Pick up lines While it was true that Theresa hated jazz, country music was something she kind of liked. Not that you could really get away from it when you lived in Louisiana, but at the there was a lively music scene for it and you could meet people there. If nothing else, it was a good feeding ground.
Tonight she was at the bar with a beer in hand, looking over the crowd and trying to decide on who would be her next meal. It would be someone alone, or at least someone who had gotten separated from their friends so she wouldn’t be interrupted. Hopefully there were no other vampires on the prowl tonight, at least not here. She wasn’t much for physical confrontation, and others of her kind could be pretty brutal.
Theresa sipped idly at her beer and studied the crowd. She’d find somebody, there were too many people here for her to miss out on eating tonight.
The band finished their set and GW carefully placed his fiddle back in its case and secured the lid. The instrument along with his voice were what paid the bills and he wasn’t about to let anything happen to it. In a way he treated it the same way he’d treated his rifle out in the field: both instruments were vital to his survival in their own way and in their own time. The thought caused the Cajun to snort in amusement as he made his way over to the bar to order a beer.
And there was a tall drink of water headed her way right now...
Theresa shifted on her stool so that she could see him more clearly, abandoning her beer in the process. She could always get another of those if she wanted it. Eating was more important. At least her wallet was full tonight.
“That was some great music you guys were playing tonight.”
GW glanced at the teenager and smiled politely as he ordered his beer. Money was tight and he wasn’t feeling particularly picky that evening, so the el-cheapo brand was selected. It all went down to the same spot and if you had enough of them they’d still give you a buzz and that was all that mattered, right?
“Merci.” He told the girl, leaning against the bar as he waited for his drink. “We try hard to put on a good show. You really like it, well, we got a table with CD’s by the door and our stuff is on the Internet also.” She looked a little young to be able to get in and GW figured she must have either bribed the doorman or have a really good fake ID. Or maybe she just looked young, who knew? Too young for him either way.
Yeah, this one would do just fine. The vampire crossed her ankles and said, “Seriously, you guys rocked it up there. Have you been playing together long. Its not every day we get a real professional sounding band in here. You must have to practice, like, all the time.”
She reclaimed her beer, took a small sip of it. How old did he think she was? Was he like one of her customers, a guy who liked them young? She could be almost any age he wanted her to be, it just depended on what he was into. Maybe if she worked some of her mojo, this would go easier.
“Can I have your autograph? she asked, wondering if she’d be able to hypnotize him in a crowd this size.
The veteran shrugged as his beer was handed over. “Sure, you want it you can have it. Don’ know if it’ll be worth that much anytime soon though.” He reached over the bar and snagged a cocktail napkin from the other side. A long slug of beer was taken and he looked over at the girl. “What’s your name?”And I’ll bet you’ve got a great fake ID.
“Theresa,” she answered, and then added, “I really love your accent. I moved here from California and its been really nice to hear all that authentic Cajun talk. I’ll bet you get compliments on it all the time.”
The remark about his accent was something he’d heard a million times since leaving Louisiana for the Corps a little over a decade earlier, outsiders either loved it or hated it. To GW though she was the one with the accent, he’d pegged her as an Angelino as soon as she’d opened her mouth. “Thanks.”
Okay, so she’d observed some of the niceties and could be a little more forward now. As far as he knew, she was probably just some college kid out looking for a good time. Her hand touched his where it covered the napkin, and she added a little of her powers to the look she gave him when she said, “You alone tonight?”
He frowned slightly at the touch of her hand and felt a little fuzzy headed, and shook his head to try to clear it. “Jus’ the band, if that’s what you mean.”
“No, that’s not what I meant, but its a start.” The diminutive vampire rested her hand more firmly on her intended victim’s when she continued with, “I meant like a woman friend, somebody to keep you company tonight. You got anybody waiting for you backstage?”
Around them the crowd buzzed and hummed, like bees in a hive, and Theresa focused more firmly on the singer’s eyes. All she wanted was a little taste, that was all.
The frown deepened and GW pulled his eyes away, confused at his reaction toward the girl. Christ had he turned into a pedophile all the sudden? She looked like a college freshman at the oldest, for all he knew she could still be in high school. He took a deep pull from his beer and shook his head. “Listen Theresa, you’re a cute kid but you’re a lil’ young for me and I’m a mess. I’m flattered, really, but not interested.”
He pulled his hand away and finished signing the napkin.
Well, that didn’t work right. Theresa looked down at her hand as if it had betrayed her somehow, then tried again, “Look, I was just saying you look like you could use some company, that’s all. I don’t mind if you’re a mess. I like a man who’s a mess sometimes, it makes life interesting.” No, this wasn’t working at all. He should have been eating out of her hand by now. Was he on to what she was and just messing with her?
“You wouldn’t happen to know a guy named Phillip, would you?”
“I know a couple guys named Phillip,” none of them were in Nawlins though, and one of them was a permanent resident at Arlington. He finished his beer and pushed off from the bar, having made up his mind to steer clear of what seemed to be his first wanna-be groupie. “See you around.”
“Creep,” Theresa muttered, looking at the napkin before wadding it up and throwing it away. Then again, if he did know that Phillip, there was a reason for that. The vampire looked over her shoulder, studying the people behind her. Great, now that she’d invoked his name, she had the heebie-jeebies. Maybe she should push off, look for somewhere else to do her feeding. This place had gone sour for her.
Next time, she was going to make sure to pick a younger guy. They were less likely to get weirded out. It was hardly her idea that she should look eighteen for the next millennium, was it?