She reaches into her cardigan pocket and retrieves three ancient-looking, brass keys, which she hands out to the three of us. My key feels heavy and cold in my palm.
“Chelsie, you’ll be in room eleven, Sean in room twelve, and Paige in room thirteen,” Eloise continues. “You’re welcome to get yourself unpacked and settled in. Once you’re ready, you can come down to the main floor. There’s a celebration tonight. Please arrive appropriately attired, no later than midnight.”
I stare at her in horror.Midnight?Tonight? I can’t even begin to imagine what “appropriately attired” means, but I feel too awkward to ask.
Chelsie and Sean take their bags and suitcases into their rooms, but I linger nervously in the hallway.
“Um…” I stutter, hoping that I’ve missed something somehow. “Is there…some sort of contract that we’re supposed to sign? Maybe a manual, or an…orientation session?”
The woman laughs, a robust sound that fills the otherwise silent hallway. “Oh, you’re funny! Acontract, I’ve never heard that one before.”
But then she catches the expression on my face, and her eyes soften. She steps forward, and puts a hand on my shoulder.
“You’re going to befine.Vampires are just people who have different…needsthan we do. None of them will drink from you without your explicit consent. If anything makes you uncomfortable, or if you get overwhelmed, you can always come find me, all right?”
Her hand makes me feel grounded, and although I’m still a little anxious, her response makes me feel better about the situation. She seems genuinely nice, and I’m glad there’s a normal human here for me to talk to.
“Thanks,” I reply. “I don’t have a lot of experience with vampires.”
“Have you ever been bitten before?” she asks gently.
I shake my head.
“Just tell that to the first vampire who asks for you,” she explains. “They’ll be gentle and make you feel comfortable.”
“Thanks,” I reply, trying my best not to look too nervous. She’s right, I’m probably freaking out when I don’t have anything to be worried about. I’m not being cornered in some alleyway. The vampireshiredme.
“You know,” she says, tilting her head slightly. “It can feelgood. I promise, after your first bite, you’ll be right at home.”
My stomach squirms. I don’t really understand what she means when she says it could “feelgood.” I sincerely doubt it, especially after having donated blood in the past. But it seems rude to say that, so I attempt a brave smile.
“I’m sure I will,” I tell her. “And I appreciate all of your help.”
“Anytime,” she says. “I’ll be downstairs during the celebration, and if you ever need me, just ask any of the staff.”
She gives me a final nod, and heads back down the hallway. Chelsie and Sean are already in their rooms, and the driver left my small suitcase beside my door. With unsteady hands, I unlock it with the heavy key.
A wave of warmth envelopes me as I step inside, and I gasp in surprise.
I was expecting a simple dorm room, maybe a single bed with a dresser, like the one Amanda has at her university, or the room Miles got at the treatment center.
But this room ismassive. Like the bedroom of a lady in one of those period dramas. There’s a king-sized, four-poster bed in the center, its heavy purple curtains drawn, lavished with a thick, downy comforter in a matching shade. The floors are the same hardwood as in the rest of the mansion, but covered here with a soft, plush carpet that makes me want to kick my shoes off.
In addition to the bed, there’s a huge wardrobe of mahogany wood, which could easily hold ten times the amount of clothes that I packed. Beside it is a full dressing-table with a round mirror and an upholstered bench.
But the best part - and the place I know I’ll spend most of my time - is the large picture window at the back of the room. There’s a generous, cushioned seat in front of it, the perfect place to relax with a book. Its curtains are closed, but I immediately abandon my suitcase to peek my head out.
It’s too dark outside to see much right now, but I start to fantasize about what it would be like to curl up here with a good novel during the day. Miles always teases me that I have my nose stuck in a book, but it’s a hobby I could never give up. At least half of the suitcase Amanda lent me is packed with favourite paperbacks and textbooks.
I gaze around the room, unable to believe my luck. I wonder for a moment if they’ve made a mistake. Maybe they gave me one of the vampire’s rooms by accident? This is easily the nicest place I’ve ever lived. I shared a bedroom with Miles growing up, and the apartment I live in now is a tiny studio with furniture Amanda’s parents gave me when they did renovations.
If this is where I’ll live, maybe this job isn’t too bad after all. I unpack my suitcase, slowly exploring the room and all of its odds and ends. There’s an ensuite bathroom with a deep clawfoot bathtub (no shower), and a desk where I stack my nursing textbooks and highlighters.
I work slowly, drawing out the time before I have to go downstairs. When I can’t put it off any longer, I pull a dress out from the wardrobethat I hope is ok. It’s dark blue and flares out from my hips. It’s nothing special, but I like the way I look in it. I bought it for me and Blake’s fourth anniversary, although he didn’t seem to care too much about it. Which is totally fine. I’ve never had much extra income to buy clothes, so I try to be frugal in that department.
Once I’m dressed, I take my make-up bag (which looks very small on the large vanity) and I apply some mascara and some lipstick. I usually don’t wear much, but Eloise said “celebration” so I guess I should dress up a little.
I wish I had a better idea of what’s expected of me. I take a step back to get a better look at myself in the dressing room mirror. The dress is pretty, but it’s very simple. Is it going to be enough?
