The room had booth seats down both walls, and a few elements of the bar’s eclectic style in the wall art and overhead lighting. It was quieter than the main bar though, the music turned down, and had a lingering antiseptic smell that he tried not to focus on.
Ronan, a very tall, very muscled ginger man in an official looking uniform, walked over to him immediately. He towered over Luis.
“You the ten p.m.?”
Luis nodded.
“Great,” Ronan said, and a smile softened his features. “I’m Ronan, the RN here tonight. Come this way.”
There was only one other human in the room, a woman who was in a booth on the left wall, reading on her phone. The booths were designed for a small bit of privacy, so he only saw her for a moment. Ronan took him to a booth on the left.
“This your first time, right?” He asked.
Luis nodded. “Yeah.”
“Alright. No problem.” Ronan’s demeanor softened further. “So, everything in this room is monitored and recorded for safety purposes. It’s just you and Alex right now, she has two scheduled appointments with regulars, so you’ll get someone if there’s a walk-in.”
Luis nodded. “Okay.” He’d read a lot about how this worked already.
“We cap donations at two every other week, but you can do them both tonight if you want,” Ronan explained. “You can also opt out at any point, it’s no problem.”
“Right,” Luis said.
Ronan stepped back, gesturing to the far side of the room. “There’s a bathroom down that hall if you need it, and I can put in any food or non-alcoholic beverage orders while you’re here. If you want to leave, we just ask that you sign out with me or Jo at the front so we can update the app for availability. Do you have any questions?”
“No,” Luis said as he slid into the booth. “Could I get a water? Whenever you have a minute.” His throat was dry from the nerves.
Ronan pulled out a device from his pocket and typed something into it. “Got it. It’ll be up in a sec. If you need me, I’ll just be there.”
Ronan threw a thumb back to a small desk set up just inside the door. It had a computer and several monitors on it.
“Okay, thanks,” Luis said.
After that he was left alone. Luis made himself cozy in the booth and pulled out his phone to entertain himself.
If this worked out, in the future maybe he could bring his tablet and watch a movie or something, that might be a nice way to pass idle time. Or maybe he’d get set up with a regular like Alex, so he’d come in only when needed. That could be nice.
A couple minutes later a waitress came through the door and brought him water. Luis thanked her, and then sipped it slowly while tapping through one social media app and then another on his phone. Minutes passed and nothing happened, and his nerves started to settle.
It was okay, everything was okay. He might not even get a bite tonight if they didn’t have anyone come in.
Then Ronan appeared at his booth.
“Hey, we have a walk-in,” Ronan said. He handed Luis the device he was holding, and on it Luis could see a copy of the bar’s contract he’d signed online. “Need you to sign the consent form again,” Ronan said. “The vampire is a regular here, reliable and polite. He’s a good choice for your first time.”
It was nice of Ronan to try and assure him. Luis nodded and took the device, heart pounding.
“This is the same contract you signed online, but legally we have to double check. By signing, you are agreeing that you’ve read and agreed to all terms listed. Bites are timed here, and will last no longer than twenty seconds. The donor account you set up will be credited per transaction. Do you need some time to read over the contract?” Ronan asked.
“No, I’m good,” Luis said, and signed and dated where indicated.
“Great,” Ronan said when Luis handed the device back. “Nervous?”
“Uh, yeah. A little.”
Ronan smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ve been doing this for years and everyone’s nervous the first time. It’s really quick and easy though, and I’ll be here the whole time. If you do change your mind at any point, it stops.”
“Okay,” Luis said, and forced himself to swallow. “Thanks.” He just had to get through this first time.
