His right thumb was hooked into the waistband of a pair of black cargo pants, black muscle shirt hugging his torso and revealing the enviable musculature of a former gymnast. There was laughter in his coffee eyes as he scanned the crowd. “All right.” His voice carried through the cavernous space. “Since we have a newcomer, I’ll direct this invitation to him.” He met Sean’s eyes, raising his drink in a salute. “Sean. Will you share drink and blood with me?” Sean felt conspicuous as eyes turned toward him, assessing him from his unruly hair all the way down to his scuffed sneakers. It’s just like a demo. His breath deepened as he forced the jitters down. With a clenched jaw, he gave a curt nod, picked up a beer, opened it, and joined his honorable opponent in the ring. “I will drink your beer while your blood curdles?” Sean responded, mangling the customary retort. He saw Adrian cock his eyebrow. “Nobody takes my beer.” They touched bottles and took their time to drain them while the crowd laughed and snickered.
