want to keep my wits about me, even while having fun.

Someone reached for my hand pulling me to the dance area and I almost spilled my drink. Laying it on a table we passed, I was pulled into the arms of a handsome man with dark hair falling over dark eyes. Smiling he leaned in while leading us in what appeared to be a salsa. Thankfully, I’d taken dance lessons one spring because it was fun and I wanted the exercise.

“I’m David!” I couldn’t tell if his voice was nice because his shout was distorted in my ear. 

I leaned into his ear, shouting my name to him. Laughing at our predicament, we kept dancing. He held me close as we danced, unable to execute the turns for a salsa because too many people crowded us. 

The music slowed and we could at least hear a little better. I found myself in the arms of someone else as he pulled me away from David. His blonde hair fell into his blue eyes as he smiled at me leading me in the slow, seductive dance. 

I was glad I wore my boots. They were only about two inches high with a chunky heal that was more comfortable for dancing. 

“I’m Miles.” My partner didn’t have to yell as loudly.

“Jo.” His hand moved down my back and I pulled it back up. He was heading south. I didn’t even know the guy. That wasn’t my style.

Brianna grabbed my hand and we bobbed to the fast music. After the song, we headed to a table with sandwiches, quesadillas, paella and so many foods to choose from. I grabbed a few quesadillas taking a spot next to Brianna as we leaned against a wall to eat. The seats were taken. 

“Are you having a good time?” Brianna shoved a mini hotdog into her mouth.

“I am! Mark is nice! How do you know him?” Sauce dripped down my hand from the quesadilla and I licked the spicy juice before it could land on my dress.

“He works at my dad’s law firm.”

She laid her plate on the table as Mark dragged her off for another dance. 

As I finished my quesadillas, I felt someone watching me. Looking around the room, I spotted a man in the corner. His hair was black, shining in the light. His eyes sparkled as his gaze met mine. His face was clean-shaven, his cheekbones sharp but his lips looked soft as they tilted up.

He slowly made his way to me, like a cat stalking its prey. Gracefully moving, he garnered the attention of several women who tried to stop his journey toward me. He didn’t falter or stop to talk to them. His eyes never leaving mine, I was frozen to the spot.

My heart stuttered in anticipation. Who was this man? I felt drawn to him.

When he reached me, he didn’t stop at a respectable distance, he leaned into me kissing my lips. Shivering at the touch of him, I pulled back a little in surprise that he was so forward. The noise around us fell to a dim hum as my focus was solely on this enigma facing me.

“Who are you?” My voice shook as he took me in his arms and led me in a slow dance.

“Vincent.” Was his only response. 

His breath tickled my ear as he held me close.

“I’m Jo.”

“I know. Mark told me Brianna was bringing a friend.”

As I wondered why he was fixated on me, he pulled me from the dance floor, leading me to the stairs. Brianna caught my eye as she danced with Mark, concern on her face. She shook her head no, but I turned back to Vincent. 

I didn’t need an imagination to figure out where we were going, but I would let him know I wasn’t into one-night stands. I was interested in him. I’d have to be dead not to notice the way his hand felt in mine, the way his hard body felt holding mine. If he was interested in getting to know me, I would not say no, but I was not going to be a notch on his bedpost, no matter how sexy or compelling he was. 

Almost tripping on the stairs as he led me to a darkened bedroom, I realized I would have to set him straight. Disappointed because he had my body tingling in ways I had never felt before, I opened my mouth to tell him but his lips closed over mine. Warmth spread over me and I returned his kiss. I didn’t want to say no. I didn’t want to ruin this moment, but I’d never felt comfortable being with someone I didn’t know. 

Still hearing the faint noise of the party, I reluctantly pulled my mouth from his, ready to tell him I couldn’t, when his mouth changed. Sharp fangs descended as his eyes held mine. Horror gripped me as his head slowly fell to my neck and I felt the sting of his bite.