Page 52 of Dear Mr. Vampire

“Okay, bye.”

I went right back to work. I used my workday to think about what I was wearing on my date with Zand. We were Facebook official without the Facebook part. Zand didn’t have any social media presence. It was strange, but I recognized a long time agohe wasn’t an average guy. None of that mattered because he was the man for me.

I was having an out-of-body experience. I was sitting across the table from my sexy boyfriend. My hair was up in a flawless bun. My makeup was on point and I was wearing a fitted one-shoulder black dress that set my leopard print Manolo heels ablaze. I just didn’t remember how I got here. I know I was in his car. The drive to the restaurant I couldn’t recall. My brain was in a fog. I remembered the valet taking the car. I recall we were seated immediately.

I barely looked at the menu. I decided I would order whatever Zand ordered. My brain wouldn’t let me think about food. The server had taken our orders. He left us with two full glasses of red wine and the open bottle. The urge to grab the bottle and turn it up to my lips came over me. I wanted to be drunk enough to not feel the emotions that had a chokehold on me.

I was overheating. My armpits were sweaty. I was happy my hair was up in a bun. Loose hair would’ve irritated me since I was so damn hot. My eyes wouldn’t stop moving around the room. They darted around the restaurant and to every table. I was looking for something— someone. I was trying to hide it, but I was having a full-blown panic attack.

“Are you okay? You seem nervous.” Zand’s voice pulled me back to our table.

“Oh, I don’t know.”

“Whatever it is, you can tell me.” Zand reached over the table and took my hand in his. “Your hand is cold and wet. Babe, are you okay?”

I took a huge sip from my wine glass with my other hand. “Something happened while I was getting dressed.”

“Something, like what? I know you’re not pregnant.” He joked.

“No, of course not.”

“Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

“I got a phone call before we came here.”

“Okay.” Zand nodded once.

I seized the deepest breath I could muster. “It was my ex, Lonzo. He called me.”

“Your ex?” Zand’s eyes widened, and he leaned toward the table.

“Yes, he called. I don’t know how he got my new number.”

“You seem very upset.”

“I am. He’s not a good person. He has my cell number and he might know where I am.”

Zand shrugged nonchalantly. “Huh, maybe yes, maybe no.”

It was clear Zand had absolutely no idea how notorious Lonzo was in the streets of Minnesota.

“Zand, I think we should cool it for a while.”

“You’re breaking up with me?”

“No. I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you. I never wanted to drag you into my bullshit.”

“Chanel, I’m not afraid of him.”

“You don’t know him. He’s a really bad guy.”

“Well, yes, but?—”

“Zand, look, you’ve been good to me. He could kill you. He has murdered people.”

“You care about me. I get it, but I can handle myself.”

“I don’t just care about you. I love you.” I vomited the L word right out like a weirdo.

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