Sunrise at Sunset by Jaz Primo

the popular and swanky Café Circa downtown off of Edgewood Avenue and Boulevard. Caleb assured her that the food and service were fantastic every time he went there. It was bustling with people that evening, adding a lively energy to its atmosphere. Katrina scanned the room, noting one of the interior walls was lined by a lengthy, finished oak bar with wooden barstools. Behind the bar was a series of backlit shelves lined with every variety of alcohol known to mankind. The dining area held an array of varnished oak bistro tables surrounded by oak barstools, and the lighting was moody and rather romantic.
    She smiled at Caleb as he arranged for seating. They sat across from one another initially, but after a moment of taking in the atmosphere, she moved to one of the stools next to him.
    “Do you mind?” she asked with a playful sparkle to her eyes.
    “I’m flattered,” he replied with a proud grin.
    They both ordered a beer on tap, and he requested chips and salsa. Caleb ordered Chicken Panini, while Katrina settled for a plain house salad made with the restaurant’s signature pumpkin seeds and empanada strips. They chatted as the crowds bustled around them amidst the sound of trendy music.
    “So, what do you think of this place?” Caleb asked with a grin.
    Katrina looked around, absorbing the atmosphere. Her heightened senses registered the overload of human scents, voices, and emotions. She liked it immensely and felt the hunger for fresh blood rise in her, requiring additional effort to keep her senses in check.
    “I love it,” she replied with a warm smile. “It suits you.”
    He nodded appreciatively.
    “Is this your hangout of sorts? A favorite spot to take all the prospective women in your life?” she playfully asked.
    He chuckled. “Actually, it’s one of my favorite spots, but Melanie hates it for some reason. She said it’s just not her style or something.”
    “Well, it’s a place I can really sink my teeth into,” Katrina countered.
    After laughing for a moment at her strange remark, he lost himself in her beautiful green eyes.
    “Tell me more about your life, Caleb,” she gently urged. “I want to know everything.”
    He was flattered by her interest and described his experiences growing up with his mother and how he seemed to do much better in school after they moved away from their old acreage home for the Columbus city limits. He and his mother created fresh memories in the new house and tried to leave many of the past, painful ones behind.
    His grades improved in junior high and high school to the point where he received a scholarship to Georgia State. He was grateful for the wonderful college fund made available to him after Wanda won a raffle from her workplace. It helped pay for his tuition all the way through graduate school.
    Katrina warmly smiled at him, fully pleased to hear her efforts to help him and Wanda had worked out so well. Though it wasn’t as if she was trying to make amends, or strike some karma-balance for what she was. Being a vampire was a merely a fact that she had long since reconciled in her mind. She was proud to be who she was and harbored no illusions of what living meant for her. It meant blood for sustenance and clandestine living among the human population to protect her secret and longevity. She broke out of her reverie to realize that he had fallen silent and was intently watching her.
    “I guess my life’s been pretty boring for the most part,” he conceded.
    Her face fell as if she’d been scolded, though she had heard every word he had said to her. “Oh no, Caleb,” she insisted. “I was just envisioning what you were telling me. It’s inspiring how well your life has turned out given so many challenges.” She reached out to touch his arm, and he smiled while placing his hand over hers.
    “Thanks,” he offered. “You’re one of the few people who seem to care to listen to me drone on like this.” Caleb sighed as the realization hit him