Chapter 13

Mark waited, not very patiently, around the side of what used to be Vinnie's Pizza. This had been where he took Jen on their first date. He had meant this to be a study date, so it wasn't a fancy restaurant. It was just supposed to be pizza with a friend. He quickly went over the events of that night. Jen had shown up dressed in a tee-shirt and jeans with her books in tow. The night progressed quickly as they talked about everything except the school work they had agreed to study. Mark smiled as he thought of it. How his innocent study date had turned into one of his fondest memories. They didn't kiss or talk about anything romantic. Perhaps that was why he had remained so calm, or maybe it was just that he was talking to Jen.

Apparently the place had been sold and was now abandoned. The front windows were both broken out, and it looked like no one had been here in many years. It was raining lightly, so Mark decided to wait between the buildings to get some shelter from the rain. While he waited, he watched the raindrops fall, heard each one splash against the concrete in a peaceful pattern that almost sounded like a song. The sound calmed him as he watched the neon clock across the street tick twelve fifteen.

Where was this Asuune030? They had said the back of the place, so he better head to the back. Mark assumed that this person would have walked through the alley, just like he had, but no one came. He had been there since eleven fifty. Surely, he would have seen this person. Maybe they weren't coming?

Mark walked toward the back of the building, and he saw a figure standing in the dark empty lot behind Vinnie's. The figure was facing away from him and had on a sweatshirt with a hood. There was a single light above the parking lot that barely lit the figure. Because of this, he couldn't tell until he got closer that this figure was a woman, a fairly short woman at that.

The jeans this woman wore were skin tight, maybe by choice or maybe because the woman looked completely drenched from the rain. The woman looked from side to side nervously, while Mark drew closer and he found that he was strangely attracted to this woman. She was quite good looking. It wasn't just the curve of her ass in her skin-tight jeans but the silhouette of her soaked body was quite alluring. Mark found himself desiring this woman as he cautiously moved closer.

What was he thinking? His wife had just died. How could he be so attracted to this woman? Throughout his entire marriage he had never actually been attracted to any woman but his wife-and Sarah. When he was a few feet from the woman she turned around, and he recognized her right away, it was Sarah. Mark grew furious, Sarah knew about all of this, and she had let Jen die! As angry as he was, it disappeared the moment Sarah spoke.

"Took ya long enough, cutie," Sarah said as she stared into his eyes. "We have a lot to discuss, but first let's get out of this rain. I'm fucking soaked!"

Mark wasn't sure how to respond at first, it was Sarah. She knew about vampires and all this shit that was happening to him, but it was still Sarah. "Ok," he finally responded.

Mark followed Sarah, occasionally admiring the view of her from behind, as she led the way through the alleyways. How could he be thinking this way so soon after his wife had died? There was just something about Sarah. Sarah was so much like his wife, yet looked so completely and beautifully different. Mark found himself wanting Sarah more than he had ever wanted her before. It felt just like the way he wanted Jen, and it was very confusing. After a few more minutes and many turns, they finally arrived at their destination. The Hotel Sandleton. Mark had barely noticed how far they had gone. He was completely mesmerized by the rain-soaked beauty walking in front of him.

"Seriously? Roger's hotel?" Mark asked indignantly.

"This will all make sense in a few, cutie," Sarah replied, smiling over her shoulder.

Arg! Why did Asuune030 have to be Sarah?! If it had been anyone else in the world, he could have yelled at them, demanded explanations, but he had never been able to tell Sarah no. Often he wondered, if Sarah had asked him to cheat on Jen would he have been able to say no? But then again Sarah would have never asked that. Maybe that was why he could never tell her no, she was just as perfect as Jen. Mark's emotions were all over the place. He missed Jen, but now that he was staring at Sarah, her wet clothes clinging to her perfect body, all he could do was think of Sarah.

Sarah stopped at the front desk and leaned over to whisper to the older man that was clearly the desk clerk.

"My friend and I might get a little loud. His new-situation and all, not to mention Jen. If any of the guests ask, it is emergency maintenance on the master suite. Please offer them a discount, free breakfast, whatever it takes," Sarah said, then stepped away from the desk.

"Yes, Miss Sandleton," the older man replied respectfully.

"How did we not know?!" Sarah asked, her voice getting louder and more agitated.

"I have no idea, miss. There was no chatter. It had to be Sariel." The desk clerk seemed scared as he replied.

Sarah took a few steps into the middle of the room, next to one of the enormous marble columns.

"I FUCKING KNOW IT WAS SARIEL!" Sarah yelled as she put her hand through the marble pillar. The sound was like a shotgun being fired in a small, empty room. Marks eardrums felt like they were going to burst. Sarah pulled her fist from the pillar and shook the blood covered marble chips off, then turned to the clerk.

"Sorry, I'm not taking Jen's death as well as I'd like," Sarah apologized. "I'll call someone to come fix that tomorrow. It wasn't load-bearing, so it should be fine."

"I understand Miss Sandleton, if you need anything, please let me know." The clerk seemed more at ease now. He was probably glad Sarah took her anger out on the pillar instead of him, Mark reasoned.

Before Mark realized it, Sarah was halfway across the intricately decorated room. Mark hurried to catch up, but his attention was divided between looking at the beautiful marble pillars, the intricately decorated floor, and tables in the entry room of the hotel. Then there was the stunningly beautiful woman leading him. Mark could not take his eyes off her. Sarah opened then closed her hand a few times, and a few more flecks of Marble fell to the floor. Mark was awestruck by the speed at which Sarah's wounds healed. Before they had left the entry room, all of the cuts on Sarah's hand were almost completely gone.

Mark continued to follow Sarah, down the hall and up a few flights of stairs, to the floor where the rich patrons stayed. This floor had only a few doors because the size of each room was nearly three times that of the rooms on the lower floors. What the hell was going on? Sarah Sandleton? Just then Mark realized that he had never asked Sarah what her last name was. He had never bothered to find out, she was just Sarah.