Yet again, I hid in my coffin. For the last eight-hundred eighty-six years I had been hiding alone in my coffin every Valentine’s day. Well, I admit that it was a metaphorical hiding now, but the concept was the same, even if my bedroom was a whole lot bigger than the coffin.

Ever since Valentine’s Day was created in the nineteen-hundreds, I had grown to hate February 14. The cards, the roses, the chocolates, the happy couples, all were a reminder that I was alone in the world. No one to share my coffin with. All to avoid that damned curse set on my family. I like being immortal. I like not ever ever having to watch what I eat – again metaphorically speaking! I enjoy the attention my lithe but curvy form, pale complexion, and bright green eyes bring me. Being attractive in this culture is a big plus when it comes time to choose whom to eat; I can have pretty much any guy I want; just not on V-day.

I checked the time as the doorbell rang. I had called for the pizza a few hours ago, specifying that it not be delivered until after midnight. I didn’t want the delivery guy anywhere near me until after midnight. Then he could deliver the “pizza,” and I could have a bite to drink. Ten forty-eight! Before my usual meal-time, but I was starved. I felt perfectly parched. But hungry enough to risk it?

Would it be worth it? If that damn Valentine happened to be anywhere nearby when the guy was feeding me, I would be sunk. I so did not ever want to be mortal again. Damn ancestor!

As I did every year, I reviewed the terms of the curse, looking vainly for a loophole. “ All Vampires of Paul’s lineage found by Valentine in the company of a mortal on the fourteenth day of the second month of the year will henceforth and herewith be remade into humanity and will spend the entirety of their resumptive mortal lives as companion to the human who reinstated them within the limits of mortal time.” No change from last year! Damn!

But then, back when Val had placed the curse, she had no idea that in her guise of the loving and loveable Saint Valentine, she would become something of a hero, celebrated yearly with an abundance of maudlin sweetness and light. Val would turn over in her grave – were she in it – at the figure of fun she’d been made. A small cherub? Val? Not bloody likely. She’d never been tiny, not even when she’d been born. And while occasionally she had wings, bat-like and not angelic was more like it. She could, however, shoot arrows (or anything else) quite well. It really hadn’t been Paul’s fault he hadn’t loved the bitch. Paul loved nobody but himself. But to curse his whole line? That was just mean.

As the doorbell rang again, I shouted, “Hold your horses damn it! I’m coming, and you’re early!” Grabbing money off the table, I hurried to the peephole.

I didn’t see anything. Damn double damn, must be short, or standing off to one side. I slapped myself upside the head. Was I really thinking about opening the door, risking my immortal life, for food delivered by a short guy? Although it really shouldn’t matter, I did have my prejudices.

Hmmm, “in the company,” did that mean I had to be chowing down, or just in near proximity? If I opened the door, grabbed the pizza, handed over money, and got rid of the delivery guy, would that count? I could always order from a different company later and have a real bite then.

Deciding to risk that much, and not wanting to be eighty-sixed from another delivery service, I threw open the door just as the rude banging on it began.

My irritated gaze fell on a young woman standing with pizzas in hand. As I reached for them, I heard, “gotcha!” and knew I’d been had.

Suddenly I had a whole new craving; the pizza smelled better than it ever had before. I couldn’t smell the delivery woman’s blood at all, or sense it running through human veins, and always, well, for eight-hundred eighty-six years, that had been all I could really smell when I was hungry.

As she handed the pizza to me, our hands touched under the boxes, and our eyes met. Bending to the inevitable, I asked her in to share a bite. It was warm, and an entirely new experience for me. While life lasted, it would be full of new experiences for me.