The Date

Samantha felt like the first date was going quite well.

A bit too well. 

She was shocked that this guy was so into her. She thought this guy was out of her league. He was a businessman who owned his own company, while she was still trying to figure things out with her life. She was still in college, and was struggling to make a living for herself. 

It was probably a bad idea to move out of her parent's house so early, but she kept insisting that she wanted to live on her own. Even though she was tight on money from every paycheck from her part time job, she refused to move back in with her parents. The last thing she needed was her mother's typical response: "I told you so, Samantha."

At least she could forget about her reality and focus on this handsome man. His name on his Tinder profile was Jake Matthews. He sounded like the kind of man you would hear about in a romance novel, and he certainly looked the part. His chiseled features and brown eyes really stood out to her, and she kept wondering how he found her interesting. 

He would occasionally grab hold of her hand, a smile on his face. He was into her, and it shocked her.

"I was thinking about going to see a movie this Thursday. Would you like to come?"

Samantha blinked. 

"Wait…are you asking me out on a second date?"

Jake gave her a warm smile. 

"Yes. I…I like you. I know how crazy it sounds that I'm telling you this so early…but I have really been enjoying spending time with you."

Samantha felt her face get red, and she resisted the urge to hide her face. It was bad habit that she had her whole life, and she did not want to shield her face from this handsome stranger.

"I - I would like that very much. And…what kind of movie are you interested in watching?"

Jake looked down, and Samantha could see that he was blushing himself. She couldn't keep the smile off her face. 

"A horror movie. It's a vampire film. I heard it was pretty good. And I'm a fan of horror films. They are my favorite."

Samantha laughed. "I do remember reading about that on your profile. I'm willing to give horror a shot. Fair warning, I'm a bit of a screamer when it comes to the jump scares."

"I don't mind. Hopefully there will be other people screaming, so you won't feel left out."

Samantha burst out laughing, startling herself. She didn't want to freak out this guy, but then Jake started laughing with her. She could feel people staring at them, but for once, she didn't care about the burn she was feeling on her cheeks. This was magical, and it was wonderful. She could already picture the conversation she was going to have with her parents about him. If this relationship worked out, it was going to go well. Quite well.

After their date, Samantha and Jake left the restaurant, hand in hand. Samantha was beaming up at him, her heart beating along with her happiness. She couldn't help but wonder if Jake was the one. She thought all that lovey dovey stuff didn't exist, that love at first sight was just a myth. Her parents insisted it was love at first sight for both of them, but Samantha thought it was a crock of shit. 

But now she wasn't so sure. 

Being with Jake felt different. She felt lighter on her feet, as cliche as this sounds, it was like she was walking on clouds. 

Samantha was so caught up in her romantic moment with Jake, that she didn't pay attention when he started to lead her down a dark alleyway. She didn't notice that she was being led away from the public eye, where no one would see her. 

She didn't notice when Jake pulled back her neck, sinking his teeth into her neck. She didn't notice the sounds coming from Jake, as he was slurping up her blood. 

She smiled the whole time, in total bliss.

---

Thank you for reading!

Emy Quinn