Kiss of Death

One

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        "Esmeralda? Esmeralda? Earth to Esmeralda" Dominic stated attempting to capture Esmeralda's attention from her thoughts. 

        "Yes?" Esmeralda asked startled by the sudden disturbance from her thoughts. Dominic laughed as he placed a Lily to the side of Esmeralda's face. Running the soft petals against the side of her tanned face. 

      "Me Amora? Where are your thoughts?" Dominic asked puzzled as to what Esmeralda had been thinking?

      "I was just thinking about" Esmeralda paused trying to come up with an excuse to her distracted mind "about the day we met" she started "it was in the forest by our village near a field of wildflowers" she started with more assurance than she felt in the moment. "The lily is beautiful by the way" 

      Dominic smiled brushing the hair from her cheek. 

                                                                 ...

Present Day

      Esmeralda stared out the window of her apartment overlooking the Elfie Tower. As fast as the memory had come it vanished. Trying to catch her breath Esmeralda barely heard the faint ringing of her cell phone from inside her purse. 

      Ring. Ring. Ring. 

      Racing to her purse, as not to miss the call Esmeralda tripped over a pair of shorts she had thrown across her apartment the night before. Landing right in front of the coffee table. Looking up at the coffee table she noticed that her purse was sitting on top of the couch. Esmeralda chuckled to herself, she would lose her head if it was attached. 

    Esmeralda reached over the coffee table and grabbed her bag. Searching for her phone in her bag was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Her bag was packed full of unorganized papers. Esmeralda made a mental note to organize her bag, as well as her life, today. 

    Finally finding her cellphone and not a moment too late Esmeralda clicked the accept button on her phone. "Hello?" Esmeralda spoke into the phone hoping the caller hadn't disconnected. 

    "Hey, its Alex" she stated with a hit of concern and worry. "I've been calling you for the last ten minutes. Are you busy?" She asked. 

    "Hmm, no not exactly busy per se" Esmeralda replied attempting to keep her composer over the phone, Dominic had always been a touchy subject for her, and Alex knew this all too well. "I was just on the balcony looking at the view" she paused "I lost track of time, what's so urgent?" She asked. 

    "Oh, I was just calling to let you know that I spoke to Max and everything is a go for tonight's event" she paused before continuing "are you up for a shopping trip this afternoon?" She asked Esmeralda. Alex was always the type of woman who loved to shop. Esmeralda, however, was not. 

    "Sure, what time works for you?" Esmeralda asked while getting off the floor and taking a quick glance at the clock that hung above her fireplace. 

    "Does three work for you?" Alex asked hopefully. 

     Making a mental note of the current time and the amount of time it takes her to get ready "sounds good, pick me up?" Esmeralda asked in a taunting tone.

      Esmeralda knew how Alex loved being in control, especially when it came to shopping trips. If she wasn't the one driving or directing the orchestra, so to speak, Alex almost always had a malfunction. 

    "Perfect, go get ready" she started before quickly adding "I know how long it takes you to get ready" 

      "Okay, see you in a bit" Esmeralda responded before saying goodbye and closing her phone.

                                                                          ...

     Esmeralda had lost track of time. Deep in thought, Esmeralda gazed at her reflection in the mirror unable to stop herself from thinking about Dominic. Esmeralda had learned over the years how to not think of him. His smile, his laugh. The way her body used to respond in ecstasy to every touch they shared, even if it was as simple as brushing past her. The first couple of centuries after she left were the hardest but it goes easier as the centuries past. She had moved on with her life. As much as she loved him there was always lingering darkness over her head about the night she was r***d and turned. The darkness she spent centuries pushing aside until she couldn't handle it anymore and cut all ties to her past, even if it had cost her the only man she ever loved or will love.

      Esmeralda needed peace and she had found just that, but being here is making it hard to escape the memories of him. She knew it was a risk when Alex reached out to her, but Alex Is the closest thing she has ever had to a sister, and Alex doesn't ask for favors lightly. Esmeralda knew this that's why she agreed to help her, here in Paris. The city of love.

      "This is going to be a long night, " Esmeralda spoke to her reflection while she brushed off memories of her past and made her way to her closet to dress. As Esmeralda walked around the corner she noticed a shadow dancing between the living room and bedroom. Cautiously Esmeralda crept towards the shadow. Her fangs extended in her mouth, expecting the worst and hoping for the best. As Esmeralda peered around the corner she let out a sigh of relief and emerged from the corner.

      "Alex?" Esmeralda paused as she realized she was stark naked "What are you doing here?" She asked while sneaking a peek at the clock, had she really been daydreaming for an hour?

      "Hey, " Alex paused realizing that her friend was naked before brushing it off "I'm early, I finished my meeting earlier and thought I'd pop in early, this way I can make sure we don't miss our dinner reservation and to make sure you don't dilly daily" she stopped while returning to her view of the Elfile Tower. "You really do have an amazing view. Remind me to talk to the owner, I would love an apartment with this view"

     As Esmeralda was searching through her closet and closely listening to Alex, she paused, "How did you get in here? Did I give you a set of keys?"

     Alex paused "No silly! I compelled the busboy downstairs to let me in, gave him a big tip for his trouble to"

     Smirking Esmeralda rounded the corner half-dressed with top in hand "I never even thought that I thought you were strictly against compelling the humans to get what you want" a chuckle escaped Alexs, stone-cold expression

     "Well, normally I would agree but this whole situation has me on edge. This clan of vampires is really testing my patience and making me go into taking no prisoners mode." She stuck out her tongue and flashed her, renowned smile and ass shuffle into her bedroom. "Is that what your wearing shopping and to dinner?"

     Esmeralda's face dropped as she looked down to examine her outfit. Shocked and appalled, Alex wasn't normally one to comment on my choice of clothing "What's wrong with what I'm wearing. I would like to be comfortable whilst shopping. God knows your going to make me try on like 50 gowns before we pick the best."

      Alex smirked "Normally I wouldn't but I got us the dinner reservation at Alto's an exclusive vampire only restaurant, and I might have made it specifically for tonight so we could scout Maxwell out, who happens to have reservations tonight as well"

     "Well, well Alex aren't you just a sneak. I thought we were just going to a local bistro or something, you're always raving about thee" Esmeralda paused looking at her reflection before walking over to her closet. "Is that what your wearing?"

     Alex looked down to examine her outfit. She was wearing a black dress that reached medical. f with a gold chain wrapped around the waist. The dress itself had peak-abo cutouts and a deep V-neck to accentuate her robust cleavage. To top the outfit off she wore a pink jacket suit that was held together by a gold clasp. "Yeah, formal yet casual ish. I mean it's a fancy place but it's not cocktail fancy."

     Esmeralda just nodded and reached into her closet and pulled out her red lace dress. It hung to her body and accentuated her robust ass and narrow waist, making her curves pop. The dress was cut down the middle to just above her mid-drift and held red lace down the front and back in an almost mirror slit. Except the back was open to just above the bottom. "You always did say I looked best in red" Esmeralda smirked, which left Alex speechless.

       "Now I might have to buy something else to wear to dinner, especially if you're wearing that" Alex stated as Esmeralda placed it inside a Laundry bag and closed the zipper.

      "This is for Maxwell, to eat his heart out and pique his curiosity for tonights masquerade showing" she paused "Our shopping Challenge before dinner is to find something for the party tonight that will ours in"e my red-bomb"

     Alex chuckled, she always did like a good challenge when it came to fashion. Alex stood reaching for the garment bag as I grabbed my bag and slipped into my heels. "Challenge accepted".