"Hello?" the voice came muffled out of the plastic box that was going to be Galen's conversation partner at this point. He closed his eyes and imagined the scent of the woman. He wondered if she'll remember him. But then he nodded to himself: she will.<br/><br/>"Hello, Blaire?" his voice was calmer than he had intended it to be. He thought he saw someone peeking at him curiously, but he was not going to give them the pleasure of turning around and acting as if he was doing something wrong.<br/><br/>And he was doing something wrong. Establishing contact with a human like that - no business interest, nothing. Just plain old attraction, though a rather unusual one. That was against the policy of the Community. Humans will expose you so don't love them, don't treasure them, don't give a fuck about them, actually.<br/><br/>"It's Galen." he continued. He examined his feelings for this woman. It was impossible to say what they were. Was it curiosity? Lust? Hunger? He could not say. He remembered Svetla, his favorite pet. Her tears when she saw him leave. The way when she extended her neck, eager to offer her blood to him. And then he remembered the scent of Blaire. And he imagined her neck, biting it... sucking on it... the juice of life replenishing his strength, filling him up... pulling away. Watching the holes close up, healing almost immediately because of the touch of his saliva. Her fatigue when she looks up at him.<br/><br/>His voice almost trembled.<br/><br/>"I hope you still remember me?" 'LAME!' his internal voice screamed. 'And I hope you're still planning to go out on a dinner with me, the dinner you never promised me." There was no laugh, no smile. It was not a joke. It was a suggestion.