by Rose Pressey
How did I put this delicately without hurting her feelings? There was probably no way to spare her feelings. “It shows a lot of skin. I heard it’s going to be a little cooler this evening. Perhaps you’ll want to put on a little more clothing?”
I thought I’d handled that diplomatically.
She snorted. “You’re just jealous because I look way hot in this dress.”
Hmm. This was an interesting turn of events. It was as if Jennifer had stepped out for the evening and let someone else borrow her body. A very slutty someone else. It looked as if I wasn’t going to be able to talk her out of the outfit.
The doorbell rang, breaking up our conversation. Jennifer sashayed over to the door. It wasn’t her usual walk. It had a lot more swing with each step. Her hips swayed from side to side and her chest bounced. How did she do that? I’d look like I had something seriously wrong with me if I tried that. She threw the door open and I thought Jack’s mouth might fall all the way to the floor. I’d have to get him a bib to catch the drool.
“Um, hello, Jennifer,” he said trying not to look at her exposed skin, which was virtually impossible. I commended him for the effort though.
“Hi, doll,” she said as she ran her hand across his chest.
Jack eased through the door, trying to get away from her touch.
“Oh, I almost forgot my purse. I’ll be right back.” Jennifer bounced away.
A stunned look appeared on Jack’s face. “What the hell happened to her?” he asked.
I threw my hands up in disbelief. “I… I have no idea. I’ve never seen her dress that way before.”
“Neither have I.” Jack leaned down and kissed my lips.
Even his kiss couldn’t ease the worry I felt for Jennifer. Was she going through some kind of dating crisis?
A knock sounded against the doorframe. Neil stood in the hallway in front of the door. It looked as if he’d found the hair gel again. He wore an expensive-looking black tailored suit, so he was definitely well-dressed. Jennifer wouldn’t like him though if he spent too much time in the bathroom. She thought it wasn’t right if a guy took more time than her to get ready. Should I have put that on his questionnaire? It was a legitimate question, right?
I eyed him up and down wondering if there was anything else Jennifer wouldn’t like. She wasn’t picky about looks. It was what was on the inside the counted and I totally agreed. Sense of humor would probably be her number one request. If you couldn’t laugh and have fun then it would never work.
“Hello,” he said.
Jack spun around, eyeing Neil up and down.
“Hi, Neil. Please come in.” I motioned for him to enter. “Neil, this is my boyfriend, Jack. He lives across the hall and has an office downstairs across from mine.”
“How convenient,” Neil said as he shook Jack’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Jack nodded and returned the comment.
“Can I get you something to drink?” I asked, trying to play the good hostess.
“No, I’m good. Thank you.” he said, looking around my apartment.
This was more awkward than if I was going on a first date with him. At least then maybe I’d know how to make small talk.
“Would you like to have a seat? Jennifer should be just a moment longer.”
Before he could respond, a screeching sound came from the hallway. From the bedroom, the sound of Jennifer signing grew louder and louder. Her song of choice was the classic Madonna hit, Like a Virgin.
“She likes that song,” I said, heat rushing to my cheeks.
Actually, it was the first time I’d ever heard Jennifer sing the song. For that matter, I think it might have been the first time I’d ever heard Jennifer sing. In all the years I’d know her she’d done little more than hummed along to the radio. Now I knew why. She made my ears hurt. Werewolves miles around would be howling.
“I really appreciate you understanding about the double date tonight,” I said over the noise.
He waved off my comment. “It’s understandable. First dates are always awkward. I completely understand.”
The words had just left his lips when Jennifer appeared from her bedroom. At least she’d stopped the caterwauling. Neil’s mouth dropped open and his eyes bulged. I worried that he might collapse right there in the living room. This was going to be one heck of an evening.
“Neil Allen, this is my best friend, Jennifer Matthews.”
Jennifer closed the distance between them with two steps and wrapped her arms around Neil’s neck. She planted a big kiss on his lips. When she finally released him, there was red lipstick covering his lips.
“Damn, you are more gorgeous than Rylie said. You’re hot.”
I’d never seen Jennifer be this bold before. It was definitely out of character for her. I thought I might have to pry her off Neil, so I figured the best thing to do was get this date started. The faster we started, the faster we could get it finished. I knew Neil must wonder what the heck was going on. Jennifer wasn’t as I’d described her over the phone.
“Are we ready to go?” I asked.
Jennifer looped her arm through Neil’s. “Come on, doll. Shall we paint the town red?” She threw her head back in laughter as if that was the funniest joke she’d ever told.
I noticed the ring on Jennifer’s hand. It stuck out like a sore thumb. The ring was gold and in the middle was a black symbol outlined with a black scrolled line. There were no diamonds or any other gems, just the black, which I guessed was onyx. I’d found the ring at an abandoned warehouse when I’d been searching for Jack when the evil vampire Sophie had kidnapped him.
The ring had been in a little silk pouch, sitting in the middle of a room. Apparently, someone had lost it, but no one had ever claimed it. Since no one was willing to take the thing, the ring was now mine. I didn’t want it, so I had stored the ring in my jewelry chest. I hadn’t looked at it since I’d hidden it away. I’d thought it was a man’s ring, but since it seemed to fit Jennifer’s finger, apparently I’d been wrong. Jennifer and I sometimes shared clothing or jewelry, but I remembered her remarking when I’d shown it to her about how ugly the thing was, so why would she change her mind and wear the ring?
I’d never pressed to find out what the ring meant. It hadn’t seemed important at the time. But now that I saw it on Jennifer’s finger, I realized that there had to be some story behind the symbol. What did the symbol stand for in the middle? Maybe if I asked Quinton Arlington, he could shed light on the situation. He was a vampire detective of sorts. The initials on the inside of the ring matched his initials. When I asked Quinton, he had dismissed the topic, so I’d finally let the subject drop. Maybe it was time to broach the subject again. I’d force him to tell me more.
As Jack and I made our way down the stairs, he whispered, “What is wrong with her?”
“She’s not acting herself at all,” I said.
Maybe Jack could talk with her and get to the bottom of this.
Jennifer looked over her shoulder at us. “You know what I need… some jalapeno peppers. Those are so good and hot. I love hot.” She wiggled her hips in a circular motion.
It was like watching a train wreck, or an episode of some reality show featuring a drunken celebrity. I couldn’t look away.
“Is she on drugs?” Jack asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”
Her actions were so embarrassing that I wanted to hide under the staircase. But beyond that, I was worried for my best friend. This was not normal behavior and something had to be wrong.
Jennifer was chatting away. Her voice grew louder with each step.
“When did this start?” Jack asked as we stepped out onto the sidewalk.
The sights and sounds of The Big Easy surrounded us. History encircled us. Jazz music waved across the air with an impromptu free concert on every corner. Latticework encased the balconies, French architecture reigned and narrow alleys led to tucked away locations. The streets were crowded wi
th tourists moving from shop to shop. The nicer weather had brought out a lot of people. It was perfect if you liked people watching.
“Um, earlier today,” I answered.
Jennifer and Neil walked in front of us. She still had the topsy-turvy sashay. Should I mention to Jack about the strange look in her eyes? Would he think I was nuts? Okay, dumb question. Could he really think I was any more bonkers than he already thought? Apparently, he enjoyed the zaniness though, because he was still with me.
We had agreed on a great little Cajun restaurant down the street and I was thankful that it was nearby. They had the best chicken étouffée in all of Louisiana. That was a hard task to achieve, but they’d managed to pull it off. My mouth watered just thinking of it. Passersby were already giving Jennifer strange looks. But they should be used to seeing almost anything in the French Quarter. Maybe they’d think she had one too many Hurricanes. Clouds hurried across the dark sky and shadows lurked around every corner.
When we made it to the restaurant, Jack held the heavy wood and glass door open for us. Jennifer strolled in first and I followed closely behind her.
“I’m here, bitches!” Jennifer yelled when we walked through the door.
Chapter Seven
How to Date a Demon, Rule #7
Don’t ask your date to spin their head around.
People stared as we made our way across the restaurant. I wanted to hide behind one of the giant menus. Ceiling fans whirled overhead and wide-planked hardwood floor clicked underneath our feet. The hostess led us to a table, but she kept glancing back at Jennifer. After taking our seats at the table, Jennifer took a sip of her water and seemed a little more like her normal self. Whew. For a moment, a look of horror spread across her face when she peered down at her dress, but as quickly as it came, the look disappeared into the impish smile that had been fixed on her face all evening.
After Jennifer flirted with the waiter, we finally placed our orders. Jack and I ordered the chicken étouffée, Neil ordered crab cakes, and Jennifer ordered catfish bites, shrimp remoulade, Cajun calamari, stuffed shrimp platter and the Angus steak. She could barely finish a grilled cheese sandwich before and now she was going to eat all that?
In spite of her I’m-crazy-everyone-look-at-me behavior, Jennifer was being charming with Neil. And he was laughing at all the right times. When had Jennifer become that funny? Sure, she could be witty, but she was acting as if this was amateur night at the comedy club. I guessed he was looking past her strange outbursts and outlandish talk.
The food came relatively quickly and for that I was thankful. Maybe with steak in her mouth Jennifer wouldn’t speak. And she had plenty of cuisine to stuff in her face. The waiter had to leave some of Jennifer’s food on the vacant table behind us.
While eating, Jennifer had kept quiet. I guessed the chow had tamed her—that and having a fork in her mouth to shut her up. Jack watched her, I assumed in case he needed to call for a back-up strait-jacket.
“So, Jennifer why don’t you tell Neil more about yourself,” I said.
Why did I have to guide the conversation? Jennifer sipped her wine but didn’t answer.
Finally, Neil said, “Um, what do you like to do in your spare time?”
“Have sex,” she said matter-of-factly.
I spit wine across the table. It landed on Neil’s face.
“I am so sorry,” I said as I wiped his face with a napkin.
Not only sorry for what I’d done, but for what Jennifer had said. Sure, I guessed Jennifer liked getting busy as much as the next girl, but I’d never heard her be so blunt about it. It was time to flip the decorum switch.
“So, how’s everyone’s food?” Jack asked while gesturing with his fork.
Not only was he embarrassed but he was sending me a lifeline by changing the subject. Another reason why I was falling hard for the guy. Before he could answer, Neil’s cell rang and he excused himself.
When he walked away from the table, Jennifer regarded us with her widened eyes. “So how do you think the date is going?” she asked around a sweet smile.
I watched for a second, then said, “Good. I think he likes you.”
Jack nudged me gently with his elbow. I knew I shouldn’t lie, but I didn’t want to cause a scene in the middle of the restaurant. She didn’t notice that Jack and I were looking at her as if she’d lost all her marbles.
After a while, Neil hadn’t returned and I figured he’d probably gotten out while he had the chance. I felt bad for Jennifer though. Maybe I needed to get her home and have a serious discussion with her about what was going on.
“Do you think he’s coming back?” Jennifer asked while looking over her shoulder toward the door.
“Um, I don’t know, sweetie,” I said.
Jennifer jumped up from the table. “I’m going to look for him.”
She briefly tugged at her dress as she hurried away from the table. She barely had enough fabric on her dress to pull down to cover her lady parts, so any effort to stretch the fabric was fruitless.
Jack and I jumped up from the table and chased after her.
When we reached the door, the manager stood in front of us. “Where do you think you’re going?” He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Do I need to call the police? You haven’t paid for the ticket yet.”
Jack pulled out his wallet and handed him cash. He didn’t even look at the amount, but when the manager nodded and stepped to the side, we figured it was more than enough. It couldn’t have been cheap with the mountain of food Jennifer had ordered. I’d have to pay Jack back.
We made our way out of the restaurant, but Jennifer and Neil were nowhere in sight. No matter how bad the date had been, it was no excuse for Neil to bail on us like that. And I was worried about Jennifer being out on the streets alone in the condition she was in.
When we turned the corner into the darkened shadows of the alley, we spotted them. Two men were fighting with Neil and Jennifer. Thankfully there was a streetlamp at the entrance of the alleyway that provided some light. It was like a bar room brawl had spilled out onto the street. Someone would probably call the cops on us soon. Both men had brown shoulder-length hair and an overabundance of muscles. The scent of roses from someone’s back garden floated to my nostrils. Such a pretty fragrance for such an ugly scene. The scrapping from one of the guy’s boots as Neil dragged him across the bricks under foot echoed across the alley.
I spotted Jennifer. But not how I’d expected to see her. She was pounding some guy on the back of his head with her purse, while Neil continued to stumble on the ground with the other thug. Fists were flying through the air and grunting echoed as hands made contact with body parts.
“Oh my gosh. They’re being mugged,” I yelled.
Jack and I ran over. I pulled on Jennifer while Jack attempted to break up the fight between Neil and the other dude.
“Jennifer, come on we don’t need to be involved in this fight,” I called out.
“I am not going to let them get my man,” she huffed.
“He’s not your man. You don’t even know the guy.” I pulled her arm. “And you don’t want him to be your man if this is how he acts.”
“You’re the one who set me up with him. You must have thought he was okay.”
I yanked her to the side. “It was a first date. A time to test him out. Like test driving a car. It didn’t work out. Now come on let’s go.”
She shook her head. “No way. I’m not leaving him.”
This was crazy. There was no way I was letting her get involved. She would get hurt. I’d never seen so much darkness around the French Quarter lately. Vicious vampires, wacky werewolves, and sleezy soul collectors.
The men scuffled around and I pushed back the urge to shift. I’d only do it if it was absolutely necessary, although it was looking more and more like it would be needed. After what seemed like eternity, Neil broke free from the guy. But now Jack was stuck rolling around with him. I would have to do something.<
br />
Neil probably wouldn’t give me a good review after setting him up with Jennifer and then turning into a werewolf in front of him. But honestly, he didn’t leave me much choice. Besides, he was fighting with these men. He wasn’t giving a great first impression either.
Just then, Neil pulled something from his back pocket. I had assumed it was his wallet because the men had been struggling to get it from him. But when he pointed it at the men, I realized it wasn’t his wallet. It looked more like a Taser.
Everyone froze. What the hell was that thing? Whatever the thing was he’d pointed at them, I needed one because the men had stopped fighting immediately. They backed away with their arms held high in the air, then the hooligans turned and took off in a run. They hadn’t looked like the types who would quit the fight until someone was dead. I was happy to be wrong about my assessment in this situation.
“Is everyone okay?” Neil asked.
Leave it to me to fix Jennifer up with a freak. Sure, she’d been acting strange, but he’d just taken it to the next level.
“We’re fine, but I think it’s time we went home. Thank you for a lovely evening.” I was pretty sure he knew by the tone of my voice that I was being facetious.
I glanced over at Jack. “Are you okay?”
He nodded as he brushed off dirt from his pants. “I’m okay.”
Jennifer burst out in laughter, holding her stomach.
My eyes widened. “Why are you laughing?”
“I have no idea, but that was fun.”
I looked at her incredulously, then glared at Neil. “You want to tell me what is going on with the men?”
Neil exhaled slowly breath and ran his hand through his hair. “It’s a long story.”
“Well, we’re not hanging around to find out what it’s all about.” I grabbed Jennifer’s arm. “Come on, Jennifer. Jack will walk us home.” I glared at Neil again.
Jennifer stared blankly, not focusing on anything. It was as if she’d stepped out for the moment, but her body had stayed around. I practically had to carry her all the way back to the sidewalk. Her skin was hot to the touch. She didn’t say a word. Earlier she hadn’t been able to shut her mouth.