The Sunset is Coming

"HENRY!!" My eyes flung open, and Roxanne was shaking my shoulders. We were in the parking lot of a massive resort. Roxanne continued, "You were shaking and talking in your sleep." I asked, "Are you real?" Roxanne caressed my head, kissed me, and rubbed the spot on my chest where she marked me. She reassured, " Yes. I'm real babe." That was a term I wasn't used to hearing, and it filled my stomach with butterflies. Roxanne continued, "Did you have a bad trip?" I affirmed, "Yeah. I had a dream about the old hospital. There was a prison riot, and I got my nose broken. I felt the pain, and the dream was undisguisable from reality. I got shot in my neck and felt the blood gushing out." I paused, then whispered, "I died in your arms." Roxanne shed a tear and uttered, "That's horrible. No more viles for you." I said with a grin. "Deal. On a good note, I can fully move my Achilles again." Merlin took his opportunity, still rocking his pink collar, jumped on the center console, and started licking my face. I laughed and began to rub his head. I was back in reality but wondered why I couldn't leave the past where it belonged. I have been through a lot, not a prison riot, thank goodness, but still a lot of trauma. Roxanne reassured me, "We will always have your back." Roxanne leaned in to kiss me, but Merlin had other plans. 

He intercepted and gave Roxanne a wet, slobbery kiss. Roxanne reeled, giggled, and said, "Careful, Henry, Merlin might steal me from you." Merlin was entirely in my lap, and Roxanne's statement raised an interesting question. I looked down, and Merlin still had his huevos. I remarked to Roxnne. "We must keep this player on a leash so we don't have to pay child support." Roxanne snickered. "If we can't have kids, we might have to settle for puppies instead." I wondered, "What will be more work? A puppy or a kid?" Roxanne challenged, "We could try both?" I asked Merlin, "What do you think?" He looked at me and tilted his head, looking confused. Roxanne and I both audaciously laughed. I asked Roxanne, "How did you find this place?" Roxanne responded, "We stopped for gas, and I asked the cashier. She said this place is fantastic for couples and dog friendly." I nodded, and we grabbed all of our vital items. We walked into the lobby, and it rivaled the Vegas hotel. It had a giant aquarium, a water fountain, and an immaculate statue of a couple. I presumed, "You have a plan, don't you." She giggled, exposing her gorgeous dimples, "It's my turn to host a riveting adventure." We checked in at an ultramodern kiosk and made our way to the room. We got into the elevator, and it went down. It descended for about 10 seconds, and it opened. We got out and proceeded down the hallway to our room. Roxanne opened the door to behold the living room with a massive glass wall holding back the mesmerizing ocean. I set down my stuff and walked up to the glass. There were fish of all sizes, colors, shapes, and ferocity. I looked down, and Merlin was quietly studying the fish. I patted his head and affirmed, "Good boy." Roxanne grabbed my hand and said, "I thought you would like it." I looked at her, and she continued, "I saw photos of the ocean you packed from your old house. I grasped her waist and pulled her to my side. She asked, "Which one is your favorite?" I pointed to a massive barracuda cruising above the reef. I said, "Barracudas remind me of myself. They don't look dangerous but are able to throw them down when needed." Roxanne challenged, "I don't know what you are talking about. You are cute and cuddly." I smiled and kissed her. I moved my hands to her rear, and she interrupted, "Not yet. I have a surprise and must outdo the space ride, but it has to wait for sunset." I said with a devious smile, "I can't wait."

I walked over to the mini bar, which had a cocktail machine. I scrolled through the options and found what I was looking for. I selected an Old Fashioned and realized one thing. Despite vampires having a high tolerance for booze, I never asked Roxanne what her favorite drink was. I turned around to find Roxanne thumbing through the T.V. channels. I asked, "What is your favorite type of cocktail?" Roxanne pondered, "I rarely drink alcohol because it doesn't do much for us, but I used to like Rum." I hypothesized, "I have an idea." Roxanne laughed, "That's dangerous." I chuckled and went to town on the machine, selecting ingredients but, most importantly, upping the serving size of the alcohol. I went with a Black Opal but tripled every component. The machine sounded like a war was occurring inside, and Roxanne looked over in horror. The contraption produced this intimating fishbowl with a murderous black color. Roxanne got up, snatched the fishbowl from my hand, and said, "No way in hell I'm drinking that unless you up your game." She ordered, "Kill that drink and turn around?" I pounded the Old Fashioned and prayed to the lord that I wouldn't get whiskey dick.

All I heard was the contraption sputtering and the gears grinding to produce the concoction that should belong in purgatory. Roxanne tapped me on the shoulder, and I whipped around. She held out this massive copper mug. Referring to the vodka, I declared, "I'm down to get white girl wasted." She laughed and handed it to me. While holding her fishbowl up, Roxanne proclaimed, "To family." I repeated, "To family." I began to take a sip, but Merlin interrupted by whining. I asked, "Do you feel left out?" Merlin nodded. My eyes widened, and without losing eye contact in case he decided he had enough of us. I said to Roxanne, "Is that normal?" She guessed, "I have no clue, but we should probably listen to him." Roxanne went to the kitchen and pressed a button on the wall. A few seconds later, the oven opened, and a huge tomahawk steak appeared. Roxanne grabbed the steak, and Roxanne interrogated Merlin, "Are you a wendigo?" Merlin shook his head." She continued, "A shapeshifter?" Merlin shook his head. Roxanne concluded, "Just a smart dog?" Merlin nodded. She conceded, "That's good enough for me." She handed the massive steak to Merlin, and he disappeared around the corner. I followed him, and he had found the room just for him. It was furnished with a grass area, a giant dog bed, a water fountain, and a long hallway suited for the mountain tennis ball launcher. I returned to Roxanne and said, "The feds did an excellent job training him." Roxanne agreed. "They did. Drink up because the sunset is coming."