it.”
“I know.”
“Is that why you’ve always been a generous tipper?”
“Well, that and I kind of had a crush on the pretty red-haired cocktail waitress.”
“Ah, I see. Well, for that I’ll find some eggs or something.”
***
“Ruxandra, you destroyed my bar and tried to skewer one of my waitresses. Why should I take you back?” Anthony demanded.
Ruxandra squirmed on the bench next to him. They sat under one of the old trees in the Public Garden. She was still wearing her catsuit, which Anthony had to admit was kind of turning him on. The lamplight glimmered off her light blond hair, almost making her look like the innocent he’d first met and fallen in love with.
He knew better now. He thought he had saved her from the clutches of the evil Marquis de Sade. It wasn’t until months later he learned she’d gone to the nobleman’s castle willingly. After the marquis had left her for dead, Anthony turned her to save her.
Her head was bowed and her fingers laced in her lap. She couldn’t have looked more contrite. Maybe he could suggest an acting career in New York or Hollywood and get her out of his hair that way.
“We had something special.” She looked up at him, and red tears shimmered in the corners of her eyes.
“Don’t cry.” He took a deep breath and tried to steel his resolve. “Look, I’m here, aren’t I? You said you wanted to talk. So, talk.”
“I love you, Anthony. I’ve always loved you.” She shifted so she faced him squarely. “Three hundred years ago when I was just a simple farm girl turned by an evil vampire to be his sex slave, you freed me from that awful castle. You showed me the world and all I had been missing. You opened my eyes.”
“And now that you know what’s out there, why don’t you pursue something that interests you?”
“Because you interest me. You’re all I want. Besides, when we’re together, we can feed off each other and skip that nasty butcher-shop crap you insist vampires drink if they don’t have a thrall.”
“It doesn’t sound like you share my values. You certainly don’t respect my property or my business or what I’m trying to accomplish, creating a safe place for paranormals to congregate.”
“Oh, piddly poo. Yes I do.”
He frowned. You have a strange way of showing it.
She crossed her arms and stuck out her lower lip. Her pout used to wrap him around her little finger. No more. He wouldn’t fall for it again. He knew there had to be more to a good relationship than lust. He’d witnessed it in other couples, so why couldn’t he find that? Oh, yeah. A jealous ex-lover named Ruxandra kept getting in the way.
He rose. “Well, if that’s all you have to say…”
She sprang to her feet and grasped his wrists. “No. There’s more. Much more. Please hear me out.”
“This better not take all night. I have a bar to repair.” Her eyes begged him to listen. He sighed. “Fine. Get on with it.”
She sat and tried to pull him down onto the bench beside her. She wasn’t strong enough to make him, but he doubted she’d let go or finish their conversation unless he sat down. So he did.
“I’m sorry. More than anything, that’s what I wanted to say. I was just so jealous when it looked like you cared more about one of your waitresses than me.”
“Am I supposed to read your mind?”
“Some vampires can read each other’s minds. Why can’t we?”
He shrugged. He suspected he knew the answer but wasn’t about to tell her while she was in this agitated state. Legend had it when a vampire found his “beloved” they could communicate telepathically. Anthony was relieved the two of them didn’t meet the criterion.
“Ruxandra. We had fun. In the beginning, we had a lot of fun. But things haven’t been fun for a long time.”
“That’s what you want? Fun? I can be fun.”
I doubt it. It’s a good thing they couldn’t read each other’s thoughts. Some of the things that ran through his brain would enrage
“I know.”
“Is that why you’ve always been a generous tipper?”
“Well, that and I kind of had a crush on the pretty red-haired cocktail waitress.”
“Ah, I see. Well, for that I’ll find some eggs or something.”
***
“Ruxandra, you destroyed my bar and tried to skewer one of my waitresses. Why should I take you back?” Anthony demanded.
Ruxandra squirmed on the bench next to him. They sat under one of the old trees in the Public Garden. She was still wearing her catsuit, which Anthony had to admit was kind of turning him on. The lamplight glimmered off her light blond hair, almost making her look like the innocent he’d first met and fallen in love with.
He knew better now. He thought he had saved her from the clutches of the evil Marquis de Sade. It wasn’t until months later he learned she’d gone to the nobleman’s castle willingly. After the marquis had left her for dead, Anthony turned her to save her.
Her head was bowed and her fingers laced in her lap. She couldn’t have looked more contrite. Maybe he could suggest an acting career in New York or Hollywood and get her out of his hair that way.
“We had something special.” She looked up at him, and red tears shimmered in the corners of her eyes.
“Don’t cry.” He took a deep breath and tried to steel his resolve. “Look, I’m here, aren’t I? You said you wanted to talk. So, talk.”
“I love you, Anthony. I’ve always loved you.” She shifted so she faced him squarely. “Three hundred years ago when I was just a simple farm girl turned by an evil vampire to be his sex slave, you freed me from that awful castle. You showed me the world and all I had been missing. You opened my eyes.”
“And now that you know what’s out there, why don’t you pursue something that interests you?”
“Because you interest me. You’re all I want. Besides, when we’re together, we can feed off each other and skip that nasty butcher-shop crap you insist vampires drink if they don’t have a thrall.”
“It doesn’t sound like you share my values. You certainly don’t respect my property or my business or what I’m trying to accomplish, creating a safe place for paranormals to congregate.”
“Oh, piddly poo. Yes I do.”
He frowned. You have a strange way of showing it.
She crossed her arms and stuck out her lower lip. Her pout used to wrap him around her little finger. No more. He wouldn’t fall for it again. He knew there had to be more to a good relationship than lust. He’d witnessed it in other couples, so why couldn’t he find that? Oh, yeah. A jealous ex-lover named Ruxandra kept getting in the way.
He rose. “Well, if that’s all you have to say…”
She sprang to her feet and grasped his wrists. “No. There’s more. Much more. Please hear me out.”
“This better not take all night. I have a bar to repair.” Her eyes begged him to listen. He sighed. “Fine. Get on with it.”
She sat and tried to pull him down onto the bench beside her. She wasn’t strong enough to make him, but he doubted she’d let go or finish their conversation unless he sat down. So he did.
“I’m sorry. More than anything, that’s what I wanted to say. I was just so jealous when it looked like you cared more about one of your waitresses than me.”
“Am I supposed to read your mind?”
“Some vampires can read each other’s minds. Why can’t we?”
He shrugged. He suspected he knew the answer but wasn’t about to tell her while she was in this agitated state. Legend had it when a vampire found his “beloved” they could communicate telepathically. Anthony was relieved the two of them didn’t meet the criterion.
“Ruxandra. We had fun. In the beginning, we had a lot of fun. But things haven’t been fun for a long time.”
“That’s what you want? Fun? I can be fun.”
I doubt it. It’s a good thing they couldn’t read each other’s thoughts. Some of the things that ran through his brain would enrage
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