Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

Amber

S atisfied with their interactive experience, the odd pair walked toward a cave framed in the carcass of a sunken ship. Darkness gave way to towering walls of water held back by floor-to-ceiling glass. And not just walls; the ceiling and center of the floor were also transparent.

Monstrous, silent forms swam past the glass, their scaly forms sleek in the azure water. Sun shone through the water, casting shifting patterns of light on every surface. The reality of Reuben’s earlier joke set in. They were definitely in a glass cage surrounded by huge sharks.

The breath caught in Amber’s throat as she stepped into the jaws of the cave. Looking out across the room, she watched Reuben as he hugged the wall, avoiding the unique experience of the see-through portions of the floor. For a moment she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to walk out into the room at all. But Reuben appeared quite capable, so Amber took a deep breath and stepped inside.

She followed Reuben around the edges of the room to the front where she could see the entire tank laid out before her. Her eyes were riveted by the muscular beasts and the way they moved so effortlessly through the water. Movement near the top of the tank also caught her attention and she pointed up excitedly. “Look! There are turtles in there too!”

Reuben looked over to his date and closed the few steps of distance between them to see where Amber was pointing. At first her shoulder grazing Reuben’s was their only point of contact as the pair stood watching the sharks swim by, but then Amber had a crazy idea. Maybe it was the mood lighting, the lack of an interactive exhibit, or the fact that Reuben gave her a warm feeling on the inside, she really didn’t know.

But Amber reached out, touching her date’s forearm, and gently trailed her fingers down his soft skin until her fingertips touched the vampire’s smooth palm. Intentionally, for the first time. She carefully and slowly laced the pair’s fingers together and gave a soft squeeze.

Amber didn’t back down from her brave act, testing to see how long Reuben could tolerate her purposeful touch. Her heart began racing as if it wished to leave her chest and her blood rushed to opposite ends of her body, making her hands and feet feel hot.

For a split second Reuben froze, but he softened as Amber’s fingers interlaced with his own. “You know, I haven’t met many like you that would willingly accept me like... this.”

Reuben’s voice was low despite being alone in the enormous shark tank. He stubbornly stayed facing the exhibit, avoiding looking at Amber. “But I’m glad that I get to share these new experiences with someone who is unbelievably kind and as welcoming as you are.”

“I...” Amber muttered, not sure how to respond to such kind words. “You don’t give yourself enough credit. You are far more than what equates to a medical condition with no cure. Even after your life so drastically changed, you have chosen to help others. I think that is more impressive than a socially awkward author who isn’t brave enough to put her own name on her writing.”

Reuben pulled his hand away suddenly and left Amber looking bewildered. He pretended to be distracted by the biggest shark in the tank swimming over them and pointed with the hand he’d stolen back. “Oh wow. Look at that!”

Had she done something wrong? Amber pulled in a deep, steadying breath and nodded. “Wow, that thing is massive! Is it a great white?”

Maybe it was the adrenaline talking, or maybe Amber needed to get herself out of the awkward situation. Whatever the reason was, she managed to gather the courage to walk to the open glass floor in the center of the room and watch the sharks drift by right below her feet. There was something intoxicating about knowing how much sheer power surrounded her on all sides. Power and danger – like the man she had chosen to spend time with.

Logically, she knew she should be afraid. Terrified, even. Yes, she was nervous, but she wasn’t afraid. Something drew her in rather than pushing her away and, for once in her life, she wanted to run toward the danger.

And so, she did. As warm waves of confidence lapped at her, a smile spread across her face and she returned to the window where Reuben stood. She slipped her hand into the vampire’s and turned toward the tunnel which led to the escalator.

“Shall we keep going?”

* * *

Reuben

T he tunnel was made of a half-tube of glass with coral on three sides. More tropical fish swam from one bit of coral to the next; clownfish and blue tangs flitted around in flashes of bright colors. Amber settled on a bench halfway down the tunnel and patted the seat next to her. “Why don’t we take a little time to enjoy the ambiance? Unless you’ve got places to be. I don’t have anything going on today other than attempting to write, so I’ve got all the time in the world.”

“I’d like that.” Reuben took the offered seat and pulled out his phone to see if he had any emergency notifications. Nothing appeared but a handful of work emails that he could read later. Granted, he didn’t have any cell service down here, but surely that had nothing to do with it! “Seems like they can manage without me for a few hours. Besides, I’d much rather be here.”

“Good!” Amber replied, reaching out and grabbing Reuben’s hand again. “Then I’ll keep you to myself as long as possible!”

Reuben’s eyes finally turned to her, wanting a second glance at the person who made his ‘Top 3 most exciting things of year’ list. He was caught off guard yet again by Amber’s insistence toward romantic gestures, but chose not to pull his hand away again. Her warmth soaked into his finger joints and traveled up his arm toward his still heart. The ice there began to sweat, creating grooves in the smooth surface and weakening his resolve one fraction of a millimeter at a time.

As much as Reuben believed and tried to convince everyone that he wasn’t a terrible monster, hearing it from Amber’s mouth still made him feel like a fraud. It could have been that his expectations were set way too low for the general population, but he expected the other shoe to drop at any moment. For Amber to pull back her hand, laugh that summer sunshine laugh of hers, and break the spell.

Yet Amber was so close. Their arms were touching. Their fingers were still linked together. This could have been one of the most romantic dates Reuben had ever been on, but he wasn’t here for romance.

Yes, Stella had told him to let things be real for his chosen human if he needed to, but for him…this had to be business. Just the thought of getting too close to Amber and making her think there was more filled him with a sense of guilt.

He was saved from his dark thoughts by a soft splash announcing the arrival of a diver who was delivering the day’s breakfast to the fish. They all rushed toward him and he began spreading pellets, which the tropical creatures devoured cheerfully.

Amber smiled and watched the man as he swam around cleaning the glass and display items, and playing with the fish as they swam through his fingers. “That looks like such a fun job,” she sighed, jumping as a massive sea turtle swam over the pair.

Reuben nodded silently and watched the fish for a few moments. Between the well-lit area and the diver who had hopped into the water, he felt a little more control of his thoughts. Any awkward feelings he had toward their arrangement he filed away under a ‘need to revisit later’ category. “Was becoming a writer your dream job? Or are you considering a change of occupation after seeing the diver?”

As much as this was an arranged and decidedly staged relationship, it didn’t have to be an empty one. Reuben wanted to get to know who he was spending his free time with and it would make their relationship look more real in the long run.

Amber considered the question for a moment before answering. She shook her head with a sad smile. “No, I never intended to write for a living. Writing romance novels was something I enjoyed doing in my spare time, and I once made the mistake of showing my older sister. She’s the one who insisted other people might enjoy reading them as well...and I guess she was right.

“That’s not to say I am not grateful to be doing something I enjoy, but sometimes I wonder if there were better options. I don’t think I’m brave enough to be a diver, though!” She chuckled and ran her thumb over Reuben’s knuckles.

The more Reuben learned about how Amber’s writing career began, the more he was intrigued. However, he also began to realize how introverted she really was. Which wasn’t a bad thing, but public events might be an issue if too many people gathered. He would have to keep an eye out to make sure Amber didn’t become too uncomfortable. “I’m glad you enjoy it, even if it wasn’t your first choice. And I don’t think I could be a diver, either.”

“So what do you enjoy when you’re not working? I mean, we touched on it a little bit the other day, but I’d love to hear more about you. What does the daily life of a vampiric politician look like? I’m sure it’s much more interesting than the life of a socially-anxious writer.” Amber looked directly into Reuben’s eyes, that same interested glitter he’d seen at the speed dating event shining in them.

Reuben rubbed the back of his neck, once again feeling like the most boring person on the planet. “I guess I can do a lot of fun things at night without having to worry about the same precautions as everyone else. Rock climbing without gear. Hiking on paths less traveled. Swimming deeper without needing to breathe. As far as my day to day life goes, I’m a bit of a workaholic. But I do like music, reading and hiking."

“Those sound so adventurous,” Amber replied, leaning a little closer to Reuben.

"Oh, and I collect some movie memorabilia," Reuben continued, "my favorite being a few battle-ready lightsabers, if you’re a Star Wars fan. A guilty pleasure purchase that I may have spent a bit too much on.” He had never once gotten a chance to use them with anyone. He was sure his politician buddies would judge him into the ground if they found out he had hobbies deemed childish, and the public didn’t need to know.

The mention of Star Wars made Amber’s face light up. “I don’t think that sounds boring at all! I can’t say I’m much of an outdoorswoman, but I am a self-proclaimed nerd. Star Wars is awesome! Though I’m a pretty casual fan. Just a few posters and knickknacks. And shirts. And socks. I really, really love fun socks. Jade thinks they’re ridiculous, but eh. It’s not like anyone other than me sees them, most of the time.”

As if for emphasis, Amber lifted her pant leg to reveal tall socks with pancakes on them. “I have a stupid collection of them, but the thing is, socks are useful and don’t take up a ton of space.”

Reuben was feeling more than a little lost as Amber reclined against him, despite laughing at the sock reveal. As great as the date had been thus far, Reuben couldn’t decide if Amber had feelings for him, or was simply playing her part beautifully. After all, pretending to be his girlfriend was what Reuben had asked her to do. But this all felt so real.

Maybe he needed to take this for what it was worth, thank the heavens he found someone so willing to play the part, and enjoy the ride. After all, what crazy human would have feelings for a vampire?

Reuben finally chuckled and leaned back against the bench, his eyes following the diver. “You know...it’s so peaceful with the fish and the water and the plants swaying in the current. I can’t believe I haven’t been here before. I’ll have to come back soon. Maybe they do memberships? That would be put to good use. Probably won’t be as peaceful when all the kids start showing up, though.”

As if summoned by his words, an entire class of second graders came pouring into the shark tank. The volume in the little tunnel went from a 2 to a 10 instantly, filled with the sound of running feet and excited squeals.

Though Amber was fine with children, the noise was a little too much for her. Her hands went instinctively to her ears and she scrunched her eyes closed. This only lasted a moment before she flushed and shoved her hands in her pockets. “I think it’s time to go. We can rummage through the gift shop and see if they have anything fun?”

Reuben’s eyes squinted at the children with distaste before looking at Amber. He was already starting to stand up when his date suggested they leave. “Yes, please.”