Cursed By His Bite: Bound By His Bite

Chapter 1 I heard a slight knock on the door. I already knew who it was—Cindy. It was one of those nights she’d try to convince me to go clubbing with her. Cindy was my assistant, but more than that, she was my best friend. The truth is she was my only friend. She walked in after the knock, carrying a small stack of files. "Claire, I'm done for the day," she said, placing them on my desk. "Let’s go have some fun." I sighed. I knew this was coming. Cindy was a nightlife girl, through and through. For the longest time, she’d tried to talk me into that lifestyle. "Life isn’t all about work and money," she said, slumping into the chair opposite me. "Try to loosen up and enjoy yourself." How do you live this boring life, I would have gone insane. "I don’t know how you find the energy to go clubbing after a long day," I said. "Babes, once you're in the mood, the energy just kicks in. You have to get out there—mingle, dance..." She went on. My thoughts drifted from her words. I looked at her. Cindy was my only friend, but we were opposites. She loved the loud, fast-paced life. I craved peace and quiet. Cindy was mixed race. We met in high school and reconnected years later. She was bullied back then—the only mixed girl in an all-white school—but she never backed down. She never allowed anyone to let her feel lesser because of the color of her skin. She held her head high until graduation. I was her only friend in high school. She was raised by her single mom, who worked all kinds of petty jobs just to keep them afloat. Deep down, I always admired Cindy. Her strength. Her resilience. I glanced at her, admiring her smooth skin and full hair. "Are you even listening to me?" she said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I nodded. "You haven’t been in a relationship since college. Do you want to end up old and alone?" She asked, showing concern. "Do you remember three years ago when you kept saying men are scum and told me not to fall into their trap? You remember that, right?" I asked. "Oh, Claire," she said with a smile. "Not all men are like José. There are still good ones out there—the kind who'll love us till the end." Cindy had been in a relationship with José. But when she got pregnant, he packed up, took their money, and vanished. Left her all alone and devastated. She gave birth to my godson, Uriel. But we all call him Trippy. She raised him on her own and loved that boy with everything she had. Trippy stayed with Cindy's aunt but came over for holidays. He was the only one who could make Cindy stay home all day. She adored him. And I did too. I mean, who wouldn't? Trippy was a cutie and smart too. "Okay, I’ll go out with you. But not today. Sunday, maybe." "Really?" She looked surprised. "Yes. So you can stop lecturing me every weekend." "Promise me." "I promise," I said. She jumped up and gave me a hug. "I promise you—you’ll love it. There's more to life than work and sleep." I don't think so, I said to myself. She left my office. I took a deep breath and gulped down the last of my water. Pulling my hair into a ponytail, I grabbed my bag and keys then headed home. I freshened up and made some noodles for dinner. I was just about to crawl into bed and scroll through t****k waiting for sleep to take over—This was my day to day routine. Work, home and sleep. Then my phone rang. It was Cindy. "Hello," I answered. "Guess what?" she asked, her voice buzzing with excitement. "Hmm... you’re having fun at the club?" I said, barely keeping my eyes open. She chuckled. "Yes, I’m having fun, but that’s not it, dummy. Try again." "I don’t know, just tell me so I can sleep." "You remember my online friend from i********:? She just invited me to her grandmother’s birthday." "Okay..." I said, trying to understand what was so exciting about that. "Guess who’s coming to the party?" "Her grandma?" She laughed. "Dummy. Hugo Stewart is coming!" "Hugo who?" I shot up. "Are you for real?" "Yup." "How did they get Hugo to come to this party?" "Her late grandpa was a producer." "You mean Hugo is coming in person?" "Yes! And you’re my plus one," she said before hanging up. Hugo Stewart had been my favorite actor since I saw The Fall years ago. It was a horror movie, and I loved his character. I’d had a crush on him for years, but never imagined I’d get the chance to meet him. He was in his mid-forties and extremely private. No one knew if he was married or single. No social media, he rarely gave interviews. The only thing the public really knew was his name and that he was a good Actor. He had won several awards. I woke up late the next morning—Saturday. I’d already dreamt of meeting Hugo. There was no way I was missing that party. I opened my wardrobe, but nothing seemed good enough. I didn’t want to wake Cindy, so I texted her: I got nothing to wear. Her reply came in less than fifteen seconds: We go shopping then. I gat you, babes. I smiled. Sunday morning arrived, and I’d lost count of how many times I’d dreamt of Hugo. After shopping the day before, Cindy had slept over at my place. She did my makeup that morning, and to my surprise, I actually liked it. I wore a red gown we picked out for the event, with silver shoes and a matching purse. My hair was styled in a ponytail, with a few curls framing my face. My lipstick matched my dress perfectly. I looked beautiful. It was the best I’d looked in years. Cindy wore a sleeveless, long purple gown with black heels and a black purse. Her hair was styled into a full afro that made her look like royalty. We left as early as 6 PM to avoid traffic. We didn’t want to miss a thing.