HER NIGHTFALL DESIRE

ated his Friday; the last weekend before the second eight weeks of the fall semester started. He was grateful for being scheduled to teach only day classes this time. Inste

ody equipment, his thoughts shamefully wandered to Isadora. Despite the guilt over thinking about her instead of Melanie, his thoughts took on a journey of their own. He realized that his subco

see how the Florida trip was going

entatively replied. "Di

"Greg and I were just talking about st

original plan of carpo

ople into her car, and Greg offered to drive the two of us

hua thought with annoyance. "Yea

, and Melanie said, "Listen, I think we're losing

from the

plied. "Be ca

sently replied befor

a bad feeling about this trip

en a boring period for her as she awaited dusk. She had already checked her various foreign and domestic investment accounts and shifted some funds to her bank

Garett from Paris had disappeared entirely, and Alton had found no trace of where he might have disappeared to. Equally curious was the question of why Garett had gone underground s

tions, which were beginning to appear connected. Unfortunately, there were still too many un

visit the prior evening, and longed to spend more time with him. Needless to say, he definitely held her interest. The only problem w

lized that she needed a viable, innocent reason to try to interact wit

just kill Melan

so shallowly about humans. But for some reason, guilt failed her at th

starting unnecessary manhunts. As a matter of practice, thanks to the blood bank, she usually lived in an area for rather long periods with virtually no need to kill anybody. Already, she'd dispatched one human in the short time since a

g man. He's unlike the other men in my past, she mused, but in a good way. So kind, endearing, and sincere. Yet, there's a definite vulnerability in him, a weakne

h a connection springing from a solitary day surrounding a singular event nearly twenty years ago might seem unlikely to most. Yet it had been pivotal to her

e silence around her. Many in her past had presumed to claim more from her and under much less pretense. And

she picked up her cell

fice that evening, preparing some minor changes to his lesson plans, when his

d with a distinc

Isadora," she gree

hurricane, he considered, stifling a chuckle as he realized his un

gan mysteriously. "If I wanted to read up on An

him for advice. "Well," he began as he playfull

rd, but I actually enjoyed t

s for the suggest

ry book he had just mentioned. "In fact," he began hopefully, "I happen to

'll drop by and pick it up," she ventured

confirmed a bit more energ

to grin on the other end. "Great, I'll be th

d with a smile before

h

inutes after Isadora's

he hoped it wasn't Isadora calling to say something came up. Instead, it was Melanie.

e other end before Mela

ty happy-go-lucky.

t of seeing Isadora again. "No party, just here at the office finishin

hotel this afternoon and just got back from dinner. I'm chang

e politely offer

sed tone. "It's been better than I expected

ss me?" Joshua

Well, do you miss me?" she

ced. Boy, as if that wasn't a junio

is opinion. "But sometimes it's good for two p

He heard a male voice in the background and

eg," she explaine

re changing clothes," he r

ished," she defen

background. Was that the sound of

e insisted with sudden urgency.

ated in his mind. "Sure," he co

" she offered a li

in a pair of dark denim jeans and an emerald blouse underneath a stylish black leather jacket.

rway. Her green eyes took in the faded blue jeans he wore, as well as th

ared to be slightly strained, or perhaps agitated. Her smi

verything oka

ier once she arrived. There was no need to mention the conversation

e mused as she noted the slight change in his pupils, the sound of his voice, and the almost neglig

u called earlier,"

is body language and voice inflection

to her and offered, "Please,

description on the back cover. "Thanks," she offered before carefully probing, "You're up here

offered with a

, feeling far happier about that than she thought she

I'm beginning

art rate increased slightly as he noted her expression and misinterp

for any of us." A major understatement in my experience, and perhaps his, she thought.

and admitted, "G

ly heard his stomach growl. An amusing though

ender judgment," she smoothly a

glinted up at her

ith me tonight," she declar

mock submission. "Haul me away," he quipped

id that, Isadora thought slyly as a sud

m, she offered to take them to the restaurant in her Audi. He again marveled at the impressive driving experience the sleek automobile offered

s bustling with people that evening, adding a lively energy to its atmosphere. Isadora scanned the room, noting one of the interior walls was lined by a lengthy, finished oak bar with wooden barstools. Behind the bar wa

oss from one another initially, but after a moment of taking

yful sparkle to her eyes. "I'm flat

while Isadora settled for a plain house salad made with the restaurant's signature pumpkin seeds a

k of this place?" Jos

verload of human scents, voices, and emotions. She liked it immensely and felt the hung

h a warm smile. "It suits yo

ite spot to take all the prospective wo

e spots, but Melanie hates it for some reason.

n really sink my teeth i

her strange remark, he lost him

e, Joshua," she gently urged

do much better in school after they moved away from their old acreage home for the Columbus city limits. He a

Georgia State. He was grateful for the wonderful college fund made available to him after Wanda w

hat she was. Being a vampire was a merely a fact that she had long since reconciled in her mind. She was proud to be who she was and harbored no illusions of what living meant for her. It meant bloo

pretty boring for the

gh she had heard every word he had said to h

r life has turned out given so many challenges." She reached out

r friends, he still hadn't yet formed any close friendships in the Atlanta area. Many of his college friends had moved away to new locations or returned to their home towns where they gre

dora earnestly clarified. "No," he agreed afte

hap

ers. It felt like an imaginary string was pulling him to her as he gazed into her penetrating stare. She slyly smiled like a predator that ha

to look up at their waiter with a forced, false

cal periods, to favorite aspects of the Atlanta area, to how the Braves were already looking to next season for thei

eturn drive to campus, but felt very happy. He sensed strong chemistry with Isadora

estaurant and was startled by how much she had craved it. She felt a palpable attraction to him, both physical and emotional, and his personali

gs for him were growing in more direc

g lot, she put the Audi in park but left the engine r

ed as he released his seatbelt. "

she soft

lanie. And while he felt a sense of betrayal over seeing Isadora behind Melanie's back, he was still happy he'd done so. Not that he approved of that sort of thing, it was a first for him,

, but she left free will in Joshua's corner. That is, if trying to deny the temptations directed by one of nature's most powerful, deadly predators was free will

ns for you, Joshua?" she as

itantly and conceded with a sigh, "I

d reassured him, "I'm

erything, and asked, "What is it about me that compels you to say

ng to doom him, she mused, along with what I'll say. But she had a small surprise of sorts in store for him in her

ned, and then surprise

e. "I'll call yo

"Good night, Joshua." "Good night, Isador

the little black sports car, the taillights shining brightly as the

im in the rear view mirror. Parking lots aren't very safe f

tching over me, maybe? The idea filled him with a strong sense of satisfaction. Once his father had left, Joshua's mother changed into a very protective figure in his life, and somehow Isadora's behavior reminded him of

e idea and began his journey home. I'm

immediately to what he would say to Melanie about his conflicted feelings. He was n

the previous semester. Melanie didn't call at all on Saturday, and he dreaded the upcoming conversation that he needed t

f yelling and cursing at me in person, he consid

an argument, but he managed to dodge a paperweight effectively. The experiences of dodging errant pitches in baseball came in handy at such times. Joshua's mother had preached to him since he was a child that violence was no s

n his apartment couch watching movies on cable and skimming through the pages of the latest biography on Harry Truman. He fell asleep som