The Mafia Vampire's Mistress

Chapter 7: A Celebration to Remember, Pt. 2

Layla

Sabyna and I practically fall into our booth in a giggling, tipsy heap. Our waitress appears with a large pitcher of ice water and a wink just for me.

“I figured the birthday girl could use some rehydration right about now,” she says as she pours us both a glass. We take them gratefully, downing every last drop in seconds. She quickly refills them both before setting the pitcher down on the table and pulling her notepad out.

“Can I get you guys anything else?”

“Birthday shot?” Sabyna asks, her brow lifting and eyes dancing mischievously. I’m learning this expression on her face means the best kind of trouble is coming, but my stomach says another shot now would be a terrible idea.

“No more shots for a minute, I need a break!” I protest, laughing with our waitress at Sabyna’s pout, “How about a vodka lemonade, splash of strawberry juice if you have any?”

“Oooh that sounds delicious, make that two!”

Our waitress nods as she writes, telling us she’ll be back with those shortly. As she leaves, a slight disagreement breaks out at the booth across from us- a massive man in a black suit stands to the side, directing the seated party to another booth nearby. The group is drunk and angry, their loud protests at the interruption to their night ending quickly as a waitress appears, producing a fresh bottle for the group at their new table.

The man watches silently as the group follows the waitress, still grumbling slightly but placated somewhat by the bottle service and the subtle glances they send him, no doubt intimidated by his large, muscular frame.

“Is there a height requirement to work here? Or is there an abnormal amount of large, handsome men in this area that I don’t know about?” I ask Sabyna, nodding towards the man, now ignoring the group entirely as he oversees another waitress cleaning the recently emptied booth, “Or does the club get a man free with every black suit they order, because I might need to find their supplier and place my own order-”

As if he hears me over the insanely loud speakers and thumping music, the man’s head turns toward us, flashing a startlingly white set of teeth and a wink before turning back to the empty booth. Our waitress appears with our drinks, briefly blocking our view of the other booth.

“He was totally checking you out!” Sabyna squeals, scooting up next to me and grabbing my hand, “Not surprising at all, you’re absolutely gorgeous!”

“Me? Stop it. No one is checking me out while you’re sitting here, you’re stunning!” I grab my drink and take a large sip, enjoying the fruity flavors and the flush that has spread across my cheeks, the tingling heat that has spread across my skin.

It is impossible to tell if this flush has come from the man’s stare or Sabyna’s compliment, or if they simply brought my attention to it. Likely, with all of the drinking and dancing I’ve done tonight, my cheeks will be some shade of red for the rest of the week. But the tingling on my skin is a new sensation, not entirely unpleasant. I feel like a live wire, as if every nerve in my body has been pulled to the surface, amplifying everything around me.

“No, I’m serious! You really are gorgeous,” Sabyna shouts over the music, leaning in close, her lips brushing lightly against my ear. Goosebumps shoot down my neck, my nerves singing at the contact.

“You really are too!” I turn to her, holding up my glass, “Thank you for coming out tonight, I’ve had so much fun!”

We cheers and take a sip of our cocktails. I scan the club as I drink, watching as the bodies around me move together, their hips grinding in time with the music, some even setting their own rhythm with a partner. Two guys separate themselves from the crowd at the bar and head straight for our booth.

“Sabyna!”

They are cute, not as handsome as the flirt now occupying the booth across from us, but still quite good looking. The one who spoke slides into our booth without waiting for an invitation, pulling Sabyna into a hug. His friend stands awkwardly at our booth, looking adorably unsure of himself.

“Tim! I didn’t realize you were back in town. This is my friend Layla. Layla, my good friend, Tim.”

The two immediately get lost in conversation together, leaning close and sharing those intimate brushes of bare skin, lips and hands, poorly hidden under the guise of talking in a loud space. From the way his hand slides comfortably onto her hip and her body is practically crawling into his lap, I have a feeling they are slightly more than friends, and have been more for years.

I look questioningly towards his friend, whose smile does little to hide his relief at finally being acknowledged from where he stands in front of our booth.

“Hey, I’m Chris, I’m one of Tim’s friends from work” he says, shouting above the music while keeping a respectful distance as he slides into the seat next to me, shaking my hand, “Nice spot you guys have!”

“Hi, I’m Layla. And thanks, it was my birthday surprise!”

“It’s your birthday? Let me buy you a drink!”

He turns to find our waitress but I quickly stop him, assuring him that I have more than enough. Sabyna’s body is still close to mine, the heat from her skin pulling my attention back to her as if she were magnetized. In the brief minute Chris and I have been talking, her and Tim have begun making out, their tongues tangled together and their hands grabbing and squeezing every available inch of exposed skin as if their lives depend on it.

‘God, how I’ve missed kissing…’ I think, shocked by how intensely jealous I feel, wishing it was my lips that someone was desperate to devour, my skin someone’s hands were frantic to touch.

I turn away, trying my best to ignore the lovebirds sitting at my back and do my best to make small talk with Chris. Several minutes pass, and I am not sure which of them begins to pull away first, only that when they do, it’s with a breathy laugh and a gentle clink of their glasses.

“Text me when you’re leaving?” I hear Tim ask as he stands up.

“Think that’s my que,” Chris laughs goodnaturedly, “So, birthday girl, any chance I could have your number before I go?”

I blush, surprised to find that he’s interested. The shock and alcohol make me slow to answer, and I’m saved by Sabyna promising to send my number to Tim for him. They say goodbye, apparently leaving the club for a late night meal and a short walk back to their hotel.

“Happy birthday, gorgeous,” she says with a wink, throwing back her glass and finishing her drink, “I’ll only send your number if you’re into him, don’t worry! You just looked too shocked to remember your number when he asked. He’s really cute though, huh?”

I nod as I sip my drink, feeling giddy at the thought of the awkwardly cute guy with the nice smile wanting my number. I don’t date much and was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected moment. The entire night had been so wonderful, one of those classic birthday celebrations that everyone should have at least once in their life. The kind where every moment is remembered through a hazy, rose-colored lens, filled with youthful joy that you can one day look back on and feel that nostalgia for the ‘good old days’. The kind of night that happens to a completely ordinary girl in her twenties.

Strange to think that it would be the last ordinary night of my life.

“Mmhmm, turns out that tall drink of water has some hot friends,” Sabyna nudges me, nodding her head towards the booth across from us. I try to appear casual as I turn to look- just to have the breath stolen from my lungs, along with any rational thought that had not already been driven from my mind by the alcohol.

It is believed by some that the devil himself formed creatures of sin, crafting each to suit their vice- Wrath, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Pride, Envy. And in that moment, I am certain those believers are right.

Because the only explanation for the flawless man now seated across from us, whose intense presence pins me to my seat, is if his face was crafted for Lust itself.