Three Hours Pt. 02

Lucy put her glass down a little too firmly. "Then what? You sneak into my hotel room, you know my girls will be back soon? Whoever you are, whatever you did, I don't need drama and complications. I don't need games."

"You don't need me at all. You have your work and your family." The woman set the glass down. When she stood up and turned away she seemed smaller somehow.

It was the simple truth and Lucy had said it. So why did she feel so conflicted? Why did she want to... "Damn it, stay. I want you to stay. But no more games, just spit it out! Who are you, what do you want with me?"

"Oh shit!" The woman cupped her hand under her chin and dashed to the bathroom.

Lucy gave her a couple of seconds but didn't hear the door lock. She grabbed a box of tissues and knocked gently. "Nosebleed?" Silence. "You need some Kleenex? That toilet paper's trash."

"Just give me a second please, this is very fucking embarrassing."

Lucy laughed. "Right. Look lady, it's less embarrassing than realising some stranger just watched you masturbate. Fucking twice."

She heard a quiet sob, and then four words that stuck into her like a harpoon. "You call me Bess."

The words echoed on the bathroom tiles and in Lucy's head. Inside, things shifted inexorably towards the truth. She lost the horizon for a moment, steadying herself on the wall. Bess cried tears of blood. She rarely cried at all. She'd rather stick her diamond hard fingernails through her palms than cry in front of anyone.

"I'll leave them here." Lucy said, her voice as unsteady as the shifting sand in her head. "Take all the time you need."

She made her way back to the couch.

"I love her," she said out loud. "My Bess."

Lucy hadn't wanted to forget anything at all, but the vampire had insisted. If the memories were overwritten with lies, there was a chance they'd have been wiped for good. This was a compromise for both of them. She picked up the glass again and closed her eyes, leaned back against the soft couch cushions.

It was all there, like a mad fairy tale. In three hours, thirteen years ago, everything she knew about the wide world had been turned on its head. She'd found love and lost it inside a day.

"It's too soon," she breathed. "I'm not ready."

Bess came out still dabbing futilely at her tear stained makeup. "I know, I'm sorry, I couldn't leave it like that, I..."

"We're both here on business, this isn't supposed to happen until Eli's in college."

"Business can wait." That cute little half smile, even with her eyes all bloody melted Lucy's heart.

"You talked me into a corner on purpose, didn't you? Had me begging you to spill your secrets and you know damn well I..."

"Skiing off piste here, running off road. I can't help myself."

"No. You promised me..."

"What?" Bess sat on the coffee table right in front of Lucy. "I'm the devil on your shoulder. I'd lie for you, my darling. I'd kill for you." She slid to her knees and lay her head in Lucy's lap. "I need you."

"Baby..." Lucy stroked out that lovely thick red hair. It smelled so sweet, like honeysuckle and amber. She toyed with the length of it, caressed the shell of her lover's ear. "He's on vacation with his grandparents till Sunday. I mean, we can do something, can't we? I'm not ready to leave him for good, and I can't bear to forget you again. Please don't ask me to."

"Every time you cross the street, every time you fall asleep there's a chance I'll lose you forever. It scares me."

Lucy can't help smiling. "Nothing scares you. Your life is a hell of a lot riskier than mine, hence this whole crazy pantomime."

"No comment." Bess's cool hand closed over Lucy's. "I despise myself for letting you dictate how things have to be. Perhaps someday you'll understand just how rare and perfect you are. How impossible it is to watch you fade and suffer."

"Whatever. You think it's all one way?" Lucy played her fingers along the livid scars hidden beneath the vampire's dress. "Since that night, no-one's come close to winning my heart, Bess. You complete me."

"You walk out of here with your memories of me you'll soon figure out I'm just a needy old bitch that's jealous of how much you love your son. Might as well say it first."

"Come here. Let's put you back together again." Lucy led Bess by the hand, back into the bathroom. She ran a soft face cloth under the tap until it was almost too hot to hold. The vampire closed her eyes, let Lucy dab away the ugly tears and smeared makeup.

"Thank you so much for doing this," she said quietly.

The vampire sat on the edge of the bathtub as Lucy carefully swept up her hair, pinned it effortlessly back to elegance. Lucy plied her skill on Bess's inhuman skin, giving her translucent perfection rather than deathly pallor. She painted the cupid's bow with slow sensuous brush strokes, blotted the neutral mauve lipstick with her own gentle kiss.

"I love you." Lucy said firmly. "I love my baby, he still needs me, doesn't mean I love you any less. You've done more for him than his father ever did."

"You'll make me cry again."

"No. You do what you gotta do, I'll do the same, change up my plans, there's nothing I can't toss into next week's schedule. We need this. Whatever else is going on in your freaky undead life, make time for us."

Bess lifted her hand to cup Lucy's cheek with a sad little smile. "Your wish is my command."

Lucy lost herself in her lover's eyes.

*

The hangover was spectacular. Lucy practically crawled out of bed to find the girls tangled up together, asleep on the sofa in a half dressed sixty-nine. She ignored them and stumbled to the bathroom. She'd pulled last night, some rich broad. The woman was long gone, Lucy couldn't even remember her name. Embarrassing. She smiled wickedly to herself as she remembered that greedy tongue attacking her clit, the woman's stamina was something else.

She took a couple of Advil and got to work packing the rest of the kit. In her bedroom on the vanity she found a note on hotel memo paper.

Sincere thanks for an unforgettable evening.

I'm up in Boston this Thursday if you still want to catch a show.

Call me xxx

E

Lucy tucked the note into her wallet. As she walked past the human knot on the couch she slapped Maisie's bare arse.

"Rise and shine sleepy heads."

There was much squealing and embarrassment as the pair came round. Lucy left them to it. Ravenous, she hit the breakfast buffet without them. Minutes later, several police vehicles pulled up outside.

She didn't think anything of it. She scrolled through her messages and replied to a couple, took her time uploading the best examples of yesterday's work to the Cher Pierre Instagram.

Two uniformed officers started making their way around the dining room taking statements, that's when Lucy started paying closer attention to the quiet conversations around her. When they'd uncovered the pool that morning, the staff found three bodies.

Lucy felt sick to her stomach. She pushed the plate away and went outside to get some air. A large part of the grounds was cordoned off, including the car park.

"Fuck."

She grabbed a tray and filled it with coffee and pastries for the girls. They were sitting at opposite ends of the couch scrolling their phones.

The huge suite of rooms felt claustrophobic. From the balcony Lucy saw men in white overalls loading three long black bags into a van.

Her statement to the police was straightforward. She'd had a few celebratory drinks and turned in just after midnight. She didn't mention the hook up. She didn't feel like dealing with the sneers and innuendo such a revelation would invite.

It was all over the radio by the time they were allowed to drive back to Boston. The girls were too wrapped up in deciding who'd taken advantage of whom, the drive was painful.

Lucy felt like a spare wheel, neither of them would listen. "What if no-one took advantage, guys? Forget it! You got drunk and made out, big deal."

"I'm not a fucking lesbian," snapped Cara.

Maisie rolled her eyes and stared at her phone. "No shit."

"What the hell! You're sick, you know that?"

"Fuck off Cara. You came on to me."

Lucy knew they were all talk before, what twenty year old isn't? Bragging about their so called experiences, one drunken fumble had them running for the hills.

"Give it a rest the pair of you, I'm trying to hear the news."

While authorities have assured grieving families that a full coroner's investigation is underway, police statements issued so far appear to dismiss concerns of foul play. The consequences of heavy drinking and deep water are nothing if not predictable, and tragically preventable. Hotel management have been approached to address the pressing safety issues brought to light. So far they have offered no public comment.

There was no obvious reason for the deep sense of foreboding Lucy felt, but she couldn't shift it.