The Vampiric Housewife (9 page)

    
Amelia had not realized that the front door was wide open or that the bloodman was standing there, his eyes on her. She froze like a deer in headlights. She was utterly mortified—and maybe a little stunned by him as well.

    
Leaving the bloodman holding the crate of blood, Valerie went to comfort her daughter. “Sweetheart, you look gorgeous. Drew will be speechless. Maybe you’ll want to add a sweater though. Cover up a bit,” she hinted. “It’s a chilly night.”

    
Amelia slowly looked down at her protruding chest and a hand suddenly flung up to cover the exposed flesh. Her eyes went back to the bloodman with new horrification. Her face and chest turned a bright shade of scarlet. Valerie’s guard went up as well. It was one thing for a boy to admire her daughter, another for a strange man.

    
“You look lovely,” the bloodman offered kindly, nothing lecherous in his voice or gaze. Valerie relaxed a little. “Your date is a lucky boy.”

    
“Thank you,” she answered demurely, her eyes on the floor. Valerie heard a little bit of belief in her daughter’s voice for the first time. “Mom, can I borrow a sweater?”

    
“Take my white mole hair.” She smiled at her daughter. This date would be good for her. Give her a little confidence.

 
   
“Thank you.” Shyly, she raised her eyes to the bloodman, gave him a small smile, then rushed back down the hall.

    
“Where would you like me to put these?” he asked.

    
“Oh, the blood. I almost forgot. Sorry. It’s been hectic around here today.”

    
“I can tell.”

    
“In the kitchen please. Follow me, if you don’t mind.”

    
She took him into the kitchen distinctly aware of his large presence behind her. She could feel herself going flush.

    
“Must be quite the bash you’re throwing. This is a lot of blood.”

    
“Yes. For my husband’s boss.”

    
“Dr. Venjamin.”

    
Valerie turned around surprised.

    
He smiled. “Everyone knows Dr. Venjamin and his associates.” That was true. Sangre Valley was a small town after all. “Where would you like me to put these?”

    
“Just on the counter. Thank you.”

    
He nodded. “Enjoy your party, Mrs. Murray.”

    
“Mom, this sweater is all scratchy. Do I have to wear it?” Harry complained walking into the kitchen scratching his chest.

    
The bloodman smiled. “I’ll show myself out.”

    
Harry looked up at him unimpressed.

   
“Yes honey. You have to wear it.” She turned to the bloodman. “Thank you.”

Chapter Nine

Highballs and Eyeballs

    
“Welcome,” Valerie said holding the door open for her guests, a smile painted on her face.

    
“You look beautiful tonight, Valerie,” Dr. Venjamin said. “Of course, I’d bet you look beautiful every night.”

    
“Kind of you to think so. Dr. Henrick, it’s wonderful to see you again.” Dr. Henrick was the physician for the family medical practice in Sangre Valley. He was in the later years of middle age, a ring of black hair connecting his tiny ears, a trim salt and pepper mustache under his nose. Unlike everyone else in the town, his skin was tan and speckled with liver spots. A short man, his bald head barely came to Valerie’s chin when she wore heels. He reminded her of a jolly walrus with his mustache and blubberous body.

    
“And you. It’s been too long.” He smiled at her with his yellow teeth and kissed her hand.

    
As the doctors walked past her, she breathed in their scent. Both men always had a strong, earthy human smell attached to them. Neither doctor lived in town; both owned ranches in the desert where they raised humans for relaxation. The cattle’s smell had permanently stained them. Spending an evening with the doctors always brought back a flood of memories from Valerie’s childhood. Her parents had been raised on human ranches too. Even years after moving to Sangre Valley, the human scent lingered strongly upon them. Being around that clean scent—not the sanitized scent of market humans—gave her a sad but happy sensation. Perhaps that was why she liked the doctors so much.

    
“Can I take your coat?” Harry asked in a monotone standing behind his mother. The only reason for him to hang out with his parents and their friends was to feast on a human, and since he was being denied that, he certainly did not want to sit through their chit chat.

  
  
“Thank you, Harry,” Dr. Henrick said and handed over his hound tooth jacket.

    
“How are you doing, Harry?” Dr. Venjamin asked. “Staying out of trouble?” He ruffled the boy’s sandy locks.

    
“Yes sir,” he said sullenly. He obvious did not want to play the role of the cute little boy tonight.

    
“We brought you flowers,” Rhett said handing her a boutique of orange lilies.

    
“Hi Valerie. You look lovely,” Marie said with a hug and kiss on the cheek. Her black hair curled around her face, her green eyes emeralds on her pale black skin, a pink scarf tied around her long neck . . . she was exquisite.

    
“So do you. Come in. Come in.”

    
Behind them followed Charlie, a strained smile on his gaunt face. His color was ashen, sickly. He looked even more haggard than usual. He had certainly skipped lunch. He had just learned about this new project today. If it had taken this type of toll on him already, she worried if he would survive the promotion. Maybe he had been trying to tell her that he needed a break. Valerie didn’t want his job to make him ill. They didn’t need the extra money. Maybe Charlie could even cut back for awhile. Surely they could survive on a tighter budget. If it would make him healthy and happy again, there were sacrifices she could make. She honestly did love him. After the dinner party, they would sit down together and talk. Really talk.

    
“Good morning dear,” she said and kissed his cheek, lingering a moment.

    
He just smiled at her weakly. She lovingly stroked the side of his face. “I love you.” She smiled, took his briefcase and coat, and turned back to her guests. “Have a seat.”

    
“Can I go to my room now?” Harry asked with a tad of attitude.

    
She ignored it. “Yes you may.” He already had his punishment. She wasn’t going to add to it by making him keep them company. “I’ll call you for dinner.”

    
“Whatever,” he mumbled and shuffled back to his room. She almost called him back. Attitude she would let slide. Talking back, she normally would not. But company was already here. She didn’t want to make a scene.

    
“Dr. Venjamin, can I get you a drink?” Charlie asked heading for the wet bar.

    
“No thanks, Charlie. My ulcers.”

    
“I’ll have one. Let me help,” Rhett said quickly. “Honey?”

    
“Yes, please.”

    
“One eyeball or two?” Rhett asked.

    
“After fifteen years of marriage, you still don’t know how I like my highball?” she teased.

    
“Two eyeballs, it is,” he said with a bright smile. “Dr. Henrick?”

    
“No thank you. Just getting over a bug. I have to be careful.”

    
“Valerie. What would you like?” Charlie asked.

    
“Just one.”

    
With the drinks handed out, everyone settled into the living room, the doctors on the sofa, the Millers on the love seat, and Charlie in his chair.

    
“So I heard your boys got themselves into some trouble,” Dr. Venjamin said.

    
“Ah, to be a young boy again. To have mischief be your job,” Dr. Henrick said fondly.

    
“All boys get themselves into a little bit of trouble. Lord knows I did,” Rhett said.

    
“But skipping school. At nine,” Marie said shaking her head.

    
“I’m sorry about that,” Valerie said, perfectly perched on the arm of Charlie’s chair. “I’m afraid Harry might have talked him into it.”

    
Marie sipped her blood and shook her head. “No. Bobby never does anything he doesn’t want to. I don’t know what we’re going to do with that boy. His grades are fleeting. His teachers say he has a high intelligence. I don’t understand.”

    
“He’s bored,” Rhett said.

    
“You know, Harry told me that exact same thing. He’s too bored in school. I was going to have a talk with his teacher on Monday about some special classes.”

    
“That’s an excellent idea,” Dr. Venjamin said.

    
“Until then, we’ve taken away all human blood,” Valerie said. “It’s the only punishment that would affect him.”

    
“Excuse me Valerie, I don’t mean to intrude, and I certainly don’t want to tell you how to raise your child, but do you think that’s for the best?” Dr. Venjamin said.

    
“I don’t know. It’s more the just skipping school. It’s that fight. He has this bloodlust that frightens me. He has no control. I don’t know what to do.”

    
“We gave Bobby a spanking and grounded him for the next thirty years,” Rhett said with a smile and took a sip.

    
“You want to punish the boy, but to deprive him of the nutrients he needs . . .” Dr. Venjamin said. “I can’t say I’d support that as appropriate punishment.”

    
“No, no,” Dr. Henrick said. “He’s still a growing boy. He needs all the blood he can get. His physical development is already behind other boys his age.”

    
Valerie didn’t want to be harming her little boy. “What should we do?” she asked searching out Charlie’s hand to grasp.

    
“If Harry’s body is craving the human blood so gravely, then he must need it. Harry has always had great instincts. I’d trust them,” Dr.
 
Venjamin said.

    
“But the fight at school. Sneaking into the pantry . . . John and Amelia were never like that.”

    
“Bring Harry by the hospital next week. I’ll examine him myself.”

    
“Thank you. That’s very kind of you. That would make me feel so much better.”

    
Charlie shifted in his seat. He had yet to even sip his blood.

    
“Rhett told me about the promotion. Congratulations,” Marie said to Charlie.

    
He just nodded and tried to smile but it never quite formed on his lips.