by Devon, Cat
“We aim to please,” Vin number two said.
“No, we’re good,” Daniella said.
“Thanks for the tax help,” Vin number one told Suz.
“No problem,” she said. “You guys take care and I’ll see you soon. Thanks again for the help with the chair.”
“Was it rude not to invite them to stay for dinner?” Daniella said.
“I can call them back up if you want.”
“No, I’m really beat. I’m not up for company tonight.”
“What am I?” Suz said.
Daniella hugged her. “You’re my BF, not company.”
“True.”
“I can’t believe you’re giving me your chair.”
“Consider it a congratulations gift for your successful grand opening. Besides, I’m redecorating my office.”
“Again?”
“It’s been over a year.”
“That long, huh?” Daniella teased her.
“Shut up and eat your pizza. It’s extra-thin crust with mushrooms and black olives just the way you like it.”
Just the way she liked it … sort of like kissing Nick. His mouth blended with hers just the way she liked it. More like the way she loved it. Or the way she craved it. The way she could easily become addicted to it if she wasn’t very, very careful.
So that’s what she’d be from now on. Totally careful. Which was why she refused to answer Suz’s questions about Nick and instead changed the subject. After several attempts, Suz got the hint and let it go.
Daniella wished she could let the memory of Nick kissing her go as easily.
* * *
“You. Me. Flash mob. Brilliant,” Xandra said, just about bursting with excitement as she bopped into the back room of Heavenly Cupcakes a week later. Xandra didn’t glide or meander. She bopped. Daniella wasn’t sure how else to describe her employee’s energetic movements. She radiated energy like those extreme-sport people she’d followed in the Rockies. “For our first week we sort of worked the kinks out. Since then we’ve stayed mentally strong and just sort of chilled out.”
“You have, maybe. I wouldn’t say I’ve totally chilled out.”
“Which throws a bit of a variable in,” Xandra acknowledged. “But now we’ve got a flash mob. And not just any flash mob. A ‘Thriller’ flash mob. At noon.”
“That’s in an hour.”
“I know. I am totally stoked.”
“You’ll be working here from noon to five,” Daniella reminded her.
“And for a few minutes I’ll be working the flash mob. There will be a big crowd, and they’re going to be hungry after dancing to ‘Thriller.’ That’s why we give them coupons for cupcakes. I printed these earlier.” She waved them at Daniella. “I take video at the flash mob with my phone and put it up on YouTube where it goes viral. News crews come to the store. You change your Killer Chocolate cupcake to Thriller Killer Chocolate. If they buy three cupcakes, they get a fourth one free. Only for a few hours.”
“Do I have to dance in the flash mob?”
“No. I’ve seen you dance, and no offense but…”
Daniella grinned. “I like dancing when few people are watching instead of a crowd. And I don’t have time to learn the steps to the dance in ‘Thriller.’”
“I know them by heart,” Xandra said.
“You weren’t even born when the song came out, were you?”
“My mom loved that CD, and she taught me the steps,” Xandra said. “So do we have a plan?”
“It appears we do,” Daniella said.
“It appears we do what?” Lois asked as she entered the shop.
“Xandra is participating in a ‘Thriller’ flash mob.”
“It’s at the city park two blocks away,” Xandra said. “Today at noon. The word is continuing to go out on Twitter as we speak.”
“How many people are coming?” Lois asked.
Xandra shrugged. “Who knows? The more the merrier.”
Noticing the frown on Lois’s face, Daniella said, “Is there a problem?”
“Parking is already hard to find in this neighborhood. I’m just worried about crowd control,” Lois said.
“It’s only for a few hours. It will be good to get some new blood in the neighborhood.”
Lois’s face went blank, making Daniella wonder what her employee could be thinking.
* * *
“‘New blood in the neighborhood’?” Nick repeated in amazement.
He and Neville were in the Vamp Cave watching surveillance video live from Heavenly Cupcakes.
“I’m just verifying that Daniella doesn’t know we put hidden cameras in her bakery last night,” Neville said.
“It’s a cupcake shop,” Nick corrected him.
“Right. So that makes it okay to spy on her without her knowledge?”
“It’s not like we’ve got cameras in her shower or bathroom. In fact, we don’t have any cameras in her apartment. Yet.”
“What do you think Daniella is going to say when she finds out you’re spying on her?” Neville asked.
“I’m doing it for her own good. And ours.”
“What are you going to do about the flash mob ‘Thriller’ thing?”
Nick pointed to another surveillance display. “They’re already gathering in the park.”
“You can’t compel an entire crowd.”
“I know that.” Nick sounded as irritated as he looked.
“I bet they’re in costume under all those trench coats.”
“Halloween is only a few days away.”
“Wait a minute,” Nick said. “Can you zoom in on that tall one there? We’re not the only group of vamps to figure out how to deal with sunshine.”
“Especially when it’s a gray and cloudy day like today.”
“That’s one of the vamps that tried to accost Daniella in the alley behind her shop.” At Neville’s amused look, Nick said, “What?”
“Accost. It’s not a word you hear that often.”
“So Daniella has already informed me.”
“Where are you going?” Neville asked.
“To tell that vamp that he’s not welcome at this flash mob.”
Neville pulled up the vamp recognition app. “His name is Andy and you can’t fight him with that many witnesses.”
Nick gritted his teeth, which was painful for a vamp. Especially one who was already angry. He could feel his fangs emerging. But Neville was right. Nick couldn’t make a scene. Which no doubt was what the outsider vamp was counting on.
“You could join them if you know how to dance to ‘Thriller,’” Neville said.
Nick glared at him.
Neville shrugged. “Okay then. Not a big Michael Jackson fan. You probably only know how to do some dance from the early nineteenth century, right? Mozart, maybe?”
Instead of answering, Nick frowned at the sight of the crowd of people who had dumped their overcoats and started gyrating. “Where do they learn to do this stuff?”
“Online.”
“They look like a bunch of zombies,” Nick said in disgust.
“With an overabundance of eye shadow,” Bruce said as he entered the Vamp Cave. “Oh, a ‘Thriller’ flash mob! I wish I’d known about it sooner.”
“Why?” Nick said. “What would you have done about it?”
“I would have joined it, of course. Not dressed as a zombie, though.” He pointed to the screen. “Xandra is doing a great job. I don’t mean to be critical but the guy in the back row doesn’t seem to know the steps very well.”
“That’s because he’s a vampire,” Nick said.
“Vampires can dance,” Bruce said as he started moving to the music, matching the beat perfectly.
Neville was impressed. “You’re good,”
“There’s no dancing allowed in the Vamp Cave,” Nick growled.
“Party pooper,” Bruce said.
“Has it occurred to you two that we have an intruder?” Nick said.
“Who
can’t dance,” Bruce said.
“This is the second time he’s invaded our territory,” Nick said. “I intend to make sure there is no third time.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Send him to his doom,” Nick said.
“Hey, that sounds like a line from the song ‘Thriller,’” Bruce said. But Nick had already left the room.
Chapter Eleven
The tall vamp named Andy eyed Nick cautiously as the humans around them chattered among themselves and took the coupons Xandra was handing out. The dance was over, but the crowd lingered. Andy wore a long-sleeved hoodie that covered much of his face. “I’m not here to make any trouble,” he said.
“I am,” Nick said. “You’re not welcome here.”
“That’s not very hospitable of you.”
“Tell your boss that just because he’s a Gold Coast vamp, that doesn’t mean he can break the rules.”
“My boss?”
“Miles Payne. We know you work for him.”
A burst of sunshine broke through the clouds, making the intruder wince and step into the shade provided by a large pine tree.
Nick slid on his sunglasses. “Time for you to leave.”
“Miles suggested that our clans work together to try to figure out the deal with the cupcake maker.”
“The deal?”
“Why she can’t be compelled.”
“You tell Miles that the cupcake maker is mine,” Nick said. “All mine. I’m not good at sharing. Ask anyone.”
The other vamp gulped.
“Message received?” Nick said.
Andy nodded before adding with a touch of bravado, “We’ll be back.”
“Would you two like a coupon?” Xandra asked them. “Buy three cupcakes and get a fourth one free.”
“You work for the cupcake maker?” Andy asked.
“We’re not interested,” Nick said.
Xandra grinned. “That’s not what I heard.”
Leaning closer, he growled, “Go away.”
“There’s no need to be rude about it,” she said before hurrying off.
“So you want the cupcake maker for yourself,” Andy said.
“I already told you that,” Nick said. “She’s mine.”
“Miles is my sire. He gets whatever he wants.”
“He gets you to do his dirty work. You’re just his minion.”
Nick saw the anger flash across the other vamp’s face. Minions were below vamps and just above zombies on the supernatural hierarchy scale.
“You don’t scare me, St. George.”
“Which proves you aren’t very smart,” Nick said.
“Strength is more important than brains.”
“Strength and brains are the most powerful of all.”
“Miles has both strength and brains,” Andy bragged.
“If he did, then he wouldn’t send a minion like you,” Nick retorted.
Nick saw the hatred in the other vamp’s eyes, eyes that had gone dark with feral fury. “You will regret insulting my sire.”
“And you will regret ever coming here if you don’t leave right now.”
Andy gave him the finger before turning and walking away.
* * *
“How was the flash mob?” Daniella asked as Xandra bopped through the door with her customary enthusiasm.
“Everyone is totally stoked about your cupcakes.” She pointed to the crowd that followed her in as if she were the Pied Piper.
The next hour was bedlam as a steady stream of customers lined up for Daniella’s cupcakes. The Blood Red Velvet was a big favorite, as were the Thriller Killer Chocolate and the Ghostess Twinkies.
Daniella was glad she’d scheduled both Lois and Xandra to work today as that allowed her to focus on taking special orders from customers. And there were tons of special orders. She had to be careful not to overextend and take more jobs than she could complete, but Xandra had assured her that she could work as many hours as Daniella needed
They sold the last cupcake ten minutes before closing time. “Another sellout,” Xandra said before turning the sign on the door to CLOSED and flipping the lock.
“Your feet must be killing you,” Daniella said to Lois, who was wearing stiletto boots for some reason. It was a strange footwear choice for someone as maternal as Lois.
“No, I’m fine. I don’t get aches and pains like other people my age. That is to say, these boots are comfortable,” she quickly added.
“My mom swears she wore four-inch heels the entire time she was pregnant with me,” Xandra said. “She claimed it prevented her from getting backaches.”
Since Daniella was adopted, she didn’t have any tales about her birth mom’s pregnancy with her. Her mom did use to laugh about how she’d used her tummy as a shelf to temporarily set trays of cookies and cupcakes on when she was eight months’ pregnant with Gordon. How she’d craved White Castle slider hamburgers with a dollop of whipped cream from a can on top. How Gordon had kicked whenever a Foreigner song played on the radio.
Daniella didn’t have any of those stories. But she had others. Of how thrilled her mom had been the first time she saw her when Daniella was only a day old. Of how Daniella loved being hugged and cuddled so much more than Gordon had as a baby.
Daniella rarely thought about being adopted because it wasn’t a big deal to her. Her parents had made sure of that. The fact that she was adopted was a part of her the same way that her fear of the dark and her being double-jointed was a part of her.
“Your flash dance was very successful,” Lois was telling Xandra.
“It was a flash mob dancing, and yes it did work out. It helped that Halloween is just around the corner. Are you dressing up, Lois?”
“I have some fangs,” Lois noted.
“Righteous,” Xandra said, giving her a high five. “Perfect for working in a dental clinic and a cupcake shop. I might pick up a pair myself. I saw some on the Internet that claimed to be the most realistic around.”
“I doubt they could be more realistic than mine,” Lois said drily.
Xandra bounced up and down, reminding Daniella of Tigger from Winnie-the-Pooh fame. “A challenge! I love it. You’re on. We’ll compare fangs. The shop is closed on Halloween because it’s a Monday so we could do it the day before. What do you say? Daniella, you should wear fangs, too.”
“I was going to be Glinda the Good Witch from The Wizard of Oz,” Daniella said.
“Because of the dress, right?” Xandra guessed.
Daniella nodded. “And the glitter and the magic wand. Who doesn’t like magic wands?”
“I saw Wicked,” Xandra said. “It was pure awesomeness. I have the music on my iPod. We should play ‘Defying Gravity’ while we’re baking.”
“Are you into magic?” Lois asked Daniella.
Daniella laughed. “Only when it involves cupcakes.”
Lois appeared surprised. “You put something magical in your cupcakes?”
“A lot of love. And all-natural ingredients like butter and sugar and flour and eggs.” Daniella’s voice reflected her pride.
“Tomorrow is your day off,” Lois said. “Do you have any plans?”
“There’s a chocolate and potato chip cupcake recipe I’d like to experiment with,” Daniella said. “Plus I have tons of errands to run.”
“Chocolate and potato chip. Sweet and salty.” Xandra gave her a fist bump in approval. “Awesome.”
“Thank you.” Daniella grinned modestly. “I got the idea from my mentor, a fellow cupcake maker in New York City.”
“That reminds me…” Xandra paused to check her smartphone. “Yes!” She punched her fist into the air with the triumph of a Shaun White, snowboarder extraordinaire. “Blogger Cupcake Q-tea has her new review up about Heavenly Cupcakes.”
Daniella immediately crossed her fingers. “Is it okay?”
“No.”
Daniella’s heart dropped with dread.
“You stomped it.”
/> “That’s bad, right?”
“No way. You tell a snowboarder they’ve stomped it when they solidly land a snowboarding trick with joyful confidence. It means they did a fiercely awesome job.”
Daniella looked over Xandra’s shoulder to try to read the review on her smartphone. “Cupcake Q-tea says I stomped it?”
“No. She’s unaware of that term. Here’s what she did say.” Xandra cleared her throat before beginning. “‘Heavenly Cupcakes is a welcome new addition to the Chicago cupcake scene. The Blood Red Velvet, so named for Halloween, is a staple at most cupcake shops, but this was one of the best I’ve had. All-natural ingredients is a motto of theirs, and that comes across in the perfect blend of moist cake and cream cheese frosting. Other favorites included the cookies ’n’ cream with just the right amount of cookie crumbs in the buttery icing. The cleverly named Ghostess Twinkie had real whipped cream piped inside. They close when they run out of cupcakes so go early!’”
Daniella did her own version of a moonwalk, shuffling backward.
“That looked more like a Snoopy happy dance than Michael Jackson,” Xandra said with a laugh.
Daniella laughed with her. “Which is why you went to the flash mob dance and not me.”
“There’s never been a dance as good as the Charleston that the flappers danced in the Roaring Twenties,” Lois said. She proceeded to show them how it was done, kicking up her heels before bending forward to put her hands on her knees and shifting them back and forth.
Neither Daniella nor Xandra was able to keep up with her. “You’re good,” Daniella gasped, breathless from the energetic dance.
“Those were the days,” Lois said wistfully. “Chicago had hundreds of jazz clubs. We bobbed our hair and wore short skirts. Not short by today’s standards but certainly by that time period’s. We were brash and bawdy. When Prohibition arrived, we kept the party going in back-alley speakeasies.” There was an excited light in her eyes.
“You sound like you were around at that time, which isn’t possible,” Daniella said.
“Right.” Lois’s expression returned to her customary sedate state. “My grandmother used to tell me about it. Or maybe it was my great-grandmother.”
“There was a popular documentary on PBS about Prohibition done by Ken Burns,” Daniella said. “I watched it.”