He hated to dash that hope, but… “Well, I had intended to. But I’m not tired. I drank three bags of blood before coming. So, I’m hyper. If you want, we can switch again, if you are tired. But really, this is the perfect time to try to get to know each other.”
“For fuck’s sake, why is it the perfect time?”
“Well, it’s a road trip, silly! So, as I was asking. What are your hobbies? I’m partial to sewing! I love making my own clothes. I actually made this jumper I’m wearing! Isn’t it cute?” He pulled it up a little to show him the sun he had embroidered on it.
Harlow eyed it and nodded. “Cute…”
“So, what do you do? When you aren’t hunting, that is. I suppose that does take up a lot of time. But you did recently go on holiday.”
“Fishing,” Harlow grunted with a frown.
“Ah, fishing. An old pastime. I used to fish a bit in my day. Not for fun though, mostly just for food. Speaking of food, did you bring any? Drat, I didn’t even think about it. I don’t eat as much as humans do, mind you. But I do still need to eat. Oh, what type of food do you like? I’m partial to sweets, pastas, and cheeses. Really, I’m not that picky, and I don’t need to watch my calorie intake or nutrition intake, since I’m a vampire. So, I can’t really say anything I eat would be considered that healthy to a human. But that doesn’t mean I’m not open to eating whatever you want.”
Foxx winced when Harlow’s frown deepened, his expression closing off more. “I’m not picky. But I watch what I eat due to my age.”
Was he making a bad impression?! Foxx really just wanted to be liked. And to get to know Harlow. Maybe he was being a bit too talkative… Yes, he could reel it in. He could control himself. Harlow would be his friend. There was no other option! Well, being fucked was definitely another option he’d accept. Either way, Foxx refused to not be liked!
Foxx cleared his throat. “And how old are you? If you don’t mind me asking.” He forced himself to pause and let Harlow respond. And not to draw on his bloodline to find out the answer himself.
Truthfully, he usually wasn’t this bad, but the extra blood…and the fact that it was a new situation, made it worse.
The human took a deep breath in and out before saying, “Forty-five.”
Foxx's brow rose at that. “You are aging quite well.”
“I try to take care of myself.”
“Though you do smoke,” Foxx couldn’t help but point out. “Isn’t the smell easy for paranormals to pick up on?”
“One, most will hear me coming anyway. Two…a lot of these places we end up at already smell like death.”
Foxx nodded. “I guess.” He hoped the ‘smell like death’ thing was an exaggeration. Foxx wrinkled his nose.
He let the silence settle for…about five minutes before he found himself asking, “So, do you have any pets? A girlfriend? Boyfriend? A partner? I myself am currently—”
“Foxx! Stop. Just stop. Let me be perfectly clear. I’m not your friend. I’m not anyone’s friend. I have friend-like acquaintances. No actual friends. I don’t like people. Any type of people. I’m a loner. I like quiet. I don’t like talking. I hate chit chat. And this situation right now is being forced on me. So, whatever thoughts you had coming into this, discard them. We will not be friends. At most, we will be coworkers who tolerate each other breathing. The best bet we have of working well together is if you stop trying whatever the hell this is and just do the work efficiently and, more importantly, quietly.”
Foxx stared, eyes wide for a few moments as his heart was crushed into pieces, and all hope of happy, fun, and sexy adventures disappeared. This time, it was he who didn’t respond. Instead, Foxx turned away, hands clenched in his lap, and looked out of the window. He did all he could do to keep the sadness from seeping into his expression, but he didn’t think he had succeeded.
Harlow sighed. “Look, Foxx… It’s not you, it’s me. I’m sure the boss told you about me.”
Foxx nodded but didn’t look back.
“Shit…” The man huffed.
He let the silence take hold, while his emotions swiftly moved from sadness to anger. Pursing his lips, he glared at the window. Fine, let it be quiet. Foxx would be damned if he broke the silence first this time. In fact, if Harlow wanted silence, then that is what he would get. Foxx wouldn’t utter one more word to the man!
Harlow may have been too hasty in what he had said. He eyed Foxx as he pulled off the highway. They were about ten minutes from the hotel. Foxx…hadn’t uttered anything besides a few grunts since Harlow had told him to basically shut up at the beginning of the trip. He was getting the full-on silent treatment. Part of the time, Foxx acted as if Harlow wasn’t even there.
And for some reason, this irritated him more than the talking. No doubt, he’d have to listen to Charity and Tony’s bitching if they found out he managed to fuck up his happy, sunshine partner on the very first assignment. Sighing at Foxx’s pinched face and crossed arms, he began to try to fix it. “Foxx.”
The vampire didn’t even blink. No acknowledgment that he had heard him at all.
Harlow narrowed his eyes and said more harshly this time, “Foxx!”
Foxx’s lips pursed, and the man slowly turned to look at him, his face set into a frown, looking disgruntled. Harlow had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing, because the vampire looked about as threatening as an angry child
“What?!” Foxx snapped.
