Summer Nights

Upon entering the diner, Ethan walked to the counter demanding that the waitress bring what he had requested earlier. Rather than explain why she had not followed his directives prior to his arrival, she dropped her gaze and rushed to the kitchen. Ethan turned to Brit looking her over carefully before placing his usual triad of kisses on her forehead, cheek and lips. Then, without warning, Ethan trapped Brit quickly against the wall with one hand about her waist and blocked any thought of escape with his body. His other hand held a cane. He asked, “So, have you been eating and drinking to keep yourself from hunger and thirst?” The tip of the cane traced her shoulder and neck.

Brit explained that she had been very thirsty, but not so hungry. With a glance, Ethan could see several empty glasses of juice and nodded, “So. Much juice.” He ran the cold tip of the cane up and down her neck slowly trailing over her bite marks. Brit reached up to his cheek caressing it lightly. Ethan placed a slow kiss on her lips. This time, the kiss was far less playful than the triad from before and he said in a low voice, “My good girl.” Brushing her hair back, he added, “Do make sure that you are not thirsty.” Seeing the waitress, he motioned Brit toward the booth.

Brit picked at the food more disassembling it on her plate than really eating. With a sigh, Ethan told the waitress to bring some French fries and was surprised when they too held marginal interest to Brit. Regardless, he motioned for Brit to eat and blanched when she dumped a river of ketchup on top of the fries after practically coating them in salt. Ethan fed them to her one at a time rewarding her with angel-kisses between each ingested fry. With half the fries left on the platter, Brit again told him that she did not feel hungry. He lingered against her lips breaking the kiss only when he worried that she might need to take a breath. “I have missed you,” he grumbled. “And the summer makes the nights shorter. And then I miss you more and crave your nearness.” His voice had a melancholy tone that faded as he leaned to her again and fed her more fries laced with kisses.

His actions and voice seemed odd to her. Outside, someone ran down the street screaming about a mutated gigantic frog. Ethan rested his chin on the top of her head and watched the man disappear down the street. “Are you well,” Brit lisped. When he did not answer, she said, “I rest with you daily, and I spend my nights with you.” He pulled her closer to him wrapping his arms around her protectively. She whispered, “Are you sad?”

Ethan allowed the waitress to pick up the tray. Most of the French fries were gone and a lake of ketchup remained on her plate. The juice was gone, but most of her milkshake and the Vienna-styled schnitzel remained. He said softly, “Not sad. Demanding and dependant of your time. No. Our time.” With a sigh, he continued, “With the summer night, I cannot seem to get enough time with you, princess.” He placed a pair of soft kisses against her temple and then her lips. Watching her eyes, he said, “I cannot get enough of my wife.” His voice was as soft as a church confession. Her response was a shy smile because Brit did not know how to reply to such words.

There was a drop of ketchup on the corner of her mouth. He grinned as he reached for a napkin. “Now, that looks almost like….” Ethan went silent as he dabbed the ketchup off and dropped the napkin on the table. Taking her hand, he said simply, “Let us relocate.” He pulled her from the booth gently while asking, “How would you like to go to the beach tonight?” He did not wait for a response guiding her out of the door. While walking, he said, “There are many other ways of sharing vitae…with effects you seem to be noticing.” He walked quietly for a moment while running his hand up and down her side over the lacy fabric of her dress. With a low whisper, he said, “I want to try something with you.”

The night was short and soon they were in their resting spot again. Brit was crumpled against him. Whispering more to himself than talking to her, he said, “I shall never grow tired of doing this.”