Chapter 10: Chapter 10
“W-Well…” Ingrid started explaining. “You see… When I was using my charm to cast the spell on your parents, I had to think of an alibi they might believe!” She bit her lip. “So I said that, uh… w-we’re engaged.” The vampire heiress quickly lowered her head in embarrassment once again, placing both hands on her face so she wouldn’t be looking directly at Rohit.
The young man blushed and swallowed, as his legs began trembling. The thought of having a fiancé when he didn’t even have a girlfriend was a lot to take in, even if it was being used as a cover story. “I suppose that was a good guise…” he concurred and cleared his throat, as he ruffled the back of his hair. “At least you won’t really have to hide out here all the time.”
She peeped through her fingers. “Sorry for putting this additional pressure on you…”
Rohit flexed his cheeks before assuring with a confident smile, “I’ll adapt.”
Ingrid sheepishly grinned and nodded.
“Oh!” he suddenly recalled. “Have you met my brother, Rajesh then?” The young man cleared his throat and clenched his fists. “He, uh… He probably needs this charm put on him as well…”
She proceeded to tell Rohit that when she was helping his mom with laundry, they ran into him, and bewitched him right away. “He also caught me off guard,” she admitted. “He’s pretty quiet.”
“Yeah…” he replied with his voice trailing off. “Rajesh is more of a background kind of person—we’re complete opposites, he and I.” Rohit chuckled.
“I also have a sibling—an older sister actually,” Ingrid added, which caught the young man’s attention. “She’s the total opposite of me too.”
“How so?”
She pursed her lips and looked around the room in thought, while trying to find the correct words to piece her description together. “She’s also living in the shadows in a way…” Ingrid casting her eyes to the ground, as well as her trailing response indicated that she didn’t want to continue talking about her family, and Rohit noticed this. The brief mention of siblings caused her to relate a situation from her own family life. But she’d rather keep that behind her for the same reason she left the Parliament.
For reasons he obviously didn’t know in the current moment, Rohit decided it was best to not pry any further until Ingrid felt more comfortable disclosing personal information. He knew at some point he’d be able to find out more, and was in no rush to find out.
The pair exited the bedroom and proceeded to put on the façade they mutually came to terms with. They didn’t really spend time in the living room with Rohit’s family, because once they finished eating a light meal, Rohit went on to do the dishes.
“I’ll help!” Ingrid enthusiastically contributed, as she joined the young man in the kitchen.
“Sweet girl,” Rohit’s mom commented. “I knew she was a good choice for him.”
While in the kitchen, Rohit showed Ingrid where the dishes went once they were packed from the dishwasher to the several cabinets around. He then proceeded to wash half of the dishes, pack them into the dishwasher, and then let the vampire heiress handle the rest.
Ingrid watched attentively, her eyes glimmering with interest at what to do when it was her turn. She was slower at scrubbing the wares, since she never had to do something like that before. Eventually, she developed a system and picked up her pace, especially once she realized that rolling the bathrobe sleeves would make things more convenient. After closing the dishwasher and wiping her hands dry with the fluffy towel that hung on the fridge handle, she smiled and wiped her forehead. “That was something else,” she gleefully whispered to Rohit. “Thanks for letting me help!”
He quietly nodded with a smile. ‘Maybe things won’t be so bad after all.’
Later that day, they planned to go on a date, but Ingrid had to wear Rohit’s clothes again until she amassed a new wardrobe.
“So what’s the deal with you and sunlight?” Rohit suddenly asked her, facing away while she was tying the strings on sweatpants he leant her. “I read in this graphic novel that some vampires can walk in daylight, but it’s very rare.”
Ingrid smiled, as she began rolling the pant legs up a little so the fabric wouldn’t drag on the ground. “And you’re correct in referencing that fact,” she replied. “They’re called ‘day walkers’, and like the rain, almost all won’t stay in the purifying essence very long without it burning their bodies.”
He nodded. “Must be convenient for you.”
“It does help being immune to their effects.” Ingrid straightened up and started buttoning the scarlet and black flannel, while looking at her reflection in the mirror. She then muttered, “Almost as if I were a real human…”
“Did you say something?” Rohit chimed in, beginning to turn his head.
The vampire heiress jolted, “N-Nothing! No peeking!” and chucked a pillow at him.
On the drive to the mall, Rohit was blushing, because this was the first genuine date he had since high school.
Ingrid was staring out the window, admiring the multitude of places of interest lining the road.
“You know you’d see them better if you weren’t wearing sunglasses right now,” Rohit commented, glancing over at her darting her glances at the different landmarks they passed by.
“That’s true, but I was just getting some practice in before we’re in public,” she remarked. The young woman knew she had to try and keep as low of a profile as she could. Masking her trail wouldn’t be enough if a vampire hunter decided to show up and recognized the runaway heiress.
They arrived in the open mall parking lot, where cars were spread throughout the property. The social attraction was located in a similar suburban environment like where Rohit lived, but it was further from home. It worked out well, because this was the mall in the complete opposite direction of the one he worked in.
Shopping here would be more convenient for the pair.
“We have arrived,” the young man stated, putting the gear in park. “We should be able to find everything you need here to blend in, so let’s—”
“Rohit, wait…” Ingrid interrupted.
“What’s wrong? Do you sense danger?” he instinctively asked.
She shook her head and gazed into his eyes. “Thanks for doing this for me,” she acknowledged. “I know I’m intruding on your time, but I just wanted to express my gratitude for all that you’ve done so far.”
He blushed. “I mean…” he stammered. “I haven’t really done much except bring you home with me and take you to the mall… I don’t think that warrants a praise.”
Ingrid smiled and slowly placed her hand on top of his, which was still on the gear shift, and said, “It’s much more than that.”
They soon stepped out into the sunny parking lot and began making their way into the mall. The entrance they chose led right to the food court, where Ingrid exhibited amazement and intrigue, but also a gagging reflex. A taste that simply couldn’t leave her mouth right away unless it was washed.
“Garlic?” Rohit surmised, after absorbing the hearty aromas lingering around.
With her hand over her mouth still, Ingrid nodded and took a deep breath before settling down. She adjusted her shades. “Okay, I’m good. We should probably get out of here though.”
While they were walking through the halls, first browsing the various vendors before actually shopping, Ingrid was looking all around like she was a tourist.
Technically she was anyway, especially while she was wearing sunglasses like she were at the beach.
“Is this your first time in a mall?” Rohit asked after the young woman stopped to peer at some designer clothes in the window of one of the high-end stores.
“Yeah, actually…” she replied, still in a trance by how colorful some of the clothes were in that store. Her sapphire eyes glittering with longing to wear one of their fabrics.
Rohit knew she wasn’t budging from her spot in order to continue surveying the mall, so he declared, “Let’s go inside,” which made her turn her head in his direction with a bright smile on her face.
Ingrid was eager to trek through the store, as she was touching everything she found pleasing in her eyes. She was darting from aisle to aisle, scanning and choosing clothes, even putting them back in the wrong place if something else intrigued her.
She was in the zone, and as Rohit stood by watching her, she looked like a normal girl in his eyes. For a moment, he forgot she was a vampire.