A Lonely Prince with Fangs (completed)

Like Grandfather like Grandson

I didn't climb into the seat Alexandru had ready for me. Instead, I walked around the car and hopped into the passenger seat.

A second later he was in the driver's seat, not saying a word of my action.

I wanted to sit in the front. It felt awkward being in the back like I was. I realized that I couldn't see Alexandru's face in the rear view mirror, so I sat in front to keep an eye on him.

We drove deeper into the small town and then parked the car on the side of the road.

He put thick leather gloves on and wrapped the collar of his coat more fully around his neck.

"You cold?" I ask. Which would be strange since it was quite warm outside.

"Something like that." He answered.

I shrugged his strange actions away and allowed myself to enjoy the beauty of the little town.

I felt like I was in a Disney film or something. Or even in those medieval movies. The townspeople were a bit long faced and gloomy but they all had kind appearances about them.

Alexandru showed me to a small clothes shop and we both went in. He sat in a chair while I explored and tried on new things.
"Hello Count! We never see you these days." The shopkeeper came up to Alexandru.

"I've just been very uh tired."

"Yes, well the whole town hopes that you will be able to make it to the festival,"

"Oh, you know I never go to that."

"Oh come now, your family invented it!"

"I have a guest staying with me, Miss May, she might want to go, so maybe you'll see me there."

"Guest? May? I'm afraid I've never heard of her."

"She is from the states. A friend of the family."

I walked closer to their conversation and Alexandru pointed me out.

"Hello!" She said to me shaking my hand vigorously. I tried to smile back and be just as kind. "I had no idea that Count had any friends!" I looked to see what Alexandru thought of that but he had moved away from the couch.

"Where did he go?" I questioned in a low voice. I gave my attention back to the little old lady after I had turned my head around looking for my man in black.

"I am Paula. How long are you planning on staying here?"

"Oh um, I'm not sure yet. Some uh family complications came up and so I um decided to stay with Alex- I mean uh Count."

"Oh, you call him Alexandru. Well, if it's a friend of the family then that makes sense. We all know his name is Alexandru but he likes being called Count."

Wait a minute, he never gave me permission to call him by his real name. In the police station I had referred to him as he.

"Does he travel a lot?" I asked. He seemed to be buddy buddy with this lady and town. On the way into the shop people had even waved to him.

"Oh, heavens no. He stays cooped up in his castle."

"What is his occupation?"

"I can't exactly recall one. I know ... let's see ... yes that's it, his father was a doctor. And I think ... I think he just lives off of family riches."

"Has he ever been to the United States?"

"No, although I think his grandfather was an investigator there. You know you can never know where this family pops up. Count's father was a traveling man and so was his grandfather."

"Did you know all three of them?"

"I didn't know his father very well but I was good friends with his grandfather."

I couldn't keep myself from asking all the questions I was asking. He had said that he was a doctor and an investigator. But it seems like that was what his dad and grandpa were. Did he lie to me? Or has he just been schooled by them?

"So, tell me, what is it like being in his castle?"

"Have you never been in there?"

"Oh, when I was a little girl his grandfather held many parties. But when the man died his son up and left. And now Count hardly has anyone over. What do you think of him?" I turned red for no apparent reason and tried to cool down my hot cheeks.

"I think he is very nice. He's very handsome. But why does he wear such old clothing? And why is his car so old yet new?"

"Ah, that's his grandfather's car. And the clothes, well, his father was quite the rebellious one so I think he wears such formal clothes to remember to be more proper and like his ancestors."

I took her explanation into consideration but still didn't feel very convinced. His car was vintage and I bet his clothes were too. The conversation had died down. I had a million more questions to ask but I felt it rude to burden the little old lady. She seemed very old, maybe ninety.

I finished up shopping and found Alexandru sitting in his car. "Why did you leave?" I asked shutting the door to the passenger seat.

"The sun had come into the window and I hate sitting with the sun on my back." He answered. Only then did I realize that his car windows were tinted and the day had been mostly cloudy.

"You don't like the sun, do you?" I asked.

"Well, I have a skin condition." He turned to me and started the car. "Did you get everything you wanted?"

Alexandru had given me a 5,000 leu but I didn't understand Romanian money currency. I probably should because Paula looked like she was about to faint when she saw it. She ended up helping me by me going around picking out what I liked and asking her if I was able to pay for it. And she would always keep saying that I could get more. How much did the count give me?