Tall, Dark & Hungry by Lynsay Sands

earlier. The mean customer was still there, but her whole demeanor had changed. She was smiling apologetically and patting the girl's hand.
    "I'm so sorry, dear. I don't know what I was thinking of, treating you that way. I shouldn't expect you to break the rules for me, and really—I don't even have the box for the toaster, do I? Please forgive my earlier behavior," the woman was saying.
    Terri's eyebrows rose. "Wow," she whispered. "What an about-face."
    "Hmmm." Bastien just shrugged. "She must have got an attitude adjustment."
    "Well, no one needed it as much as she did, but it's still rather surprising. I wouldn't have believed that someone could change their attitude that swiftly if I hadn't just seen it."
    "Life is full of surprises," he said mildly, then smiled at her. "So, where do you want to start? Women's wear? Jewelry? Perfume?"
    "Are you getting tired?"
    "No." Bastien glanced at Terri and forced a smile for her benefit. In truth, he was exhausted. The bitter old biddy he'd snacked on had eased the worst of his hunger, but not all of it, and he was still suffering. He could use another pint or so of blood, but hadn't had the opportunity to take one. And no one had seemed as appropriate a victim.
    Bastien smiled to himself at the memory. He'd enjoyed changing that old woman's attitude. She'd been much more pleasant once he'd finished with her. Of course, it was just a temporary adjustment, but at least the salesclerk in the store had benefitted. Perhaps she wouldn't go home today hating her job, the public, and the world at large.
    "Oh, look! Victoria's Secret." Terri stopped walking and simply stared at the storefront with pleasure.
    Bastien smiled at her almost awed expression. The woman was so easily pleased. After shopping at Macy's they'd had lunch in a little deli, he picking at some sort of chicken sandwich they'd both ordered while she chattered away and devoured hers. The food actually tasted all right—pretty good, in fact—but after years of not eating, he didn't have the stomach for large quantities. After lunch they'd wandered, ducking into a music and discount DVD store. Terri had been very good about keeping to the shaded areas to keep him out of the sun. Now they stood in shadow under one of the many construction scaffolds that seemed to fill the city, and she gaped at the store across the street with its half-naked dummies in the window.
    "We should go in," Bastien suggested.
    "Yes," she breathed. Many women would have fussed that he, a man, would hardly have any interest in visiting a women's lingerie store. Then they would have said, "Well, all right," as if really reluctant to drag him in, despite the fact that they were dying to go. Terri didn't bother with that. She wanted to go in; he had suggested she should, and she had agreed. End of story. It was wonderful.
    "Come on." Taking her elbow, he urged her to the corner as the walk sign began to flash. They hustled across the street, reaching the opposite side and ducking into the Victoria's Secret just as the light turned red.
    Terri paused inside the door, her gaze shifting quickly over everything. Perfumes and escalators were in the center, and silk and lace everywhere else. Bastien could almost imagine her mind working out where to go first. Left, right, up? She went left. A logical move, he silently approved. It allowed them to work the store in a clockwise fashion.
    The first clerk they came across was friendly. She greeted them pleasantly and suggested they approach her if they had any questions, then she left them alone. Terri moved through the nighties in the area, oohing over this, ahhing over that, and at last they made their way around the store to the escalators and the second story full of panties and bras.
    "Is there something I can help you with?" another woman asked.
    Terri set down the pretty purple lace panties she'd been looking at and smiled. A beautiful, stick-thin model of a salesgirl was eyeing her in a condescending