DraculaVille - New York - Book One

by Lara Nance

  “Just a major crisis,” she said. “The Romanians moved the meeting. We have to be ready by tomorrow night.”

  Felix handed her a sheaf of papers.

  “No, no, yes, no,” she said, thumbing through them. She handed them back.

  “I’ll make food.” Drake headed to the kitchen.

  “Crank up another pot of coffee if you don’t mind. We’ll be at this all night,” she called over her shoulder.

  He retraced his steps and stood staring at her, arms crossed over his chest. “You just escaped a flock of bloodthirsty vampires. I’m sure you haven’t had much sleep in the last few days. You’re going to kill yourself.”

  “I’d rather kill myself than let some schmuck steal my idea and make a fortune.”

  He raised his hands and returned to the kitchen.

  “Wow, this picture of Drake with a wolf is fantastic. I can see this on a billboard.” He handed the folder to her.

  “You’re right. This last piece looks good. I’m going to send the digital files over to Tom.” She typed for a minute then hit SEND. She leaned her head back, then stood and stretched her arms over her head, leaning side to side. “Whew. Now we need to go over there and monitor production.”

  “You can eat first,” Drake called.

  Felix eagerly nodded.

  She crossed her arms. “Okay. We’ll take a tiny break and eat. Tom won’t have anything ready for a few hours anyway.”

  “Yes.” Her assistant pumped his fist in the air.

  Pip came from the kitchen and climbed on his lap. “What are you doing, Uncle Felix?”

  Felix wrapped his arms around the boy. “We’re making promotional material for DraculaVille.”

  Pip laid his head against Felix’s chest. “I want to go to DraculaVille.”

  “Why, midget?” Talia asked.

  “It sounds like fun.”

  Talia considered this. Good. Hopefully it would sound like fun to millions of other people, too.

  Pans clattered in the kitchen, and she went and perched on a stool. “What are you making?”

  “Something simple. Chicken marsala.” He flipped a pat of butter into a sauté pan and swirled it around until it melted. Then he tossed in some pounded chicken breasts.

  Simple. Right. She smiled. How like him to minimize his skill. She rested her chin in one hand, elbow on the counter. Her mind searched back, before Drake came into her life. She could barely remember. It was a blur of sameness and meaningless accomplishments. Here she still struggled to achieve something that left its mark on the world.

  Like a dancer, Drake moved fluidly as he stirred pots, flipped chicken filets, and grated parmesan. The vision of her tango with him pressed into her mind. What passion he had. Yet he had a gentle way at the same time. When needed, he could be ferocious. A killer. She shivered and ran her hands over her arms.

  Who was he really? She had a sense of him, but was it true? At this point if she couldn’t trust him, she didn’t know when she could. He’d protected her throughout their adventure in vampire land. He’d said he loved her. What more did she want?

  “Mom.” Pip ran into the kitchen and jumped onto the stool beside her. “Uncle Felix says you guys have to go out tonight.”

  “That’s right. We’re working on the project we have to present tomorrow night.”

  “I want to go with you.” He traced a finger over the counter.

  “Not tonight. You and Drake need to stay here and, er, guard the command center.”

  Drake glanced over his shoulder.

  She shrugged.

  “Oh, is that important?” Pip thrust out his chest.

  “Very, very important. We have to make sure no one breaks in and steals our plans. If they do, we’ll lose the account. And there will be no DraculaVille.”

  Pip crossed his arms, looking fierce. “Then we’ll make sure no one gets in. Won’t we, Dad?”

  “Absolutely.” Drake poured sauce from a pot over the chicken breasts and turned off the stove. “Food’s ready.”

  Felix strolled into the kitchen and hopped on a stool beside Pip. “I’m ready.”

  Drake chuckled and dished the chicken onto two plates. He passed them to Felix and Talia then handed them silverware. He poured cups of blood for himself and Pip, then leaned against the counter.

  “This is awesome,” her assistant said between bites.

  It was scrumptious. Talia realized how much she’d missed Drake’s wonderful food. Maybe they could have some sort of life like this. She glanced at Pip holding his clown sippy-cup filled with blood, grinning between sips. He appeared happy to have his makeshift family back together. Could they be a family?

  “How is it?” Drake asked, his gaze focused on her.

  “It’s great.” She smiled. “Delish.”

  He tilted his head to one side. “When will you be back home?”

  “I’m not sure.” She scraped the last of the chicken onto her fork and popped it in her mouth. “Harvey said they want you there tomorrow night. So we’ll be back in time to pick you up.”

  His brows came together. “Why do I have to be there?”

  “I don’t know other than the secretary wants it.”

  “You can wear the outfit we used in the first photo shoot,” Felix said. “This last one is a bit worse for wear.”

  That was an understatement. They’d have to trash it after all the blood stains and rips it underwent. Same for the black vampire wedding dress she’d worn home. She never wanted to see that thing again. Talia handed her empty plate to Drake.

  “Okay, let’s gather our files and head over to Tom’s.” She slid off her stool.

  Pip held out his arms and she gave him a quick hug and a kiss to the top of his head. “Guard the command center well, King Pip.”

  “I will.” He smiled and gave her a salute.

  She glanced at Drake, but he didn’t smile. She gathered her laptop, then joined her assistant at the coat closet.

  “I’ll call you later and let you know how it’s going,” she said to Drake.

  He slowly stepped into the foyer. “Okay. Good luck.”

  She paused, wanting to say something nice to him. Something to let him know how she felt. But she couldn’t find the right words, so she just hurried out the door without looking back.

  Chapter 32

  Talia put the key in her apartment door at four the next afternoon. All that kept her going was adrenalin and enormous amounts of coffee.

  Drake wouldn’t be up yet. She draped her coat over the couch and headed for her room. She desperately needed a hot bath. Then she’d dress for the meeting and hopefully not fall asleep in between.

  She’d pulled off a miracle and had all the promotional pieces ready to show the Romanians. Felix would take the materials to the hotel and set up the room before the meeting. He really was a good little minion.

  She stripped off her clothes and tossed them on the bed. Her enormous panda stared at her with big droopy black eyes from its position propped on her pillows. She picked it up and gave it a hug.

  “Wish me luck, big guy.” Weren’t pandas supposed to be good luck?

  After tucking the bear back in bed, she went to her bathroom and ran hot water in the tub. She’d had so much coffee her hands trembled. After the meeting tonight, she could sleep all she wanted.

  When the tub filled, she stepped in and sank into the warmth with a sigh. Her mind ran over her speech and everything they had to present. It was a nightmare of activity. Drake would be there. One more thing to worry about.

  After she got out, she dressed in a navy Armani suit with a white silk blouse. She stared at the Louboutins she’d used to kill Lucilla. Nope, couldn’t do it. She chose a pair of navy Jimmy Choo pumps instead.

  When she reached Drake’s room, she knocked softly on the door. “You up?”

  “I’ll be out in a minute,” he called.

  She headed into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. God, she was tired. Would coff
ee be enough to get her through tonight?

  “Tal?” Drake walked in wearing his Dracula outfit.

  “Hey,” she said, smiling.

  “Hey, yourself. How did the day go?”

  “We got it done. Felix is setting everything up at the hotel.” She poured coffee in a cup and added cream.

  He went to the refrigerator and poured himself a cup of blood. “What’s going to happen tonight?”

  “I’ll use the items we’ve prepared and instruct them on how to present the project to investors. As far as you’re concerned, just stay in character and say ‘hello’ to everyone. I’m not sure why the secretary wanted you there.” She blew into her coffee and took a sip.

  He drained his cup. “Okay. Let’s get it done.”

  She took another gulp of coffee. “Thanks, Drake. I appreciate your being so agreeable. I want to get through tonight then sleep for about two years.”

  “I know.” He came to stand in front of her and brushed her hair from her face. “I’m tired, too. We’ll get through it and then we can rest.”

  She took his hand in hers and kissed his palm. “Thank you, Drake. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your help.”

  He smiled and patted her cheek. “You’ll be great, don’t worry. I guess we’d better get going.”

  “Yep. Gerri will be over in a few minutes to stay with Pip.” She drained her coffee and went into the living room to retrieve her briefcase and coat. “Let’s do it.”

  ***

  Talia and Drake entered the meeting room at six-thirty. Felix adjusted the projector then turned it off. Neatly arranged piles of folders and note pads sat atop the long table for ten.

  “Hey, boss,” he said. “I’ve set up the projector. The promotional items are on the easels at the front.” He motioned to four draped stands.

  “Good. Thanks.” She pulled her notebook from her briefcase and flipped through her notes.

  “Well, Tiger, looks like you pulled off your miracle,” Harvey said, striding into the room and glancing about. He frowned when he noticed Drake. “So this is the new face of Romania.” He scanned Drake from head to toe. “What’s your name?”

  “This is Dracula, Harvey. Drac, meet my boss, Harvey Saracin.” She gestured between the two men and continued flipping through her notes.

  Drake crossed his arms and let Harvey catch a glimpse of his fangs with a quick grin. Her boss blinked and hurried around to the table. He said something in a low voice to Felix.

  A few seconds later, the Romanians filed in. Cosmin was quick to beg forgiveness for having to advance the date of the meeting.

  “This situation was unavoidable, and I am most appreciative you could move the meeting,” he said, pumping her hand. “Our secretary sends her apologies. She was forced to leave New York last night and will attend this meeting by video conference.”

  Talia glanced across the table. One of his group opened a laptop and pointed it toward their presentation screen. “I’m sorry she couldn’t attend in person.”

  He lowered his voice and leaned closer. “I must confide to you that there is some unrest in our government right now about the country’s financial situation. The Secretary is working diligently with the president to assist in bringing the factions together. Otherwise she would never have missed this important meeting. She asked me to relay her confidence in your handling of the project thus far.”

  “Thank you. I assure the entire agency is focused on making this program work.”

  “Also, she was most eager to meet your model for the campaign.” He glanced sideways at Drake.

  “Then let’s get started.” She smiled. “I understand you have a flight to catch later tonight.”

  She motioned to a seat near the head of the table. Drake stayed at the back, arms crossed, leaning against the wall. His gaze followed her as she strode to the front of the room. Her insides itched with irritation. She’d worked her ass off, missed sleep and called in every favor she owned to make this happen, yet the secretary didn’t even bother to show up. Video conference. Bull shit. Romania had better be ready to go bankrupt to justify her absence.

  The presentation had to go on. She gritted her teeth and clicked the remote to turn on the projector. Showtime.

  After an hour, she wrapped up her ideas for presenting their material to investors and included a list of potential companies to approach. She clicked off the projector and glanced at the face of the secretary on the computer screen.

  The woman hadn’t commented during the entire presentation. Her committee members had interjected questions throughout the presentation and now nodded to each other as they gathered their presentation folders and stowed the new materials in their briefcases.

  “A very nice presentation, Ms. Quinton,” Secretary Negrescu said, her blue eyes unblinking.

  “Thank you, Madam Secretary.” Talia folded her hands in front of her. “I hope you find the material satisfactory to begin your search for investors.”

  “And your model for Dracula, is he there?”

  Talia motioned for Drake and he walked along the side of the table to the head. He stared at her only, even when he was in view of the secretary.

  “So, this is our Dracula,” the secretary said, her eyes glittering. She did not smile.

  “Yes, he’s the focus of the campaign. A mysterious figure full of enticing suspense. We’re keeping him in character even off camera to enhance the air of mystery. We’ve already tested his image with various focus groups. The response was extraordinary.” Talia paused. “He’s going to draw every woman in the world to DraculaVille hoping to seduce him, and every man in the world, hoping to be him.” She ran her hands up her arms. It’s what she wanted and feared at the same time.

  Secretary Negrescu arched one brow. “I see.”

  After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, the woman smiled. “I think all of your material is excellent, Ms. Quinton. So, we move to the next phase. You’ll need to be in Romania within the next two weeks to begin the site surveys and set meetings with our investors.”

  Talia took a step toward the laptop, ready to protest this accelerated schedule. Two weeks? The woman had to be kidding. Why were they in such a rush?

  Harvey spoke up before she could speak. He beamed and nodded to Talia. “Thank you, Madam Secretary. We appreciate your approval and look forward to the next phase of this fabulous project.”

  “Very good. Until then, Ms. Quinton...” The computer screen went blank.

  The Romanians scurried from the room with numerous murmurs of apology at their precipitous departure.

  “I’ll be in touch next week,” Cosmin called over his shoulder as he left.

  Talia, Felix, Harvey and Drake stared after them. The whole meeting struck her as strange, rushed and superficial. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it wasn’t like the usual meeting with clients. The Romanians had kept glancing at the Secretary’s face on the computer screen throughout the presentation. Their questions seemed scripted at times, out of pace with what was being discussed.

  “Good job, Tiger.” Harvey walked around the table and patted her shoulder. “Ready to head for Romania?”

  “I’m ready to head to bed,” she said, stifling a yawn.

  “Sure, get some rest. You’ve had a hard week.” He smiled. “We’ll regroup next week before you go to Romania.”

  You have no idea how hard my week was. She dropped the remote on the table. Drake moved behind her and rested a hand on the small of her back. “Let’s go home,” he whispered in her ear. “I want to be alone with you.”

  Her heart fluttered and goose bumps ran up her arms. His eyes lowered to her lips and warmth flushed her face.

  Harvey cleared his throat, and she looked at the floor, embarrassment fanning her with heat.

  “So, let’s meet on Monday and discuss the next step of the project,” Harvey said.

  “Fine,” she said. That gave her two days to sleep. “Sure.”

  Harvey ga
ve Drake an uncertain look and left. Talia let out a deep breath and crammed papers into her briefcase.

  “Hey, Boss, what’s next?” Felix packed the projector and glanced expectantly at Drake. “Any plans for a late night celebration feast?”

  “I think Talia needs to rest,” Drake said, his gaze grazing her neck and shoulder.

  “Oh, come on. We need to celebrate.” Her assistant finished packing and snapped the case closed. “Gerri’s already there, and she told me she brought champagne.”

  “How did she know to bring champagne?” Talia placed her hands on her hips.

  “Well, excuse us for having faith in you, boss.” Felix placed his palms on the table and leaned toward her. “You should appreciate that your friends believe in you. This whole thing is about more than just you.”

  She glanced at Drake who shook his head and shrugged, laughing.

  “Fine, party at my place.” She threw up her hands.

  Her assistant grinned and scurried around gathering the promotional pieces. “Great. Everything is going according to plan. It’s awesome. I can’t wait to see Romania.”

  She could wait a long time to see Romania, but this project required she go there. She seriously had to gain some resolution to her relationship with Drake first.

  Gerri and Pip greeted them when they arrived at her apartment. Pip bounced around whooping as usual.

  Her friend hugged them all, a huge smile on her face. “I’m so glad everything went well. No more vampire drama, okay?”

  “Hey, I didn’t want what we already had.” Talia put up her hands.

  “No more kidnapping if I can help it.” Drake headed into the kitchen.

  “What are you making?” Felix followed, Pip hopping along after them.

  Her friend escorted her to the living room, her face creased in concern. “Are you okay after everything that happened?”

  She dropped her briefcase and purse beside the sofa, shrugged out of her coat, and sank into the welcoming cushions of the couch. “I guess. There hasn’t been a lot of time to think about what I went through. Honestly, thinking about it is disturbing.”