2. An Interlude

Bridgeport, Present Day

The balls of her feet ached; all that Kat could think about was a camp out on the sofa, some sinful junk food and a good movie. Mia had finally agreed to let her move out of residence and into her own apartment: and she had seen to it that Kat experienced every up and down of moving.

“My mother – the ambassador of tough love.”

As soon as she settled into the sofa, allowing the leather to mould around her body and kicked off her shoes, the phone rang.

“Hey dude! It’s the big launch of Hemisphere tonight.” Loryn wasted no time in proposing a night out on the town.

“No can do. I feel so beat that my legs might fall off.”

“Don’t be a Peter the party pooper.” Lor begged; no doubt she hadn’t got any partying done back home. If ever there was a prize for the world’s strictest parents, it would go to Mr. And Mrs. Quinn

“Don’t be a nag.” Kat laughed into the phone.

“Alright. If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

Kat hung up the phone and filed through her very limited DVD collection.

________

Nick propped himself up against the bar, taking in his latest venture. Opening his own businesses had become something of a hobby over the last century: restaurants, night clubs, gentlemen’s clubs – anything that seemed appropriate for the time and place. Nick sipped his beer gingerly. Still warm; but he liked it that way.

He closed his eyes and thought of the days when life was a balancing act between shifts, blood bank raids and hours in the OR. In the same breath, he missed watching patients miraculously recovering from ailments that would otherwise have taken them in days. But, all of that was part of a life he’d grown tired of. Having lived through the centuries it was important for him to keep trying new things; to avoid getting stuck in a rut. 

“It looks great.” She wrapped her arms tightly around him. His body seemed to fit perfectly with hers.  She placed a soft kiss on the back of his neck. He felt a tingle run down the back of his neck.  

“All thanks to your great planning.” He pulled her in for a tight embrace.

“I can’t wait to get settled into the new house.” She whispered; tired of picking up and moving every few years. But she already knew the response to the statement: there was no way they could settle permanently, anywhere, with vampires still figures of fiction. 

“Maybe in another city.” He turned and busied himself with inspecting the bar top. Amy meant well. She always did. But even after two hundred years she had still not adapted to the nomadic lifestyle they were forced to lead.

“I’m sorry. I forgot.” She whispered apologetically. It had slipped her mind that Bridgeport was the last city that Nick would have chosen to settle in. There was history here for him: bad history. It was at her behest that he agreed to move to the city so that she could finish a degree in Economics. For as long as they had been together, Nick had done everything to give her the world. She truly loved him for this.

He squeezed her hand gently before pulling her in for a quick kiss.  

“Let’s just enjoy the night, Love.” To him, she was even more beautiful than the first time he had laid his eyes on her. 

________

After running through the box of DVDs she’d brought over from home, Kat had decided to forgo movie night alone. What she really needed was a hot shower and bed rest. 

She emptied the box of old books from Nan’s house onto the bed and went through them once more. In the rush to get lunch over with, she didn’t get a chance to go through the titles properly. The old diary she had tossed aside collapsed on top of the pile.

“How did you get in here?” She picked it up and ran through its pages: The Diary of Arianne Livingston. It was covered in leather stained in blue. The edges were frayed and a few pages had tacky dog ears; but other than that it was as neatly kept as it could be for a two hundred year old diary. Mildly curious, she began reading the first entry.

26 January, 1805

Dear Diary

Today I am truly over the moon, even with the torrential rain. Father will be returning from his visit to Bulgaria. I do envy him so. Travel has always been an interest of mine; ever since Father told of his wonderful adventures through Eastern Europe. He is so fortunate.

To be continued...