Page 21 of Perfectly Perplexing Zombie

With a heavy sigh, I walked out of the bathroom. Muriel said the antibiotic ointment probably wouldn’t help, but it did keep the unpleasant smell down. At the rate I was going, I should buy stock in the company that made the stuff. Then again, I wouldn’t really be around long enough to reap those financial rewards.

I didn’t bother wrapping the towel around my waist. It was just me in my lonely little apartment. Don’t get me wrong. I was grateful for my place. It was clean, nice, and free. But it was also lonely. I was used to that. I’d done lonely for a long time. It was just that…for a hot second, I’d kind of gotten it into my head that maybe I could change it. But that’s not how life worked. Or at least it wasn’t how my life worked.

I checked the time on the microwave. I had about twenty minutes before I was due at work. It was enough time to slather my spots with antiseptic, dress, dry my hair, and shove some fresh brain tissue into my mouth. At least I didn’t have to worry about what I wanted for dinner anymore. The decision was simple.

* * *

Dusk was a little less busy tonight. I wasn’t sure why, but I didn’t mind. Crowded nights were good too, but this gave Johnny, Lizbeth, and the rest of the staff a much-needed breather. It was a little after 1:00 a.m., and the place was starting to clear out. Or maybe it was just the smattering of humans that were clearing out. The vampires were typically the last to leave. Johnny and Lizbeth said things were a lot more relaxed now that Freddie was gone. He’d been turned to dust before I started. I got the impression that was a good thing.

I was in the back, in one of those tucked-away corners, cleaning up a four-top. The weretigers that left had been pretty neat. One of the glasses had a little cream left, but they’d mostly licked their dishes clean. It was kind of funny. No matter the feline shifter, they all liked a spot of cream.

“Kitties around the world go crazy for a little milk.”

I jumped and quickly turned. Thankfully, I didn’t break any more glassware. “Oh,” I stammered. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you sitting there. I thought I was all alone back here.” I tried to smile but figured it came out more crazed than congenial.

“No worries. I often startle others.” She gave me a dazzling smile.

This female was beyond beautiful. I’d never seen anything like her. Curvaceous was a word created for her. She wore a skimpy tank top with a red-checkered flannel tied around her waist. Ripped jeans gripped her legs and tucked into a pair of combat boots. She looked like she’d just stepped out of a ’90s grunge music video, and her minuscule top revealed the deep cleft of her abundant breasts. Her face was elegantly oval. Golden hoops decorated ears that were pointed and larger than any pixie or fairy. Pouty, red lips tilted in a Mona Lisa-esque smile. She had no hair, and tattooed words covered nearly every inch of visible skin. I didn’t recognize the language. Yet none of that compared to her eyes.

Working at Dusk had introduced me to a lot of different species, and I’d never seen eyes that glowed like moonlight off the Caribbean.

In a word, she was stunning. I had absolutely no idea what she was and was even more certain she hadn’t been sitting at that table when I’d walked over.

Unease slithered across my skin, and I took an unconscious step backward while surreptitiously glancing over my shoulder. Johnny was busy with a customer, and I wasn’t sure if he knew where I was. That thought didn’t settle my unease.

“I’m sorry,” she said, sounding truly saddened. “You seem nice enough.” With a heavy sigh, she stood. Her elegantly petite frame slipped from the booth she’d wedged herself into. Metal clinked as her jewelry danced along her skin. “Please know that what happened to you wasn’t my fault. My wishes aren’t my own, and others’ wishes are not what they should be.”

She reached for my left arm, rotating it and lifting it into the light, exposing the decay. Leaning over, she placed a gentle kiss on my rotten flesh.

Dumbfounded, I watched her turn and walk away, her hips swaying and shimmying as she passed a few other patrons. They acted as if she didn’t exist, as if this fascinating female was for my eyes only. I blinked, and when my eyes opened again, she was gone.

“You okay?”

Hearing Lizbeth’s voice startled me, and I realized I had no idea how long I’d been standing there. The once-damp cloth I’d used to clean the table was nearly dry.

“Yo, Wendall.” Lizbeth waved a hand in front of my face. When I finally turned, her amused annoyance vanished into concern. “Hey, seriously, are you okay? You look kind of, I don’t know, stunned or something.”

Was I stunned? I wasn’t certain. If I’d still been alive, I think I would have been pale. As it was, my skin color didn’t really change. Well, except for the gangrenous sections.

Shaking my head didn’t exactly clear my mind, but it did get my mouth moving. “Do you know who that was?”

“Who who was?” Lizbeth cocked her head to the side. Her current hair color was a vibrant orange. It wasn’t my favorite, but like all the other shades, Lizbeth had a way of pulling it off.

“That female.” I pointed to the booth she’d been sitting in. I made an hourglass shape with my hands as I said, “Pretty, lots of tattoos, no hair, clasps and hoops lining her ears.” I wasn’t sure I could do her eyes justice, so I stopped at what I figured were the highlights anyone would notice from far away.

Lizbeth just shook her head. “No. I’m sorry, I don’t know who you’re talking about. I’ve been stuck at the bar most of the night, though, so I wouldn’t have seen her if she stayed at the table. Maybe Johnny or one of the other bartenders knows who you’re talking about. Can’t say that I’ve ever seen someone matching that description in the bar before. Were her tattoos pretty?” I appreciated the thought Lizbeth put into her answer.

“They were just words.” My nose scrunched in thought. “I think they were words. It wasn’t a language I knew.” Considering I spoke English and a smattering of Spanglish, that wasn’t necessarily saying much.

“Did she do something?” Lizbeth’s gaze flashed toward the exit. “Do I need to call the boss? You know Mr. Moony wouldn’t want anything to happen to you, and he doesn’t like the staff feeling intimidated.” Lizbeth’s shoulders squared as she said, “Trust me, I know.”

I’d heard tales of how Freddie hadpropositionedLizbeth. She didn’t want to be a blood donor, at least not to Freddie’s fangs. The vampire hadn’t been able to accept no as an answer and had continually made unwanted advances.

“No.” I shook my head. “Not really. She just said some…things… I didn’t know what she was talking about, only that she seemed regretful.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.” I didn’t know if I was lying or not.

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