A Bite of Christmas Cheer

by Thea Dane

  “You’re leaving?”

  “I have last minute things to do before I transfer to the Rome office. Here’s a copy of Mr. Desmond’s schedule for tomorrow night.” She showed her the calendar on the computer, with appointments noted for each hour. “Be here at eight.”

  Violetta sat alone in the office that would soon be hers in a couple days. She viewed the closed door to Lee’s office through the wide windows. This close position to him was both good and bad. Good, in the sense she could keep an eye on him. It was bad because Lee would be able to watch her, too. Under no circumstances could she let him find out she was a slayer. Not until he saw her standing over him, poised with the stake aimed for his heart.

  Her cell phone chirped. She got a text from her uncle Isaiah. Are you in? Make sure your kill kit has more than one stake.

  “Am I interrupting? I heard your phone beep.”

  Violetta got a prickly feeling on the back of her neck as Lee stood in the doorway. Dammit. She had to get better at detecting him instead of being distracted. “No. It’s just an alarm.” She hurried to close the messaging app on her phone. Uncle Isaiah’s text nearly blew her cover. “Do you need me to help you with something?”

  Lee stepped into the office space. “Come have a meal with me at Hickory’s. There’s a new associate I want you to meet.”

  Hickory’s was the best steakhouse in the city. The food was rated four stars and had the price tag to prove it. Violetta’s roommate Debbie bartended there. “Okay. I think I left my coat in the conference room.”

  “I’ll meet you downstairs outside the lobby.”

  Violetta gathered her coat. The receptionist smiled at her on her way out. Did anyone on Lee’s staff know he was a vampire?

  She took the elevator down to the lobby and walked towards the glass doors of the front entrance. A black Porsche pulled up to the curb. She exited the building and watched the vehicle come to a halt. Nice car. Whoever drove it had enough skill to handle a sports car in the cold weather.

  The passenger side window came down. Lee leaned over from the driver’s side. “Are you coming?”

  She wasn’t expecting to see him behind the wheel. She opened the passenger side door and sank into the supple camel leather seat. “I didn’t know it was you. I thought when you said to meet you downstairs we’d be waiting for a driver.”

  “Sometimes I utilize my company driver Harry.” He switched gears on the manual shift to start moving again. “But otherwise, I enjoy driving. It lets me think.”

  She watched his long fingers grip the steering wheel and stick shift. What other things did he enjoy putting his hands to? Wait, what am I thinking? She started to cough.

  “Are you cold?” He put a finger on the car’s touchscreen to adjust the heat levels.

  She shook her head. “No. I’m okay. Just got a tickle in my throat.”

  “I can turn up the heat if you want. Sometimes I forget others get cold in my car.”

  “I’m fine.” She noticed Lee wasn’t wearing a winter coat. Violetta recalled from reading slayers’ diaries handed down over the years that some vampires were not affected by the elements. The more powerful ones had no reaction to extreme hot or cold temperatures.

  The car hugged the road when he made a tight turn. “I’ll give you a quick rundown on the meeting. This new associate is Felix Crane. I expect you to do your job well by listening closely and making observations. I’ll ask you about them later.”

  Those were an odd set of instructions. “You’re going to give me a pop quiz at the end. Got it.”

  He gave her a sideways glance before turning the car down another corner. “I have my reasons for doing this. Don’t take it lightly.”

  With the look he just gave her, she knew not to dismiss his instructions.

  “Have you been to Hickory’s before?”

  “Once or twice.” Violetta had been inside the fancy steakhouse once for happy hour during a college networking event. She didn’t get any job leads and ended up blowing fifty bucks on two margaritas. The thought of alcoholic drinks made her remember her roommate. Debbie was supposed to work the evening shift bartending tonight. Should she send her a quick text to let her know she was coming to the restaurant with her boss? She squelched that idea fast. Debbie loved to chat it up. Since this was her first night on the job, she couldn’t risk any behavior that might make Lee think she was unequipped to be his sophisticated assistant.

  When they arrived at the restaurant, a valet came up to the car. Lee got out and shook his hand. Violetta noticed he slipped a green bill in the man’s palm. Lee then came to her side and opened the door for her to get out. How very gentlemanly for a vampire.

  Her skin received an electric sensation when he put his hand against the small of her back. She assumed the gesture was to help guide her away from a rowdy crowd of teenagers on the sidewalk. The sensation remained on her skin when he dropped his hand after they got inside the restaurant. The waiting area was decorated with a wreath of warm golden Christmas lights.

  Barely a couple seconds passed before the host came to him. “Mr. Desmond, it’s good to see you this evening. Your usual table?”

  “Yes. I’m here to meet with a business associate named Felix Crane. Is he here yet?”

  The host checked the guest register. “I don’t see Mr. Crane on the list. Let me double check with the other host. I’ll show you to your table.”

  Lee hooded his eyes and tightened his jaw. Violetta sensed his annoyance as his vampiric energy shifted. Uh-oh. Someone was annoyed at having to wait for dinner guests. “After you.” He gestured for her to follow the host. He brought up the line behind her.

  As she walked, she heard the door open. A sharp gust of cold wind hit her calves. A man blew into the restaurant. He stood about six feet tall with a medium heavy build. He was dressed in a business suit and short puffer coat that looked like it was more appropriate for an outdoor expedition. His hair was short, slightly shaggy, and had a deep gunmetal grey cast.

  He stirred up a whirlwind of tablecloths when he rushed towards Lee. “Desmond, good to see you.” He tugged on his suit jacket sleeve beneath his coat. The air around them suddenly intensified with more vampiric energy.

  “You’re late, Felix.” Lee barely turned his head to address the other man. Violetta made a note to herself. Lee did not like anyone being late, not even a minute past schedule.

  “I got tied up with one of my freight customers. It was one hell of a messy transaction, but I got it straightened out.” At first glance, Felix didn’t look anything like a vampire with his unkempt appearance.

  The host got them seated and left them with menus. “A server will be right with you.”

  “Good choice of restaurant.” Felix’s voice was rough. It reminded Violetta of sandpaper on chalkboard. The scar on his left cheek moved when he spoke. His features were large and coarse.

  “Felix, this is my new assistant Violetta Sharpe.”

  Felix shifted his blue eyes on her and stuck out his hand. It was rough and calloused. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

  Lee took his time perusing the menu. Violetta picked up her menu and held her jaw muscles tight so her mouth wouldn’t fall to the table. She always knew Hickory’s was on the pricey side, but the cost of even the cheapest steak would cover the heating bill in her apartment for a week.

  Their server arrived. “It’s good to see you this evening, Mr. Desmond. May I start you and your company off with drinks?”

  “We’ll start with a bottle of your Chateau Marmont cabernet.”

  “One bottle of Chateau Marmont.”

  “I don’t like wine,” Felix announced. “Gimme a Briar City Bomber, extra gin and blood orange.”

  “Yes, sir. Are we ready to order?”

  “Go ahead.” Lee indicated to Violetta.

  She searched for the least expensive food item to order. Even a salad was almost 40 bucks. “I’ll take your garlic shrimp bruschetta.” She caught Lee wrinkling hi
s nose. “You don’t like the garlic bruschetta?” she asked him, lightly.

  “Garlic isn’t one of my favorite spices.”

  Oh, did he have an aversion to it? The myth that vampires could be driven away by garlic was debunked over a hundred years ago when a slayer from her community literally lost his head testing the theory. “I can order something else if you have a food allergy and can’t be near it.” She gauged his reaction.

  He shook his head. “Order what you want. I don’t prefer garlic because it doesn’t smell good.”

  She nodded to the server. “That’s what I’ll have for dinner.”

  He wrote it down. “And for you, Mr. Desmond?”

  “I’ll have the usual.” He gave his and Violetta’s menus over to the server.

  “One filet mignon, medium rare. And for you?” He turned to Felix.

  “I’ll have the same. Make mine rare, though.”

  When the server went away, Lee addressed Felix. “Tell me about your boats and dock permit.”

  “I have all the paperwork squared away. I can start shipping supplies into Briar City.” He produced a manila folder.

  “Give them to my assistant.”

  Felix stalled for a moment before he handed over the documents. Violetta accepted them with a smile and glanced at the couple pages. They look legit, but she wasn’t a lawyer. She slipped the folder under her seat just as the server brought Felix’s drink along with the bottle of wine and two glasses.

  Lee watched the wine being poured. “This is a favorite of mine.”

  The server placed a wine glass in front of Violetta. The stem of the glass appeared delicate enough to break if she so much as touched it. She picked up the glass and put it to her lips. The wine touched her tongue. It tasted like ripe cherries had been soaked in it for days. She was no connoisseur, but this was pretty darn good. She nodded to Lee. “Yum.” Then she covered her mouth, embarrassed the simplistic utterance escaped.

  “I’m glad you approve.” An amused smile appeared on his well-shaped lips.

  Violetta averted her eyes by pretending to read the wine label. She couldn’t understand any of the French words printed on it.

  “My drink’s crap.” Felix signaled to the nearest server. Once she came by, he shoved the glass in her hand. “Get the bartender to put more orange in this. I can barely taste it.”

  “Um, okay. Be right back.”

  Violetta felt sorry for the poor woman. Lee shot Felix a disapproving glare. “While you’re waiting for your drink, Felix, let’s talk. I understand you want to start transporting construction supplies this week. Tell me what carriers you have in place.”

  She listened to their conversation. Felix got very technical with his description of carrier ships. Her mind threatened to wander. She hoped Lee wouldn’t ask her the difference between the different boat engines. She panned the restaurant and caught sight of Debbie serving drinks at the bar. Did her roommate spot her?

  The server brought their food and Felix’s blood orange cocktail. She bit into savory garlic bread while hearing the male vampires talk business. If she was going to stake Lee, she’d have to figure out his schedule, where he went on a weekly and daily basis, and if he ever had times when he was alone. Plus, she had to make sure she could do it without any chance of other vampires around.

  Like Felix.

  Lee’s business associate kept glancing her way. She didn’t know what it was, but something was a bit off about him. Was it the way he presented himself, the gruff way he spoke? She eyed Lee while he listened to Felix drone on about new developments in the carrier freight industry. He sipped wine and looked a little bored.

  The conversation went on for another hour before Lee asked for the check. Violetta cringed on the inside as she prepared to dip into the last one hundred dollars in her checking account.

  “Put everything on my tab,” he told the server.

  “Thank you for dinner,” said Violetta, after the server left. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  He stared at her as though she spoke gibberish. “This is a business dinner.”

  “Yeah.” Felix joined the conversation, talking between bites of filet mignon. He wiped his mouth where blood from the meat seeped between his lips. “It’s not like it’s a date or anything. Shit, then I would be the third wheel.” He laughed at his own joke. He was so loud people at other tables turned their heads to see who made the noise.

  Violetta sipped the last of her wine while wishing to crawl under the table.

  Lee cut Felix with his eyes. “My assistant and I are going to call it an early night. Enjoy the rest of your dinner.”

  He wiped his mouth again. “Thanks for the steak.”

  “You’re working for me now, Felix. I expect nothing less than the best.” Lee touched Violetta’s sleeve. “Are you ready?”

  She nodded and grabbed the portfolio beneath the chair. “Have a good night, Mr. Crane.”

  He nodded, mouth too full to respond.

  She followed Lee to the front of the restaurant. He helped her into her coat. In this less crowded space of the restaurant, she could smell the subtle scent of his cologne and natural vampire pheromone. When they were hunting for blood, vampires could produce the pheromone in large amounts to attract prey. Humans couldn’t sense it, though they were affected if the vampire put them into a hypnotic state in order to be bitten. She was thankful the gene in her slayer bloodline enabled her to detect it.

  Right now Lee’s pheromone was dormant, but there was enough of it to make the lulling effects of the wine she drank go away. It made her even more aware of him. The energy around him made the air come alive. If he exuded this kind of energy in public and fully clothed, what would he be like in bed?

  Shock hit her like a splash of ice water to the face. Could she get a grip on herself already? Lee was hot and those pheromones of his were pretty potent stuff, but she was a slayer. She ought to be able to tap into her own strength and natural abilities to resist what could overwhelm an ordinary human.

  “I hope Felix didn’t put you off completely,” he stated, once the valet returned with his Porsche and they got inside the car. “He acted like he wasn’t used to being in polite company.”

  “I gathered that.” She buckled her seatbelt.

  He gave her that sexy side glance and raised a dark eyebrow in curiosity. “Did you?”

  “He seemed like he was interested in a partnership.”

  “That’s obvious. Tell me what else you gathered about him. This is your test.”

  “Let’s see. His suit is new. I don’t think he ever wore it before. He wanted to dress to impress, but the suit didn’t fit well. He isn’t used to wearing business formal attire because he kept pulling on his jacket sleeve. Or maybe he was nervous. Let’s see. What else? Mr. Crane used to operate a ship.”

  Lee stopped her. “How do you know his background? He has no online presence and he didn’t mention what he used to do before he bought his shipping business.”

  “He shook my hand.” Violetta studied her own short fingernails, wishing she opted for a manicure or at least a swipe of neutral polish before the job interview. “His palms have callouses. I’m guessing from handling rope and rigging on a boat. Then there’s the fact he curses like a sailor.”

  That gained a small laugh from Lee. “Impressive. And you’re right. He was a former ship captain before he started his business.”

  Violetta was relieved she passed his little test. “I still don’t understand. Why did you want me to observe him like that?”

  “I expect you to be observant and attentive to what I need both in and out of the office. Even if the event is for mingling, you have to be my eyes and ears if I’m not present.”

  “Who knew binge-watching Sherlock on Netflix would come in handy?”

  This time he didn’t smile. “You may think it’s amusing, but that skill is necessary. I can’t have my assistant unwittingly undermining me in the long run.”

  Boy,
he got intense fast. She changed the subject. “Do you want me to forward these documents to your lawyer when we get back to the office?”

  “I’ll give them to Nicholas myself. This is your first night of work. You can have the rest of it off.”

  So she got a new job and a free fancy dinner with wine tonight. Not too shabby. “The train station is up the next block if you want to drop me off.”

  He drove the car to the train station. When they arrived, Violetta put her hand on the door to open it. The next train was scheduled to arrive in three minutes. “See you tomorrow night, Lee.”

  He kept his hand on the wheel. He still gave off an irritated vibe. “You did well for your first night. Be at work tomorrow for a meeting at eight.”

  She got out and headed down the steps to the train platform. She’d have to do better and not get on his bad side. Or her work would be over before she even got started.

  LEE WATCHED VIOLETTA get out of his car. Her skirt swished around her long brown legs as she moved fast before disappearing down the stairs. Her creamy jasmine scent lingered in his car. All evening, it took a lot of his willpower to not get closer to inhale her scent or taste her smooth skin. Perhaps it was a mistake to hire such a pretty assistant.

  He weighed the pros and cons of his decision. She did well for her first night in the office. She adapted fast to the different aspects of the job and proved she was able to think on her feet. He could be sure she would pick up where Katrin left off.

  He shifted his car into drive. Lee preferred having human employees. It made him seem trustworthy to his non-vampire associates. But the first four couldn’t handle his rigorous schedule or work efficiently at night. As for Katrin, he sensed she was developing feelings for him. It wasn’t mutual. They never so much as kissed. The best thing to do was transfer her to an international office. He had too much on his plate to deal with her getting distracted. Besides, anything centering on romance was just too messy. Sex for pleasure made sense. Why complicate things with unnecessary emotions?