THE INTEREST

I live just a few blocks away from the store where I had first seen the girl that was giving me hours of restlessness, a couple of four to five blocks away on the much more posh side of the neighborhood. I lived in a white mansion that stood as the tallest building within a six-mile radius, so you definitely couldn’t miss it.

I am the only son of a vampire king, the heir to the throne should anything ever happen to my father, so there are so many pecks to being me.

I had over a dozen servants that cater to my every need, yet I am not easily described as a people person. I spend the greater part of my day attending a public function with the best poker face anyone can ever think of putting on, but once the show is over I lock myself inside my studio, painting away on something that would someday become a priceless painting for the humans to kill themselves over.

I had a restless night that night, and it was during those moments of restlessness that I made the decision that I had to see her again. I also decided that when I did see her this time I was going to introduce myself. How hard can it be

The alternative would be of course to send my men to go fetch her and bring her to me. It would only take them minutes, and she would be right here in front of me, possibly bound with rope in fear that she might run away or constitute some sort of nuisance, but that wasn’t going to be much of a problem for me.

Yet the problem is that this wasn’t the way I wanted her to see me. It has been a month since the day I first saw her at the store, and every day since that day, I have followed her to work and back from it. For the last part, it was just to make sure that she always made it back home safe or so I have managed to convince myself.

I want her to get to meet and know me under normal circumstances, and maybe, just maybe we can even be a friend.

I have never had a friend before, especially not one of the opposite sex, and most certainly not one so human. I have never needed one before today, but her I am daydreaming about the prospect of having a friend.

I need to understand what it was about her that made me want things that I have never wanted before.

I spent the entire night creating scenarios of possible coincidental meetings. Maybe I would run into her again at the store the next day and pretend that it was the first time but I know I would look out of place there again in my not so subtle designer ensemble, I know I did the last time I was there.

The cashier kept on asking if he could help me with anything in a mock British accent which I didn’t find funny in the slightest bit. For a moment I thought about scaring him shitless just for fun, just like I would have done in the old days, but even that did not give me enough satisfaction like it used to, so I perished the idea.

There were a thousand possibilities as to where we could crash into each other based on how frequently I tend to follow her these days, yet at the same time, there was also the thought that it all didn’t seem right to me. I needed to find a way to introduce myself to her, and I needed to do it as soon as possible.

“Your meal is ready your highness” I heard a voice say from behind me breaking me away from my sober thoughts.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to address me as that” I replied while turning away from the french windows to face Yuri my “supposed” bodyguard.

I do not know why I would need a bodyguard, but papa insisted that I had one and his word is the law around here so there is nothing I can do about it.

“I’m sorry your high….. ehhh ……”

“Nah forget about it, you can address me as whatever you like, you seem to like the title more than I do”

To this request Yuri says nothing, he simply gives me a little smile as he gave his exiting bow and turning around to leave the room. He has always been a man of little words, but whenever he spoke it was usually filled with so much wisdom.

He was the closest thing to a friend that I had, and it still felt strange that he had to always be so prime and proper around me.

I will like it if everyone around me would drop the whole royalty charade for just a little moment.

Maybe even a day or two. It gets a bit suffocating being the prince for over a century, and even more tiring now that I am about to be king any moment from now, sometimes I wonder how really papa and mama would feel in their private moments.

I know for a fact that it would get even more exhausting .

“Hey, Yuri!” I yell just as his back was about to disappear beyond the bedroom entrance.

My voice instantly stops him in his tracks.

“Can I ask you a question? Or maybe two? Frankly speaking I think my first question will lead to a series of follow-up questions”

“My prince, you can ask me anything you wish. I am bound by honor and oath to answer you”

I cringe a thousand times and roll my eyes at the mention of “My prince” i decide now to comment on it.

“What do you consider the best way to introduce yourself to a person, especially one that is of the opposite gender”

“I am afraid I do not understand your question, “ he says spotting a look of complete confusion.

How else will I say this and not give too much away?

“ Okay, let's just say that hypothetically speaking that there is this lady that I think I like and I want to make myself known to her, how do I go about the whole introduction process “

“You like someone ?” He asks with an uncharacteristic high pitch voice. His expression quickly transitioned to one of shock and whatever else he seemed to be spotting. Something along the lines of happiness, you can’t really be so sure when it came to the man’s facial expressions.

“Don’t get too excited. You did hear me mention the word “hypothetically” in the sentence right? Or do you not know what that means ” I shoot him a stern look for emphasis

“I am sorry My prince, even the possibility of you liking someone is a thing of great pleasure to any pair of ears. It is not something one hears every day, and frankly speaking, many of us didn’t think it would be something we would hear ever in this century and more possibly til death.”

He finishes his sentence a bit cautiously as if he was wary that his freedom of expression was only bound to get him into some sort of trouble.

“Yeah, I guess you and the others might be right. I thought so myself and even mother finally learned in the last century to give it a rest.”

“Yet there is something about this lady that seems to spark up something in me. A need for friendship, something I least expected to feel and most definitely not from a human girl.”

A choking sound from Yuri stops me from the back-and-forth pacing. I must have started it while I was rambling on about Rose.

I look over at my bodyguard for the third time this evening to find him trying to fix himself up while spotting yet another incredulous look on his face.

A look I couldn’t quite put a pin on, I otherwise consider myself a good judge of character but when it came to Yuri, it was a challenge each time.

I would be lying if I said I didn’t quite enjoy the moments of uncertainty.

His face has spotted more expression in the last thirty minutes than I have ever seen in over a century but I do not quite know whether to find this irking or amusing yet.

“What is the matter with you?” I ask feigning as much concern as possible. Yet I am sure he knew I didn’t care what his problem was. At least not right now.

“Nothing Sir, I thought I heard you say something about a human girl. Please pardon the terrible mistake”

“Ooh that is alright, I think you heard correctly. The hypothetical lady I wish to introduce myself to is indeed human and that is why I find myself a bit stuck.”

“It is not like I would know much about wooing a vampire lady too but at least or trying to be friends with one but then the odds would have been in my favor given that we are of the same kind but in this case, I don’t even know where to start.”

Instead of a reply or any form of encouraging words from Yuri, all I get was silence. That and the sound of his feet as he continues to shuffle his massive weight from one leg to another.

Some how I have managed to make the meanest shadow in the entire kingdoms uncomfortable.

I can’t say I am not enjoying this .