by Jaye Wells
“Raven is going to be my maid of honor.” Her excitement was contagious. I stood there smiling like an idiot. Miranda’s eyes widened briefly, but she recovered and laughed.
“I hope you’re ready for some fireworks,” she said.
“I’m counting on it,” Syd said with a smirk. “Now, while I try on these things, why don’t you see what you have in the way of a bridesmaid dress for my maid of honor?”
Miranda called Carmen back over to help Syd while she pulled me into the store to look at dresses.
“Do you think this is a good idea?” she whispered as she flipped through racks of dresses.
She held up a pink shift dress and shook her head.
“It’s what she wants. Plus, I think it would be kind of fun.”
“Okay, if you’re prepared then I say go for it.”
She turned and raised her voice to talk to Syd, “Sydney, what are we going for with this dress?”
Syd looked over her shoulder as she adjusted the veil. “Oh, I don’t care. Let Raven decide. The wedding is black tie though, so it needs to be formal.”
“Are you sure you want me to choose?” I said.
“Yep, just chose something you love.”
I looked uneasily at Miranda. She stared back with a twinkle in her eye.
“I’ve got just the thing. I’ll bring it to the dressing room.”
While she wandered off, I headed back to the seating area to see how Syd was doing.
A white tulle veil floated around her head like mist. She now wore chandelier earrings and strappy white heels. The effect was breathtaking.
“Wow, Syd. You’re going to knock Logan’s socks off,” I said.
She fiddled with the veil, making it lay just right on her bare shoulders.
“Miranda is a genius. And I love the beading on the headpiece. I feel like a princess.”
“You look like one.”
She smiled and thanked me. I excused myself to the changing room, where I waited for Miranda to arrive. It didn’t take long. She handed over an armful of dresses.
“Here you go. We’ll wait for you in the sitting room.”
A few minutes later I pulled the side zipper closed and stared at myself. It was perfect. Opening the fitting room door, I swept my way into the sitting room.
Syd and Miranda both turned to stare.
“I love it!” Syd exclaimed.
“That’s the one,” Miranda said at the same time.
“You don’t think it’s too bold for a wedding?” I asked and held my breath.
“Absolutely not. You have to buy that dress,” Syd said.
Made of deep ruby velvet, the gown had a corseted top with satin ribbon crisscrossing the bodice and the same ribbon creating the straps on my shoulders. The skirt was fitted and fell to the floor. This was a dress I would have chosen premakeover, except classier.
I’d worried it was too much for a wedding, with its medieval dominatrix theme, but apparently Syd had no problems with it.
“I thought you’d choose that one,” Miranda said with a knowing smile. “It’s one I made myself.”
The next few minutes were a flurry of activity while we chose jewelry and shoes for my dress. Then Syd and I changed back into our clothes while Miranda wrapped everything up.
“Syd, the alterations on your dress should be done by next week,” Miranda said. “I’m having a vamp shopping night next Wednesday. Why don’t you come? You can get your dress as well as have a chance to meet some new people.”
“That sounds like fun. Raven, will you come too?” Syd asked.
Frowning, I said, “Actually, I have to work at the blood bank that night.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Syd said. “Well, I’ll be here, Miranda.”
Jealousy reared its ugly head. Maybe it was immature, but I felt left out.
“Great. And maybe we can all get together soon when Raven’s not working,” Miranda said. “This has been so much fun.”
“Definitely. Miranda, thank you so much for all your help. I hope you’ll come to the wedding too.”
“I’d love to.”
My jealousy faded as I realized I’d now have another ally at the wedding.
Soon, our packages were wrapped and we were heading out the door. Miranda gave me a big hug, whispering in my ear to be smart and call her if I needed anything.
I walked out into the crisp fall air feeling renewed. Maybe things weren’t so bad after all. I had one great friendship and another promising one. Maybe with their help I really could make it through what was left of my time. I still hadn’t heard from my minions, anyway.
When we reached the house, Sydney wrapped me in a tight hug.
“Thank you for everything. I couldn’t have found my perfect dress without you.”
I pulled back and smiled at her.
“It was fun.”
“Okay, you better get inside. Callum’s looking at us from the living room windows with a massive scowl on his face,” she said.
I sighed and looked back over my shoulder. Sure enough, he was watching us. Syd waved at him.
“Have fun dealing with that,” she laughed as she made her way to the car. “I’ll call you later.”
I waved at her and turned to go inside. However, I was surprised the prospect of arguing with Callum didn’t get me down. For the first time in weeks, I actually felt happy. And no one, not Callum or even my father, could ruin my good mood.
Chapter Fourteen
A month into my rehabilitation, things were going pretty well. The Murdochs had taken the news about me being Sydney’s maid of honor pretty well in public. Syd had confided in me that Logan had flown through the roof at first, but she quickly straightened him out. Kira was cautious but made no protest. Callum didn’t have much to say.
In fact, Callum had not been around much. He was busy with the Lifeblood roll out and was working long hours. That suited me just fine. Sydney kept me busy with wedding plans when I wasn’t working at the blood bank. And Miranda, Syd, and I had even met a couple of times for girls’ nights. So, I didn’t even miss him—much.
I got up early one morning, a Friday, to watch the sunrise. It had kind of become a habit for me. It was amazing to be able to do that after so many years of waking at sunset. The brilliant reds, pinks, and yellows reminded me of paintings I had seen throughout the years. But no painting could really do the experience justice.
I threw on some jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt, intending on grabbing a cup of coffee to take outside to the garden with me. The house was quiet, and I felt a sense of peace. I cherished these times when I wasn’t being chaperoned, and I could just be alone with my thoughts.
Rustling sounds emanated from the kitchen, stopping me in my tracks. I hoped whomever it was wouldn’t ruin my private time.
Callum was busy loading a filter into the coffee pot when I entered the room. I considered turning back, but his head jerked around almost before I entered the room. Damned vampire hearing.
When he saw it was me, he smiled.
“You’re up early,” he said, going back to making his coffee.
“Yeah,” I replied, not wanting him to know why I was up. “So are you.”
“Work,” he said, scooping grounds into the machine. “You gonna have some of this?”
I nodded, so he added more coffee and water.
He pressed the start button and turned around, crossing his arms. The room was silent except for the soft gurgling of the coffee machine. I inhaled the scent of French roast and tried to think of something to talk about. On the rare occasions we saw each other, things were strained, and I hated it.
“How’s the roll out going?”
He shrugged and lifted a hand to rub his neck. “Fine. Production has started. We plan on shipping out the first batches next month.”
“Cool,” I said, playing with a hand towel on the counter.
“How are things with you?” he said. I could tell he was just being polite.
“Okay, I guess.”
He nodded and checked the pot to see if it was ready. After taking a couple of mugs down from the cabinet, he poured two cups from the pot, emptying it.
He extended a steaming mug toward me across the island. I nodded my thanks and took it from him.
Taking a sip, I thought about how stupid this was. Callum and I had not had a real conversation since the night we went to dinner.
“Listen, I was wondering if maybe sometime this weekend, if you had time, we could have lunch or something.” His eyebrows shot up. “You know, to discuss my progress and stuff,” I said quickly.
The eyebrows lowered, and he took a gulp of coffee.
“Actually, I planned on working all weekend. However, Mother has been keeping me updated on you. She says you’re doing fine. I talked to your father yesterday and relayed the news.”
“Oh,” I said, unable to think of a more interesting response. “Okay, then.”
He began gathering his things and seemed to dismiss me from his mind. To make myself useful, I went to the coffee machine, now through its cycle, intending to make another pot since everyone else would be up soon. I’d never made coffee before, but I figured if mortals could do it, then so could I.
Lost in thought as Callum drained the rest of his coffee, I went to the sink and emptied the grounds down the drain. With a flick of the switch, I started the disposal while I tried to think of something to say to Callum to ease this tension between us. My thoughts were interrupted by a loud clanging sound followed by a buzz.
Callum rushed to the sink as I looked down to see what was happening.
“What did you do?” he asked, flipping the switch off.
“Nothing,” I said, which elicited a skeptical frown from him. “I just poured the coffee grounds down there.”
Callum started to stick his hand down the drain but paused.
“Whatever you do, don’t touch that switch,” he said, nodding to the disposal button.
When I nodded, he proceeded to fish around in the disposal for a second. He stopped and looked at me with shock. Closing his eyes, he shook his head.
“Tell me you didn’t put the filter down there, too,” he said as he pulled out his hand. A clump of shredded paper speckled with black grit dripped from his fingers.
“Oops,” I said.
“Raven, normal people throw the filter and grounds in the trash can.”
“Excuse me,” I said, feeling defensive. “I’ve never made coffee before.”
He ignored me and pulled more soggy mess from the drain, adding it to the pile next to the sink. Callum tried the switch. The low whirring sound that emitted from the sink wasn’t a good sign. With a sigh, he turned the switch back off.
Grabbing a hand towel from the counter, he looked at me.
“It’s broken. I’d call a plumber, but I have to get out of here. It’ll have to wait until Hannah gets up.”
“I’ll take care of it,” I said, wanting to make up for my mistake.
His skeptical look made my hackles rise. “Callum, believe it or not, I am capable of making a phone call.”
“Fine. I think the plumber’s number is in the drawer by the phone.” He looked at his watch. “Okay, I really have to go. Try not to break anything else.”
With that he grabbed his briefcase and headed out the door, my one-fingered wave unnoticed in his haste.
I looked out the window over the sink and sighed. Dawn had come and gone without me noticing. Grimacing, I scooped up the pile of coffee and filter to put in the trash. I was embarrassed I couldn’t even make coffee without screwing something up. The worst part was I’d been trying to be nice to Callum and ended up annoying him instead. The day was off to a freaking fabulous start. Idly, I wondered what else could go wrong.
Bad idea.
Nancy’s open-mouthed stare made me pause on my way into the blood bank.
“What happened to your hair?” she asked.
I wanted to turn around and go home. However, Raven Coracino didn’t hide from her problems.
“I have no idea,” I said, trying to fluff the strands with my fingers.
“Oh dear.”
I turned to look in the mirror over the console table in the waiting area.
Yikes! It was worse than I remembered. For some reason, my hair looked like I had combed it with a piece of bacon. It hung limply around my face like wet noodles.
“It looks a little . . . ..wilted,” Nancy said, reaching out to touch it. When she surreptitiously wiped her hand on her pants, I felt the sting of tears.
“I don’t know what I did wrong. I followed the hairdresser’s instructions like I always do.”
“It almost looks like . . . never mind,” she said.
“What?”
“I hate to ask this, but did you use shampoo instead of conditioner?”
Now that she mentioned it, I did wonder why it took so long for the “shampoo” to rinse out this morning. The tension between Callum and I, combined with the embarrassment about the disposal, must have distracted me enough to grab the wrong bottle in the shower.
“Oh. My. God.” I covered my face with my hands, trying to ward off the tears of frustration that threatened to overwhelm me. I was such an idiot I couldn’t even wash my hair correctly.
“There, there, dear. It’s not too bad.”
“Yes, it is!” I wailed.
“Okay, you’re right. It is pretty bad. But there’s nothing you can do about it. Now go put on your apron.”
I trudged my way to the volunteers’ room. Already the waiting room was filling up. Usually the afternoon shifts were pretty slow, but a pileup on the Beltline yesterday had Good Samaritans coming out of the woodwork to donate blood. Freaking Samaritans.
I put my purse in my locker and grabbed the pink apron. If I was lucky, Nancy would let me hand out cookies instead of checking people in. People liked getting cookies. It meant they were done. People waiting to give blood were impatient and antsy. They snapped at the volunteers and demanded to know how much longer it would be. Customer service wasn’t my forte even on good days. Today was not a good day.
Nancy was waiting for me at the desk, tapping her foot.
“Raven, you’re on check-in duty. I’ve got to handle the examinations.”
“But what about the cookies?” I asked a little desperately.
“It’s too busy to waste manpower on that. We’ll just put them on the table and let people grab their own.”
My shoulders slumped as I took the seat behind the desk. Before I could even work up a good pout, the door opened and three people walked in. Five women in business suits already waited in chairs.
“How long is this going to take?” demanded a fortyish man in a pinstripe suit when he reached the desk.
“There are five people ahead of you in line, and the chairs are full.”
“Can you move me ahead in line? I have a meeting in an hour.”
“Sorry, it’s first come, first served. You’ll have to wait like everyone else.”
He grabbed the clipboard I offered him after snapping his name at me and stalked to a chair. He was one of the more pleasant visitors I dealt with that afternoon.
By six o’clock, I’d been yelled at by both customers and Nancy, gotten three paper cuts, and spilled a soda all over my apron. The last part kind of made up for some of my aggravation, but on the whole I was not a happy vampire when I left. Hannah picked me up out front.
“How was your day?” she asked warily as I slammed the door.
My look must have explained everything because she turned up the radio and drove off without another word. Soon we reached Kira’s house. The plumber’s van was already in the driveway.
I ran inside, hoping he hadn’t been there long. I’d instructed Kira and Hannah that no one was allowed to handle the disposal issue but me. It was silly, I know, but I needed to prove to everyone that I could fix my mistakes.
As I ran, Kira called out that
she and Hannah were heading out for the night and wouldn’t be home until late. I acknowledged the information with a wave and hurried on.
He was waiting in the kitchen, drinking a soda.
“I’m so sorry I’m late,” I said, throwing my purse on the counter.
“Lady, it’s your dime. You want to pay time and a half for me to sit around, it’s no skin off my nose.”
Wearing a blue chambray shirt embroidered with the name “Hank,” he made no move to get up.
“Time and a half?” I asked.
He pointed to the gold wristwatch on his meaty wrist. “You wanted me to come at six. That’s an after-hours job. After-hours jobs pay time and a half.”
“Fine, whatever. Can you fix it?”
“Depends. I haven’t looked yet.”
“How long have you been here?”
“About thirty minutes, I’d say.”
I rubbed my forehead in a vain effort to ease the ache that had begun forming there.
“Hank, do you think you could take a break from your break and look at the disposal?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“Geez, lady, no need to be rude.” He slowly raised himself from the stool with a grunt. After he lumbered over to the sink, he flipped on the water.
“The faucet works,” he reported helpfully.
“Yes, I know. I called you about a disposal problem, remember?”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. It never hurts to do a complete diagnostic though.”
I rolled my eyes and took a seat on the stool, figuring this was going to be a long process.
Finally, he flipped the switch for the disposal. Nothing had changed since this morning.
“Yep, your disposal’s broke, all right.”
Thanks, Mr. Obvious.
“Can you fix it?”
“Depends. I need to get under the sink and open ’er up.”
“Great.”
He grabbed a wrench from his tool bag, and ducked under the sink. I looked away quickly to avoid the view of his butt crack. Within seconds the kitchen was filled with loud clanking sounds. I didn’t know much about plumbing, but something didn’t give me much faith in Hank’s skills.
The phone rang. Thankful for the distraction, I picked it up on the second ring.
