[Dennis]Once I was finished pumping the gasoline, there was still a balance. I reseated the pump handle where it was supposed to go. Grasping my umbrella, I headed back into the station. When I went back in, she was in the shelves again. It seemed that she was diligent in her work. Without a word, she went to the cash register and punched in a code, then gathered my change. I put it into my pocket with a smile and looked at her nametag. Billie? What kind of name was that for a woman? Humans picked interesting names for their children. “Thank you for your assistance, Billie,” I said. “No problem, sir. It’s what I’m here for.” She smiled back at me. This was a more genuine smile and I found it to be more attractive than her previous smile. The scent of her attraction to me had come back. Normally, I wasn’t tempted by human women who smelled attracted to me. They typically flirted with me, but she didn’t, she remained professional. As I turned to leave, there was a flash of lightning so bright it lit up everything outside before a clap of thunder followed that seemed to shake the building. The lights went out and the scent of fear filled the small station. The only other person there was Billie. She was breathing heavily and sounded like she was panicking. I turned back to her. Even though it was dark, I could see her eyes open wide in terror. She looked as if she was frozen with fear. “Billie? Are you alright? You’re hyperventilating. Take deep, even breaths. You’re okay,” I told her, putting my hand over hers. With a sсream, she ripped her hand back and fell against the wall of products behind her. I watched her and the items fall to the ground. I frowned. She was truly terrified and it definitely wasn’t of the lightning and thunder outside. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered and started feeling around for something. “Don’t worry about it. It’s pitch black and you were already panicking,” I said. “Are you afraid of the dark?”“Unfortunately. And our generator is waiting on parts to come in, so it’s down right now.”It was one of the most basic fears of humans. The fear of darkness and what lived in it. I had never been in a dark that was too solid to see in. As long as there was some light, I would be able to see like any vampire. She turned on a flashlight and I could feel her fear lessen, though, not by much. I hadn’t met an adult who was so terrified of the dark in all my life. I didn’t like it and wanted to comfort her. “I can manually open the doors for you. I’m sure you don’t want to sit in a dark convenience store,” Billie said as she came from behind the counter.‘She’s afraid of the dark, Dennis. Don’t leave her alone in the dark.’Weeks ago, Carmen warned me about someone who would be afraid of the dark. A woman. This was the first woman I encountered in the dark who was afraid. “I do,” I answered. I promised I wouldn’t leave her alone in the dark and I was a man of my word. She laughed weakly. “You don’t have to stay because you have a thing about damsels in distress. I’ll be fine. I can manage this.” “I’m not leaving. I can stay until the lights are on or someone comes in to be with you. When do the other cashiers come, Billie?”“Five. The next shift starts at five,” Billie replied, then frowned and started panicking again. It occurred to me that she had realized that she revealed a vulnerability to a stranger. She was a woman all alone in the dark with a man she didn’t know. There were too many things that could happen and she told me she would be alone for most of the night. “You’re starting to breathe quickly again. I was only checking because I have to be home before seven. I didn’t want to leave you alone if it was still dark at that time. My name is Dennis. Dennis Lyons.” “Billie Mason. Well, Sybil, but I go by Billie,” she said. I liked Sybil better than Billie. “Sybil is a lovely name,” I told her. “Would it be okay if I got you a bottle of water from the coolers? You look like you could use some water to help calm you.” “What do you mean I ‘look like’ I need water?” she peeped. “The flashlight is shaking like it’s on a paint mixer, Billie.” I couldn’t keep the laughter out of my voice. Even if I couldn’t see in the dark, I would have been able to tell that.“Oh. I forgot I was holding it. Yeah. Water might be a good idea,” Sybil chuckled nervously. She stayed in place while I went to get her a water. When I returned, she looked lost. My heart ached for her. She was so vulnerable, but had been taught she needed to be stronger than she was. “Sit down and have a drink. I’ll sit with you,” I said softly as I handed her the bottle. Sybil sat down. I sat next to her and watched her take a few sips of the cool water. What Carmen told me repeated in my head. Maybe the woman who’s afraid of the dark is a second chance….Could she really be a second chance at love for me? I learned that True Sight was not an ability to question. It was extremely accurate in the past. A human as a second chance? Who better for a human who was afraid of the dark than a vampire who could protect them? I shook my head. Right now, what I needed to do was take care of Sybil until the lights returned or someone came in to be with her. I had my Franny, I didn’t need a human in my life. “Do you want to talk? It might make you feel better.” I suggested. “I don’t know what to talk about. Normally, I can be really chatty, but it’s like my head is empty. I’m sorry you have to stay here with me. I’m sure your wife is probably worrying about you.”“I don’t have a wife,” I answered. “No wife? That’s a little surprising. Unless you don’t have a wife because you have a husband,” she replied. I laughed. Was she just making conversation, or was she trying to find out if I was single? She certainly seemed to be simply making conversation, but the scent of her fear covered any other scents, so I couldn’t tell how she felt when she said that. “No. No wife, no husband, no one waiting for me except a very excitable standard poodle.” And my human servant. “Though, the storm probably has her pretty scared right now as well.” “A poodle?” “Yes. I found her five years ago, abandoned in the alley behind one of my restaurants. She was a mess, but sweet. I’d never had an animal take to me like she did. I took her home. Fed her, cleaned her, and named her. Her name is Francesca. I named her after the woman who broke my heart,” I told her.My Solus Amor was a rich and well-known vampire. She was considered to be one of the most prestigious vampires in the world. I met her after I became a vampire and left my father’s service. Finding my Solus Amor was supposed to be the turning point in my life. I looked forward to it. I longed for it. I dreamed of the day I would find her and could give her all the love she deserved while finally feeling love for the first time. That didn’t happen, though. Francesca looked down her nose at me and said she didn’t want a dhampyr for her Solus Amor. She was in a marriage agreement with another vampire anyway. It wouldn’t be over for a couple more decades. I asked her to give me a chance to show her I could be what she needed. She laughed at me. Her friends laughed at me. They taunted me with their long lives and experience. With their freedom and knowledge. I accepted it when Francesca rejected me. Naming my dog after her had been a joke, but in the end, it healed me more than any amount of imagining evil things befalling my selfish Solus Amor. My Franny gave me true, unconditional love. She slept on my bed next to me and was always excited when I woke for the night. “Well, that woman sounds terrible. You’re a handsome man, Dennis. Why didn’t you go find someone else?” Sybil asked. “Because I didn’t want to risk the pieces of my heart. They were already shattered. I couldn’t imagine letting someone else have the chance to turn them to dust. I’ve had many dalliances and affairs, but none I cherished like I would have cherished her. Not until I found my little Franny.” I pulled out my phone and showed her pictures of my dog. Some people teased me about it, but this woman smiled. I could smell her fear lessening as she looked at pictures of my Franny. “You spoil your dog because you can’t spoil the woman you loved. I like that. She’s a beautiful dog,” she murmured“Thank you. She’s the best dog in the world. Now, we can talk about you. Is there a significant other you need to contact? I’m sure they’d be worried about you.”She shook her head. “No. I don’t date much anymore. It gets harder as you get older, you know.” I nearly laughed. I did know. As a vampire who looked like an older man, I didn’t get nearly as many offers as younger vampires did. Young human women were interested in me. Tyler said they had ‘daddy issues’ and I would be taking on the role of a father figure and a lover at the same time. I wasn’t interested in that. “I understand.” Sybil sighed and shook her head. “That got depressing fast. I can’t believe this. I’m not even supposed to be here tonight. This is officially the worst birthday I’ve ever had.” I frowned. “Why are you working on your birthday?” Dhampyrs didn’t really celebrate our birthdays. They were only used to mark when we were capable of being bred or sold. Tyler took his birthdays off and would go out to have fun. I encouraged it. “The other cashier had some personal issues and couldn’t make it. My manager has two small kids and no overnight sitter. It was really the only option. My friends all canceled on me anyway, so it’s not like I was doing anything. I’d just be sitting at home in the dark.”That wouldn’t do. She was a beautiful young woman and should be able to have a celebration of herself every year. I would fix this.I took her hand. “I want you to call me and tell me what your next day off is. I’ll reserve a table for you and your friends at one of my restaurants. You can have anything you want. It will all be on me. I’ll put you on the VIP list for all of my clubs and you can go dancing afterward. Your tab there will also be on me. A young lady should never have to give up her birthday celebration.”“You don’t have to do that,” she replied. “I know. I want to. I’ll give you my card when the lights come back and I’ll write down the names of my restaurants and clubs on it. You can pick whichever one you want. I’m more than happy to take care of it.” “Thank you. I really appreciate it.” Sybil was a very sweet and gentle woman, despite being older than Echo, she reminded me of her in a way. She was another kind soul who saw more than what was on the surface. We ended up talking for a very long time about our lives and family. She told me about her brother’s family and how much she loved her niece and nephew. I told her about Echo, who had adopted me as her uncle. I told Sybil as much as I could without giving away what I was. Being alone in the dark with a vampire might frighten her. Luckily, my life wasn’t full of much excitement until I came to America. My phone started ringing and I checked to see if it was important. Echo’s name flashed on the screen and I felt my heart clench. Master Nightshade would punish me if he knew I was out when he ordered people to stay in. “Excuse me for a moment, I have to take this,” I told Sybil and stood, going to the other end of the store. “Hello, Echo. Are you alright?” I asked. “I’m alright. It’s dark all over town, though. Victor and I were calling to check in on all the vampires. I wanted to call you because I was worried. How’s Franny?” I hated lying to her. “She’s afraid of the thunder and keeps hiding under my bed. How is Fenton?” “He’s hiding somewhere, probably under our bed, too. I hope this storm ends soon. I don’t like it. Mrs. Layton, the coven leader, says she has her coven working counter spells to end it, but that seems to have made it worse. You’re staying safe, right?” “I assure you, Echo, I am as safe as possible. You go help with the calls and try to get some rest. I know it’s the weekend, but I don’t want you to miss out on playing because you’re catching up on sleep.” She giggled. “Okay, Dennis. You have a good night.” “You too, Echo.” I hung up and breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t ask about Tyler or to talk to him. I was grateful for that. Master Nightshade might only be a hundred and something years older than me, but he was a fearsome vampire. He was known as ‘The Hunter’ because he hunted down one of the vampires who he created. He tracked the man down with deadly intent. When he found the man, he killed him and then proceeded to kill a dozen more vampires in the area. Master Nightshade was a capable and lethal leader. When I got back to Sybil, we chatted some more until the lights returned. I helped her to stand and wrote down the names of my clubs and restaurants. I would follow through with this promise. She needed something good after doing so well with something that frightened her. “Remember, check your schedule and let me know what night you would like for your birthday celebration. I’ll make sure you have the best tables.” “I will. Thank you for staying with me, Dennis. You made this a lot better than it could’ve been. I can’t even imagine what it would have been like to be alone.” She smiled. “The goddess watches over all her children.” I pulled up the collar of my coat, grabbed my umbrella, and headed out to my car. I got in and turned it on, cranking the heater to warm it. Though, I didn’t go home. Instead, I went to park across the street. Sybil didn’t seem to see me. I watched over her. If someone tried to hurt her before her colleagues came, I would protect her. Carmen felt like this might be a second chance for me. Maybe it would be.