The Alternate Life of Isa and Eddie

My ruby patent heels clicked confidently as I walked down the hall to the guest dressing room, which was mine to occupy for two days. My pace remained steady and unhurried until I reached the door labeled with a temporary tag “Isa”. I casually turned the brass knob thankful it wasn’t silver. Slipping inside the room and shutting the door behind me, I collapsed against the back of the door closing my eyes.

I had been hired as the new face of the perfume Dior. No surprise, as they tend to like incredibly beautiful and sexy models for that type of job. I was Isa Siobhan, forever 32, completely flawless in every meaning of the word. Well, almost.  

Today was the first of a two-day photo shoot for the new line. Drama was the name of the new scent, and Eddie was the name of the gorgeous man modeling opposite me. He was an up-and-coming actor who of course I’d heard about through the grapevine but never met in person. Until today.  

Eddie Carver walked into the studio in his black leather jacket and met my green eyes with his deep brown ones. Instant chemistry. I hadn’t dated anyone in a decade, the same amount of time it took to build my career. I had no real interest in fame, but it happened to suit me due to my incomparable beauty and inability to age. Other men had caught my eye over years for sure, but there was no compatibility. We wanted different things and it didn’t even take a first date to figure that out. I already knew my darkest desire and I would bet my next paycheck it wasn’t remotely similar to theirs. 

I wanted blood.

Human blood.  

Pushing off the door with my hands, I clicked over to the leather sofa against the wall. Ignoring the golden mirror above the vanity, I examined my shiny crimson nails and adjusted the short black dress which was my final wardrobe selection of the day.

Pondering these new feelings, I slowly lowered myself to the couch. Eddie was unlike other men. He was arrogant, but then so was I. Referring to myself as having incomparable beauty should be evidence of that. But he was also funny. And smart (probably). And he kept gazing at me with such intensity. 

Why was I even considering getting involved with my new coworker? 

Coworker for only two days, I reminded myself.

I didn’t date because I threw myself into my job. But there was also my oath, the promise to myself that I would deny my strongest impulse of tasting and sustaining off of human blood in order to have a real life. 

Experience the real world among people.

Be rich and famous. 

Try to live among the living. 

I had a feeling Eddie might be about to ruin my plans. I only hoped he would make it out alive. 

The next morning, I arrived at the studio with a newfound anticipation. I ran my tongue across my white teeth and pressed my cherry-red lips together as my thoughts ran to Eddie and his dark hair. I really should be more focused on safeguarding his life, not his relationship status or how he looks in jeans, I thought. 

Last night I stopped at the butcher down the street from my condo in Spoonfield, a suburb of Los Angeles, and picked up my usual: a rare, bloody steak. It was enough to quench my thirst for the real thing and I could survive on it, but cow’s blood was a mediocre substitute.

The temptation to give in and taste the freshness of my true nature was unrelenting, but I had chosen this alternate lifestyle in order to be normal. As normal as a vampiress could possibly be. It wasn’t as satisfying to taste human blood when there was no one to share it with anyway.

“Ms. Isa!” Gwen, my enthusiastic makeup artist, called out to me. We just met the day before and she was, in a word, insufferable. Had she never spent time around famous stars before?

“Oh Isa! I just adored your shoot yesterday! Isn’t Eddie dreamy?”  I suppressed an eye roll. Like Gwen could get a man like Eddie. No, not Gwen. But I could. 

“Lets get this gorgeous face ready for today! Should we go more dramatic this time? Ha ha, drama, get it? I’m thinking more eyeliner to make those green eyes really pop!” Gwen gushed.  

When the torture with Gwen had ended I joined Eddie in front of the cameras. 

 “Left! Isa this way!”

“Chin down. Right hand a little higher on Eddie’s waist. Great!”  

Click click. Flash flash.

“Keep it up, you two look hot! That’s it! Look left!”   

Click click. Flash flash. 

Standing behind me with his hand on my hip, Eddie leaned down and whispered in my ear, “My what beautiful teeth you have.” My head snapped around to see him flash a sparkling white smile at me. “You know,” he said, “I don’t have many friends here. Would you like to go out for a bite after the shoot?” His eyes looked searchingly into mine and it hit me. 

Why we had this sudden attraction to one another. 

Why I was thinking of breaking my oath just to spend time with him. 

We were one and the same, Eddie and I. He was a vampire too, and I was his match made in, well, hell. 

“I would love to get a bite with you” I managed, giving him a sly gaze.

An hour later I was clicking my blood-red high heels down the hall to my dressing room when Gwen came hustling up to me. “Isa! Wasn’t that amazing! This new ad promo is going to be divine!”

“Indeed, Gwen.” I replied demurely, with only slight sarcasm in my voice. My career as the model for Drama by Dior was all but over. Once the oath to avoid human prey at all costs ended, I couldn’t trust myself to maintain my facade around people anymore. The deeds of a ghoul are difficult to hide while orchestrating friendships with humans, something I’d never been good at anyway.

With Eddie by my side though, the possibility of a new existence more than intrigued me. Feasting together in the darkness of night, carefully choosing our next victim, learning each other’s likes and dislikes. A glimmer of excitement crept up my spine as I imagined the bond we would share. Another of the undead who could understand the depths of my soul, or lack thereof. 

Eddie came around the corner locking eyes with me in front of my dressing room. “Ready to go? I’m famished.”

“She’ll be out in no time!” Gwen winked at Eddie and giggled toward me. “Let’s touch up your lipstick before your date! I happen to have this new shade; it’s called Sanguine!” She dashed into the room ahead of us. 

Eddie and I shared a decisive glance and entered the dressing room after Gwen, hand in hand, closing the door softly behind us.