we concentrate on a select few. The most dangerous.”
“The least human?”
He grinned. “You just might have the intellect to go with that mouth of yours.”
I followed him out into the lobby where Evie still sat at her desk, looking office fab in a pair of leather and embroidered cork wedges, a cotton dress, denim vest, and Tina Tang gold vermeil bracelet. She salivated over Ash as he walked through the outer office and then disappeared through the front glass doors.
She sighed. “Can I have him?”
“He’s not mine to give away.”
“Married?”
“No.”
“Girlfriend?”
“He said no.”
She breathed a deep sigh. “That’s what they all say. He’s probably got a girlfriend. That, or he’s gay. The good ones are always taken.”
“Let’s hope not,” I told her, fingering through the stack of profiles she’d just entered into our database. I spared a glance at Word, who stood on a ladder in the far corner and drilled a hole in the ceiling for one of the docking speakers. “Any luck matching up your cousin’s profile?”
“Sorry. Last night I was too busy watching a CSI: Miami rerun to catch Animal Kingdom. ”
I grinned. “Keep looking. I promised him three matches.”
“ You promised him,” she pointed out. “Me working his profile is a major conflict of interest on account of we’re related.”
“Three times removed is not related.”
“Okay, it’s a conflict of interest on account of I can’t stand the sight of him.”
I could see Evie’s point. He was a little hard on the eyes, and sad looking. Literally. Tonight he’d traded his metal image for pure Goth, and painted black teardrops down one cheek. His eyes were rimmed in black to match his fingernails. “I’ll admit he’s a little out there, but so is most everyone else. There are tons of crazies in Manhattan alone. They just aren’t so obvious. I doubt he’s worse than any of our other clients.”
“You haven’t spent every Christmas of your life hiding in the hall closet with Aunt Gretchen.”
“Was she dodging him, too?”
“No, she’s old and thinks the hall closet is the bathroom.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. So best of luck. I’ve got my hands full.” Her face brightened. “We had four phone calls from MMW applicants who didn’t make this last cut.” She held up a couple of checks. “And retainer fees from two of them who stopped by while you were meeting with Mr. Hunky Ass.”
“That would be Hunky Ash. ”
She grinned. “Says you.” She put the checks into her cash drawer, slid the profiles into her ENTERED file, and started to shut down her terminal. “There are extra doughnuts and plenty of coffee. Oh,” she turned and grabbed two message slips, “and your mother called while you were in with Hunky. She said not to be late on Sunday, and don’t forget the match.”
As if I could.
She leveled a stare at me. “I know it seems like a no-win situation, but things could be worse.” Have I mentioned that in addition to being a kick-ass fashionista, Evie is also an optimist like the ever-fantabulous moi ? “Look on the bright side. At least you have good hair.”
“That’s true.” I beamed for all of five seconds and did a little fluffing before my face fell.
“Brighter?” Evie asked.
“Blinding.”
She seemed to think. “You do have a whopping three whole days to find a decent prospect. Cities have fallen in a lot less time.”
So true.
Three was, well, three. As opposed to two or the dreaded one. That meant seventy-two hours. Oodles of time to find one itty-bitty born vampire and show my mother that I wasn’t a total loser in the matchmaking department. An itty-bitty hot, smoking vampire. But not too smoking. I wouldn’t want Jack to actually fall for her.
Not that he would. He was in love with Mandy. Hopelessly. Desperately. Forever and ever…Right?
I’d never actually asked him if he planned to make her into a vampire. But, of course, he would. If he didn’t, then she
“The least human?”
He grinned. “You just might have the intellect to go with that mouth of yours.”
I followed him out into the lobby where Evie still sat at her desk, looking office fab in a pair of leather and embroidered cork wedges, a cotton dress, denim vest, and Tina Tang gold vermeil bracelet. She salivated over Ash as he walked through the outer office and then disappeared through the front glass doors.
She sighed. “Can I have him?”
“He’s not mine to give away.”
“Married?”
“No.”
“Girlfriend?”
“He said no.”
She breathed a deep sigh. “That’s what they all say. He’s probably got a girlfriend. That, or he’s gay. The good ones are always taken.”
“Let’s hope not,” I told her, fingering through the stack of profiles she’d just entered into our database. I spared a glance at Word, who stood on a ladder in the far corner and drilled a hole in the ceiling for one of the docking speakers. “Any luck matching up your cousin’s profile?”
“Sorry. Last night I was too busy watching a CSI: Miami rerun to catch Animal Kingdom. ”
I grinned. “Keep looking. I promised him three matches.”
“ You promised him,” she pointed out. “Me working his profile is a major conflict of interest on account of we’re related.”
“Three times removed is not related.”
“Okay, it’s a conflict of interest on account of I can’t stand the sight of him.”
I could see Evie’s point. He was a little hard on the eyes, and sad looking. Literally. Tonight he’d traded his metal image for pure Goth, and painted black teardrops down one cheek. His eyes were rimmed in black to match his fingernails. “I’ll admit he’s a little out there, but so is most everyone else. There are tons of crazies in Manhattan alone. They just aren’t so obvious. I doubt he’s worse than any of our other clients.”
“You haven’t spent every Christmas of your life hiding in the hall closet with Aunt Gretchen.”
“Was she dodging him, too?”
“No, she’s old and thinks the hall closet is the bathroom.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. So best of luck. I’ve got my hands full.” Her face brightened. “We had four phone calls from MMW applicants who didn’t make this last cut.” She held up a couple of checks. “And retainer fees from two of them who stopped by while you were meeting with Mr. Hunky Ass.”
“That would be Hunky Ash. ”
She grinned. “Says you.” She put the checks into her cash drawer, slid the profiles into her ENTERED file, and started to shut down her terminal. “There are extra doughnuts and plenty of coffee. Oh,” she turned and grabbed two message slips, “and your mother called while you were in with Hunky. She said not to be late on Sunday, and don’t forget the match.”
As if I could.
She leveled a stare at me. “I know it seems like a no-win situation, but things could be worse.” Have I mentioned that in addition to being a kick-ass fashionista, Evie is also an optimist like the ever-fantabulous moi ? “Look on the bright side. At least you have good hair.”
“That’s true.” I beamed for all of five seconds and did a little fluffing before my face fell.
“Brighter?” Evie asked.
“Blinding.”
She seemed to think. “You do have a whopping three whole days to find a decent prospect. Cities have fallen in a lot less time.”
So true.
Three was, well, three. As opposed to two or the dreaded one. That meant seventy-two hours. Oodles of time to find one itty-bitty born vampire and show my mother that I wasn’t a total loser in the matchmaking department. An itty-bitty hot, smoking vampire. But not too smoking. I wouldn’t want Jack to actually fall for her.
Not that he would. He was in love with Mandy. Hopelessly. Desperately. Forever and ever…Right?
I’d never actually asked him if he planned to make her into a vampire. But, of course, he would. If he didn’t, then she
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