Appointment with Ulrich d’Allemagne @ 1300hrs.

One minute I was by myself and the next my hand was being kissed.  The man shot me a wink before reclining on the floor.

“What’s up doc?”

“Ulrich I presume?”

“That would be me.”

I watched as he reached into the pocket of his tight leather pants and pulled out a cigarette. “There’s no smoking in here.”

“Just a quick drag on the fag love and then I’ll play nice,” he said in silken tones. I blinked rapidly then shifting in my chair shook my head.

“Sorry. You can step outside if you’d like.”

He tapped the end of the cigarette into the palm of his hand before giving a shrug.  “I’ve been smoking for over one hundred years. A few minutes isn’t going to kill me now is i t?” Winking, he slipped it back into his pocket.

Ulrich speaks casually about being a vampire. A vampire is…

“That would be vampyre with a ‘y’ doc.”

He grinned, showing a sharp incisor when I stared at him in shock. He tapped his forehead. “Before you write it you think it…and broadcast it loud enough for everyone to hear.”

“Right.” Tossing the pencil to the side, I’d take notes after he’d gone, I folded my hands in my lap. “So what brings you here today?”

“Everyone else was doing it! Why not me?”

“You don’t strike me as the type to follow after everyone else Ulrich.”

“No? What type do I strike you as?”

“Take charge, always in control, secretive.”

“Don’t hold back doc. And I’m all those things. I’ve had to be. You wouldn’t understand my life. No one would.”

“It says here that you have a younger brother? I’m sure-”

“Caleb is the last person I would want to burden with my troubles. He’s a sensitive soul. He doesn’t have the shields that most vampyres have which leaves him open to everything. One of the reason he doesn’t come out very often.”

“You two are close?”

“Yeah, I’m the one that wiped his snotty nose and fed him when he was crying.”

“Your parents-”

“Our mother was a whore.”

“And your father?”

“Caleb’s father was a chimney sweep.”

“And yours?”

Digging around in his pocket he pulled out the cigarette and brought it to his mouth before heaving a sigh as I cleared my throat. “Damn,” he muttered then shook his head.

“I’d only just met my father right before I forced Caleb to turn me.”

“And?”

“He was just a man.”

“I see.” There was something about his tone that told me there was more to that story but I decided to leave well enough alone. “So, have you ever been married?”

I watched in fascination as his muscles tightened one by one. “Ulrich? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I was just thinking about…”

“About what?” Or who?

“There is a female I’m interested in but she won’t have anything to do with me.”

“Why’s that?”

“When you see her ask her for me will ya?” He rose. “Now I’m gonna pay a litte visit to Nolan. I think I need something a little stronger than a cigarette now. Later doc.”

He bowed regally before striding out the door.

Ulrich has father issues that run deep. And an affection for a female that runs deeper. Who is this female and why wont’ she have him?