Bellona shook her head. “Early nineteenth century costumes, filmed locally. I’ve got a meeting with the wardrobe department next week to see if they need any custom orders.”
Lucy gave them a sarcastic look. “Hmm… Period costuming, filmed locally, probably a vampire flick, aren’t they all? At least we can rule out zombies… I hope.”
Miles raised his eyebrows. “This from the girl who professes her favorite books to be Dracula and Frankenstein?”
“A love of classics is not the same as teenage vampire mania,” Lucy informed him sternly. “Something about perfectly sane women falling in love with a five hundred year old corpse who drinks blood doesn’t really bring out the romantic in me. Besides,” Lucy shrugged, “I’m half vampire anyway. It’s a pretty boring existence.”
Miles’ eyes narrowed. “How could you be half vampire?” he asked cautiously.
Lucy glanced at his serious expression and laughed. “You look like you actually believe in vampires, Miles. I must be part vampire, I can’t go out in daylight without my sunglasses, and I burn after five minutes, even on cloudy days. How many other Italians have you seen with skin this pale?”
Bellona studied her for a moment. “Italians don’t have yellow eyes either.”
“My eyes are brown!” Lucy protested.
“Amber,” Miles added. “They are pretty light.”
“No lighter than yours,” Lucy shot back. Miles had eyes of such a pale shade of gray that they were usually the first feature anyone noticed, which was saying something, considering that there was nothing unattractive about Miles.
Miles shrugged. “It ain’t no secret my father is white. My grandmother reminds my mother of that every chance she gets. Didn’t stop her from moving in with them after Kat took out half her neighborhood though, did it?”
“Yeah well it ain’t no secret my father is MIA. For all I know he’s a purple alien. But your eyes are light for any race, so if I’m abnormal, you are too.”
“But this isn’t about me.” Miles wagged a finger at Lucy. “Vampire or not, how serious is your photo sensitivity?”
“Pretty bad,” Lucy admitted. “It’s been that way all my life. I just keep a pair of sunglasses with me at all times. My eye doctors said there was nothing wrong with them, but without my father’s history, they couldn’t tell me if I’ve got some sort of genetic problem.” Lucy did not miss the veiled look that Miles and Lona shared, as if they knew something that she didn’t. “Okay, what was that about?”
Miles grinned at her. “Nothing gets past you, does it? We’ve been doing some studies on the subject up at work. If you don’t mind, I’d like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Glassman. For all I know they’re already working on treatments.” Miles worked for EJC, a research company that held patents on everything from weapons to medical equipment. Though she had not yet met him, Lucy knew that Dr. Glassman was Lona’s father. “In fact, I’m headed to the office right now. I’ll set up an appointment for tomorrow if you like.”
The bell over the door chimed before Lucy could reply. She peeked around the corner and was surprised to see Tim, the hottie from the café, standing at the counter. “I got it.” Lucy waved her hand at Lona, who was about to walk up front. “You guys can get your grope-y goodbyes out of the way in private.” She took a deep breath, too aware of the flush that was creeping over her. “Well, hello again!” Lucy said and tried to smile casually.
Tim smiled back, put his hand in his pocket, and pulled out Lucy’s phone. “You know, most girls would just give a guy their phone number,” he said in a suggestive drawl.
“Fred!” Lucy grabbed the phone and kissed the screen before clasping it to her heart. “I thought you were a goner! Thank you, Tim!”
Tim gave her a lopsided smile. “Fred?”
Lucy blushed, realizing that for the third time in as many hours, she managed to say something completely off the wall in Tim's presence. “Well um, I’ve always named my electronics since my grandmother wouldn’t let me have pets. Would it make it better if I told you I spelled Fred in ones and zeroes instead of letters?”
“I suppose.” Tim shook his head, unsure what to make of her. “I uh, happened to notice that the sign on the door says this place closes at six. Would you perhaps like to grab some coffee or something later? That is, if Fred won’t get jealous.”
Lucy could not believe it. Tim was hot and he had a sense of humor, and apparently, he was asking her out on a date!
“Um, yeah! That sounds great! Do you want to come back here or should I meet you somewhere?”
“Why don’t we meet down at Café Du Monde? That way I don’t look suspicious hanging around out front.”
“Alright.” Lucy was well aware of the stupid grin that had been plastered on her face since the moment Tim showed up. “It usually takes us about fifteen minutes to close up shop, so I’ll see you around six thirty-ish?”
“See you then.” Tim gave her a wink and a sexy smile. Lucy leaned on the counter and stared at the door for several minutes until Lona tapped her on the shoulder.
“And just who was that handsome little devil that was sizing you up?”
Lucy let out a nervous giggle. “His name is Tim. And I have a date!”
“And Fred’s back,” Lona noted. “I take it you met this Tim fella this morning?”
Lucy nodded. “I’m pretty shocked. I wasn’t exactly stunning when we met, and I figured he thought I was crazy.”
“You are crazy.” Lona swatted her arm playfully. “But that’s part of your charm. I’m happy for you.”
Miles, who had been watching their exchange with a slight frown, added, “Just be careful. You just met him and even now the streets aren’t entirely safe at night.”
“Of course,” Lucy said with surprise. “We’re meeting over at Café Du Monde, which is three blocks from here and always packed with people. It’s not like I asked him up to my apartment or anything.”
“I know Lucy, but you’re like a little sister to me, I can’t help but be concerned about you. But I mean it, stay in the neighborhood, at least for now.”
“No problem,” Lucy reassured him. “You know I’m not very adventurous.”
“Good,” Miles told her before turning back to Lona and kissing her lightly on the cheek. “I’m off to check in at the office and then I’m going to bed.” Miles worked third shift, so he had just come off of work. “I’ll let you know about that appointment, Lucy.”
“Sure thing!” Lucy went back into the office to give Lona and Miles their privacy yet again. She was taken aback by Miles’ concern and declaration that she was like a sister. She had never been anyone’s sister for real or in the spiritual sense. Her life previously did not give her much room for making lasting friendships. She blinked, thinking herself foolish because she just might start crying.
“What’s up Luce?” Lona interrupted her thoughts.
“Don’t laugh,” she turned to Lona with glazed eyes, “but that was a really nice thing for Miles to say and it kind of choked me up a bit.”
“Oh Lucy,” Lona drew her into a warm hug. “We’re both mad about you! It’s completely true. I know you don’t have any family here. Miles, well, he’s got good parents who love him, and me, but you heard him. His grandmother isn’t the only bigot in the family either. Most of them think that by marrying me he’s trying to breed the black out of his line completely. We can’t choose family, but we can choose who to love.”
Lucy giggled nervously. “Thanks Lona, I mean it. Sorry to go all mushy on you, but it means a lot that you two care.”
“Be as mushy as you want,” Lona said and winked, “but get moving! We’ve got a lot of empty space that needs filling.”
“Alright,” Lucy put up her hands in defeat. “Then you have to help me fix my hair. Did I mention I have a date?”
Chapter 2
After rejecting everything in her closet at least twice, Lucy finally settled on a pale blue cotton shirt and a white pe
asant skirt that she felt would hide her newly acquired belly fat. Even so, she checked her reflection in every store window on the three-block walk to Café Du Monde. She spotted Tim immediately, lounging casually at one of the tables near the street. He stood up when she approached.
“Hey there, how’s Fred?”
Lucy patted her purse with a smile. “Suffering from separation anxiety, it’s been almost five minutes since I’ve used him.”
“Should I feel honored that you agreed to our date?”
Lucy’s stomach fluttered at the word date. “I promise to give you my undivided attention. So, have you ordered anything yet?”
“No. I thought we would go have dinner then come back for coffee afterward, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” Lucy smiled warmly to cover her excitement about the prospect of spending more time with Tim. “Where would you like to go?”
Tim looked up and down the street. “Do you mind a bit of a walk? There’s a really good Indian place up Canal, just outside the Quarter.”
Lucy remembered Miles’ warning and hesitated, but the lure of Indian food, something she hadn’t had since she left Washington, was too much.
“Sounds great, lead the way.”
Tim’s idea of ‘just outside the Quarter’ was farther than Lucy would have ever ventured alone. Some of the areas they passed were more run down than any she had previously seen, but the sun hadn’t yet completely set and there were people out everywhere. Though after fifteen minutes of buckled sidewalks, Lucy had grown to regret the decision to wear strappy sandals, and prayed that she wasn’t visibly sweating.
The restaurant was off Canal, on a narrow street and didn’t look like much from the outside, but the food was heavenly. Lucy found conversing with Tim to be extremely easy, despite the fact that she nearly spilled her wine several times due to nerves. If he noticed her nervousness, Tim did not let on. When a chirping sound emitted from Lucy’s small handbag, indicating she had a text message, Tim took the opportunity to poke fun at her about her phone dependency once again.
“Oh please!” Lucy laughed. “You act like you don’t even have a cell phone. Come on, what do you got? Don’t tell me, an iPhone? No, you look more like a Blackberry kind of guy.”
Tim smiled and pulled an ancient Motorola from his back pocket, which drew a gasp from Lucy.
“Oh wow! I think I’ve seen one of these at the Smithsonian!”
“Very funny.” Tim put the phone away. “It still works and besides, I’m a poor student, not a glamorous fashion designer.”
Lucy nearly choked on her wine. “Me? A fashion designer? Oh heavens no! I’m just a lowly shop assistant. My boss is the designer. I’m a college dropout.”
“Really? What were you studying?”
“Law,” Lucy answered with a grimace. “Not my choice, actually, which kind of explains the whole dropping out bit. How about you?”
“I’m pre-med at the moment, but I’m thinking of specializing in genetics.”
“Impressive.” Lucy searched for something to say on the subject and drew a blank. Science was definitely not her forte.
Tim shrugged. “Perhaps, if spending hours at a time sitting around a lab and babysitting cultures is your thing. Everyone I talk to outside of the department gets really bored when I bring up my projects.”
“I know the feeling. When I was in school I would annoy my friends every time I brought up some obscure law.”
“Are you planning to go back?”
“Eventually,” Lucy said wistfully. “As soon as I figure out what I want to be when I grow up.”
“Figuring out what to do with your life is a pretty big decision.” Tim set his empty wine glass on the table next to Lucy’s. “However, figuring out where to go next is easy. So how long have you been in New Orleans, Lucy?”
Lucy blushed. “About six months, is it that obvious?”
“Well if your accent didn’t give you away, the way you were looking around like a tourist on the way up here was a dead giveaway. Have you ever been outside the Quarter before?”
“I hardly leave my own corner of the Quarter. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but this morning when you met me, that was the farthest I’d been from my apartment since I moved here.”
“No kidding!” Tim looked scandalized. “Right then, I think you’re going to need a guided tour. I happen to know the perfect guy for the job!”
“Oh?” Lucy mocked. “And who might that be?”
Tim stood up and held his hand out to her. “Why, me, of course!”
As a native, Tim knew the city pretty well and pointed out places of interest that she would have otherwise walked past without knowing their history. Between cursing her aching feet and getting wrapped up in Tim’s stories, Lucy hadn’t paid any attention to where they had been walking, or that the streets had gotten progressively darker and the buildings were more run down than where they had come from. The only other person around was an elderly black man, who was playing a trombone on a doorstep across the street, and Lucy could have sworn he was the same man who had asked for a cigarette outside of the restaurant. In fact, she was pretty sure she had seen the same man sitting a few tables away at Café Du Monde. Despite the humid night, Lucy suddenly felt chilled.
“Maybe we should be heading back,” she suggested.
“Sure,” Tim said with a dismissive wave of his hand, “but we have one more stop.”
He gestured at the crumbling concrete wall that stretched a block ahead of them. “I just thought, seeing as you live in tourist central, that you might want to see some of the more interesting places. Come on, just one more haunt and we’ll head back.”
Lucy thought back to Miles and the warning he gave her. Tim was already walking a few paces ahead of her. She started to follow, but turned to glance at the man across the street. He stopped playing, and gave her a nod, just like the man in the café and outside the restaurant. So he was following them! Lucy wasn’t sure whether his presence disturbed or comforted her. She hurried to catch up with Tim, who had stopped at a broken gate that led into whatever the crumbling wall was hiding.
“Come on.” Tim grabbed her hand and Lucy froze.
“This is St. Louis Number Two!” She whispered.
“Yep, come on, I want you to meet my relatives.” Tim’s smile was taunting. “Unless you’re afraid of ghosts.”
Lucy didn’t budge. She had heard stories about the cemetery, but not ghost stories. Unlike St. Louis Number One, Two was a dangerous place to visit even during the day.
“It ain’t ghosts I’m worried about. I’ve heard about people being mugged here and even some gang activity. We should leave.”
“No one’s here, Lucy. At least no one who would mess with me, come on.”
Warning bells went off in Lucy’s head. While the date had gone pleasantly enough, and Tim was definitely attractive, Lucy wasn’t foolish enough to trust that his outward appearance couldn’t be hiding a darker, more unstable personality.
“No.” She stepped back away from the gate. “I’m not going in there.”
“Suit yourself.”
Tim shrugged and stepped under the broken gate, disappearing almost immediately into the darkness. Lucy glanced back up the street. The old man was gone and she didn’t know which direction would take her back to the well-lit area of the city where she could find her way home.
Lucy heard heavy footsteps coming around the corner. Not waiting to see if they were friend or foe, she squeezed under the gate and slid along the cemetery wall to get out of view. Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind. Lucy gasped as a hand came over her mouth.
“Shush, you don’t want to wake the dead.”
Lucy spun and pushed herself away. Tim stood with his arms crossed and an amused smirk on his face.
“What the hell is wrong with you? That isn’t funny!” Lucy hissed. “Let’s get out of here!”
The wind picked up and stirred the debris that littered the crumb
led stone walkways. Tim put his finger to his lips. “Someone’s coming, follow me.” He grabbed her by the hand and dragged her down a narrow lane between the crypts. Lucy could only hear the sound of her own heart beating. Tripping over a loose stone, she fell and rolled in between two monuments, taking Tim with her. His body crashed into hers and pinned her to the ground.
“Well this is romantic, isn’t it?” Tim’s voice was barely a whisper, just inches from her ear. “Can you think of a more beautiful place to die?”
“Why are you acting like this?” Lucy demanded while shifting her head as far away from Tim’s face as she could. She tried to remain calm, but the panic that was welling up inside of her was winning.
“God damn, Lucy, don’t tell me you’re one of those whiny ass ‘I don’t hunt anymore because I’m a good little human’ types.”
Lucy’s panic gave way to momentary confusion. “What the hell are you even talking about?”
“Maybe I was wrong.” Tim pressed his lips against the side of Lucy’s neck. “Either way, I win.”
“I’ll scream,” she threatened with an unsteady voice. But Lucy’s protests became a sick gurgling sound as Tim bit down on the delicate skin of her throat and crushed her windpipe.
“Sorry, babe,” Tim whispered harshly, “but I can’t have you drawing unwanted attention.” He lifted his head, exposing eyes that glowed phosphorescently. Lucy’s own eyes widened in panic, her breathing no more than shallow, wheezing gulps as Tim smiled, running his tongue over gleaming fangs that had not been there previously.
“I can’t promise I’ll be gentle,” Tim growled, lowering his head to her neck once again. She felt a sharp pain in the side of her neck and rent the air with a sickening crowing noise as she tried to scream through her damaged vocal cords. Her heart thudded in her chest and tears blurred her vision as she realized she was about to die.
No!
Lucy pushed back against the paralyzing terror and scrambled to remember the self-defense training that her grandmother had insisted she take in school. Remembering that as a woman, her strength was in her legs, Lucy tried to bend her knees, only to find that Tim was sitting on her skirt, pinning her to the ground.
The Eyes of the Sun: The Complete Trilogy Page 2
