article with the lurid headline Vampire Attack in Los Angeles .
“Mom, why on earth are you reading this kind of crap?” he groused. “This is like something out of one of those tabloids you get at the supermarket checkout.”
“Maybe so,” his mother said with a sniff. “But the man swears it’s true.”
Chris read out loud for Joey’s amusement. “ Billy Richards, arrested after a fracas in a West Hollywood alleyway, gave police some startling details of the man he says attacked him. Richards admitted he and his friends had planned on mugging two men in the alley, but the taller of the two suddenly grew in height and revealed sharp fangs as he defended himself and his companion.
“’ It was like something out of a horror movie,’ Richards declared. ‘The guy was close to seven feet tall and could toss all of us around like we weighed nothing. Even a bullet in the chest didn’t stop him. And he had fangs, terrible long teeth .’ Richards and two others were fined for carrying a weapon without a license.
“ The incident took place a short distance from the Xtasy Club, a bar generally frequented by gays.”
“Hey,” Joey exclaimed. “Isn’t that where you—?”
“No!” Chris almost yelled. “It’s not the same place.” He glared at Joey, signalling that his friend shouldn’t say another word in front of his mother.
“The same place?” Chris’ mother stared at her son. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re not going to those awful places are you?”
Chris sighed. There was no point in trying to hide it from her. She’d harp on it until he came clean. “I was working there as their bookkeeper, but I’ve given them notice.”
“Oh Chris, why would you work in a place like that? If you needed extra money, your father or I would send it to you. You know that.”
BOUND IN BLOOD
J. P. Bowie
73
“Mom, please. I’m twenty-four years old. I can’t be asking my parents for money all the time. That’s why I got the job—so I could pay my bills without bothering you or Dad.”
“Well…” His mother smiled benignly. “I suppose that’s very thoughtful of you, but I’d rather you asked us instead of working in some sleazy bar.”
Chris couldn’t really defend the Xtasy Club’s reputation without hearing a hoot of derisive laughter from Joey so he didn’t bother. Instead, he decided to broach the subject of his working for Carlos—and staying in LA.
“Talking of work,” he began, “I’ve had a pretty good job offer from a guy who deals in the international antique business.”
“But you’ll be working for your father, here ,” Anita said pointedly.
“Well actually, I want to talk to you and Dad about that.”
“About what?” his father asked as he entered the living room.
“Chris has been offered a job,” his mother interjected before Chris could say anything.
“He seems to have forgotten his obligation to you, Jack.”
“Mom, please. Let me explain how this can work.”
“Go ahead, son,” his father said, easing himself into his favourite armchair.
“I met this man—his name is Carlos Galeano—through mutual friends.” Mentally, Chris crossed his fingers as he told this little lie. He was not about to say he’d met Carlos in the alley outside the Xtasy Club! “He imports and exports antiques. His business is based in Madrid.”
“Madrid?” His mother looked at him aghast. “You’d be going to Madrid?”
“No, Mom, I’d be doing the accounting here in the States, on a computer programme I’ll set up with his help. I’ve already mentioned to him that you expected me to do the winery accounts, and he said that wouldn’t be a problem. It can all be done on the internet.”
“Can it, Jack?” Anita looked at her husband for clarification.
Jack nodded. “Sure it can, but it’s going to be a load on you, Chris. Two accounting jobs? And the import-export market can be volatile at times. You’d be taking on a lot,
“Mom, why on earth are you reading this kind of crap?” he groused. “This is like something out of one of those tabloids you get at the supermarket checkout.”
“Maybe so,” his mother said with a sniff. “But the man swears it’s true.”
Chris read out loud for Joey’s amusement. “ Billy Richards, arrested after a fracas in a West Hollywood alleyway, gave police some startling details of the man he says attacked him. Richards admitted he and his friends had planned on mugging two men in the alley, but the taller of the two suddenly grew in height and revealed sharp fangs as he defended himself and his companion.
“’ It was like something out of a horror movie,’ Richards declared. ‘The guy was close to seven feet tall and could toss all of us around like we weighed nothing. Even a bullet in the chest didn’t stop him. And he had fangs, terrible long teeth .’ Richards and two others were fined for carrying a weapon without a license.
“ The incident took place a short distance from the Xtasy Club, a bar generally frequented by gays.”
“Hey,” Joey exclaimed. “Isn’t that where you—?”
“No!” Chris almost yelled. “It’s not the same place.” He glared at Joey, signalling that his friend shouldn’t say another word in front of his mother.
“The same place?” Chris’ mother stared at her son. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re not going to those awful places are you?”
Chris sighed. There was no point in trying to hide it from her. She’d harp on it until he came clean. “I was working there as their bookkeeper, but I’ve given them notice.”
“Oh Chris, why would you work in a place like that? If you needed extra money, your father or I would send it to you. You know that.”
BOUND IN BLOOD
J. P. Bowie
73
“Mom, please. I’m twenty-four years old. I can’t be asking my parents for money all the time. That’s why I got the job—so I could pay my bills without bothering you or Dad.”
“Well…” His mother smiled benignly. “I suppose that’s very thoughtful of you, but I’d rather you asked us instead of working in some sleazy bar.”
Chris couldn’t really defend the Xtasy Club’s reputation without hearing a hoot of derisive laughter from Joey so he didn’t bother. Instead, he decided to broach the subject of his working for Carlos—and staying in LA.
“Talking of work,” he began, “I’ve had a pretty good job offer from a guy who deals in the international antique business.”
“But you’ll be working for your father, here ,” Anita said pointedly.
“Well actually, I want to talk to you and Dad about that.”
“About what?” his father asked as he entered the living room.
“Chris has been offered a job,” his mother interjected before Chris could say anything.
“He seems to have forgotten his obligation to you, Jack.”
“Mom, please. Let me explain how this can work.”
“Go ahead, son,” his father said, easing himself into his favourite armchair.
“I met this man—his name is Carlos Galeano—through mutual friends.” Mentally, Chris crossed his fingers as he told this little lie. He was not about to say he’d met Carlos in the alley outside the Xtasy Club! “He imports and exports antiques. His business is based in Madrid.”
“Madrid?” His mother looked at him aghast. “You’d be going to Madrid?”
“No, Mom, I’d be doing the accounting here in the States, on a computer programme I’ll set up with his help. I’ve already mentioned to him that you expected me to do the winery accounts, and he said that wouldn’t be a problem. It can all be done on the internet.”
“Can it, Jack?” Anita looked at her husband for clarification.
Jack nodded. “Sure it can, but it’s going to be a load on you, Chris. Two accounting jobs? And the import-export market can be volatile at times. You’d be taking on a lot,
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