Page 37 of Dark Awakening

With a warm smile, Victoria presents two delicate masks on a tray—the final flourish to shroud us in mystery. "May the masks add an air of mystique to your evening, ladies." Her words are like a blessing over our experience.

Wrapping our gowns carefully, we step outside, the magic of our fitting still lingering.

Emily turns to me with an exaggerated groan, clasping her stomach. "Oh my god, I'm literally wasting away over here! I haven’t eaten today, and my appetite is fired up."

She gives me a pleading look. "Please tell me you know where we can stuff our faces immediately. I need sustenance, woman!"

I chuckle at her dramatic antics as my stomach rumbles loudly. "I hear you. I'm freaking starving too." After my failed attempt to eat lunch today, my stomach is eating itself.

I think for a second, then snap my fingers. "Ooh, there's a cute little French bistro near here called LaBelle…something. Sound good?"

"Yes, perfect!" Emily exclaims, grabbing my arm eagerly. "Let's get moving before I pass out from hunger. I'll even let you order dessert first!"

Seated at La Belle Epoque, we order a bottle of crisp white wine and enthusiastically open the menus.

Emily's eyes widen at the options. "Oh my god, everything looks incredible! I don't know what to pick."

I know the feeling. My eyes rove over the available dishes—creamy French onion soup, buttery escargot, savory crepes, and extravagant seafood plates. It's a delightful sensory overload.

We ask the server for recommendations and finally make our decisions. Emily orders the sea bass in lemon caper sauce, while I choose the coq au vin, comforted by the familiar French classic.

As we wait, we gossip and giggle over our wine. For a moment, the stresses of work and life melt away. Still not ready to dive into the Wonderful World of Wizardry with my magic hands. Tonight will be just me and my best friend.

Before long, our meals arrive looking like edible works of art. The aromas alone make my mouth water.

Taking the first bite of tender chicken in luscious sauce, I close my eyes, savoring the blend of flavors. Across from me, Emily moans in appreciation of the perfectly cooked fish.

As we delve into our meals, I take a deep breath and hesitantly share with Emily about my latest chilling run-in with my dark stalker, who has been inserting himself uninvited into my life.

I brace myself for her reaction as I describe how he approached me again outside the bar. My hands shake a little as I recount how he pinned me against the wall, his cryptic warnings sending shivers down my spine.

Emily's eyes go wide, her fork frozen halfway to her mouth. I can see her struggling to take it all in. This has gone beyond merely unsettling into genuinely terrifying.

I need to tell her everything—how he makes my heart race with exhilaration as much as fear. The disturbing obsession I harbor with unraveling his identity and origins. The secrets I've kept as I desperately try to make sense of him alone.

I confess how keeping all this mystery to myself has been driving me insane. A part of me thrills dangerously at the power he seems to wield over me, even as it repels me. Emily listens intently, her concern etched deeply in her frown. As my words spill out in a messy rush, the burden of this chaotic secret lifts just a little. Saying it all out loud releases some of the crushing pressure.

Emily’s eyes flare wide in alarm. "Are you fucking kidding me? Call the damn cops already! This shit is creepy as hell."

I shift in my seat, unsettled by her outrage and my lack of fear. "I know, I should be freaked out. But every time I think about reporting him, something stops me."

Emily gapes in disbelief. "Uh, it's called common fucking sense! Get a restraining order on this weirdo stalker now."

I bite my lip, hating my own chaotic emotions. "You're completely right; it makes no logical sense. I just...I need to understand who he is first."

"Screw that psychoanalysis crap! Have you forgotten he's also a vampire? Stay away from this whack job and let the cops deal with him." Emily points her fork at me sternly. "Do not try to get inside your stalker's head, you idiot. That's how people end up dead in a ditch!"

I rake my hands through my hair in overwhelmed turmoil. "Trust me, I know it's insane. He just...he draws me in somehow, like an obsession. I can't explain it."

Emily throws her hands up dramatically. "This is some screwed-up fatal attraction fairy-tale bullshit! Fatal Attraction meets Twilight on crack!"

I shudder, fidgeting with my napkin. "I know, it sounds insane. Like I'm some twisted psycho getting off on being, I don't know... seduced and terrorized."

I drop my head into my hands with a groan. "I must be out of my fucking mind..."

I bite my lip, hating the words about to come out of my mouth. "The worst part is, he came to my apartment again, let himself in, seduced me, and somehow got my number. He's been texting me."

Emily's eyes blow up as big as dinner plates, looking like she's about to go full mama bear.

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