Give a Little Bit of Your Blood to Me, Ch. 1

Over 50 percent of blood donated to the Red Cross goes to vampires.

Why else would they call it the Red "Cross"?

If you investigate the list of donor companies to the Red Cross you will find that a single anonymous corporate benefactor is responsible for over 70 percent of their monetary donations world wide. 

That anonymous benefactor is the largest manufacturer of sun screens and sun tan lotions in the world.   The sun screens this company creates provide unparalleled protection from the sun.   So much so that vampires using the sun screen for the first time in history can appear in daylight.  Vampires, of course, use a special blend that is not readily available to the general public.   The rest of us get a watered down version.   I know this because Herman Ortega y Gasset used work for the company before his untimely death.  That is where he fell in love with a vampire.  Her name was Penelope.

Herman worked in the sales department at the company.  Penelope in shipping.   When they first met, they were ensnared in an immediate and palpable attraction.   For many months Penelope kept Herman at arms length.   For vampires, taking on a human lover is frowned upon.   Better to just get it over with.  But Penelope did not want to condemn Herman to a life of the undead.   But passions usually get the best of even the most resolute, and eventually at a company Christmas party Penelope found herself agreeing to accompany Herman to a bar and later to Herman's house.

Herman, of course, did not know Penelope was a vampire.  The existence of vampires has never been proven despite Hollywood's attempts to the contrary.  Had he known she was a vampire, it probably would not have made any difference as the two hurriedly removed their clothing and discarded them on his bed.  Penelope demonstrated slightly more restraint.  She dimly perceived that during their impending love making that she may lose control to the point where she might inadvertently bite or nibble on Herman's exposed carotid or other blood vessels which may present themselves to her.  If this occurred and the slightest blood was exposed, it would be all for Herman, who would be quickly devoured in Penelope's frenzy.

So Penelope did the only sensible thing.  Before Herman entered her, she grabbed the nearest  pillow and placed it over her face as a shield between her teeth and her lover's flesh.

(ok, so i'm still not over this cold.  which sucks.   watching some cruz movies:-))