Page 9 of Only Fangs

“You’re actually twenty-nine?”

He nods.

“Wow.” For a moment I’m speechless – unusual as that is. You just don’t meet that many newbies, it isn’t like there are millions of vampires being born every year; the only reason we have enough numbers of form a community is because we literally don’t die. I lean forward slightly to look more closely at him. “You don’t look like a newbie.” Most newbies have this slightly weird almost waxy look to them, like their skin is just a little too plump for their features, or like they’ve just had botox. But Brody has very feint lines around his eyes, like his face wears an almost perpetual smile and it’s already scoring grooves into his features.

“Oh,” he says and his hand creeps to his face under the heat of my stare.

I feel like there’s something more he wants to say. But he stays silent as his eyes move from mine. I follow his gaze to the mirror behind the bar area.

His face is reflected back at me and the shock makes me jump backwards. “Jesus, you’re a normie?”

He nods again, a lock of auburn hair falling forward to curl in front of his eyes. “Yeah…”

“Holy fucking shit.” I thought I’d said the words in my head but the truth is they slipped right out of my lips to plop on the bar in front of us, all ripe and glistening like slugs.

“I can code though. I’m good. And I’m… look, I’ll level with you. I’ve been working for a normal company, and it was… awful. All the corporate bullshit and circle jerking and then Danely, fucking Danely.” He shakes his head, but there’s a hint of humour in his voice, in the pull at the corner of his lip. “He stole my lunch and vomited knock-off synth all over the conference room.”

I can’t help myself but laugh, almost spraying daiquiri over him in the process. “Like…” I make a motion of a serious projectile.

“Yep,” Brody replies, completely deadpan. “So. I’m young. I’m good. I’m keen and I’m… well I know it isn’t what you’re meant to say. But I’m desperate. For a job,” he adds quickly.

“The app is called Only Fangs,” I tell him, my tone deadpan.

He stares back at me as if to say so what?

I sigh. “Only Fangs is a dating app for vampires.”

“Oh.” His face drops. “I guess the hint is in the name.” But then he smiles softly. “I could still do it.”

“It wouldn’t bother you?”

He shrugs. “Should it?”

“I don’t actually know,” I reply honestly. I was joking earlier when I said to Clara that I might have to employ a normie.

“Look, have a think about it,” he says. “That’s all I’m asking. Just consider my application. I really think I could be an asset to you.”

“Well then.” I take a sip of my drink and then extend my right hand. “I promise to think about it. I’ll be in touch.”

He shakes my hand and his palm is warm in mine.

Chapter 6

Brody

Her hand is cool in mine. But I feel a spark jolt through me and for a second I’m frozen in place.

She pulls back from me. “Sorry,” she mumbles under her breath and puts her hand in her pocket.

“What are you sorry for?”

“From the look on your face, you haven’t touched a lot of vampires.” She sounds almost embarrassed, like she’s broken some kind of social etiquette.

How do I tell her it wasn’t that I haven’t touched a lot of vampires; I’ve just never touched a vampire like her. Let’s just say that Matt does not give me that kind of frisson up my spine. I realise I’ve been silent just a little too long and I’m making it all very awkward, so I turn and point to Matt, whose drinking with her friend at the other end of the bar. “Matt and I grew up together.”

“He’s…?”

“Vampire, yeah. But he’s also genuinely twenty-nine.”