Hot dogs and ice cream cones and electricity—oh my! The 1904 World’s Fair has it all!
The world’s spotlight is firmly fixed on St. Louis, Missouri—gateway to the West and host of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Visitors have come from all points of the globe: to gape, to taste, to explore, and to enjoy the marvels which the World’s Fair has to offer.
William Deming is an ambitious young reporter from Utah. He sees a chance not only to visit the fair, but to make a name for himself by reporting on it. He takes a room in a boarding house close on Lindell Boulevard, close to the Fair itself. What he doesn’t count on is meeting Misha—a young and handsome Russian, whose aunt owns the boarding house.
Misha is something William has never encountered before—a vampire! Before he can wrap his head around Misha’s revelation, a man is discovered murdered at the Fair, and William wonders if his Misha is involved. The evidence is especially damning as there seems to have been a connection between the vampire and the victim. Will an old flame cause new problems for William and Misha? Will they find love at the World’s Fair? Or will theirs be doomed to be a fatal attraction?
April 23, 1904
William unfurled the crisp Utah Gazette in his hands. The periodical smelled of fresh ink, and the paper was still warm. ‘Hot off the press’, as the saying went. He took care not to hold the page too long, so his fingers wouldn’t smudge the fresh print.
1904 World’s Fair to be held in St. Louis, Missouri.
William’s heart skipped a beat. Such an opportunity! To meet people from distant lands, to see amazing sights from around the globe—truly a marvelous undertaking. I must make certain I become the reporter Mr. Andrews chooses to send to the exposition.
He licked his lips in anticipation and felt his woolen pants rise. Travel always had that effect on him. Of course, so did the delicious possibility of an exotic visitor who might cross his path. One that didn’t speak English, but was a linguistics master in the language of sex. It’d been far too long for him, and he needed to tip the scales in the other direction.
He slipped into the washroom and nervously checked his reflection in the mirror. His blond hair was darkened by a liberal amount of oil; he only used it to tame his unruly cowlick. His cheeks appeared hollow in his thin, pale face, and his chin pointed. His favorite feature was his large, blue eyes; after that, he was most fond of his tame nose, thankful his family’s history of large noses had not carried over to him.
He adjusted the round Benjamin Franklin-like spectacles he’d worn since he was ten years old, when he’d squinted at the blackboards at school. All eight of his older siblings taunted him with cries of four eyes and other teasing nicknames, which he greatly resented. Over time, though, he’d adjusted to the glasses. As his grades surpassed most everyone else’s in the family, he felt as smart as they made him look.
He smoothed down his large tie and flattened out his vest. His brown woolen suit was still somewhat new—a Christmas present from his parents. He’d have to get it tailored a bit. He’d lost some weight since he’d moved from the quiet mountains to the relatively hectic Salt Lake City to take his position at the Gazette. The work kept him busy, often with little time to eat.
