Real Vampires Live Large

by Gerry Bartlett

Page 23

 

  “Interesting. ” He smiled at me, then walked over to look at the wall. “Florence, you’ve certainly picked up a trick or two in the years you’ve been”—he glanced at the mortals— “studying the great artists. ”

  “Why, thank you, Richard. ” Flo picked up her black leather jacket and slipped into it. “Good luck with your opening, Glory. I have a date. I won’t be back tonight. ” She smiled at the group and headed out.

  “I’m a little worried about her. ” Lacy was at my elbow. “Have you met her new man?”

  I shook my head. “That’s not unusual, though. She kept Richard a secret for a while. Seems like we met him just before she dumped him. ”

  “I think it’s weird. She won’t even talk about this new guy. And we got pretty close while she was working on ”—a sweeping gesture toward the wall—“that. ”

  “Florence always has a new man. He won’t last, none of her men do. ” Richard strolled over to Freddy and they soon had their heads together at the laptop discussing the new Web site.

  I was doing my best not to stare at Richard’s butt in worn denims that hugged his muscular thighs. For a second there, I’d almost felt sorry for him, the most recent in a long, long line of Florence rejects.

  I hadn’t heard the Harley roar up so maybe he’d flown or driven in. That was the thing with dating a vampire. They could do and be just about anything. Hold it. Not dating. Paying off a debt. Friends. That’s all. Okay, okay, friends with . . . benefits. Like rolling on the ground playing tonsil hockey. Hmm. I checked out his taut butt again. With benefits like those, who needed a relationship?

  Especially one as complicated as mine was with Blade.

  I glanced back at Flo’s mural. Maybe highlighting the vamp thing wasn’t smart, but it was definitely interesting. The artsy looking woman was talking on her cell phone and I heard her say “amazing painting. ” Good. Maybe her friend would rush right over and find something to buy while she was here.

  The poodle skirt lady had talked Derek into undressing the mannequin in the window and headed for the dressing room. CiCi was showing a bronze to one of the men when the bells on the front door rang. Another man came inside. I froze. Tinted glasses. But I got closer and relaxed when I could read his mind. He was following the hot guys he’d met at a bar down the street. He was also into butts and hot guy number one had some sweet cheeks. Then he spotted an Armani jacket and was hooked on my “cool” shop. No Westwood thoughts from him at all. I smiled and rang up my first sale, that bronze CiCi had consigned. All right. We were back in business.

  Twelve

  "I tell you, honeybunch, that wall is giving me night-mares. ”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Ghosts don’t sleep. Do they?” I was deep into an argument with my resident ghosts forty-eight hours after our grand opening. Emmie Lou hated Flo’s painting and, since I was alone in the shop with just the dogs, she’d come out to speak her piece.

  “You know what I mean. How would you like to stare at that thing all day and all night? That screaming skull. And, honey, you know I love vampires, but that picture’s just flat creepy. ”

  “No, it’s not. It’s art. The customers love it. ” And they did. Even wanted to take pictures of it. I’d had Flo sign her name to it to make it clear that this was just a depiction, not a forgery. It took some prodding, but she’d finally printed in da Vinci just big enough to cause even more comment. Can’t read or write? I don’t think so.

  “Let her count her money, Emmie Lou. You know she ain’t gonna paint over that mural. People’ve done nothing but talk about it since the place opened up again. ” Harvey hitched up his britches and stepped closer to the vampire section of the wall. “I think it’s kind of sexy, the way she’s biting him right there. ” He looked meaningfully at Emmie Lou’s neck. “You used to like a little nibble, honey. ”

  “Nibble this, Harvey Nutt. ” Emmie took a swing at him with one of Flo’s purses and an alligator bag sailed across the room.

  “Cool it, you two. And don’t throw the merchandise. ” I rescued the purse and put it back on a shelf. I’d locked the door at five a. m. after sending everyone off so I could count the night ’s receipts. This was typically our dead time. Oops. Okay, maybe it’s always dead time for a vampire. But in a business sense, there wasn’t much happening. At six, when Lacy came in, we usually got a few night workers as they came off their shifts.

  “Sorry, honey. Earlier it did look like your business was booming again. ” Emmie Lou turned her back to the painting. “Glad of that. I sure didn’t want to go back to the days of biker bars or tattoo parlors. Between the smoke and the loud music, honey, we were in hell. ”

  “We’ve had a great start. ” I looked up at the tap on the door. Hmm. The dogs growled and started barking. I thought Valdez was going to go through the safety glass. I moved closer.

  “Stop it. I know this guy. ”

  Greg Kaplan grinned at me and gestured, like, let me in. Probably not a good idea, but I wanted to talk to him. Ask him about the EVs since I’d got a little of nothing from Flo. And, yeah, it bugged the hell out of me that I couldn ’t remember our affair. I wanted details. How long had we been together? Why had we been together? I didn’t doubt the dogs would make quick work of Greg if he threatened me.

  “Don’t do it, Blondie. This is the asshole who gave you the headaches. ” Valdez growled again.

  “He’s not going to do that again, are you, Greg?” I yelled this through the door and Greg nodded, then crossed his heart. “If he does, you have my permission to rip him a new one, okay?”

  “Now you’re talking. ” Will glanced at Valdez. “It’s about time we saw some action. I say she lets him in. If you can’t handle him,

  I can. ”

  “The day I can’t take out a loser like that, is the day I turn in my flea collar. ” Valdez gave Greg the eye through the glass and showed some teeth.

  “Fine. I’m letting him in. But I don’t need your permission. Just stay on high alert. I may decide he needs a hurt put on him. For past insults. ” Emmie Lou and Harvey had vanished, but were probably still lurking about. They didn’t miss anything and also liked to do some damage when they felt I was being mistreated.

  Feeling like I had backup out the whazoo, I flipped open the dead bolts and let Greg in along with the cold night air. Austin had had a cold front, and the temperature was hovering around forty degrees, about twenty lower than on my date night. Texas weather. Nowhere close to the snow weather during the parade when I’d had some of the best sex . . .

  “Stop it, Greg. You’re planting memories again. ” This time I threw up a block. We were going to communicate like mortals, with voices and body language, or not at all.

  “You heard her, asshole. I’m watching you. ” Valdez growled for emphasis.

  “We’re both watching you. ” Will growled even louder and I shot him a dirty look to keep things from deteriorating into a contest.

  “Sorry, okay? I just wanted to talk, maybe shop a little. ” Greg studied the dogs. “Glory, anybody ever tell you that you keep weird company? What’s with the talking dogs?” He sniffed the air. “Who aren’t really dogs. ”

  Will snarled and Valdez grabbed a chunk of Greg’s jeans.

  “They’re my bodyguards. Since I didn’t whammy you, you should remember that I always had a dog with me, a Valdez to guard me. Now I’ve got two. So I’d be careful about insulting them. They take their job seriously. ” I loved the way Greg had gone pale.

  “Nice doggies. Please let go of my pants. ” Greg shot me a frantic look.

  “Okay, guys. You’ve made your point. Let him go, but be ready in case this freak tries his mind control tricks again. These men can and will read your mind, Greg. ”

  “Men?” Greg flinched when Valdez tugged and his jeans ripped. “Sorry, I get it. ” He held up his hands in surrender. “You have my utmost respect, both of you. ”<
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  Valdez reluctantly released the fabric, leaving a damp spot on Greg’s hem.

  “Finally. ” Greg stuck his hands in his pockets. “I guess I’m in the right place to buy new jeans. I’ve heard you have an interesting shop. You always were into clothes. ” He smiled and strolled around. “That’s where I met you. At a sale at Bloomingdale’s. I was shopping with a girlfriend, but once I saw you, I dropped her like a bad habit. ” He grinned and winked, obviously expecting me to be flattered.

  “So I’m not the only lucky lady you dumped. You wipe her memory too?”

  “Sure. ” Greg wasn’t stupid. He could tell I was on the verge of doing something violent. I let him see it in my eyes. “Come on, Glory. Ancient history. ” He stopped in front of Flo’s mural and whistled. “Now that’s what I’m talking about. ” He glanced at me.

  “Gutsy, putting the vampire thing right out there. On the sign out front and now on the wall. I remember what you used to call it, blending. When did you stop?”

  “I’m still blending. A vamp was a sexy chick during the roaring twenties. ” I did a hair toss. “Kind of like me back in the day. Mortals don’t have a clue it could mean anything else and I make a decent living. ” I remembered just how decent and carefully locked the night’s receipts in the safe under the counter. When I tore the paper off the printing calculator, I took a moment to admire the total.

  “They have a clue now. ” Greg gestured toward Flo’s mural. “But I’m impressed. I guess you have people who handle days for you. ” Greg stopped next to a rack of vintage jeans and checked a price tag. “Good deal. ”

  What was I doing having a civilized conversation with this creep? He’d whammied me, given me headaches, even tried to get me outside and naked. I gave Valdez a look and he moved closer.