The Client List: An Erotic Vampire Story by Alice J. Woods Page B

her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’ve never had anyone ask for a service request like this; 24 hours is a long time. I guess I should ask you what your wishes are and we can go from there.” Most vamps these days had gotten past throwing tantrums when questioned on their requests, but a few throwbacks still popped up, causing mayhem and the occasional dead worker. It had been a long time since that had happened, but the story of Estelle’s dismembered body still floated around, passed on to newbie workers as a cautionary tale of how not to deal with a potentially volatile client.
    “I apologize for the unusual request. I am not a conventional individual.” That’s an understatement, Roxanne thought. The vamp...Carlo...continued, in a cold, remote voice.
    “What I am looking for is 24 hours with a beautiful mortal. I have large appetites. I intend to bite, feed, have sex with you, and to repeat this process, with some variation of the order, as many times as it takes for me to be satisfied. I believe your service has a limit on the number of times I may feed from you. I will respect that limit, but as for sex....as far as I know your service has no limit on the number of times you can have sex, so there are no limits. As for the rest, we’ll have to be flexible, won’t we?”
    Roxanne blinked in the dim light of the limo. This was far beyond anything she’d ever been asked for. A tiny voice said run, but a much louder, and far more excited voice said maybe she’d found the Holy Grail of clients. Almost every worker secretly hoped to find a long-term client that would take them out of permanent rotation, set them up as a kept mortal and see to their needs for the rest of their life, even if it meant the occasional feeding. Roxanne knew two women and one guy who’d gotten into arrangements like that. Last she heard, one of the women had become a vampire, the second was living in the lap of luxury and the guy was rumored to either be dead or living in Mexico City. If she could make it through 24 hours with this guy, impress him enough, maybe he’d keep her on permanent retainer. But not unless I get my head out of my ass and act the part.
    “Is there a problem, Roxanne? I can enter your mind and read your thoughts, but I’d rather we keep open communication.”
    Roxanne swallowed hard. “No, no problems. This is just beyond anything I’ve ever been hired to do…” Try sounding professional, Rox...stop thinking like a back-alley hooker. She cleared her throat. “I believe I’ll be able to fully satisfy your needs. The Service and I appreciate your business.”
    The limo glided to a stop. Carlo waited for the driver to open their door. He exited the limo gracefully and then reached back to offer his hand to Roxanne. She hesitated only briefly, taking his hand and stepping out of the limo. She could feel Carlo looking her over, his eyes running hungrily over her body. He pulled her to him as the limo drove way, holding her by the waist as they walked into the lobby of an elegant apartment building.
    She knew the building, it was the Sancerre, and was a known haven for affluent vamps and a few humans who managed to co-exist with them. If Roxanne could live at the Sancerre, she didn’t think she’d care who her neighbors were, but some mortals were still creeped out by the thought of having a blood-sucker as a neighbor.
    Carlo led her toward the elevator, keying in a code Roxanne assumed was for one of the exclusive vampire-only floors. As they waited he placed his hand on the small of her back, idly trailing his hand down to her ass. He cupped one cheek, slowly massaging her, bunching up the edge of her skirt. She could feel his fingers brush against the skin of her inner thigh, probing gently against the crotch of her panties.
    The elevator arrived and Carlo slid his hand up her back, guiding her into the elevator. The doors closed silently behind them.
    Before the elevator had even started moving, Carlo had her