by Kallysten
She said goodbye to Mary before walking back to the house. Anando watched her go until she had disappeared inside, all too aware that Mary was observing him. When he turned to her again, she asked, “I smell wine. Aren’t you going to offer me a drink?”
Sitting up, Anando reached for the glass and bottle at the foot of the chair. He poured generously before handing her the glass. He set the bottle down again before changing his mind and helping himself as well.
“And how are you, dear?” she asked after taking a small sip.
Anando did his best to keep his voice level. If Mary somehow decided that he needed help, she could make things complicated—more than they already were, and much more than they needed to be.
“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
She twirled the wine in an absentminded gesture, her entire attention focused on Anando. “You never wanted Childer.”
He had to frown at that, unsure what her point was. “The baby won’t be my Childe.”
“I know that. What I mean is, I thought you’d sire the girl in the end. I can see what she means to you. I thought she’d be the one. But instead…” She took a sip of wine. Her eyes never left Anando over the rim of her glass. “Did you want her to be with child?”
Anando sighed. “Mary—”
“She’s completely besotted with you.” She spoke right over him. “She wouldn’t have slept with someone else if you hadn’t given her permission. Was this what you were trying to achieve?”
If he denied it, she would press for details he didn’t care to give her. “What does it matter to you?”
“You matter to me, Childe.” She leaned forward and reached out toward him, briefly resting her hand on his knee. “And everything that touches you touches me as well.”
Part of Anando was irritated that she would try to insinuate herself into a situation where she didn’t belong. At the same time, he was also comforted that she cared. She was his Sire. She would always be, and it didn’t matter how many centuries passed.
“I love her,” he said, meeting her gaze and holding it. “And I love this child already. Nothing else matters.”
Mary nodded and took a longer sip. For a moment, Anando thought—hoped—that this was it, she was satisfied and would let the subject drop. Of course, it was never that easy with her.
“Nothing else matters,” she repeated thoughtfully. “Not even the kid’s father?”
Anando didn’t try to hide the anger that had flashed through him. “I am the father.”
She made a dismissive gesture. “You know what I mean.”
“What I know is that you love to meddle in your Childer’s affairs. But not this time. I don’t need you to try to fix anything because nothing needs to be fixed.”
“But is he going to have a say—”
“Don’t,” he cut in and stood, his hands fisted at his sides. “We’ll figure all of this as we go. Me and her—” He gritted his teeth. “—and him, too, if that’s what’s needed. But you have no say in any of it. You’re welcome to visit after the baby is here, but you are not moving to Haventown, and I will not have you meddling in our affairs. Do you hear me?”
She finished the wine, set the glass down on the ground, then stood. In those heels, she could look him straight in the eyes. Hers were a blue so light it seemed gray—except in moments like this one when her emotions lit a fire in her gaze. She considered him for long moments, then abruptly broke into a smile, leaned forward, and kissed his cheek.
“I always knew you’d have made a great Sire,” she said, ever so softly. “I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful father. Say goodbye to Virginia for me, will you?”
And with that, she stepped back. Relieved and grateful, Anando watched her go and smiled.
CHAPTER 18
After a few decades of shopping for clothes that flattered her body, Lisa had figured out a few basic truths.
For one, everything was bound to cycle in and out of fashion, even hideous styles. That did not make them any less hideous. Certain things Lisa refused to touch, and she would rather stake herself than wear pleather, bell bottoms, sequins, or lycra, among other things. If that meant she sometimes was out of style, that was fine with her. She liked to think of it as being early for the next fashion cycle.
Another truth was that she was part of the lucky ones. Very few garments looked bad on her. It was a good thing, because without a mirror it could sometimes be difficult to judge the impact of a particular dress until she could see herself reflected through Brett’s or Leo’s gazes.
Also, buying clothes was fun, but buying underwear was even more so, because she could imagine Brett’s and Leo’s reactions, and later see if she’d been right. The faster they took a particular piece off her, the better she knew she had to look.
Underwear was what she had in mind that night, after a couple of her panties had recently fallen victim to her lovers’ ardor. Brett seemed intent on proving to her that she had made the right decision when accepting the soon-to-come child into their lives, and she suspected Leo was still trying to make up for his harsh words on the night he had called her selfish.
She was all too aware that, in both cases, she was the one who had something to make up to them, and she was trying her best to do so.
Sexy underwear was part of it, but it hardly seemed enough. There was only so much that a matching low-cut bra and minimalist thong of blue satin and white lace could say.
As she looked around the store for inspiration, Lisa’s eyes stopped on a mannequin near the back wall. The standard slim silhouette had been altered with a ‘baby bump’ cushion, revealed by the ruffle-trimmed sides of a baby-doll camisole. The sides closed under the bust with a satin ribbon that would make opening it like opening a present.
Without quite realizing what she was doing, Lisa crossed the store to the display underneath the mannequin. The camisole came in several sizes and colors. The one on the mannequin was a deep red, but she picked up a navy blue one instead, holding it at arm’s length in front of her by the straps.
“Would you like to try it on?” a saleslady offered, approaching Lisa with a bright smile. “We have baby bumps for you to wear if you want to imagine what you’ll look like in it in a few months.”
Lisa waited for pain to shoot through her. She was surprised when it didn’t. She hadn’t been imagining herself wearing the camisole.
“It’s not for me,” she said.
The saleslady didn’t miss a beat, nor did her smile waver. “These make great Christmas presents. How far along is your friend?”
Lisa had to think about it for a second. “Five… No, six months.”
Two thirds through her pregnancy, it occurred to Lisa, at the same time that she remembered something Leo had said. Virginia’s parents had visited for Thanksgiving, and things had gone badly enough that Virginia had been feeling down ever since.
Maybe a bit of distraction was just what Virginia needed. Lisa left the store with two bags.
It was still early in the evening, so she made her way to Anando and Virginia’s place. He opened the door when she knocked, and his expression was still far less friendly than it used to be.
“Is Virginia up for visitors?” she asked with a tense smile.
Anando started to turn back to look inside the house, but he seemed to think better of it and came out instead, forcing Lisa to take a step back as he pulled the door almost all the way closed behind him.
“This is not a good time,” he said in a low voice. “The last thing she needs is for you to upset her.”
“I’m not here to upset her,” Lisa said, refraining from rolling her eyes at him. “Leo said she was… under the weather. I thought I’d try to cheer her up with an early Christmas present.”
She raised the pink shopping bag she was holding with a finger hooked around the ribbon handle. Anando frowned at the bag before considering her. For a moment, she was sure he would ask why she was doing this, but in the end he said nothing. Open
ing the door again, he stepped inside and motioned for her to follow.
“Virginia?” he called out. “I’m going to get some shopping done before the stores close. And you have a visitor.”
“I have a what?”
She came out of the bedroom, wearing pajamas and an oversized t-shirt. Her eyes widened when she saw Lisa, and she turned on her heel, reentering the bedroom and closing the door behind her.
“Have a seat,” Anando said. “She’ll be right there.”
He joined Virginia while Lisa sat down on the sofa. She could hear quiet voices in the bedroom but didn’t try to make out what they were saying. Anando came back after a minute or two, slipped on a jacket, and left. A couple more minutes passed before Virginia came out, now dressed in sweat pants and a long-sleeved button-up that was rolled up several times and still covered half her hands. It had to belong to Anando.
It had only been a few weeks since the baby shower, but the bump seemed a lot bigger than what Lisa remembered. She was glad she had let the saleslady talk her into buying one size bigger than she had thought she needed.
Should she comment on it? Maybe not. She said instead, “Did anyone tell you you’re glowing today?”
Virginia gave her a half-smile. “Anando says that at least once a day, but I’m not sure I believe him anymore.
“You should.”
The smile widened a trifle, but Virginia didn’t move, standing beside the cold fireplace, her arms wrapped around herself. A few seconds ticked by in an uncomfortable silence. Virginia finally broke it with a tense, “Can I offer you something to drink?”
Lisa shook her head. “Thanks, I’m fine. Will you sit with me?”
With obvious discomfort, Virginia sat down at the other end of the sofa, her body angled toward Lisa. She didn’t say anything, but the gleam of expectation in her eyes made it clear she wondered why Lisa was there. Lisa was beginning to wonder the same thing.
It had seemed like a good idea at the store, but now that she could see how uncomfortable Virginia was, she wasn’t sure anymore. Still, she was here now, she might as well get on with it.
She picked up the bag she had set by her feet and held it out to Virginia. “I brought you an early Christmas present.”
A beat passed before Virginia reacted and reached for the pink bag. Clearly, she had not expected this.
“You didn’t have to,” she said, putting the bag down on her lap. “I mean, thank you, but it wasn’t necessary.”
She wasn’t looking into the bag but at Lisa instead. No doubt she was trying to figure out why Lisa was being nice—and all right, maybe she had cause to be so guarded.
Sighing, Lisa toed her high-heels off and drew her legs in under her, angling her body toward Virginia.
“Listen,” she said. “I never apologized for making things difficult when this all started. It was just… hard for me. More than I would have expected, for reasons that have little to do with you and everything to do with me. I’m sorry I upset you.” She held her hand out to Virginia. The ring on her finger caught the light and shone. “Can we just be friends?”
* * * *
Somehow, ‘friend’ was not a word Virginia associated with Lisa. It wasn’t that she was afraid of Lisa or even that she didn’t like her. On the contrary, Virginia thought that Lisa was interesting, and she admired her fashion sense and devil-may-care attitude. But Lisa intimidated her and had done so since the very first time Virginia had watched her dance with Anando at the club.
She was gorgeous, she moved like every one of her gestures followed a music only she could hear, she was smart enough to own half of the most successful club in town, and she had two sexy lovers at her beck and call.
There was no way Virginia could compete with her—not that she had ever wanted to. And the fact that Lisa had felt threatened by her did not make anything easier.
Still, it was impossible not to reach back when Lisa was opening herself up.
Virginia took that offered hand, feeling a little clumsy. Should she shake it? That would feel too formal. She squeezed it instead before letting go, saying with a smile, “Friend. Sounds good.”
The way Lisa appeared to relax, as if she had been worried Virginia wouldn’t accept her apology, gave Virginia a jolt and shook off whatever reluctance was still clinging to her.
“Aren’t you going to open it?” Lisa asked, grinning as she gestured at the pink bag in Virginia’s lap.
Virginia looked down at it. She recognized the distinctive bag, and she guessed that it contained some kind of lingerie. The thought filled her with trepidation. Lately, she was more comfortable in oversized, stretchy clothes than anything meant to be sexy. Still, Lisa was waiting, and Virginia couldn’t deny she was a little bit curious. Or maybe more than a little bit…
Pulling the tissue paper out, she peered inside and couldn’t silence a quiet “Oh.” She reached inside the bag and lifted what she found by the straps.
She’d thought the blue lace and sheer fabric would be a nightgown, but as she held it up in front of her she realized it would be short, barely coming past her belly. Another scrap of fabric had fallen into her lap: matching panties.
“It’s cut to fit a pregnant woman,” Lisa blurted out just as Virginia was wondering whether it’d fit her at all. “I had to guess on the size since your breasts have been…”
Virginia glanced down at herself when Lisa didn’t find the right word. Looking back up, she grinned.
“Filling up?” she suggested.
Lisa let out a quiet chuckle. “That doesn’t quite seem like a strong enough word, but yes. Do you like it?”
“It’s very pretty,” Virginia said with a nod. “Thank you.”
She laid the baby doll on her knees and stroked the fabric, trying to figure out how to say the rest. She could hide behind the fact that her doctor had recommended that she keep intercourse ‘strictly vanilla’ but maybe this was an opportunity to clarify some things.
“Is this… Is this an invitation to… play? All of us again, I mean?”
Lisa’s eyes dulled a little, as did her smile. “That’s not what I had in mind,” she said. “Do you want—”
“No, that’s not—” Virginia winced at how fast she had replied. “I mean, I enjoyed myself, I think we all did…”
A slow blink from Lisa could have meant anything. Virginia continued, feeling heat suffuse her face.
“But maybe… Anando and I have been talking about keeping things to the two of us from now on.” She hurriedly added, “It’s nothing against you guys, just…”
Before she could explain, Lisa leaned forward and took her hand again. She was smiling once more, and of all things, she seemed relieved.
“You don’t have to say anything more,” she said. “And actually, I think we’ve sort of come to the same point.”
Virginia felt some surprise at that. From what she knew of Lisa’s relationship with Brett and Leo, they were all pretty open to sharing. Her puzzlement must have shown on her face because Lisa shook her head, her smile taking a self-deprecating turn.
“Believe me, I’m the first one surprised about it. I’ve never imagined myself as monogamous.”
Chuckling, Virginia teased, “You’ve got two lovers. Hard to be monogamous.”
Lisa laughed with her. “True. But I mean, outside of them. When I met Brett, I told him I didn’t do monogamous. I guess… when Leo came back, I pulled him to us so Brett would have someone else, too. So it’d be fair. And the more time passes, the less all of us are looking outside.”
Lisa’s words came haltingly, like she wasn’t used to the topic. Virginia realized the moment was special. That friendship offer had been more than words if Lisa was sharing this now.
And while Virginia had talked about relationships with her girlfriends before, she didn’t know any other couple—or ménage—in which a partner was a vampire, nor did any of her human friends have a sex life as adventurous as the one she shared with Anando… or at le
ast not as far as she knew.
“How do Anando and I fit in there?” she asked, curious.
A few seconds passed while Lisa gathered her thoughts, but while earlier the silence between them had been heavy, it wasn’t as uncomfortable anymore.
“You were… an experiment, I guess,” she finally said. “The same way we were for you. And that experiment had unexpected consequences.”
Pressing a hand to her prominent belly, Virginia glanced down for a second. “You can say that, yes,” she murmured.
“It’s more than that,” Lisa said. “With all of this happening… I guess I realized how much Brett and Leo mean to me.” She frowned, then shook her head. “No, not realized. More like, I admitted it to myself. And to them. Is she kicking?”
The question was as unexpected to Virginia as Lisa opening up to her. Had she ever mentioned the baby before? Not that Virginia could remember.
“A bit. Do you want to feel?”
A trace of longing crossed Lisa’s features, gone so fast Virginia thought she might have imagined it. Lisa didn’t reply, but she shifted closer on the sofa, until she was close enough to reach out with a tentative hand.
She didn’t quite touch Virginia, not until Virginia took her hand and led it where little feet were kicking the hardest. The wonder in her eyes threatened to choke up Virginia.
“Can I ask you a question?” she said to distract herself.
“Sure.”
“Are you or Leo ever going to turn Brett?”
It was a very personal question, and when Lisa didn’t answer at once, Virginia wondered if she had pushed too far.
“We talked about it,” Lisa said after a few seconds, her voice very soft. “On his birthday, actually. Before we came to you guys. We decided that on his next birthday, we’ll turn him. Unless he changes his mind.”
Her last words were a murmur, and she pulled her hand away. Did she believe Brett would change his mind now? Would the prospect of having a child make things different for him? They still had to talk about how involved he, and even Lisa and Leo, would be.