‘Oh! I’m so sorry – please excuse me.’
He barely looked up from the book he held. ‘No problem.’
When I just stood there, he gave me his full attention. ‘Yes?’
‘Uh.’
He raised his left hand, displaying a wedding band. ‘I’m married. But thanks anyway.’ He replaced the book on the shelf and strode down the aisle.
Shit. How embarrassing.
My cheeks burned. Feeling like the biggest idiot on the planet and fighting the strong urge to run away, I forced myself to return to my original task: looking for vampire-wannabe resource material. The more I retreated into my psychologist role, the better I felt.
‘Excuse me?’
I glanced up at the very pleasant-looking man standing next to me, smiling. My hands went clammy. ‘Yes?’ Okay. Just smile. This doesn’t have to be a big deal.
‘Do you work here? I could use some help finding—’
‘No,’ I interrupted, smile frozen on my face. ‘I don’t. Sorry.’ That wasn’t the first time I’d been mistaken for a clerk. I was good at blending into the scenery. Chameleon Kismet. Why did I even bother?
That was all the social interaction I could handle. I set the book I’d used as a prop on the table and hurried away.
It was clear that if it were up to me, I’d never have another personal relationship. Apparently I couldn’t practise what I preached. Maybe I should just get a dog or a fish, and be done with it.
CHAPTER 3
The next day Midnight arrived for her appointment wearing her white makeup and the fake fangs. Instead of being shrouded in a long cape, she was dressed like that campy TV vamp, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, in a very low-cut, cleavage-enhancing tight black dress. She glided into the room and bonelessly melted into the chair. She appeared to be in an upbeat mood.
I picked up my pad and pen and sat down. ‘It’s nice to see you again, Midnight. I can’t help but notice that you’re smiling a lot today. What’s got you in such fine spirits?’
How can she even function wearing those silly fangs?
‘I met someone.’ Her grin spread wider.
Now we’re talking. I settled back in my chair. Maybe a nice college guy or hi-tech entrepreneur?
‘He must really be something to light you up this way. Tell me about him.’
‘He’s one of the new vampires who’s started coming to the club. His name is Bryce, and he is so hot.’ She twisted a spider ring on her left thumb. ‘I’ve seen him hanging out for a couple of weeks, but it wasn’t until yesterday that he came over and talked to me. We spent the whole night together, and it was like a dream. The first time I ever had sex with a real vampire.’
What? Sex with a strange vampire wannabe? I struggled to keep the dismay from my face. To give myself a moment to regroup, I jotted down a couple of notes on the pad. Well. I gave a mental sigh. I guess it was too much to hope that the fantasy would start to fade already. I wonder if they’d take away my licence if I locked her in a closet until she passes through this phase?
I met her eyes. ‘You had sex with a stranger?’
Her body language altered ever so slightly, just enough for me to notice that my question had pushed a button.
‘That makes it sound bad or dirty. It wasn’t dirty. It was beautiful. We just got swept away.’ She almost sang the last two words. Still smiling, she carefully smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress, avoiding eye-contact.
I wish someone would throw away the book that we women keep handing down to each other. The one with all the ridiculous reasons why we lose our minds in the presence of some man or other.
‘How old is Bryce?’ I asked.
She examined the blood-coloured fingernails on her right hand. ‘I’m not sure. I don’t think he’s as old as Devereux – around three hundred, maybe? – but he looks about thirty.’
He’s three hundred years old? Well, I did ask.
‘Don’t you think he might be a bit too old for you? What are you hoping will happen between the two of you?’
‘I think he’s the one I’ve been waiting for.’
Waiting for? You’re only nineteen. I need some magic words here.
I started to respond, but just then she turned her head and stared out the window, deep in thought. I waited, and after a while she brought her gaze back to me, all the joy wiped from her face. ‘Bryce says he’ll bring me over if I want.’
‘Bring you over?’
‘Make me a vampire.’
Okay. She said she wants to be a vampire, and this guy is offering to help her out, but it doesn’t appear that she thinks it’s a good thing. She’s definitely sending out mixed signals. What’s really going on here?
I noted she’d raised her chin at the end of her last statement, echoing the attitude of defiance that had also crept into her voice, so I decided to push the envelope a bit.
‘I thought Dev wouldn’t let you do that. Have you talked to him about your new guy?’
Come on, Dev, be a father figure instead of a predator. It sounds like Bryce wants that job.
‘No.’ Her fists tightened in her lap. ‘He hates Bryce. He already asked me to stay away from him, but why should I? Why shouldn’t I have a relationship with Bryce? Who is Dev to make those decisions for me? He isn’t my father.’
Ah. Bingo.
‘Did he tell you why he wanted you to stay away from Bryce?’
The anger that had started out as a slow leak now flooded the room. Her intensity crashed into me like a wave. I breathed into the tight muscles.
‘He said Bryce is one of the bad guys, that he uses people and he doesn’t care about anyone but himself. Then I had to sit there while he went on and on about how vampires are no different from humans – there are good ones and bad ones – and how I’m not “mature” enough to know the difference. Who does he think he is? He doesn’t care that I’ve finally found someone who wants me.’
She burst into tears.
And the wall comes tumbling down . . .
I moved the tissue box closer to her and said softly, ‘It sounds like Dev hurt your feelings.’
She blew her nose and nodded.
‘Why is Dev so important to you?’
‘He’s the first person who ever paid any attention to me.’ She sobbed for a few seconds. ‘I hoped he’d change his mind about me being too young for him. I really love him, and he treats me like a kid.’
‘That must be very frustrating.’
‘Yeah.’ She sighed. ‘But I know he cares about me. Just not the way I want him to.’
‘Is it possible that having a big-brother type of love might be special in its own way? After all, having someone who watches out for you is worth a lot.’
‘I never thought of it that way.’ She frowned and paused to consider it. ‘Maybe I should talk to him?’
I nodded and relaxed my tight shoulders. ‘I think that would be an excellent idea.’
Maybe this Dev guy isn’t so screwed up after all.
We sat quietly for a couple of minutes.
‘Midnight, are you seriously considering becoming a vampire?’
‘Becoming a vampire’ had started to sound like a euphemism to me, and I was sensing the same vibe I got when a client hinted about suicide without actually saying the words.
‘I don’t know. Last night Bryce and I took a little blood from each other. It’s the first time a real vampire has bitten me. He did it while we were having sex, which felt great, but I think I must have passed out for a while because I couldn’t remember what happened after that. He said he had chosen me because I was ready. I don’t want to let him down.’