Page 55 of Zombies, Satyrs and Vampires, Oh My!

Still, I want more from her than just her words. I crave watching her move. See how her lips shape words—primarily my name—and how expressive her big brown eyes are. I’m desperate for any scrap of interaction with her, even if it must be through cameras and filters. And even if it makes me nervous as fuck.

“This girl, she is special?” Atticus asks.

Atticus’s tone implies he knows exactly how desperate I am. Which means my infatuation must be pretty obvious if even he sees it for what it is.

Still, I make a show of protesting. “Uh, no, she’s just my assistant. I figure some things will be easier to handle over a video chat.”

He cocks an eyebrow at me. “You know, many of us believe humans to be the best mates for the rest of us.”

“I’m not looking for a mate. And even if I were, Rosie is my assistant. It would be inappropriate to cross the line with her.”

“That all depends on whether or not she’s interested in crossing said line,” Atticus says.

I stare at my friend, and he holds his hands up in defeat.

“Let’s just get you set up.”

He takes my laptop and pulls it over next to his. Then, he’s quiet for the next fifteen minutes or so while he clicks around on both computers.

“That should do it,” he says, turning my screen to face me. “We can do a trial run and you can call up Vivian at home. She’s expecting your call.”

Vivian is Atticus’s human wife.

I click the button to make the video call and it rings twice, then connects. Her pretty features fill my screen.

“Hey Hudson,” she says. Then she leans closer to the screen. “Whoa, babe, this program is amazing. Smile for me, Hudson, let me see those fangs.”

I curl my lip up. I’m not really much of a smiler.

She gasps. “That’s unreal. Here, let me send you a screenshot so you can see what I’m looking at.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Atticus says. “From your perspective, you just look like yourself. The filter only works on the projection of your image. See, look.” He turns his phone around to show me the text with the screenshot Vivian just sent.

The image of me is definitely different than how I actually look. Yes, that’s another Hollywood myth—the one about us vampires not being able to see our reflection—we definitely can. Now, though, my fangs are gone, and in their place are just normal human teeth. And the eerie glow of my eyes is altered to a regular shade of blue.

I look like a man. Just a regular man—still stuck in the 80’s with my damn hair, but I don’t think a filter can fix that.

“This will work with any program she uses?” I ask.

“Yes, it’s designed to affect your look from the viewer’s standpoint regardless of the platform or application,” Atticus says.

“This is amazing. You know you could make a ton of money if you sold it?”

He nods. “I realize, but this isn’t the kind of thing we’d want to get into the wrong hands. The internet is already filled with creeps that catfish kids; I don’t want to contribute to that.”

“Excellent point. Thanks, man, really.”

“Of course. It was a fun project. So if you have any other ideas, let me know.” He grabs his laptop and stands to leave. “You know, it’s okay to want more. I know what it’s like to think that things like love and a family are forever out of reach, but all it takes is that one person who’s your perfect match.”

I blow out a breath. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

I think he’s full of shit, but I don’t tell him that. It’s one thing for a guy like Atticus. Yes, he’s a zombie, but he’s not a blood-sucking monster. He isn’t a danger to others.

Two hours later, I’ve finally gotten up enough courage to call Rosie for our first official video chat. I suppose if she screams and hangs up quickly, I’ll know it’s not working.

“Wait, hold on. I can’t get my thingy to work.” Her sweet voice spills out of my laptop speakers. Then she appears.

Well, a close up of her cleavage appears. Fuck me.