The Vampire Keeper (16 page)

“Sure,” said Larkin stepping around her and taking a seat on the couch. This had not gone as he had planned, yet it would work. After a close examination of his conversation with Julius, Larkin decided it would be best to test the validity of his claims. Surely he himself could not feel the way Julius had claimed, for Larkin attributed all the emotional entanglements to be those of Jezalyn’s and none of his own. However, it had dawned on him that he had indeed felt something when she had read his memoir, yet he questioned if those were his feelings or hers. So, without a clear stance to conclude on, Larkin found himself upstairs trying to spend time with her so that he could prove to himself that Julius was wrong.

“Can I get you something to drink?” asked Jezalyn shutting the door behind them.

“No, thank you,” said Larkin, as he pointing at the television and added, “Quick. It’s about to come on.”

Jezalyn flung her hand down and said, “Nah, I am sure they won’t put us on first. I am going to grab a drink out of the kitchen. Are you sure you don’t want anything?”

“I am sure. Thanks anyway.”

While Jezalyn was in the kitchen, the evening news came on with the opening statement: “Since we received an overwhelming number of inquiries about the story of Mrs. Peterson’s victim and her hero, it’s going to be our breaking story tonight.”

Larkin called to Jezalyn, “Hurry! It’s on.”

“Already?” yelled back Jezalyn.

“Yes!”

Jezalyn, empty soda can in hand, ran into the living room. Her socks slid across the slippery wooden floor as she made her mad dash to the television. She was less than five feet away when she lost her balance and glided across the living room floor falling into Larkin’s lap. They gazed into each other’s eyes as he caught her.

“You okay?” Larkin softly asked.

Still sitting in his lap, she nodded, “I’m sorry the floor gets slippery sometimes.” Her gaze was swiftly drawn away as she heard the sound of Larkin’s voice coming from the opposite direction.

“Look!” said Jezalyn pointing toward the television, “We’re on t.v.”

The report had begun and Larkin was answering a question about how Jezalyn’s injury occurred.
Well her injury was a result of my zipper catching her neck, not a bullet
. (Jezalyn took note of herself standing behind Larkin and nodding in agreement.) Mary directed another question to Larkin:
how exactly is your zipper responsible for the injury that Jezalyn sustained during the shooting?
With the microphone pointed toward Larkin’s face, he said
, When I heard the shot, I jumped over the counter to cover her and that’s when my zipper rubbed harshly against her neck
. (Jezalyn watched herself nodding again in agreement with Larkin.) Mary returned the microphone back in her direction, B
ullet or no bullet, you are a true hero for your courage and bravery to protect her.
Larkin gave a bold smile and said,
Thank you.
Turning away from Larkin and Jezalyn, Mary gazed directly into the camera and wrapped up the story:
Well folks, there you have it, mystery solved. Mrs. Peterson’s only victim was drywall, but a true hero has emerged in my book. Up next: vandalism resulting in the demolishing of a storage unit, and stay tuned for the weather.

Jezalyn, not aware she was still sitting in Larkin’s lap, released a sigh of relief and blurted out, “Thank God that’s over!”

“I told you it would work. You just have to make the story uninteresting, and they will not want to pursue it or you,” said Larkin, as he let his hand rest on the top of her leg.

The sudden weight of the placement of his hand brought her back to reality. She glanced tenderly into his eyes. “Oh, I am sorry about falling on you,” said Jezalyn as she promptly got up still holding the empty can of soda in her hand.

“It’s okay, no harm done. Well, I guess I should be going,” replied Larkin.

“Oh, okay,” said Jezalyn as she leisurely trailed to the door and opened it.

Now was the time for him to test his plan, so he took a deep breath to endure his serenity. Larkin moved toward her slouching down as if he was going to kiss her, but instead, he comforted her. “I don’t think you have to worry about any more reporters.”

Her body became tense at the closeness of his body next to hers, so she nervously replied, “And it’s all because of your quick thinking. Thank you!”

“You’re welcome,” said Larkin, leaning in slightly further wrapping one arm around her awarding her, with a friendly hug.

Jezalyn made no vocal response, but simply embraced him back. Larkin could hear the pounding of her heart as it raced faster and faster the longer they stood their locked into each other’s arms. “Goodnight,” said Larkin as he released her and instantly raced down the stairs without another glance or word. She closed and locked the door behind him falling backwards on the door taken back by her altered emotions. She questioned herself about the significance of his hand on her leg and the length of the hug. She nervously thought,
Was I flirting with him or was he flirting with me?
Either way, she knew there was some flirting going on and found herself somewhat shocked at her own reaction to the situation considering her relationship with Blaise. She abruptly clasped her hand to her mouth feeling somewhat guilty. Jezalyn thought,
Oh my God, Blaise!

Several weeks had passed and everything was back to normal. Jezalyn’s grandfather was talking to her again, and she was punctual to work and school. There were no more reporters or onlookers questioning the mishap that took place between the Petersons. Jezalyn also found herself spending all of her free time with either Blaise or Larkin. She cherished each one; they were so similar, yet so unalike. They both had a strong protective nature that initially drew her close to them, but as time progressed, each individual’s charm kept her interested.

Blaise was athletic and passionate about every activity or discussion they shared. He spoke to her with such intensity on matters that had little or no value, but the ambiance between them made everything count. He had only wished the passion would lead to the bedroom, but he respected her wishes to wait until she was ready. Jezalyn was not being completely truthful when she told Blaise she wanted to wait until they knew each other better. She was sheltered by her grandfather from being able to receive more intimate affections from boys and was truly not ready; however, the presence of Larkin’s attentions and her feelings toward him made her not quite sure Blaise was the one she needed to be cozying up with.

However, Jezalyn also found Larkin romantic and adoring. His affections were unmarked, yet clear. She knew he doted on her with every poem, picnic, or stroll they took. She pretended the vibe between the two was that of old friends, yet she felt drawn to him and perhaps more so than to Blaise. Jezalyn found herself in a dilemma that most pretty girls found themselves in when they allowed themselves to be courted by two handsome men, but her response was to ignore the situation and carry on with each until a deciding factor came forth causing her to choose one over the other.

***

A few more weeks passed as they had before; it was February, and the weather was substantially colder. Only one event disrupted the fluidity of her days. It was Valentine’s Day tomorrow, and both men had already requested her presence: one for lunch and the other for the evening. She had rearranged her schedule so that she could accommodate all of her activities. She requested the day off with Wyler so that she could spend some time with Larkin, and later that night she would go out to dinner with Blaise after class.

***

Jezalyn lay awake in bed; it was Monday, Valentine’s Day. A day most females longed for every year. They adored being fussed over and pampered by their boyfriends, companions, husbands, or significant others. She lay snuggled in her bed deep in thought because this year promised a true romantic date, which was something she had never had the good fortune to experience. However, she would soon find this Valentine’s Day to be filled with challenges that presented a combination of mixed emotions and uncertainty in her life. Nothing could prepare Jezalyn for the frantic day that lay in wait.

Jezalyn had planned to be off from the shop today, but Ana had an emergency with her job and Wyler was off scouring for antiques, so Jezalyn felt obliged to help Ana out of a tough spot and opened the store for her. Jezalyn was dusting the books, when Larkin snuck up behind her.

“Hey. You ready to go?” said Larkin. He knew she had to work, but continued with the plan so that it did not seem as if he stood Jezalyn up.

“Oh,” she said with a deep breath. “I am sorry. I can’t leave now. I have to cover for Ana; she had some sort of work emergency.”

“I see,” said Larkin.

Jezalyn gazed at him a moment before she said, “Wyler is supposed to be back about lunch time. When he returns, we can go. Besides, what are we doing today?”

Larkin held up a finger that silently said Nah-ah-ah and with a subdued smile he said, “It’s a surprise.”

“Okay,” said Jezalyn with pondering eyes.

Larkin’s immediate reaction to her occupied expression was to recoil. He thought,
Perhaps she isn’t interested in receiving a surprise from me
. However, he quickly realized her eyes were not avoidant of their conversation, but attentively rested on a customer, a heavyset male who appeared to be in his late forties, approaching them. It was also Jezalyn’s irritation, at the thought of the customer’s interruption of their conversation, that convinced him to continue with his Valentine’s Day plan. Larkin of course delighted in this reaction, for he was now an emotional junky. After feeling empty inside for so long, Larkin now welcomed the flood of emotions that he felt when he was with Jezalyn. Being unsure if these feelings were hers, his, or both of theirs made no matter to Larkin, since he was just happy to feel something similar to what he once felt with beloved Isadora. His new craving outweighed the irritation of her ramblings. Plus, he had taken Julius’ advice and changed his resting schedule so that he could minimize the blathering.

After a while, Larkin found her thoughts barely bearable. Therefore, in lieu of an upcoming romantic event that he was sure would produce intense emotions, Larkin sent Wyler out under the ruse of antique collecting. He requested that Wyler drive into Monroe and rent a canoe and pick up other various items. A few items included on his list were a blanket, a bottle of wine, and a single blue orchid. It had not taken Wyler long to conclude that he was gathering items for a romantic Valentine’s Day row, which put him on edge.

“Excuse me,” said the man holding out a piece of paper. The customer’s interruption forced Jezalyn and Larkin’s distracted thoughts to converge upon him.

“Do you have any of these?” continued the man.

Jezalyn reached for the slip of paper and Larkin turned to her and said, “I will be back later.”

She nodded to Larkin as she glanced over the paper. Larkin lingered a moment somewhat mesmerized as Jezalyn slightly cocked her head to the left running her thin fingers through her wavy hair as she pondered the location of her customer’s request. Larkin returned downstairs only after she turned away to guide her customer to a nearby bookshelf.

***

It was shortly after one when Wyler returned, but he had not returned alone. Blaise appeared by the door as he struggled to open it without dropping his bags. Blaise offered to take a few bags, but Wyler, being the gentleman that he was, declined his offer and instead accepted the door being held for him. They exchanged small talk as they meandered to the back of the store until Jezalyn had spotted them. Out of shock, she ran up and wrapped her arms around Blaise.

Realizing she was still at work and in the presence of Wyler, Jezalyn quickly released Blaise and gave him a playful pat on the chest as she backed away. “What are you doing here?” Jezalyn questioned, but before he could answer, she asked another. “I thought you were picking me up after class, weren’t you?” she said with a concerned face.

“Can’t I just surprise you?” asked Blaise as Wyler slipped into the back and down to the underground apartment where Larkin was waiting.

“Well, of course,” she said with a flirty smile. “I just didn’t expect to see you until our romantic date.”

He made a little frown and spoke lightly as he responded to her assumption, “Yeah, about that. There’s been a change in plans. My hard drive crashed, and I need to work late tonight rewriting my chem. paper.”

“Are you canceling?” she interrupted with a tremble in her voice and a tremulous expression.

Blaise noticed Jezalyn’s eyes had turned glassy, and he immediately moved to comfort her. “No, Babe. I thought it would be better to deliver the news in person and ask if you will still be my Valentine. Also, I hoped you would consent to a romantic luncheon in the place of tonight’s diner?”

She moved close and said, “I would be delighted to be your luncheon Valentine.”

They stared at each other a moment followed by a burst of laughter. Once they composed themselves Jezalyn said, “Wait right here while I change, I’ll be right back.”

Blaise nodded with a smile, wandered over to a bookshelf, and glanced disinterestedly over the titles while he waited for Jezalyn to return.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Wyler was apologizing for the delay on completing the Valentine’s Day errand and informing Larkin of their impending company.

“I know,” Larkin replied. “She is upstairs getting ready to leave.”

“If she is leaving with Blaise, then what am I to do with all this stuff?” said Wyler, pointing toward the bags.

“Finish setting everything up,” Larkin commanded as he pulled the blue orchid out of the bag and placed it in the freezer.

Without thinking Wyler automatically questioned Larkin as if he was speaking to his wife, “But, what’s the point if she will not even be here. Doesn’t she have class tonight?”

Without hesitation Larkin responded, “I think Ana would love a moonlit Valentine’s Day row with wine and poetry.”

“Really!” exclaimed Wyler before trying to gracefully accept, “Are you sure? You could save this outing for another day.”

“No! I have my own change of plans.”

“Thank you, I am sure Ana will enjoy it,” said Wyler, and with that response, Larkin walked over to the couch, sat down, and concentrated on Jezalyn’s thoughts. She pondered over the style of earrings she would wear with her emerald dress.

Hmm… diamonds or pearls.

Classy,

Sophisticated,

Classy,

Sophisticated,

Classy,

Sophisticated,

Oh, just pick already!
Jezalyn told herself. After settling on a pair of earrings, she let herself speculate as to what Blaise might have planned.

I wonder if he is taking me to Olive Garden with their to die for salad and bread or the Seaside Cafe with their seafood gumbo and crab cakes. No, wait! I bet he will bring me to the Lakefront Grill. They have the yummiest barbeque shrimp and one of the best homemade cheesecakes in the town.
(Larkin heard a little giggle.)
They serve lunch on a deck overlooking the bayou. Oh how romantic it would be, holding hands and feeding each other cheesecake as we peer out over the bayou.

Larkin tried to soak in the thrill of her giddy rendition of the perspective date. He felt the excitement was mixed with pain, so he found himself wondering if he was off base in her attraction to him. He could no longer lie to himself about his feeling for her, and it was those feeling that were the root of his uncertainty. Since he could not tell the difference anymore between his emotions and hers, it was hard to determine the validity of her attraction to him. Moreover, as he listened to Jezalyn ramble on in excitement about her date with Blaise, Larkin found himself quite agitated with the idea. Before he could deliberate on his feelings, he heard Jezalyn speak his name, “Larkin!”

Oh no, what am I going to do? I told him that I would go with him when Wyler came back. I wonder what he wanted to show me. How do I tell him I can’t go? —I know, I’ll write a letter, I am sure he will understand. Larkin probably just wanted to show me a new creek or field. He is always finding little quaint places.

Larkin closed his eyes and sat in silence as he listened to Jezalyn compose his brush off note.

Larkin—no, Dear Larkin. Yeah, I that sounds better. I know our outing got postponed already once today, and I am sorry to say something else has come up. I hope you are not too put out with your surprise. Perhaps you could show me tomorrow; from my guess, it is a new romantic spot for us. NO… I can’t say that… . there, that should do it.

Larkin opened his eyes, “Wyler.”

“Yes,” said Wyler as he walked over to him.

“Perhaps you should close the store early today.”

“Really? Wouldn’t that seem odd to the town?”

“Who cares? Tape a sign to the door: Closed Early for Valentine’s Day.”

“Okay. I will go set up my date for Ana tonight. Do you need anything before I go?”

“Yes, make me a drink and make it AB negative,” said Larkin.

Wyler only looked at him because he knew from experience that it was best not to question him when he was in that type of mood. Larkin only asked for AB negative when he was either severely depressed or angry. Wyler, not wanting to find out which emotion Larkin was feeling, lingered only a moment before scurrying away without a word to fulfill Larkin’s request.

***

Back upstairs in the shop, Blaise was patiently waiting for Jezalyn. The quaintness of the store had slowly moved him toward the front where he had a clear view of the town. Blaise watched as an old hearse passed by; it had been the only traffic in town since he arrived, but nonetheless the sighting made him feel anxious as if something peculiar was going on.

“You ready to go?” called Jezalyn.

Blaise spun around to see Jezalyn wearing an emerald dress with a shawl draped around her shoulders. “Wow, you look beautiful,” he said, noticing the sparkle of her diamond earring as it caught the sunlight peering through the window.

She smiled and kissed his check, “Thanks.”

With one hand on her back, he navigated her out of the door and into the driver’s seat of her car. He bent down, kissed her again, shut the door, and skipped off to his own vehicle.

“Wait,” said Jezalyn, “where are we going?”

“Oh, just follow me” he responded and hastened to his truck.

As they drove away, Larkin went upstairs to retrieve the letter Jezalyn had left for him on the register.