"What took you so long?"
"You know what's funny?" he said. "I've been asking myself that same question."
*****
"Hello?"
Victoria closed her eyes in relief at the sound of Amit's voice. The phone had rang nearly ten times, and she thought at any moment it would go to voicemail. The last time she saw him in person was the day he showed her the hotel room. They spoke on the phone rarely. She simply didn't have need of his services as her personal assistant.
Until now.
"Amit, it's me."
It took him a moment. "Victoria? I'm surprised to hear from you. I was told your last meeting was tonight."
"It was, but I'm not leaving until tomorrow. So, you can say no to this. I completely understand. Are you still working? Still in the hotel?"
"I am. And I'm at your service until you leave. What can I do for you?"
"Oh, thank you so much. Please, just come up to my room."
"I'll be there in five minutes."
She hung up and tossed the phone on the bed. Every bag was packed, with the exception of one. She would hide from the sun, out of habit, and catch her scheduled flight back to the United States. Another seventeen hours with bad movies, Liz and Denise.
But she had one more night of fun to go.
Victoria wasn't one to get the jitters, but found herself more flustered than she would have thought. She was quite aware of how it would sound to a mortal, but she'd dated thousands of men. Politicians, executives, bus drivers, trash collectors. Even vampire hunters. What was it about Patrick that was different? Was it even a date?
It dawned on her as she paced next to the bed. Patrick was a vampire. She'd never dated a vampire before.
"It's not a date," she said aloud. "You've only known him a week."
She forced herself to stop pacing and smile. It was good to know after so long, her heart was still capable of fluttering.
Even a vampire didn't know what the future held. Victoria and Patrick would go their own separate ways, an ocean between them. But until then, she'd have a good time.
A knock came at the door. Victoria crossed the room, looking through the peephole first, before undoing the latch and throwing the door open.
"Hello…." Amit's eyes went wide in shock. "Victoria!"
It was only when he covered his face and looked away did she realize she was still naked. Modesty was a trait she'd lost long ago. It was a character flaw, she was aware. She reached for a robe and covered up, for his sake more than hers. Amit stood with his knees shaking outside the door.
"Victoria," he said. "I'm a married man."
"Relax, Amit." She couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not trying to seduce you. I need some help picking out a dress."
"That's…not exactly my area."
He refused to uncover his eyes. She gently grabbed his hand and pulled him inside, shutting the door behind him.
"You're a man, and I trust you. You'll be able to tell me what looks good on me. I'm usually pretty good at it, but I'm having trouble tonight."
"I haven't seen anything not look good on you."
"Aww. Thank you so much. But believe me, catch me in the morning. You should see my hair."
He frowned. "The morning? I thought vampires woke in the afternoon?"
She brushed aside his keen observation with a wave of her hand.
"It's an expression, Amit. Now c'mon, help a girl out."
She led him to the bed, where she had an entire suitcase worth of clothes spread out. Picking up a random dress, one of her favorites, she held it against her curvy frame.
"What do you think?"
Frowning, he brought a hand to his chin, deep in thought.
"Ironically, the robe is kind of in the way now."
"Easily fixable."
"No! I didn't mean…Oh, goodness gracious…."
"It's a naked female body, Amit. I know you've seen one before."
Victoria cast aside the robe, tossing it to the floor. She held the dress up to her body once again. Bits of hip and thigh stuck out here and there. Amit's eyes didn't know where to look first. Finally, he regained his composure, taking all of the vampire in.
"Too much red," he said. "Red dress, red hair. Overpowering."
She smiled. "You can never have too much red."
He glanced over the contents of the bed. "Is the goal seduction? Or is this another business meeting?"
She was taken back by the personal question, and the ease in which he asked it. She liked it.
"Personal meeting. The clothes will be staying on. At least, I think so. But…I do want to turn his head."
Amit nodded. "The sleeveless black Lela Rose," he said, then turned his attention to the ten pairs of shoes on the floor, several of which were heels. "I take it you're comfortable walking on your toes?"
"I won't twist my ankle, if that's what you mean."
"Hmm…the Valentino's on the end. And I'm sorry, but I won't be able to help you with the undergarments."
"That's okay. Won't need any tonight."
She kept an eye on him as she dressed. He watched her, but not with the gaze of a man admiring a naked woman. She was now a project he was involved in.
"So, not your area?" she teased.
The corner of his mouth lifted in an amused half-smile.
"There!" he said. "Perfection!"
"I look good?"
"You look…." He couldn't find the word, so simply flashed an a-okay sign.
It took her a moment to find her footing in heels. It had been a while. Walking to the full-length mirror, she was very pleased with Amit's selection. She owned extravagant, expensive clothes, but seldom wore them.
"Thank you so much."
"Of course," he said. "It really has been a joy to have you here, Victoria. I hope you come back next year."
"Don't hold your breath," she said, laughing.
"So, where are you going tonight?"
"He wants to meet at this restaurant on the other side of town."
"Are you ready? We'll leave whenever you want."
"Amit, no. I didn't mean…you're off the hook. I was going to catch a cab."
"Nonsense. I'll be in the limo outside. Just come down when you're ready."
Amit didn't have time to turn around before she surprised the Renaissance man with a hug. Victoria squeezed the air out of him, drawing a laugh, before he hugged her in return.
"Thank you for everything."
"You're very welcome."
CHAPTER 5
Patrick was already at the restaurant when Victoria arrived. He sat near the back, dressed in a suit, which fit him very well. A bucket of ice on a cart was next to him, with a single champagne bottle inside. He held a physical book in his hands, a seemingly rare sight in the technology-driven twenty-first century.
At the sight of her, he rose to his feet. She wasn't sure whether it was anxiety, or old-fashioned manners, but she smiled all the same.
It dawned on her as she made her way between the dining mortals that it would be their first time alone together.
They were both attracted to one another, and they were both aware. Attraction was an easy thing to detect after four centuries. Patrick may have been younger, but could certainly sense it as well.
"I think every mortal's neck in here just snapped trying to look at you."
Victoria turned in place, and did catch a few of them staring, men and women both, along with dirty glares from their significant others.
"Wow," she said, sitting across from Patrick. "I guess it's good that after so long, my red hair still pulls them in."
"Yeah, it's just the red hair," he joked.
A waiter stopped by and grabbed the bottle from the ice. He popped the bottle open and poured two small glasses. She stole peeks at the mortals as they ate and laughed around her. How would they feel if they knew two supernatural beings were drinking blood mere feet away? It was somehow exciting, to be doing something they weren't supposed to
do, in full view of everyone.
"Did you have this planned?" she asked, taking a sip.
"No. Actually, I was coming here whether you joined me or not. I'm just glad you did."
"Me, too. I'll be honest, I was about at the end of my rope at those meetings. Spending time with you and everyone else was the true highlight of this trip."
"Time for some honesty myself. I'd been trying to figure out how to approach you since day one. But it's always fun, battling the nerves. I mean…what does someone say to impress a woman like you?" He hung his head low as he took his own drink. "Holy shit, did I just really say that out loud?"
"I believe you did. Well, old or not, I am still a woman. You could tell me I look good in this dress."
He smiled. "Good," he repeated. "I don't quite think that word covers it."
Victoria had such a good time that she lost track of it. The mortals slowly trickled away, leaving only the two vampires and handful of others behind. They sipped on blood all night, so much that the waiter brought another bottle. She wasn't sure when it happened, but sometime in the middle of the night they ended up sitting next to each other, instead of across the table. Laughing quietly, flirting, playful touching. It was good to know that while so very different, mortals and vampires could enjoy the same things.
Something was happening. She couldn't say exactly what it was, but it was tangible. She was certainly familiar with the possibilities. A one-night-stand, a long term relationship, an endearing friendship, maybe just heavy petting and making out in the back of a limousine. She wasn't sure which.
Victoria had finished telling Patrick the story, minus a few key details, of when she dropped her first iPhone in a river. He laughed quietly, shaking his head. He had such a sexy laugh.
"You know what we should do?" he said. "We should go back to my room and watch a movie."
She shared in the laughter. Out of all the possibilities, a movie was one she didn't foresee.
"Sure. That's what they all say."
"I'm serious. I'm not trying anything nutty, promise. Did you see the TV in our rooms? We could soak in the hot tub and put on anything we like."
She enjoyed the thought of Patrick in a hot tub.
He finished his glass of blood. The smile he gave her was bright and warm. She sometimes forgot their kind was still capable of such warmth.
She leaned forward and kissed him.
The kiss caught him by surprise. He threw his hands up in self-defense, drawing an amused smile from Victoria as their lips touched. It didn't take him long to get lost in the moment as well. He held her shoulder tenderly as the kiss deepened. They could still taste the blood in each other's mouths.
She pulled away to catch her breath, and could see Patrick was just as excited as she was.
"Or, well…you know. We could not watch a movie."
She laughed. Before they could move on with their night, his eyes fell on something behind her shoulder. The little color left in his face vanished, and the smile was gone in an instant.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding."
She looked over her shoulder. Her nose picked up the scent before her eyes saw.
The restaurant was mostly empty. In between the two or three tables still occupied stood three vampires. Their eyes were already on Victoria and Patrick, having spotted them across the room.
Terry led the way, with Walter and Evelyn, another vampire from the meeting, trailing behind him. Terry smiled and bowed his head as he approached the table.
"Victoria. Patrick," he said. "I didn't realize you were a couple."
"Well. I wouldn't exactly call us a couple," Patrick said. "We were just…enjoying our last night out."
"Ah. A get out of jail drink," Terry said. "May we join you?"
Victoria flashed her brightest smile and scooted closer to Patrick.
"Please."
She put a hand on his knee, making him stiffen. Walter pulled a chair out for Evelyn, an act Victoria didn't know he was capable of. Evelyn was bitten later in life, somewhere in her sixties. She was relatively quiet in the meetings, but had an air of authority and grace about her.
Victoria smiled at the sight of Terry and Walter sitting next to each other.
"I didn't think you two were friends."
"Friends might be a strong word," Evelyn offered. "Like oil and water. Walter is…moody."
Walter laughed at the word, something he never once did the past two weeks.
"I'll take that over some of the other things you've called me. Believe it or not, we need people to go at it like Terry and I do. Different viewpoints, ways of seeing the world."
"It's just a shame you view the world as terrible," Terry said.
"I love the world," Walter said. He sniffed the air, and glanced over his shoulder in disdain at the dining parties behind him. "I just don't like the humans inhabiting it too much. My apologies again for our…misunderstanding before."
Victoria waved away his concern.
"You speak your mind, don't hide behind whatever vampire politics you engage in. I respect that."
He nodded and almost smiled.
"I'm not sure if I believe in fate, but this has to be a good example," Terry said. "I was going to contact you after you went back to the states, after the taste of the meeting had died down. But here we are."
Victoria pressed closer to Patrick, their shoulders touching. She wanted him to know there was somewhere else she'd rather be.
"Contact me?" Victoria said.
"Terry, is this really the time?" Evelyn said. "Can't you see they're trying to enjoy each other?"
"I'm sorry, I'll try not to be too long." He settled in his seat, getting comfortable, which suggested everything but a short talk. "I know you're only here for Bradley, to tidy up the few issues he was involved in. I'm very sorry about him. I know you both were close. His loss is going to affect all of us. It's a shame the mortals in this very country don't realize how many times he saved their lives."
She tried not to choke up at the thought of her old friend. They had their differences, their arguments, but were always there for one another when needed.
"Thank you," she said, keeping it simple.
"As you can imagine, he made our yearly get-togethers very…let's just say different. A little more organized, maybe even fun. He was the one everyone looked to. A lot less fighting."
Terry and Evelyn both glanced at Walter, who just arched his eyebrows and shrugged.
"Like you said," he continued. "It's a lot of ridiculous politics. Our kind fighting over a course of action, just to improve their standing. Worse than mortals. But I'm hoping you'd be willing to come back next year."
Victoria noticed the tension in Walter's shoulders, the way he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"But you don't?" she asked him.
"I don't feel the same as Terry," he said. "You didn't want to be there. That much is obvious. And only contributed when pressed."
"It was her first meeting," Terry said. "Your presence is definitely welcome. Patrick here would certainly agree."
"We're just using each other for sex," Victoria joked, just to see the looks on their faces. Only Evelyn laughed.
"So, what do you think?" Terry asked. "Can we expect you back next year?"
She wasn't sure what to say. As boring as it was at times, there was value in gathering to discuss the state of the world. Bradley obviously agreed, and everyone looked up to him, including Victoria. But the politics and fighting, she could do without.
"I don't know," she said, being honest. "Bradley used to try to drag me here. But we decided I best served behind the scenes."
"And it could still work that way," Terry said. "But come next year. Your age alone is a huge asset."
Walter coughed and chuckled at the same time. Evelyn grimaced, placing a hand on Terry's shoulder.
"Dear," she said. "I don't think that was quite the compliment you meant it to be."
"Sorry," he said, smiling
.
They shared a quick laugh before all eyes fell on Victoria. They expected an answer. More specifically, they expected a yes.
She squeezed Patrick's knee.
"What do you think?" she asked. "Could New Delhi handle us painting the town red once again?"
He placed his hand on hers.
"I know I certainly could."
Sparks continued to fly between the two of them. Everyone at the table sensed it. Even Walter finally let out an amused smile.
A voice that didn't belong to anyone present cut through the air. It was as clear as a physical presence.
"I need you to get back to the hotel."
The voice was young, stressed, and familiar. It came from her purse, slung over the back of the chair. Her heart caught in her throat as the company present searched nearby for the source. Victoria knew they wouldn't find it.
"What was that?" Evelyn asked.
"I don't know," Terry said. "I wasn't the only one who heard it? Was that a cell phone?"
Walter shook his head. "I wouldn't know. I don't have one. I don't trust mortals and their technology."
"I think it came from Victoria's purse," Patrick said.
Attractive or not, she wanted nothing more than to slap him across the face. Instead, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and smiled.
"Oh, God, yeah. I'm sorry. I should probably take this."
"That was a phone? Cell phones talk now?"
She had the perfect idea for a distraction. As she stood and grabbed her purse, she bent down and kissed Patrick once again on the lips. A little more forceful this time, more passionate. To give them all something to discuss.
"I'll be right back," she said, giving Patrick a wink.
Victoria walked away without looking back. Her thoughts were so jumbled she couldn't focus her hearing, couldn't hear what the four vampires were saying. It took willpower not to look over her shoulder, see if they were watching her walk away. She did nothing but keep her cool. She even gave their waiter a smile when she passed him.
As she rounded the corner to the bathrooms she risked a quick glance. The vampires paid her no mind. Evelyn was deep into one of her own stories, enthralling the men around her.
Damned and Cursed (Book 7): Four Centuries Page 8
