She sat down at my table without being asked. I had known she was there - hard not to hear her coming when she was wearing that many little beads in her hair.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

I looked up, slowly, folding my hands on the table in front of me. "Good afternoon, Kira. I'm fine, thank you for asking. And yourself?"

She dropped her messenger bag on the floor and yanked my drink towards herself, taking a long sip. We were nowhere near the level of comfort which that action implied and we both knew it. I cleared my throat. "That's rather expensive whine."

She shook her head. "No, you're just a pretentious ass hole. Now answer my question."

"Could you possibly rephrase it without the frivolous vulgarity?"

"No."

"I'm afraid it's a little too general to provide an adequate answer to… You'll have to do better."

"Arrogant little fuck, aren't you?"

I shrugged. She pushed my drink back towards me, but I shook my head. "No, please. Since you obviously wanted it that badly…"

"I'm worried about Veronica." I nodded because in truth, we had nothing more in common than said young woman. "As am I-"

"I don't know what you're doing to her, but you had damn well start explaining or I'll kick your ass from here to California."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I discreetly signaled a waiter, requesting another glass of whine.

"And for yourself, Miss?" the unfortunately oblivious man asked my companion.

"I want answers," she told me instead.

"And I assure you that even if I were to give them to you, you would not believe me. Therefore it is of no benefit to me to provide you with a single word of explanation."

"Drop the God damned attitude. I know you talk like a normal person most of the time… I see you and Carmin."

"Carmin is… special."

She snorted. The waiter walked away. "I'll bet 'Mel's special, alright."

"Must you butcher her name so?"

She inclined her head, smiling sweetly at me. "Does that bother you?"

She was telling me without words that she knew Carmin better than I could ever know her - a concept so very far from the truth that it was almost laughable. "Hardly."

"I didn't come here to talk about Carmin."

"And yet that does seem to be where the conversation is leading us."

"Because you're fucking stalking her."

I flinched inwardly. "Again I say, you have no idea what you're dealing with. My interest in Carmin is… complicated. And not of a romantic or sexual nature."

"Oh, so she's just an easy mindfuck, that it?"

I shook my head back and forth slowly, watching as she finished my whine. "So crude, darling."

She stared at me. "You're drunk." I arched an eyebrow. "If it makes you feel better, yes. I'm fantastically plastered."

She flipped me off. "No one is as creepy as you are without being drunk. …or high. Which you're not, because I can tell." I didn't refute her claims… we could both tell when someone was under the influence of illegally obtained narcotics and I was trying to avoid the topic of Vira.

"So. About Veronica. You're doing something to her and I want to know exactly what that is." …As I was saying, we were talking about Vira. I sighed.

"You want the truth?"

"It would be appreciated."

"I'm a vampire. While taking blood straight from humans has fallen out of practice in the last hundred years, it can still have a profound effect on certain… recreationally pleasurable acts. Unfortunately, loss of blood does have a draining effect on humans, and it is this which you are witnessing in Vira of late."

"Okay."

I was not expecting this answer. "Okay?"

She shrugged, rose to her feet. "I'd better be getting home to my girlfriend."

I blinked. "It doesn't work if she's my girlfriend too."

"Pretend it does."

"But… I just told you I'm a vampire. You don't actually believe me?"

She paused, then sat back down. "I told you, I've seen the way you and Carmin interact. And I've heard those discussions you guys think other people are polite enough to ignore. I had my suspicions, but I wanted you to confirm them for me. Although I've gotta say, I wasn't expecting the enhanced sexual pleasure thing. That's a little fucked up."

"You-You had your suspicions. That I'm a vampire. Are you mentally delusional?"

She shook her head, smiling secretively. "I probably know a lot more than you give me credit for… although I do have one question."

I threw up my hands. "Please, ask away."

"How old are you? Really?"

I swore quietly. She smirked. "28."

She nodded, rising again, scooping her bag from the floor. "I told you I knew you talked like a normal person."

I didn't say anything. She turned away, and began walking toward the door. "Thanks for the drink," she called over her shoulder. I merely nodded. A moment later, I got a text from her.

You're still an ass hole