Casting a wishful look after Mari, Brittany sighed. “What I wouldn’t give to be that girl.”
“Have you tried being a little less pushy?” Mouse suggested.
“I’ve tried everything. Nothing works.”
Mouse sighed and sat again. “Does it have to be Clarita?”
“Does the sun rise at dawn? She’s my angel. She’s perfect. I met her in an orchard like this, you know. In the heat of summer, sun shining through the leaves and turning them translucent. She stood over me, her brows crinkled in the cutest way, and all I wanted was to press them flat and make her smile… It has to be her.”
“She needs some time, Brittany. You should back away. Give her space.”
“Give space, for someone else to swoop in and take my angel? She loves me. She won’t even look at me, because she still has the old Brittany in her eyes, and I don’t know how to become someone who she can look at.” Brittany hung her head. For a moment, the animated woman vanished, replaced by someone hollow and broken. Empty eyes stared at the ground. Her fingers knitted together, kneading at something that didn’t exist.
She looked up at Mouse. “I’m pleading you. Let me have this. One last chance to feel alive before an eternity of lonely undeath. Get Clarita to look at me. Even if she won’t love me… at least let her see me. The real me.”
Mouse swallowed. She really does love Clarita. As much as she plays and toys around, she’s serious about this. But… I can’t betray Clarita. “Clarita asked me to make you stop harassing her.”
“Fine. Perfect! Help me figure out how to make her love me without harassing her. We can make this work.”
Hesitating, Mouse bit his lip. Brittany did ask me first, but… “If Clarita finds out… her heart is already so fragile. She might not trust me again.”
“We won’t let her find out. Between you and me, we’ll make her fall in love with me for sure!” Brittany enthused.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Mouse sighed. He eyed Brittany. “Promise me you’ll give up, if she decides she doesn’t want you. Promise you won’t go back to biting women.”
Brittany smirked. “I can’t promise anything.”
“Then I can’t help you.” Mouse turned and walked away.
Brittany caught him by the arm. “Wait, wait. Alright. I won’t bite anyone for a week. How about that?”
“Brittany,” Mouse sighed.
“I’ll bite Sabelyn for you, how’s that? She’ll stop complaining after that,” Brittany offered.
Mouse gave her a look.
She frowned. “Come on, Mouse. Compromise a little?”
“Compromise a little? By letting you bite more people?” Mouse asked, crossing his arms.
“Alright, alright. How about this? As long as Clarita doesn’t hate me, I won’t bite anyone for a month,” Brittany offered.
“A month, on top of the week?”
“Don’t push your luck. Including the week.”
Mouse sighed. “It’s better than nothing.”
Brittany beamed. “I’ll be in your hands.”
“Why do you think I’m some kind of love guru, anyways?” Mouse muttered under his breath. I’m a virgin. I’ve never been in love before. I don’t know anything about love.
“Oh, I know. You smell delicious. But idealized love is exactly what I need right now.”
Mouse glared.
Brittany grinned. “It was pretty easy to guess what you were thinking, my cute prince...ess. We vampires do have… specific preferences, after all, and our noses are perfectly attuned, to, ah… those preferences.”
“I know a unicorn you’d love to meet,” Mouse said.
“He’s not a virgin.”
“He reminds me a lot of you,” he finished, narrowing his eyes at Brittany.
She laughed and stood, taking Mouse’s hand. Paper crinkled in his palm. “Meet me here, tomorrow. Bring Clarita.”
“Shouldn’t I pick the place? If I’m, you know, helping you catch Clarita’s heart? Since the orchard worked so well.”
Brittany waved her hand. “Trust me. This location? Guaranteed to work.”
She sauntered off, showing every angle of her tight pants on the way.
Mouse sucked in a deep breath. He shook his head, then opened his palm. His eyes widened. “Fucking hell.”
“What?” Cel peered over his shoulder at the paper. She laughed aloud. “Damn. What a choice!”