face. “Mother Russia.” He also grumbled something in an unfamiliar language that could’ve been Russian and took a deep swig of his drink.
Joe kept talking, his accent thickening, but Gabe only hummed and nodded in reply. His attention turned back the other direction, where Gustav straightened and crossed his arms over his chest. Harvey gazed at him, head tilted at a slight angle, eyes wide open and his lips pursed in a hint of a pout. The big vamp heaved a sigh and nodded. Whatever their exchange had been about, Harvey had come out on top.
Gabe said nothing when Harvey sidled up to him, still beaming with triumph.
“Who’s your new friend?” Harvey asked.
“This is Joe from Russia,” Gabe introduced the man. “Joe, this is Harvey.”
“Howdudoo,” Joe looked at them hazy-eyed, then turned back to the bar and signaled for another refill.
Harvey tugged at Gabe. “C’mon, I wanna dance.”
“To this?” Gabe asked. The jukebox blared Led Zeppelin.
“Oh hell no. Let’s go somewhere with real music.”
Harvey waved good-bye to Gustav before they shuffled out the door.
“You two used to go out, didn’t you?” Gabe asked once they were outside.
“Yeah, so?”
“Has he been a pirate at one point?”
“I dunno, possibly. We didn’t chat much.”
“You did tonight.”
“Well, yeah. I have a cunning plan, and I need Gus’s help.”
Gabe studied Harvey with suspicion. “What plan?”
In the process of pulling out of their parking spot, Harvey nearly took off another car’s side-view mirror. Without batting an eye, he kept on talking. “I had to convince him to slip my mix into his patron’s cocktails. Only the vampires’ drinks, of course.”
There were so many things wrong with that statement, Gabe for a second didn’t know where to start. He ended up picking the most obvious one. “Vampires don’t drink.” Come to think of it, he’d seen vamps in the bar with glasses and bottles of beer; he’d just never thought much of it. After all, that was what everyone did in a bar.
“Why wouldn’t they?”
“You said—”
“That it doesn’t do anything to us. But when you’re in a bar with a bunch of regular people, it’s weird to act like you were in AA. Not to mention, the owners wouldn’t be happy. Mind you, at some places they water down the vamp drinks like you wouldn’t believe. Not Gus, though. He’s old-fashioned that way. He says watering the hooch is a hanging offense. You know, maybe he really used to be a pirate.”
“But isn’t it unethical?”
“What, watering down drinks?”
“No, mixing stuff into them without people knowing.”
“Pfft. The government mixes iodine into table salt for public health reasons. They add fluoride to drinking water to reduce tooth decay—or so they say. How’s that different?”
“It’s the government doing it, for starters.”
“And they can do no wrong, right?”
“And it’s not a secret.”
Harvey shrugged. “What they don’t know won’t hurt them.”
“I can’t believe it. You’re a vegan terrorist!”
Harvey snorted. “You’re one to talk. Anyway, maybe if they fill up on my tonic, they’ll have less appetite for blood. It’s sure something you can get behind, right?”
Gabe had no answer, so he kept to himself and his conflicted thoughts till they reached their destination. It was better not to distract Harvey while driving, in any case. Not if you wanted to get there in one piece.
“So is Gustav inked all over?” he asked when the car finally stopped.
“Oh yeah, even his cock.” Harvey gave Gabe a look too wide-eyed to be sincere, lips pursed too tight as if smothering a laugh. Yet again, Gabe had no clue if Harvey was joking or not, but he now liked Gustav even less.
Harvey pulled Gabe’s face close and gave him a peck on the nose. “Oh, Angel, stop being so serious. It’s a beautiful night.”
Chapter Three
Gabe grabbed a few hours of shut-eye before having to get up and head out
Joe kept talking, his accent thickening, but Gabe only hummed and nodded in reply. His attention turned back the other direction, where Gustav straightened and crossed his arms over his chest. Harvey gazed at him, head tilted at a slight angle, eyes wide open and his lips pursed in a hint of a pout. The big vamp heaved a sigh and nodded. Whatever their exchange had been about, Harvey had come out on top.
Gabe said nothing when Harvey sidled up to him, still beaming with triumph.
“Who’s your new friend?” Harvey asked.
“This is Joe from Russia,” Gabe introduced the man. “Joe, this is Harvey.”
“Howdudoo,” Joe looked at them hazy-eyed, then turned back to the bar and signaled for another refill.
Harvey tugged at Gabe. “C’mon, I wanna dance.”
“To this?” Gabe asked. The jukebox blared Led Zeppelin.
“Oh hell no. Let’s go somewhere with real music.”
Harvey waved good-bye to Gustav before they shuffled out the door.
“You two used to go out, didn’t you?” Gabe asked once they were outside.
“Yeah, so?”
“Has he been a pirate at one point?”
“I dunno, possibly. We didn’t chat much.”
“You did tonight.”
“Well, yeah. I have a cunning plan, and I need Gus’s help.”
Gabe studied Harvey with suspicion. “What plan?”
In the process of pulling out of their parking spot, Harvey nearly took off another car’s side-view mirror. Without batting an eye, he kept on talking. “I had to convince him to slip my mix into his patron’s cocktails. Only the vampires’ drinks, of course.”
There were so many things wrong with that statement, Gabe for a second didn’t know where to start. He ended up picking the most obvious one. “Vampires don’t drink.” Come to think of it, he’d seen vamps in the bar with glasses and bottles of beer; he’d just never thought much of it. After all, that was what everyone did in a bar.
“Why wouldn’t they?”
“You said—”
“That it doesn’t do anything to us. But when you’re in a bar with a bunch of regular people, it’s weird to act like you were in AA. Not to mention, the owners wouldn’t be happy. Mind you, at some places they water down the vamp drinks like you wouldn’t believe. Not Gus, though. He’s old-fashioned that way. He says watering the hooch is a hanging offense. You know, maybe he really used to be a pirate.”
“But isn’t it unethical?”
“What, watering down drinks?”
“No, mixing stuff into them without people knowing.”
“Pfft. The government mixes iodine into table salt for public health reasons. They add fluoride to drinking water to reduce tooth decay—or so they say. How’s that different?”
“It’s the government doing it, for starters.”
“And they can do no wrong, right?”
“And it’s not a secret.”
Harvey shrugged. “What they don’t know won’t hurt them.”
“I can’t believe it. You’re a vegan terrorist!”
Harvey snorted. “You’re one to talk. Anyway, maybe if they fill up on my tonic, they’ll have less appetite for blood. It’s sure something you can get behind, right?”
Gabe had no answer, so he kept to himself and his conflicted thoughts till they reached their destination. It was better not to distract Harvey while driving, in any case. Not if you wanted to get there in one piece.
“So is Gustav inked all over?” he asked when the car finally stopped.
“Oh yeah, even his cock.” Harvey gave Gabe a look too wide-eyed to be sincere, lips pursed too tight as if smothering a laugh. Yet again, Gabe had no clue if Harvey was joking or not, but he now liked Gustav even less.
Harvey pulled Gabe’s face close and gave him a peck on the nose. “Oh, Angel, stop being so serious. It’s a beautiful night.”
Chapter Three
Gabe grabbed a few hours of shut-eye before having to get up and head out
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