until four thirty…”
“How about Dunn Brothers, at five? Right around the corner?”
“All right, then.” She shook my hand again. “It was nice to meet you…”
“Betsy.”
“Right. See you tomorrow for coffee.”
“Bye,” I told my sister and watched her walk back to her friends.
“So she’s this wretched evil beast who’s fated to rule the world and she’s a natural blonde. Just ridiculously pretty—hair, face, long thin legs, okay clothes, terrible shoes. And sweet as sugar, so far. When she turns into her horrible demon self it should be something to see…
“I didn’t see much resemblance to the Ant or my dad, except for her being tall like me, and blond. But that’s not too hard; we’re in Minnesota, not Japan. I dunno. I’m having coffee with her tomorrow, trying to suss out her evilness…so I guess that’s everything.”
I clicked off the baby monitor and then remembered, so I turned it back on. “Almost forgot, I told Sinclair all about this, too. Sun’s not going to be down all the way by five—I swear, vampires must have thought up daylight savings—but since it hasn’t kicked in yet, he can’t come. He didn’t even seem to mind that he couldn’t be there again. I guess he’s still pretty pissed at me. Not that I blame him. Or you,” I added hastily. “I can’t seem to fix it with either one of you. And it’s weird—it’s bugging me that he’s being so chilly and distant. And it’s bugging me that it’s bugging me. I can’t apologize, and I can’t pretend nothing happened. I guess…I guess I’ll just focus on other stuff. Oh, my mom’s having me over for supper the day after tomorrow, and she says you should come, too. If you want.”
Silence.
I clicked the monitor off again and went up to bed.
Chapter 19
T he devil’s own—Laura Goodman, college girl about Dinkytown—breezed into Dunn Brothers at two minutes after five. She waved at me, paused to speak to the counter guy—who was slavering like a beast, I couldn’t help noticing—and then came over to me.
“I’m so sorry I’m late,” she gasped by way of greeting, shaking my hand again. “I’m really, really sorry. Have you been waiting long? I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, Laura. By my watch you’re right on time.” She seemed so contrite, so sincere, I found myself rushing to reassure her. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks. My cocoa’s coming.”
“Don’t like the hard stuff, huh?” I asked, indicating my own doublechocolattespressowithextrafoam.
“Oh, I try not to drink caffeine after lunchtime,” she replied. “I have to get up early in the morning for work.”
“You’ve got a job, too?”
“Too? Oh, that’s right.” She smiled at me. It wasn’t a grin, it wasn’t a smirk, she didn’t raise an eyebrow knowingly. It was just a nice smile. “You were following me half the night yesterday.”
“Well, yeah,” I admitted. “I guess it’s no good pretending I wasn’t.”
“My father says liars are fated to believe their own lies, so it’s probably good you’re coming clean.”
“Yeah…your father. Uh, listen about that…”
She leaned forward and took my hand in hers, then dropped it. “Gosh, your hand is cold! You should have another hot drink.”
“Sorry. I have bad circulation.”
“No, I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t make you feel bad. I shouldn’t have just blurted it out like that.”
“Don’t worry about it, Laura.” She was too good to be true! Minnesota nice was one thing, but Laura was in a class by herself. “Listen…”
She leaned forward, perfect gorgeous face lighting up. “This is about my family, isn’t it? My birth family.” She paused, then added, “Sorry about interrupting.”
I blinked in surprise. “How’d you know?”
“Well.” The counter guy brought her a white coffee cup the size of my head, absolutely brimming with whipped cream and swirled with chocolate syrup. She smiled up at him and cupped the biggest cocoa
“How about Dunn Brothers, at five? Right around the corner?”
“All right, then.” She shook my hand again. “It was nice to meet you…”
“Betsy.”
“Right. See you tomorrow for coffee.”
“Bye,” I told my sister and watched her walk back to her friends.
“So she’s this wretched evil beast who’s fated to rule the world and she’s a natural blonde. Just ridiculously pretty—hair, face, long thin legs, okay clothes, terrible shoes. And sweet as sugar, so far. When she turns into her horrible demon self it should be something to see…
“I didn’t see much resemblance to the Ant or my dad, except for her being tall like me, and blond. But that’s not too hard; we’re in Minnesota, not Japan. I dunno. I’m having coffee with her tomorrow, trying to suss out her evilness…so I guess that’s everything.”
I clicked off the baby monitor and then remembered, so I turned it back on. “Almost forgot, I told Sinclair all about this, too. Sun’s not going to be down all the way by five—I swear, vampires must have thought up daylight savings—but since it hasn’t kicked in yet, he can’t come. He didn’t even seem to mind that he couldn’t be there again. I guess he’s still pretty pissed at me. Not that I blame him. Or you,” I added hastily. “I can’t seem to fix it with either one of you. And it’s weird—it’s bugging me that he’s being so chilly and distant. And it’s bugging me that it’s bugging me. I can’t apologize, and I can’t pretend nothing happened. I guess…I guess I’ll just focus on other stuff. Oh, my mom’s having me over for supper the day after tomorrow, and she says you should come, too. If you want.”
Silence.
I clicked the monitor off again and went up to bed.
Chapter 19
T he devil’s own—Laura Goodman, college girl about Dinkytown—breezed into Dunn Brothers at two minutes after five. She waved at me, paused to speak to the counter guy—who was slavering like a beast, I couldn’t help noticing—and then came over to me.
“I’m so sorry I’m late,” she gasped by way of greeting, shaking my hand again. “I’m really, really sorry. Have you been waiting long? I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, Laura. By my watch you’re right on time.” She seemed so contrite, so sincere, I found myself rushing to reassure her. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks. My cocoa’s coming.”
“Don’t like the hard stuff, huh?” I asked, indicating my own doublechocolattespressowithextrafoam.
“Oh, I try not to drink caffeine after lunchtime,” she replied. “I have to get up early in the morning for work.”
“You’ve got a job, too?”
“Too? Oh, that’s right.” She smiled at me. It wasn’t a grin, it wasn’t a smirk, she didn’t raise an eyebrow knowingly. It was just a nice smile. “You were following me half the night yesterday.”
“Well, yeah,” I admitted. “I guess it’s no good pretending I wasn’t.”
“My father says liars are fated to believe their own lies, so it’s probably good you’re coming clean.”
“Yeah…your father. Uh, listen about that…”
She leaned forward and took my hand in hers, then dropped it. “Gosh, your hand is cold! You should have another hot drink.”
“Sorry. I have bad circulation.”
“No, I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t make you feel bad. I shouldn’t have just blurted it out like that.”
“Don’t worry about it, Laura.” She was too good to be true! Minnesota nice was one thing, but Laura was in a class by herself. “Listen…”
She leaned forward, perfect gorgeous face lighting up. “This is about my family, isn’t it? My birth family.” She paused, then added, “Sorry about interrupting.”
I blinked in surprise. “How’d you know?”
“Well.” The counter guy brought her a white coffee cup the size of my head, absolutely brimming with whipped cream and swirled with chocolate syrup. She smiled up at him and cupped the biggest cocoa
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