Page 15 of Risking Immortality

The club is picking up, and the bar is getting busy. I need a distraction, so I decide to help serve customers. It has been a while since I found myself working on this side of a bar, but I love it. My mixing skills are nowhere near Erin’s, but I’m not too rusty. I can still make a mean Mojito.

Erin has glanced at me several times since I started serving customers. I guess she is just surprised to see the owner on the front lines. Before I owned my clubs and bars, I started life as a bartender. Of course, I didn’t need the money, but I was never good at living off my parents’ wealth. In fact, it’s not in the Loch DNA to sit on our asses. That’s why each of the Loch children are successful in their own right.

Quality investments helped me finance Insomnia. After that, I continued to learn and work hard. Now I spend most of my professional time looking at spreadsheets. It feels good to hold a bottle of liquor in my hands again. Especially when I can still put on a show. Flipping and catching the bottle elicits a cheer and makes me smile. I see Erin raise her eyebrow and grin.

The buzz of the crowd and the music help stave off my personal issues for a little while. I truly can’t remember the last time I had this much fun. Erin and I work seamlessly alongside each other. Kit joins us a few hours later. The bar is at full capacity.

By the time I take a break, I’m sweaty and satisfied. Not in the usual way, but I’ll take what I can get. Calling Dana is out of the question now. If I had any doubt about Erin being my soulmate, I can put that to rest, because just the thought of touching anyone but her makes my insides coil hideously.

Throughout the evening, I tapped into that feeling I had when we first met. It took me seconds to feel Erin’s presence. At one point, I even tested it by sending Erin out into the club to tend to the VIPs. Even with hundreds of bodies occupying the space, I could pick out Erin’s movements with pinpoint precision.

Spending time with her in proximity has allowed me to study her better. Although she is small, she is strong. Her biceps and thighs flex when she serves or crouches. Her hair has an array of different shades of blonde in it and her eyes change color with her moods. Erin is fascinating, and my body hums when she is near. It’s almost like an electrical current.

My feet ache and all I want to do is slink off to my secret staircase so I can go to bed in the penthouse. But I won’t. For once, I’m going to take Lucille’s advice. There is still a lot to learn about Erin, and I would harm myself and my family if I simply threw in the towel.

Erin’s shift ends, and she heads to the back room. I’m already there with a travel mug of red. I’m parched from all the running around we have done. “Hey, you didn’t tell me you were an expert bartender,” Erin smiles as she throws on her jacket.

“Not an expert, but I love it.”

“I could tell. You looked… at home.”

“I started out pulling pints.”

“And now you own multiple clubs and bars. Impressive.”

“Thank you.”

I sip my red and watch her gather her belongings. I wonder where she lives. I could look up her address on her employee record, but that feels like cheating. I also wonder if her girlfriend is waiting for her to return. “Oh, I forgot,” I say, grabbing a piece of paper from the table. “Here is my parents’ address. Turn up any time around…” Shit, I have no idea when this barbecue is supposed to start. “Actually, I’ll have Claire message you with the details. Lucille is likely to change things last minute.”

“No problem. Are you sure you want me there?”

“Of course. It’s a great way for us to get to know each other.”

Those sapphire blues tell me she’s feeling curious, and dare I say it, a little attracted to me. I’ve always been good at reading emotions, especially humans. With Erin, it’s curious. I can’t tell if the feelings I see in her eyes are hers, or my projection of how I’m feeling. Weird shit happens when vampires mate. Their souls literally blend. I can feel my body and my soul yearning to capture Erin’s and intertwine the two together, but there is a blockage. A resistance that seems impenetrable. Is it because Erin simply doesn’t see me that way or because I have an issue with her species?

“I look forward to getting to know you better too, Amelia. See you tomorrow.”

Everything feels out of focus when Erin is around me now. The world fades and I want to gag at how utterly cliché that sounds. Why didn’t my family tell me what finding your mate really feels like? It’s confusing, but invigorating. As if my life has taken on a whole new purpose. Shit, what happens to all these feelings if Erin rejects our bond? Will I have to suffer like this until the end?

I shake my head, desperate to rid myself of such melancholic ruminations. It’s going to take some time unpacking the thought pattern I have so obviously adopted. The negative reasoning of a vampire who has given up. Now I have felt the presence of my other half, I have to do better. I have a chance.

The penthouse is softly lit. A hot bath soothes my aching form. The echo of my phone irritatingly pulls me from the blissful nothingness I escaped to.

“Yes,” I answer, unaware of who is calling.

“Nice way to answer, boss,” Claire laughs.

“Sorry, I’m relaxing in a well-earned bath.”

“Then I won’t take up too much of your time. Lucille called.”

“Of course she did.”

“Apparently there’s a little snafu in your plan to woo Erin.”

“She has a girlfriend. Did you know?”

“No, I thought she was single. It must be a relatively new relationship. I wouldn’t worry.”

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