Elizabeth and the Vampire's Cabin Read Free

she seemed strangely aloof while also engaged at the same time. She really
didn’t care much for the affections of men. She had a brief thought that a lot
of the young men at this party wanted to get into her pants, especially the two
men who had been speaking with Kitty outside. She wondered if they wanted to
make a try. She smiled to herself. No, they would not. They may have found her
attractive, but they wouldn’t attempt to make a move. She intimidated them. She
could tell. Particularly Arthur. Ugh. Elizabeth was ashamed. Though people
considered her to be a very “into herself” kind of girl, she wasn’t nearly as
haughty as she used to be. Years ago, she had shot Arthur down. They were in
middle school together, and her bluntness had never been one of her charms. I
sting like a bee with my words, she reflected. She had told Arthur, at a middle
school dance, that she would not dance with him. She also told him he was a
horrible dancer and not good at sports (both true). He responded that he was
too busy with sci-fi club for sports and couldn’t help being an awful dancer.
She gave him a death stare and he slowly edged away from her. She entertained
the notion that he backed away in case her animal instincts took over and she
decided to lunge if he moved away too quickly. Perhaps he even imagined her
hair standing up like hackles. But no matter how hostile the interaction was at
that point, it could not compare to what happened next. She called him
worthless. Those were her last words to him. She thought he was worthless, and
she would rather hang out with her loser brother. At that point, it wouldn’t
have surprised her if Arthur would also have preferred to hang out with her
loser brother. Though Austin was egotistical and shallow, he was still a lot
nicer than her.
    Elizabeth
watched as Jack moved off into the party to mingle with the other guests.
Arthur stayed put. She was no longer a thirteen year old girl rejecting him on
the dance floor. Maybe he would take a chance and try to get that dance with
her. If he still wanted it. Though he was eyeing her, she couldn’t imagine he
would still want anything to do with her after that awful exchange they had
years ago.
    Now
standing alone, Elizabeth began people watching. She was radiant with the light
from the chandelier shifting down on her. Arthur’s gaze, still in her
direction, became undeniably hungry.   She
then saw him purposefully move forward, as if he had just screwed up enough
courage to do so. Keep coming, Arthur, Elizabeth mentally coaxed. I’m not gonna
cut your balls off. He moved through the dancers and mingling guests.   He apologized here and there for accidentally
bumping into someone, but he tried to make a beeline for Elizabeth. He would
not be a wallflower. All he wanted was to be exactly what she wanted. She
needed a man who could match her stubborn confidence.
    “Elizabeth,”
he called to her as he approached. “May I have this dance?”
    Arthur
looked like he was anticipating a “no”. She felt an annoyed look cross her face
for his cowardice, but she forced it away and it vanished in a heartbeat. She
smiled warmly and held his gaze for a long moment.
    “I
promised myself that I wouldn't dance with a partner tonight.”
    "I
promise, once you start dancing with me, every man in this room who wants to be
dancing will have someone to dance with. I’m the last one who needs a dance
partner. Don't leave me hanging. You don’t want to miss this song do you? It’s
a classic.” It was Come Sail Away by Styx.
    “I
have turned down every guy who has approached me…until now.” She laughed and
took his hand. “I have the worst manners,” she said sincerely.
    Since
their middle school mishap, Arthur had actually developed into a fairly good
dancer. He swung her around the room, but he was so nervous that she said “ow”
quite a few times as he stepped on her toes. He apologized profusely until they
suddenly stopped near the door to