Grateful that he had worn a Colorado Rockies baseball cap, put on his reading glasses, and dyed his hair black several weeks ago— who knew if these chicks exchanged photos of their estranged lovers —he held up both hands in asubmissive posture. “Uh, yeah,” he muttered shyly, trying to sound as nonthreatening as he could. “You must be…Sheila?” He already knew the answer. Her name was written in Rebecca’s address book, next to the loft’s address, and Becca, in all her wisdom, had a small black-and-white picture to the right of every entry.
The blonde nodded warily. “I am. How can I help you?” The entire room looked stunned.
Trevor plastered an ingratiating smile on his face and started to glance around the room, pretending to be too nervous to meet anyone’s incredulous gaze. “Um, Rebecca Johnston gave me this address, and this visitor’s pass.” He held up the plastic card. “By the looks on your faces, I take it you don’t get a lot of male…victims…in your group.” He tried to sound meek, if not outright afraid.
Sheila furrowed her brow.
Okay, so Rebecca would not have sprung a new member on the group like that. Oh well. Too late. Trevor would just have to go with it until his long-lost love showed up, and then, the jig would be up anyway. “Would you like me to leave?” He sounded utterly dejected.
Sheila held up a hand—she was clearly uncertain—and exchanged wary glances with the other skeptical women in the room. “Rebecca sent you?”
Trevor nodded. “Yeah. Yeah .” He spoke the second affirmation with a lot more confidence.
“Have you spoken to her recently? Talked to her, directly?” a short brunette chimed in from the middle seat on the sofa. “We got a couple messages, but that was it.” She spoke with an obvious lisp, and her mouth didn’t open like it should, almost like a part of her jaw was wired shut. Damn, that had to suck.
“Uh,” Trevor thought fast on his feet, “um, nah; it’s been awhile. It’s probably been a few weeks since I met her at the VOSU headquarters. She tried to convince me to come to the weekly meetings, but I was afraid…well…” He swept his arm around the room, indicating the assembly of women and their stunned, unwelcoming expressions. “I was kind of afraid of this.” He lowered his head and averted his eyes. “Of having to admit that I can’t break free of my ex-wife, that I’m actually afraid of a woman. Scared for my life, really.” He bit his bottom lip and took several steps backward, turning to walk away. “You know, this was a bad idea. Sorry if I caught you guys off guard or scared someone.” He pointed to the open door and began to walk away. “I’ll just go.”
A few seconds passed…and then: “Wait. What’s your name?” A chick with short, spikey hair, dyed hot pink.
Trevor turned back around. “Uh, Jacob. Jacob Rogers, but my friends call me Jake.”
“Well, if Rebecca sent you, then you’re welcome. I’m Kate, by the way,” Pinky said.
Trevor flashed an awkward smile. “Hi, Kate.”
And then, one by one, the pathetic women began introducing themselves, offering Jake a seat on the sofa, pointing out the salads, brownies, and beverages on the counter.
Well, wasn’t this just special.
Trevor helped himself to an extra-large helping of Asian salad, three delectable brownies, and a full glass of white wine before making his way to the couch and addressing the waiting women. “So, my story kind of goes like this…”
eleven
Rebecca was still, more or less, living in a fog.
She was still grappling with the extraordinary facts she had learned about the Vampyr; she was still processing all the details about the Curse, including the inevitability that she would have to be converted to another species in order for a pregnancy to work; and she was still trying to quell her overwhelming fear of Julien Lacusta, despite the fact that they had shared a tender moment.
One
The blonde nodded warily. “I am. How can I help you?” The entire room looked stunned.
Trevor plastered an ingratiating smile on his face and started to glance around the room, pretending to be too nervous to meet anyone’s incredulous gaze. “Um, Rebecca Johnston gave me this address, and this visitor’s pass.” He held up the plastic card. “By the looks on your faces, I take it you don’t get a lot of male…victims…in your group.” He tried to sound meek, if not outright afraid.
Sheila furrowed her brow.
Okay, so Rebecca would not have sprung a new member on the group like that. Oh well. Too late. Trevor would just have to go with it until his long-lost love showed up, and then, the jig would be up anyway. “Would you like me to leave?” He sounded utterly dejected.
Sheila held up a hand—she was clearly uncertain—and exchanged wary glances with the other skeptical women in the room. “Rebecca sent you?”
Trevor nodded. “Yeah. Yeah .” He spoke the second affirmation with a lot more confidence.
“Have you spoken to her recently? Talked to her, directly?” a short brunette chimed in from the middle seat on the sofa. “We got a couple messages, but that was it.” She spoke with an obvious lisp, and her mouth didn’t open like it should, almost like a part of her jaw was wired shut. Damn, that had to suck.
“Uh,” Trevor thought fast on his feet, “um, nah; it’s been awhile. It’s probably been a few weeks since I met her at the VOSU headquarters. She tried to convince me to come to the weekly meetings, but I was afraid…well…” He swept his arm around the room, indicating the assembly of women and their stunned, unwelcoming expressions. “I was kind of afraid of this.” He lowered his head and averted his eyes. “Of having to admit that I can’t break free of my ex-wife, that I’m actually afraid of a woman. Scared for my life, really.” He bit his bottom lip and took several steps backward, turning to walk away. “You know, this was a bad idea. Sorry if I caught you guys off guard or scared someone.” He pointed to the open door and began to walk away. “I’ll just go.”
A few seconds passed…and then: “Wait. What’s your name?” A chick with short, spikey hair, dyed hot pink.
Trevor turned back around. “Uh, Jacob. Jacob Rogers, but my friends call me Jake.”
“Well, if Rebecca sent you, then you’re welcome. I’m Kate, by the way,” Pinky said.
Trevor flashed an awkward smile. “Hi, Kate.”
And then, one by one, the pathetic women began introducing themselves, offering Jake a seat on the sofa, pointing out the salads, brownies, and beverages on the counter.
Well, wasn’t this just special.
Trevor helped himself to an extra-large helping of Asian salad, three delectable brownies, and a full glass of white wine before making his way to the couch and addressing the waiting women. “So, my story kind of goes like this…”
eleven
Rebecca was still, more or less, living in a fog.
She was still grappling with the extraordinary facts she had learned about the Vampyr; she was still processing all the details about the Curse, including the inevitability that she would have to be converted to another species in order for a pregnancy to work; and she was still trying to quell her overwhelming fear of Julien Lacusta, despite the fact that they had shared a tender moment.
One
Similar Books
