by Rose Pressey
“I understand.” Jennifer gave me the pity smile. “Let me know if I can help,” she said.
I gave a half-hearted smile. “Thanks, Jen. I know I can always count on you. First thing I’ll do when I get to my office is make a phone call.”
“Who are you calling?”
“The craziest vampire I know.”
***
After talking to the pack police and once again getting very little help, I showered, then picked out the best professional outfit I could find that would also make it easy to fight vampires. When I stepped out into the hallway, Jack was waiting for me.
“You look beautiful,” he said.
Yeah, well, ditto that for him. I didn’t know quite how to put it, but he was even-better looking than yesterday. Something had made him sexier. Were his eyes bluer? Lips fuller? Muscles harder?
“Thank you.” At least I hadn’t giggled and batted my eyelashes at his compliment.
“I want to apologize again for the problem at my parents.”
“I should have fought harder.” He glanced down at his feet as we strolled along.
“What? You fought hard. No one can say you didn’t.” I touched his arm. “I guess you think my family is crazy?”
“You’ve never met my family.” He chuckled. It seemed to take all his effort to release that small amount of laughter.
“At least your family is human. They don’t run around howling at the full moon.”
“Well, you got me there.” He laughed again.
At least he still had his sense of humor, but how long would that last?
“I’d like for you to meet my family sometime.”
Whoa. That was a good sign. He wouldn’t ask that unless he planned to stick around for a while, right? “I’d love to.” I smiled.
Chapter Six
How to Date a Vampire, Rule #6:
Don’t be afraid to share your bronzer.
We made our way down the sidewalk toward the café. I still couldn’t help but look over my shoulder. Just the other day, a couple of rogue werewolves had chased me, and now vampires were after me. What was next, Sasquatch? I had all the paranormal creatures hunting me; it was ridiculous.
I glanced over and Jack grinned, squeezing my hand. The remorse from Jack’s new plight was worse than the guilt my mother tried to give me for not coming over for dinner every Sunday evening. And that was bad, trust me. I'd brought him into this paranormal predicament now.
“How are you feeling?” I asked as we passed an antique shop.
“The sun sure is bright,” Jack said as he squinted.
Uh-oh. I looked up at the overcast sky. Did I dare mention that the sun he thought so bright was hidden by a big cloud? That combustion word that I hated popped into my head. No, Jack would not end up as a pile of ashes. Besides, it wasn’t the sun that was making him not feel well. It was the darn vampires. But Jennifer was right, he didn’t need to be out in this and I knew that. Not to mention the vampires would obviously be back. I was only kidding myself if I thought otherwise. Until I found Ernie, the problem wouldn’t go away no matter how much I wanted to pretend it would. I didn't know how long we could keep avoiding the vampires.
“The sun is so bright that I can hardly see to walk around.” He held his hand above his eyes, attempting to create shade.
I pulled my purse off my shoulder and reached in. “Here, put these on,” I said handing him my sunglasses.
He stared at the glasses for a second, then looked over at me. “These have rhinestones on them. I’ll look like Elton John.”
“Elton John is very popular.”
He chuckled half-heartedly. “I’m not Elton. I’m Jack Chandler. An insane
psychiatrist.”
“You’re not insane. It’s the French Quarter. People will think you’re getting ready for Mardi Gras.” I bit my lip to keep from laughing when Jack slipped on my sunglasses.
“It’s still months until Mardi Gras.”
We passed a man playing a guitar, weaving by as he strummed a song I didn’t recognize.
“Maybe we should just grab the food and go back. It looks as if it might rain,” I said.
Jack looked up at the sky and groaned. “Maybe you’re right,” he mumbled. “You know, I did a lot of soul-searching to come to terms with your…” He glanced over at me, then looked away. “Well, with you being a werewolf. I don’t know that I can do enough searching to accept this.”
What could I say to that? I didn’t blame him. “I can imagine how you feel. I wouldn’t blame you if you hated me for dragging you into this.”
“I could never hate you. If I had it to do over again, I’d fight the vampires off for you.”
That was one way to make a girl turn to mush.
Jack turned to face me, brushing my cheek with his finger. He smiled, but it was weaker than the smile I’d grown accustomed to. “Come on, let’s get some food.
Once we reached the café, I left Jack at one of the little wrought-iron tables out front. Was the lack of blood zapping his energy? I ordered our food, keeping a close eye on Jack as he sat out front. His appearance had taken on a more mysterious air, not necessarily a bad thing, but I didn’t really think I could explain it. Jack was sexy no matter what, though.
After grabbing the food, I returned outside. “The clouds look darker. Come on, Jack, let’s get back before the rain unleashes on us.”
I smiled, trying to be as comforting as possible. The guilt from what I’d done to him was getting the better of me.
As we made our way from the café, I glanced up, hoping the rain would hold off until we got home. The air was fresh and warm against my skin. Jack wore my rhinestone-encrusted glasses. He never looked up, probably worried that the sun would emerge from behind the clouds. Despite the clouds, it was a beautiful day in the French Quarter, if not for Jack’s condition.
We strolled along the sidewalk, hand-in-hand, probably looking like a happy couple without a care in the world to everyone around us. But I knew differently. I felt the weight of Jack’s new problem on my shoulders, as if the vampires were actually sitting on them.
As we made our way past a shop that sold tarot cards and other spiritual gifts, a man in a beige button-up shirt and beige slacks stepped out from the door. He nodded and smiled. He was dressed as if he was ready to set off on a cruise ship or maybe drink a Pina Colada by the beach. As we neared him, the look on his face let me know that he wanted to chat. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in a chatting mood.
He picked up the broom that had been propped up against the window. “Such a romantic setting for a walk. You two make a very lovely couple.” He began sweeping the sidewalk.
How could I ignore him after he had said something as nice as that?
“Thank you.” I smiled.
I felt as if I was being rude by not saying more, but really, what else was there to say? Was I not being nice enough? I really needed to get over my niceness complex. It was like an obsession to be extra polite to people. Not just kind of friendly, but super friendly to everyone. Well, everyone except for Lily. She didn’t count.
I tried not to make eye contact with the man, but I felt his stare on us. I thought the conversation would end with my thanking him, but it didn’t. Something told me he wanted more from us. A gut instinct, I guess. I’d been having a lot of those lately. More than I had wanted.
Jack hadn’t even noticed the man, or if he had, he hadn’t said anything to indicate that he had.
“So where are you two lovebirds headed today?” he asked.
Did I really have to stop? We were in a hurry, but the bright smile on the man’s face wouldn’t allow me to ignore him.
“We’re just out for a morning beignet. Have a great day,” I said, letting him know that we couldn’t stay to talk.
Poor guy. I’d come back later when I had a chance to be friendlier. Well, if I ever had the chance to be friendlier. What if I ended up dodging vampires all my life? I’d have to move to Switze
rland, no wait, Fiji. I wasn’t much of a cold weather person.
The man placed the bottom of the broom in front of me, forcing us to stop. Jack glanced at the man. I couldn’t read his expression behind the sunglasses.
“I know what’s wrong with him.” He pointed at Jack. The smile disappeared from his face and was replaced by a frown. He wasn’t putting off the friendly guy vibe anymore. What was his problem?
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Now, if you’ll excuse us.”
“I can tell by the look in his eyes. He’s one of those…” He glanced around and when he was satisfied no one was near enough to hear him, he continued, “One of those vampires. I don’t like to even say the word.”
“If you don’t like to say the word, then why are you even talking to us?” I asked with irritation in my voice.
This man was making me mad, and I sure as heck wasn’t worried about being friendly anymore. So much for being super nice. If he wasn’t careful he’d see something more than a vampire. He’d get an up close view of a werewolf’s claws. My skin began to itch as my blood pressure increased.
“I’ve seen them running around. They try to hide, but I know. I know about them. They roam around looking for an innocent victim to prey upon. They want to kill all of us.”
“Been watching too many movies, have ya? Maybe you should cut back on the True Blood episodes, huh?” I rolled my eyes.
What kind of answer did this guy want from me? I didn’t know what to tell him. There had been vampires around for ages and they hadn’t annihilated the population. Sure there were mean ones, but that goes for anybody.
“They’re just waiting for a chance to kill us.”
Yeah. This guy was one Dr. Pepper short of a full case. “Okay then, well, good luck with that.” I stepped around the broom, pulling Jack along with me.
“No. You don’t understand,” he called after me. His voice grew louder with each word. “What I’m trying to tell you is that something has changed. There are really bad ones now.”
I turned around and looked at him. “And how do you know this?” I asked. I couldn’t help myself.
He paused, then said in a lower tone, “I’m psychic. And I had a vision about the vampires.”
Heck, maybe he was psychic. Maybe there were some really mean vampires, but I had enough to deal with at the moment. After all, they were after Jack, so he had a valid point. I just didn’t want to think about how mean they could be, not after what had happened to Jack.
No, I wouldn’t think about it now. Fixing Jack first was my number one priority. I grabbed Jack’s hand to hurry him along. With those glasses on, I couldn’t tell if he was even awake under there. He could be sleepwalking for all I knew. I didn’t care what this man was trying to tell me, I wasn’t sticking around to find out anymore about his vision.
After escaping the man with the visions, I successfully led Jack back into our building. Thankfully, he hadn’t spontaneously… well, you know. So that was a plus. I guided him to his office door. He’d taken on that drowsy, clueless look again, kind of like he needed a nap.
“Are you sure you’re okay to work?” I asked.
“I’m fine.” He leaned down and kissed me on the lips. Well actually, he hit the side of my mouth; his aim was a little off. He was trying to act normal when I knew he knew deep down that he wasn’t fine. But I’d let him keep up the façade for the time being. After I made a few calls and tried to sort things out, I’d have to break the news to Jack that I thought he was now a vampire. He probably had the same suspicions.
I watched as Jack shuffled into his office. After a few seconds, I forced myself to leave the foyer and get down to business. I had second thoughts about leaving him alone, but I knew I needed a bit of alone time to find out what was going on with him.
As soon as I slipped into my office, I made a dash for the phone. First on my to-do list was placing a call to the craziest vampire I knew, Samson Sanders. As the line rang and I waited for him to pick up, my thoughts shifted to the person responsible for the whole mess, my Uncle Ernie. I had dialed Ernie’s phone numerous times since the fight at my parents’, but there was no answer. He’d better have paid off that debt by now, but I hoped he was okay. The vampires had to want something other than money. Much to my chagrin, Samson didn’t answer. I’d have to keep trying until I got in touch with him.
I leaned back in my chair and studied my surroundings. If I wanted little to do with the paranormal world, then I’d picked the wrong profession. But despite the recent events, I really did love my job. Especially when I fixed up a couple and they turned out to be perfect for each other. And I already had the perfect match for my next client. I’d meet her to confirm my suspicions, but I had a feeling I’d be spot on with this matchup.
I tried Uncle Ernie again, but it rang and rang. I’d barely hung up the phone when a loud knock rattled the door. The pen flew from my hand and I banged my knees on the desk when I jumped. What if the vampires had come back? This was crazy. Worrying about freakin’ vampires. What could I do, though? Call the pack police again? It didn’t seem as if they could help. I slipped over to the door. Normally, I would have told whoever was there to come on in, but under current circumstance there was no way in hell I’d do that now. I sucked in a sharp breath and eased the door open, praying for the best. When I saw the woman on the other side of the door, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Please come in,” I said. “You must be Danielle Gaines? Please come in.” I gestured for her to enter.
“Thanks for getting me an appointment so soon.” She hurried through the door as if she’d been set on fire, her red dress looking like a blazing flame. Her gait was more of a sprint. “I tell you, I am so sick of not having a date.” She gestured with her hands. “I finally said enough is enough.” She stared around the room, taking in my figurines on the shelf next to my desk. “Cute animals.” She pointed.
“Thanks,” I said.
Danielle plopped down in the leather chair in front of my desk. Her short blonde curls bounced with the motion.
I didn’t know much about fairies, but I’d heard they were full of energy. I was beginning to see a pattern of me not having nearly enough information about the other paranormals out there. But I knew one thing, a fairy and a werewolf would be such a cute couple. I had the perfect werewolf picked out for her. I’d met him on my recent midnight romp through the city. His name was Dave Fuentes and he’d given me food when I was starving and couldn’t go home. Not knowing about other paranormals was only a minor flaw, right?
“So what hot guy do you have for me? I bet you have someone perfect picked out for me, huh?”
Danielle shifted in the seat, then crossed her legs, uncrossed them and crossed them again. She was making me tired just watching her.
“First off, let me say that I’m so happy you decided to go with Get a Mate.”
A huge smile twisted her mouth. “Oh, my gosh. It’s so not a problem. Thank you for helping me find a hot guy.”
Why did I feel as though if I didn’t find her a male model she’d be very disappointed? Please don’t let this turn into another Lily situation.
“Well, looks aren’t the only quality I look for in a potential date for my clients. Of course, I want you to be attracted to him, but I also want you to have compatible personalities. Likes and dislikes.”
She shook her head. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I have faith that you’ll pick someone hot.”
Oh boy. Maybe she wasn’t the right match for the werewolf, although he was hot. He had dark hair with even darker chocolate-colored eyes. If she wasn’t the right match for him, I’d try again. He deserved a great girlfriend.
“I have a few forms for you to fill out, then we’ll get started. I won’t take up much of your time, I promise.” I reached for the newly created file and handed it to her.
She snatched it from my hand and immediately began writing on the pages. No wonder she couldn’t find a date. She was so q
uick that a guy probably couldn’t get near her. Tapping my fingernails on my desk, I contemplated my match for Danielle.
She filled out the forms, the rhythmic popping of her chewing gum and the pen scribbling across the paper filling the silence.
“I think I’m all finished,” she said loudly, breaking the silence.
When I took the papers, her eyes widened and she froze on the spot. After a couple seconds, she glanced over her shoulder. I held my breath for a second, almost afraid of what she’d say or what she might see. What was she looking for?
“Vampire,” she hissed.
Chapter Seven
How to Date a Vampire, Rule #7:
Joining your undead sweetie in immortality can be a tough decision. Think about it long and hard before you allow your veins to be drained.
I took in a deep breath, then followed her gaze out into the hallway. I wished I hadn’t. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled to attention. A vampire stood in the hallway. The same vampire who’d delivered the message to my apartment. She’d come to look for us.
I tensed at the thought of yet another confrontation. I needed to get the fairy out of my office immediately. It wouldn’t be good for business if she saw me fighting.
“Is she your next appointment? I have a way of sensing vampires. I don’t like being around them much. I don’t like sharing my blood if you know what I mean. I listed that on my file.” Danielle pointed to the papers on my desk.
“Of course, I understand.” I couldn’t take my eyes off the female vampire in the hallway. She’d spotted me in the office since my door was wide open. Surely she saw Jack’s name on his office door. I’d have to tell Danielle that the vampire was my client so she’d hurry along.
“Well, thank you so much for choosing Get a Mate. It looks as if everything is in order,” I said, scanning her forms and focusing on the scene in the hallway. “I’ll call you as soon as I have everything in order. I’m confident I can find the perfect match for you.”
