I prepared my pastels and readied my canvas as the gentle breeze blew through my hair. Alone on the Gondola with the driver, he encouraged small-talk but I wasn’t interested in conversation. A once in a lifetime, all expenses paid trip to Italy, brought here by a new client.
I met him online, hearted one of his corny jokes (What kind of candy do vampires like? Suckers!) and then a few minutes later, received a notification that a message awaited me. He complimented me on my artwork and offered me a job. Maybe I accepted too quickly. Either way, he delivered an envelope to my hotel room last night with instructions not to open it until I was on the water. He was as beautiful as his profile picture – Tall with wavy dark hair, pale skin and ruby red lips. His breath; sweet, when he leaned in to voice his gratitude. I was mesmerized, drawn in by his mysterious ambiance.
Ten thousand dollars and a photograph of a camera flash in a mirror but nobody holding the camera. Confused, I stared at the oddity.
“You can’t see me?” The captain turned towards me, different than when we began the journey but recognizable as my employer. Instantaneously, he sat next to me as the boat now maneuvered itself. “I had to have you and what better way to get what you desire than through the admiration of one’s creativity,” his heavy breathing came before his pearly fangs. “Sucker! Do you still fancy my comedy?”
Leesa Writes 