parade?
“I’m still not over the whole you being attracted to
vampires thing.”
“You threw yourself a parade!”
“Vampires first.”
“It’s mystery, it’s unknown, it’s dangerous. That’s what’s
sexy.”
“Like me?”
“I’m not answering that.”
“So that’s a ‘yes’?”
“You’ve never thought about vampires? Really?”
“And now you’re dodging my question!”
“You’re dodging mine! You can’t tell me that if a beautiful
woman came onto you, who happened to be a vampire, you wouldn’t be the least
bit intrigued.”
Okay, she had a point.
“Okay, you have a point.”
“Thank you. And while we’re at it, I also love magic.”
“Like card tricks and the bunny in the hat business?”
“Yes… but no. Like real magical powers.”
“Oh. Oh. You mean like those books where the kid finds out
he has magical powers and then can all of a sudden save the entire school, when
no one else, not even those who have been practicing magic for fifty or more
years can?”
Even in the pale moonlight, I could see her blush.
“Okay, it’s a little ridiculous, but it’s all justified. And
fascinating. And, if I’m being completely honest, I’m a little jealous that I
don’t have magical powers.”
See, I told you she loved those books. Or maybe it’s that
she was jealous of the characters in those books? Either way, I’m still
judging.
I rolled over onto my side. I was tired of looking at the
stars. They didn’t compare to her.
“So, magical powers, yes… immortality, no?”
She hummed a little laugh before flipping on her side to
face me. “If you could live forever, what would you do?”
“Great question.”
“I asked it. Of course it is.”
Oh dear God, every word that came out of her mouth drew me
even closer to her.
“I think I would travel more… Or, you know what? I’d
actually live in a bunch of different places for a long period of time. And I’d
learn languages. A whole bunch of them. And I’d learn how to play the ukulele,
just so I could be that weird guy who plays the ukulele.”
“You’re too tall to play the ukulele.”
“That’s what I’m saying. I’ll totally be that weird guy.”
“You, Theodore Vincent Stoneguard IV, want to be the weird
guy?”
“It would be a fun change of pace. Plus, it would give me a
bit of a challenge when it comes to getting girls. It’s getting too easy.”
I winked at her.
What? A wink? What the hell was wrong with me? It was going
so well!
“Pig.”
“I deserved that.”
Okay, I saved it… kind of.
“So why don’t you do that now?”
“I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.”
“Why not?”
I had never asked myself that question. Why hadn’t I
traveled? Why hadn’t I learned another language? Why hadn’t I picked up a tiny
guitar?
“I don’t know.”
“That’s my problem with immortality. I have these lists of
things I want to do, places I want to go, things I want to accomplish, but I
keep thinking life is long enough that I don’t have to do them today… or
tomorrow, for that matter. Now, could you imagine knowing you were immortal? Would
you ever get to that list? Or would you just keep pushing those things off
because you know that you always have tomorrow? What stupid things would you
waste your time doing instead? What stupid things am I wasting my time doing now?”
“You don’t seem like you’re wasting your time doing
anything, Ashley.”
“But did my dad think that? He spent his whole life working
at his career. And then his life was over. Did he ever get to his list?”
I didn’t say anything. I wanted her to know that I
understood what she was saying, what she was thinking. I wanted to give her the
time to process her thoughts.
But as I stared at her, I felt my insides melt. I wanted to
hold her closer. I wanted to touch her, caress her; I wanted to love her. I closed
my eyes and moved
“I’m still not over the whole you being attracted to
vampires thing.”
“You threw yourself a parade!”
“Vampires first.”
“It’s mystery, it’s unknown, it’s dangerous. That’s what’s
sexy.”
“Like me?”
“I’m not answering that.”
“So that’s a ‘yes’?”
“You’ve never thought about vampires? Really?”
“And now you’re dodging my question!”
“You’re dodging mine! You can’t tell me that if a beautiful
woman came onto you, who happened to be a vampire, you wouldn’t be the least
bit intrigued.”
Okay, she had a point.
“Okay, you have a point.”
“Thank you. And while we’re at it, I also love magic.”
“Like card tricks and the bunny in the hat business?”
“Yes… but no. Like real magical powers.”
“Oh. Oh. You mean like those books where the kid finds out
he has magical powers and then can all of a sudden save the entire school, when
no one else, not even those who have been practicing magic for fifty or more
years can?”
Even in the pale moonlight, I could see her blush.
“Okay, it’s a little ridiculous, but it’s all justified. And
fascinating. And, if I’m being completely honest, I’m a little jealous that I
don’t have magical powers.”
See, I told you she loved those books. Or maybe it’s that
she was jealous of the characters in those books? Either way, I’m still
judging.
I rolled over onto my side. I was tired of looking at the
stars. They didn’t compare to her.
“So, magical powers, yes… immortality, no?”
She hummed a little laugh before flipping on her side to
face me. “If you could live forever, what would you do?”
“Great question.”
“I asked it. Of course it is.”
Oh dear God, every word that came out of her mouth drew me
even closer to her.
“I think I would travel more… Or, you know what? I’d
actually live in a bunch of different places for a long period of time. And I’d
learn languages. A whole bunch of them. And I’d learn how to play the ukulele,
just so I could be that weird guy who plays the ukulele.”
“You’re too tall to play the ukulele.”
“That’s what I’m saying. I’ll totally be that weird guy.”
“You, Theodore Vincent Stoneguard IV, want to be the weird
guy?”
“It would be a fun change of pace. Plus, it would give me a
bit of a challenge when it comes to getting girls. It’s getting too easy.”
I winked at her.
What? A wink? What the hell was wrong with me? It was going
so well!
“Pig.”
“I deserved that.”
Okay, I saved it… kind of.
“So why don’t you do that now?”
“I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.”
“Why not?”
I had never asked myself that question. Why hadn’t I
traveled? Why hadn’t I learned another language? Why hadn’t I picked up a tiny
guitar?
“I don’t know.”
“That’s my problem with immortality. I have these lists of
things I want to do, places I want to go, things I want to accomplish, but I
keep thinking life is long enough that I don’t have to do them today… or
tomorrow, for that matter. Now, could you imagine knowing you were immortal? Would
you ever get to that list? Or would you just keep pushing those things off
because you know that you always have tomorrow? What stupid things would you
waste your time doing instead? What stupid things am I wasting my time doing now?”
“You don’t seem like you’re wasting your time doing
anything, Ashley.”
“But did my dad think that? He spent his whole life working
at his career. And then his life was over. Did he ever get to his list?”
I didn’t say anything. I wanted her to know that I
understood what she was saying, what she was thinking. I wanted to give her the
time to process her thoughts.
But as I stared at her, I felt my insides melt. I wanted to
hold her closer. I wanted to touch her, caress her; I wanted to love her. I closed
my eyes and moved
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