Strictly Taboo(16)

“You are from Romania?” He asked, frowning. The woman took another small sip from the bottle, winced and then shook her head.

“No, but I studied Romanian. In fact I'm heading to Bucharest today to begin a year of studying at the university.” The woman shared so freely of herself that Francis couldn't help but respond.

“I also am heading to Bucharest.” He said, unscrewing the cap of his last airport bottle. “But that is not the end of my travel. I must then go to Bran.” He took a drink from the bottle, this time leaving it half full.

“Ahh, then you must know a lot about the history of Vlad the Impaler?” The woman asked, intrigue flashing in her eyes. Francis shrugged.

“I know a little.” He said, being purposefully evasive. After the past couple of days, he wasn't looking to get in to any conversation that centered on vampires. The woman nodded.

“I imagine it would be very frustrating to have people ask you that all the time,” she took another sip from her bottle. “I'm sorry. I just find all cultural history of Romania to be so fascinating!” As she said this, Francis noticed something in the way she spoke about his homeland. Whenever she mentioned it, it was as though her entire body came to life when it had otherwise been sleeping. Francis smiled at her, momentarily forgetting the events of the day.

“To be truthful, not many people are knowledgable of Bran. It is Transylvania they know and Dracula!” Francis emphasized the word Dracula and the young woman laughed.

“Well, it just so happens that I'm not like many other people.” The woman said. Francis finished off his last bottle and threw it on the chair beside him.

“Then, I am very glad to be meeting you. I am Francis.” He extended his hand and the young woman took it and shook it firmly.

“I'm Rosa.” She said before grabbing the cap of her bottle and moving to the seat on the other side of Francis. She leaned in to him. “So, what were you doing here in New York?” She asked. Francis scratched his neck as he tried to think of a plausible excuse.

“I was looking for someone.” He said, dropping his hand to his thigh. Rosa nodded.

“Did you find her?” She asked. Francis looked at her with a frown.

“Why are you thinking that it is a her?” He asked, a slight smirk on his lips. This time it was Rosa who shrugged.

“Because you are a handsome man.” She said, giving him a wink. “Besides, what man travels for more than twelve hours to look for another man?” She paused for a second reflecting on her question in such an age of sexual freedom. ‘What I meant was…” She tried to correct herself, but Francis waved his hand.

“I know what you meant.” He said. “I just was giving you a hard time.” Rosa shook her head.

“Thank goodness, I would have talked myself in to knots trying to get out of that one without offending anybody.” She sighed exaggeratedly and wiped her brow. Francis shook his head. “You didn't answer my question though…did you find her?” Rosa watched as Francis seemed to ponder his answer to her question. Then finally he spoke.

“I thought I did.” He said. “But it turned out that I was wrong.” Rosa nodded her head slowly and then reaching over she patted the top of his hand.

“I'm sorry for that.” She said. “Sometimes the worst thing that can happen is finding out that someone isn't who we think they are.” Francis nodded sorrowfully. Rosa had no idea just how right she was.





Chapter 8




It took another two airplane bottles of whiskey for Francis to begin talking again after Rosa had reminded him of his own subterfuge. But there was something about her that seemed to lure him in. Just as Anne’s innocence had pulled him to her, there was something about Rosa that made her almost magnetizing.

“So you have no wife and no girlfriend, huh?” Rosa squinted at him skeptically. He nodded. “I find that very hard to believe.” She reached over and pinched his arm lightly. “Nope, you feel real alright.” She raised an eyebrow. “Wait a minute…you're not a mass murderer are you?” She paused, her eyes widening. “Or a descendant of Vlad the Impaler coming to New York for a taste of fresh blood!” She giggled at the ridiculousness of her comment, but when she noticed that Francis wasn't laughing she stopped. “Shit, sorry, I did it again, didn't I? God, me and my big mouth!” She reached over with one arm and as best she could, she hugged Francis. The scent of her tickled at Francis’s nose. It wasn't a deplorable scent, not like most of the mortals he had met on his travels so far. No, there was something about Rosa that was different. He leaned in to the hug and took a deep breath, finding out everything he needed to know about her body chemistry. There was definitely something different about Rosa.