“From the moment I saw you last month at the hot-dog stand outside your office, I knew that you had to be mine, Sarah.” He smiled wistfully. His teeth did look a little bit pointy, now that I was paying closer attention, but it was probably just the moonlight playing tricks. Still, unnerving to say the least. Also unnerving was the fact that somebody had secretly watched me getting my near-daily Italian-sausage fix. Creepy.

“You had to have me, huh?” I stared at him for a moment. “And you couldn’t just do what everyone else does and try to get me drunk?”

Usually, making a joke made me feel better. At the moment, it was all I could do to keep my voice from trembling.

“It took forever to get into your friend’s good graces so she’d set us up on this date, but it was worth the wait. Now you’re mine. We’ll be together forever.”

Without another word I turned and started walking briskly away from him. Still calm. Still in complete control. Just like my panty hose.

Gordon yelled after me a couple of times and then ran, catching up to me in only two or three steps. He grabbed my elbow and spun me around to face him.

“It’s rude to walk away when someone’s offering you eternity.” I didn’t like the way he was looking at me now. Not in the slightest. And his voice didn’t sound needy and desperate anymore.

I yanked my arm away from him.

“Keep it. I don’t want it.”

He grabbed me again. Despite his scrawny appearance, his grip was crushing.

“Let go of me…” I began, but then he hit me hard across my face with the back of his hand. My vision exploded in multicolor waves and my teeth loosened slightly in their sockets as the impact shook me right to my toes.

“It’s too late to take it back, bitch.” His snarl showed the full length of his sharp fangs.