The following anecdote was forwarded by a reader:
Hello, Lon.
Le´Dome was a restaurant on the Sunset strip. Back in the mid 1980s, I was in the lounge enjoying a drink with a friend. Near us, a striking, elegant couple was seated. They both looked European.
She was a stunning brunette. Her face had all the captivating features that can get a guy in trouble. Dark red lipstick sealed the deal. A timeless long black evening gown graced the contours of her remarkable body. This was the kind of woman every leading actress in old Hollywood wanted to be.
He was blonde, strong with chiseled features, classically handsome. Some men exude a presence and his was heroic. He wore a black tuxedo. Draped from his shoulders hung a matching half-cape. There was a red ribbon near his neck. The ribbon was either some kind of adornment to his shirt and collar or it may have been the closure that fastened his cape.
They were sitting at a small round table in front of a charming fireplace. Above the fireplace mantle, a mirror reflected the low glow of a few wall sconces in the room. They sat opposite each other, separated by a lit candle placed at the center of the table. Each had a tall glass of red wine. Their posture was properly perfect. Their demeanor was stoic. These two were mysterious.
I felt that this couple was not in costume. There were no Halloween parties that time of year and I don't believe their reason to be there was to stage theatricality for the sake of getting attention. No, they were simply being whoever they were.
Intrigued by them, I often peered, sneaking glances, to see what they were doing. They sat and looked at each other. The entire time they were there, I never saw them speak. I never saw them drink. Each glass remained completely full. They didn't gesture. Not for a moment did he or she fidget to get comfortable. They just didn't move at all. That was odd.
I joked that, "I don't believe in Vampires, but if there are any, we might be seeing two of them right now." It seems silly, but I became eager to see them leave. They would have to stand-up. They would be standing in front of the fireplace mirror. I truly wanted to see if they had a reflection in that mirror.
So I looked over at them even more often, too often. I admit that I bruised the boundary of social etiquette. But my curiosity trumped good manners. I didn't care. I wanted to see them in front of that mirror. I didn't want to miss seeing that.
After looking away for a brief moment, I looked back to see them again. Unbelievably, they were gone and the wine glasses had vanished too.
I was astonished.
One can surmise that a Le´Dome maitre d´ simply escorted them away to a dining table, that somehow I was distracted, lost track of time, and missed that activity.
That is the rational explanation. But I'll never really know what happened. You see, afterward, I walked through the restaurant to see if they were seated at a dining table. I didn't find them. - Kent M.
The New Vampire's Handbook: A Guide for the Recently Turned Creature of the Night
True Blood: Steve Newlin's Field Guide to Vampires (And Other Creatures of Satan)
The Vampire Combat Manual: A Guide to Fighting the Bloodthirsty Undead
