Sheridan Blackwood stared at the pile of fan mail on his desk. It had been like this for weeks. He could not keep up, and it was taking time away from his writing. He looked at his girl friend for help. She smiled at him, and again mentioned what she had already mentioned numerous times.

“You need an assistant,” Patti Moberly said.

“I have you, why can’t you help?” he asked.

“it’s not my responsibility to keep your fan mail down.”

Banging his head against the table, “maybe you are right.”

“About getting an assistant?” she asked with hope in her voice.

He glared at her, and then looked at the boxes of fan mail. “Yes,” he said between clenched teeth. He hated admitting he was wrong.

“How should we find one for you?” she asked walking over to him, and then leant over him eyeing all the mail across his desk.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Was your idea.”

“Ok. Hmm… maybe a contest?” she said pacing the floor.

“A contest? To be my assistant? That’s kind of stupid don’t ya think?” he said eyeing Patti as she burnt a hole in the floor.

She stopped abruptly staring at him. “Stupid? You have no idea how many people love you do you?”

“Yeah, but they all think I am a girl.” He sighed. He regretted never mentioned or correcting the thought that “Sherry Blackwood” was a female.

“You could pass as a girl,” she snickered pulling his long black hair into a pony tail. “Just put some make up on, and your set.” She joked with him.

“Very funny!” he groaned.

“I will pretend I am you when dealing with the assistant.” She said.

“Ok good idea.” He nodded. “Do what you need to get this contest started, so I can get back to my writing.”

She nodded and then glided out of the room.

 

“A contest!” Sherry editor said staring at Patti dumbfounded.

“yes, he needs help. He is having a hard time keeping up with his fan mail and writing.” Patti sipped her Tea.

“But isn’t that kind of dangerous? I mean they all think he is a female. This is just crazy!” Thomas buried his hands into his hair.

“Tom, it’s a great idea!’” Patti watched him pace back and forth across the shiny tiled floor.

Tom stopped, pulled his hands away from his hair, and looked at her. “How would we do a contest? He is world known. We would have to get this contest spread around the world. That will take a lot of money won’t it?”

Patti rolled her eyes, “Look who were talking about. He has money, lots of it.”

“And this was his idea?” Tom lifted a brow at her.

“Umm... yes?” She smiled guilty.

“Just as I thought. Fine. You win.”

She jumped up and clapped her hands. “Great! Let’s get started on it!”

Tom sighed and shrugged his shoulders, and walked to his computer, then picked up the phone.

Patti sat in the little love seat in the corner while Tom made a few dozen calls to different places around the world. Soon it would everywhere about this contest.

“You have the e-mail fan base right?” She asked.

“Yes.”

“Then send out e-mail letters announcing it that way too.” Patti said smiling.

“Nice idea.” Tom said starting on a letter on his computer to send.

“I figured you’d realize that would be the main way to get it out.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

“How is he doing on his book?” Tom asked after hitting the send button for the e-mail.

“Slowly. He was trying to keep up with his fan mail and e-mail. Which is impossible while writing a book.”

“True.” Tom nodded his head, taking a big swallow of his coffee.

“Have any more tea?” She glanced around the room.

“yeah, I will get you some. Oh yeah… I was going to ask you something.”

Patti lifted her head to him. “Yes?” she didn’t like the accusation in his voice.

“Are you hiding from someone?” he asked looking over his shoulder at her, as he stirred the sugar in the tea.

She felt as her world just stood still. “Why do you ask?”

“Because a man claiming to be your husband called here this morning.”

“Damn!” She clenched her fists.

“So you are?” He turned, and walked to her. He sat down beside her, handing her the steaming tea.

She nodded, almost in tears. She feared for her life around her husband. “He use to beat me, and that’s actually how I met Sherry.”

“really?” Tom said looking at her.

“You didn’t say I was here did you?”

“Of course not. He kept asking all kind of questions. I kept saying I don’t know who you re talking about. But he was very persistent.”

“So he doesn’t know I am here.” Her hands began to shake.

“No. Has sherry seen him before?” Tom asked rubbing her arm in comfort.

“No, he never has seen him, but he knows of him, and knows what he done to me that night he found me lying in the ally.”

“what!” Tom’s eye brows rose.

“yeah. That’s how he met me. My husband had thought I was dead, so he left me in a alley away from our home. I thought he would think I was dead. I have no idea how he found out that I was alive.” Tears streamed down her face. “I am so scared.”

“You need to tell sherry about this. That he called.” Tom said squeezing her hand.

“No! I don’t want to put him in danger. I will figure out how to deal with this on my own, so please don’t tell him. Promise me you want.”

“Patti, you know how much I care for you. You are like my daughter.”

“Tom! Please do this for me.”  She begged him.

“Fine. But if this guy finds out you are here, and if he comes near you, I will tell sherry.”

“Ok. Deal. Hopefully he is still in the states, and not here in Scotland.”

“Yeah, I hope so.” Tom shook his head.

They spent several more hours talking on the phone and making flyers to send out in the mail to numerous places. It was well into the night before Patti headed back Blackwood castle. As she pulled up, she saw sherry standing in the garden. He seemed restless. His hands deep in his pocket, he walked glancing back and forth at the roses.  She hoped he had found out that her husband tried to make contact with her. He would be furious and might even try to kill him.

 

Sheridan Blackwood stared out into the night. The moon was full which always put him on edge, but tonight he felt something different.  He felt something was coming that he could not control. He had no idea if it was good or bad, or both.  His mother’s rose garden always brought peace to him. He remembered her sitting on the bench reading to him, listening the sounds of the night.  He never knew what the day was like. His mother had been changed into a vampire, but he was born as one. His father had also been born as a vampire.  They both had chosen to end their life. He knew he would come to that point, but he was not there just yet. He had not met the women his father talked of. Not a certain women, but just one that he referred to has his mate.  His father said he would know when he met her, because he could feel her, and things about him would change. He had not met her yet, but hoped he would.

“Sherry. Are you ok?” Patti asked walking into his sanctuary.

He had told her many times not to disturb him when he was out in the garden, but she never listened. “I am fine.” He lied looking up at the tall castle walls.

“Then why are you here?” she waved her arms in the area.

“I was just restless, it’s the moon.” He nodded toward the bight white moon.

“Oh.” Patti said.

He looked at her. Her short brown hair pulled back into a somewhat ponytail. He always thought it looked funny, but didn’t have the heart to tell her.  Her baggy jeans and white crumply t-shirt made her look a slob. He hoped when he did meet his mate, she would be more neat then Patti. He didn’t even really still want to be with Patti, but he knew he had no choice. She had left her abusive husband to come to him. He had found her almost dead, and brought her back. Most of the time he could not stand to be around her. Her screechy voice put him on edge, and her boldness just didn’t work for him. He wanted a woman he could protect, and Patti knew how to handle herself. He just didn’t feel he was really needed to her.

“Really I am fine,” he looked into her brown eyes, “I am.”

“Whatever. Well anyways I got the contest started. Tom didn’t like the idea to much, but I finally talked him into it,” she said pulling on his long sleeve.

“Good, I hope it turns out well.”

Patti pulled him into her arms, and kissed him. He felt no passion for her, but kissed her back anyways. “Me too.” She bit his lip playfully.

Feeling all of a sudden suffocating, he backed away from her. “I think I should go work on my book.” He quickly kissed her and left her standing in the garden alone.

He walked through the long castle halls. His feet making a clicking noise against the marble floors. His castle was kept immaculate. He could not stand dust.  He had fired many housekeepers because they couldn’t do the job.  He pushed open his office door and seen that Rebecca was cleaning it. He smiled at the young girl.

“I’m sorry sir!” she said walking quickly toward the door.

“Oh no problem Becca. The room looks wonderful.  Please sit down for a drink?” He said eyeing her.

“Really?” She seemed unsure of herself.

“Please do. I want to know if you like your job.” He said mixing a couple drinks for them.

He watched as she uncomfortably sat on the black leather love seat. “I really like it. Keeps me busy, and it has helped me a lot since moving to this town.”

“Good. You do a great job. How old are you again, Becca?”

“Twenty-five.” She said and lifted her eyebrow. “Why?”

“Oh just curious.” He handed her the drink, and sipped his own.

“Oh.” She looked at the drink, then back at him.

“It’s fine.” He laughed. “Don’t feel so uncomfortable, I just like knowing who is working for me.”

She nodded, and looked toward the door. She reminded him as a scared mouse. “Go ahead.”

She quickly jumped up and almost ran for the door, then remembered she was holding the glass. Then sat it back down and looked at him, then nodded and left the room.

He did not understand why he intimated people so easily. He didn’t look like an ogre; he was in fact very good looking. Well that’s what women had told him. He shrugged his shoulders, and gave up the idea of making friends with his employees, they always ran away.

He sat at his laptop, and opened his novel on it, and stared at the blank page. If they knew he had written nothing in four months, he would never hear the end of it. His mind just has not been into it. He glanced at the pile of letters, and then at the letters he sat aside.  He picked up the small bundle and reread them. He had no idea, but the girl intrigued him. Her name was Holly. She always claimed being his number one fan, but again all the letters from all his fans said the same. But he felt a need to communicate with her. He knew he would never meet her in person. For one thing she thought he was a female. He had replied to every one of her letters, and she always replied back. It had been going on for four years now. He felt like he really knew this girl. He didn’t know her last name, only her first name. Holly. He thought about her often. She lived in California. He had passed through the state a few times, but never visited. Knowing she was there, he had almost gone just to see her. To see his number one fan. But it would never work. He would probably lose her as the dear friend she had become to him, as Ms. Sherry Blackwood. He would not do anything to destroy that.

He stood up and stared out the large window as he did every night, thinking about her. She had become an obsession to him that he feared would never subside.

 

Trailing the elaborate rose carvings in the bench with her finger tips, Patti watched Sherry in the window, where she had noticed him every night for the last few weeks. He seemed so far away. She could feel him slowly pulling away from her, and she was afraid that he would completely pull away and stay in this dark place where he has decided to reside lately. She looked more closely at his expression. He almost seemed to be missing someone? But who? He really didn’t have any close friends, or family. He had made it a rule not to get attached, because he had watched so many people die. He even told her, he didn’t want her to stay with him her whole life, and that it would only be a temporary relationship?   Maybe that is what he was doing. Pushing her away, so it wouldn’t hurt when she was not there. Did he really love her that much? She wiped away the oncoming tears. It hurt, but at the same time felt good to think he did love her.  He never told her he did, but she had told him many times that she loved him. Glancing back up, she noticed him watching her, then he turned his head and stared back at the dark night.

She stayed in that spot for a couple hours, hoping he would come back to her, but he never did. The hour was late, and she could feel her body giving into sleep. She glanced once more at him, and then shook her head in disappointment as she stood up. Tears streamed down her face, as she walked into the castle. She missed him, missed talking to him, and holding him. Was this it? Was it over? She wouldn’t let it be. She would fight to keep him.

Pushing open her bedroom door, she glanced around the room. The housekeeper had made it up for her, as she always did. That’s what Patti liked, constancy, so not being able to do the same things with Sherry bothered her. Kicking her shoes off, she winced as they hit the wall. She hadn’t realized she kicked them off so hard. She waited a moment to make sure no one came to her room, thinking something was wrong.  But no one did. It was past one am she thought to herself, so why would anyone come in. They were all sleeping, expect her and Sherry. She slowly pulled off her over sized shirt and pulled of her jeans. She looked at the bed, and noticed her night shirt was still lying on it, over her tightly made bed. She hated it when the house keeper made her bed. It felt like a cocoon. She liked to have the room to move around. So she tore off all the blankets and sheets and remade the bed to her liking, as she did every night it seemed. After getting in her night shirt, she slid into her bed, and pulled the comforter close to her, as tears streamed down her face. She was tired of crying every night, and hoping Sherry would come to her. They had not made love in five months, and it really bothered her.

The next morning Patti woke to her cell phone. She glanced at the time. It was only seven am. She growled at the phone as she anserwed it.

“Hello,” she said in a grumpy tone.

“Good morning? Did I wake you?” Tom asked in an unsure voice.

“Yes…, what do you need Tom?” she said falling back into her pillow.

“I just wanted to let you know we already have two hundred entry’s into the contest. Through the e-mail entries”

That made Patti lean back up quickly. “Really! That’s wonderful!”

“I see that made you feel a little better.” He laughed.

“Let’s let it go through for a week, as we originally planned though. We still have the mail in ones to wait on.”

“Ok. I wasn’t planning on closing down already.” He snickered. “I just wanted you to know how well it is going.”

“We will let Sherry pick the winner; I will let him know to look through the e-mail entries for now.”

“Ok. See you later?”

“Maybe, not sure what I will be doing today.” She said, and then hung up the cell.

Patti stared at the ceiling. She knew the contest would be a success. Sherry was a well known author all over the world. 

 

 

That night Sherry decided to stop thinking about Holly and get to work on his book. He had to have something to show. He eyed the glass filled with life essence. Blood. What he would do be a mortal. To be able to see the sun. He knew his thoughts were only fantasy, and nothing could come from them. But he tired of being alone. He had Patti, but she just wasn’t want he wanted. She was good to be around awhile, but he grew wearier of her every night.  He typed out the first sentence on his laptop, and then the next and the next one. He smiled. Was he finally going to do some work? He continued on for a couple hours. He stopped a moment and looked over his work. He signed and laid his head down on the desk. His main character had become Holly. Maybe that was it. Maybe she was her character. He nodded and continued on. Their story. At least the story he wished for.

A light knock interrupted him, just as he was being the next paragraph. He growled at the door.

“Come in,” he said with agitation tightly knit in his voice.

“I’m sorry. Did I disturb your work,” Patti said peeking in.

“Well.. yes,” He frowned at her.

“Oh, I just needed to talk to you a short moment,” she sat across from him.

He watched her nervously play with her short hair. How could she play with her hair? There was nothing to twirl her fingers in. He shook his head. “Go on,” he said as he closed his laptop.

“Well it’s about the contest,” she said staring at him. “have you checked your fan e-mail tonight?”

He shook his head, “Why?”

“Check it, you have over two hundred entries to look through,” she said with excitement.

He thought she seemed more interested in the contest then he did, and now since he set his heart on writing his story, he wondered if the contest would still be a good idea. “I will check later.”

“Oh Ok.” She said with disappointment clearly in her voice.

“What? You wanted the damn contest. Not me,” he said glaring at her. All he wanted was to get back to his book.  He could feel like he was actually with Holly through it. With Holly? Holly? He grinned. He knew she would get in on this contest.

“Excuse me? Why are you being so mean to me?” Patti stood up, her fists next to her side.

“Sorry, maybe you are right. I will get right to those entries,” he opened his e-mail.

“Are we Ok, Sherry? I didn’t want to bring this up, but you seem to not want to be with me now,” she said standing over him.

He looked up at her. Her eyes were filled with tears. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he knew in the long run, it was inevitable. I was going to happen.  But he wasn’t going to break her heart just yet. “We are fine, Hun. I am just under a lot of stress I guess.” He pulled her down into his lap, and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He eyed her neck; he hadn’t had real human blood in months.

“Go for it,” She said opening her neck wide for him. “But I expect something back in return. You.”

He smiled and then nodded. He licked her throat, kissed it. Then sank his teeth into her neck, he felt her tense then her body grew limp. He heard her heart slow, and then he pulled himself from her, and laid her gently on the rug in front of the fireplace. She groggily stared at him. He could see love in her eyes for him. That broke his heart. He didn’t love her, and never would. But he would at least give her what she wanted. He gently kissed her thin lips. He felt her weak response back. He felt wired himself. Human blood always did that too him. He slowly slid her shirt off, and threw it aside. Her bare plump breast perked toward him. He licked one of the hard nipples. He stared at her, he couldn’t do this. Couldn’t just use her like this. But she wanted him too, didn’t she? He backed up and looked away from her.

“What’s wrong?” she asked grabbing his sleeve.

He looked back at her. The confusion that rang across her face hurt him. This was not who he was. He couldn’t hurt a woman. He wanted to make them happy. “Nothing, thought I heard something,” he lied, then leaned over her, to do the deed. And that all it was for him. There was no feeling for him, but there was for her.