(Glory St Clair 11) Real Vampires Say Read My Hips (37 page)

“Sounds like the perfect job for you. But these numbers are important.” He started rattling off information about profit and loss until my head hurt.

“Hey, hey, just tell me what it’ll cost to have you handle all of this from now on. What made a big difference in profitability here is that my fiancé gave me this building as a wedding present.”

Ed whistled. “Now that is a man in love.”

“Yes, well. I kept him dangling for a century or two before I said yes.” I was blushing. It sounded pretty bad when I put it that way. “Can you take a quick look and see if I can afford to keep one of the apartments for my housekeeper? I wouldn’t charge her rent, of course. I’d consider it part of her pay.”

“Let me look things over.” He began going through my stacks of papers. “Is there anything on this laptop? A spreadsheet?”

“My inventory but not my bills. I never got around to it. I had a friend who put the inventory on the computer but Derek moved to Paris with his partner so that’s as far as we got.”

“Well, I’ll be taking care of that too.” He quoted a price and I realized the number wasn’t bad in the overall scheme of things.

“Okay, just do it. I’ll be in the shop, rearranging things for the coming holiday rush. Call me when you have the answer about the apartment.” I patted his bulky arm. “I consider that a priority so if we have to cut something somewhere else, do that.”

“Wait.” Ed walked with me into the shop. “I have a question.” He walked over and picked up a pair of gold pumps in a size eleven. “Would you consider an employee discount?”

“Uh.” I was temporarily speechless. I glanced down at his feet in tennis shoes. Size elevens?

“Okay, Glory, you can shut your mouth now.” Ed laughed. “Let me tell you about my other gig.” He sat on a chair, stripped off his shoes and slid his feet into those heels. Then he stood, strutted over the cash register and began to sing “Chain of Fools”.

“Aretha Franklin?” I hadn’t shut my mouth yet. “Are you serious?”

“You should see me in my wig and sparkly clothes.” Ed laughed and hooked my elbow with his. “Come on, you know you know this song. ‘Chain, chain, chain…’” Before I knew it we were singing and strutting around the empty store together, our hips in sync.

“Oh, wow. You are awesome. I totally believe you.” I was laughing when we finished. I looked down at his feet. “Employee discount. Of course. I bet they’re killing you though. Most shoes like that end up here because they’re uncomfortable.”

“No pain, no gain.” Ed laughed and pulled them off with a sigh. “It’s a hobby of mine. Singing and doing the cross dressing. You okay with it?”

“Love it.” I dropped the shoes in a sack and wrote down the total. “I’ll just put these on your tab. We can deduct it from your pay at the end of the month if that’s all right.”

Ed looked up from tying his shoes. “Thanks, Glory. Not everyone I meet understands the stuff I’m into.”

“I’m older than dirt, Ed. I’ve seen and done more than I want to remember. You enjoy it and you’re not hurting anyone, so have at it.” I found myself humming another Aretha song. “Now you’ve done it. I’ve got her music in my head.”

“Not a bad thing. Give me an hour or so and I’ll have an answer for you about that apartment.” Ed sat in front of my bills and the laptop, already deep into numbers mode, rearranging the stacks of papers.

I sighed just thinking about those papers. Yes, I loved the shopping but this business was getting complicated. And I’d promised Jerry we’d have a two week honeymoon after the wedding. How would the staff take that? After I’d been gone for almost a year? I wandered around, picking out a scarf to go with the sweater I had on.

The shop was already in good shape for the holidays. I wasn’t needed here after all. So I spent the time thinking about a going away dress. Nothing on the racks spoke to me and I figured I could look while we were in New York. I felt that twinge in the pit of my stomach again, thinking about the trip. Stupid. Whatever had happened there had been decades ago. It was ridiculous to worry about those lost memories now.

When my mother materialized in front of me, I jumped. “Mother. Could you at least rattle a hanger to warn me when you’re about to show up? You scared me.” I collapsed on the stool in front of the register.

“Sorry, darling. You look worried. Trouble in paradise?” She plucked off the scarf I’d draped around my neck and threw it on the counter. “That color does nothing for you. Gray? Seriously? How about a shot of red with that cream?” She snapped her fingers and a lovely red and cream scarf floated down from the ceiling and landed on my shoulders. “There. Much better. It makes your cheeks look flushed.”

“No, that’s from frustration. Why can you snap and materialize a scarf and I can’t snap so much as a hanky?” I did stroke the silk. Exquisite.

“Because you became a blood sucker again, Gloriana.” Her mouth thinned. It was not a good look on her. “You made your choice. Deal with it.” She waved her hand and the scarf vanished. “Now about New York.”

“I know. I expect you’ll be there. By my side to help pick out my wedding dress. Dad insisted.” I didn’t bother to hide my distaste.

“It had better be a lovely bonding moment for us, Gloriana. I would hate to disappoint your father when he is going to all this expense.” Mother pretended to examine an earring display but I knew she was totally focused on me.

“I didn’t ask for this, Mother. I already had a dress, plans. Remember?” I studied my nails. Manicure before we headed to New York. I would definitely book one.

“Look at me, Gloriana.” Mother grabbed my hand. “I’m not going to keep begging for forgiveness. It’s not my nature.”

“Fine. I’ll see you in New York, not before. I can’t forget that you almost got the man I love killed.” I couldn’t look at her, couldn’t stand to be in the same room with her. “Get out of here.”

“Gloriana.” Mother’s voice was close but I refused to face her. “Your lover is upstairs even now, as alive as he’ll ever be. So get over it, Daughter. Or bear the consequences.”

I stared blindly at the clothes on the table next to me, sorted neatly into piles—pink sweaters, blue, purple. So pretty. I wanted to shred them with my nails and fangs. Stomp them with my high heeled boots. I was supposed to just get over it? Over that impossible dream of giving Jerry a child too of course.

I sank down on a stool and knew I was being a fool. Coming home pregnant would have been a disaster. The only way to have made it work was if I’d remained mortal. But Jerry would have still been vampire. Could we have been happy in such a situation? I jumped up, all my pent up frustration needing somewhere to go. Luckily for my mother, she’d run back to where she’d come from after making what I knew was a threat.

“Are you okay, Gloriana?” Ed was standing in the storeroom door.

“No.” I shook my head. “I guess you heard that.”

“Just some yelling. Don’t worry. Nothing I hear or see here will go anywhere else. Accountant/client privilege.” He gave me a little smile then glanced at the computer and piles of bills. “You can afford the apartment for your housekeeper. But you need to rent out the other vacant place. Put an ad on the bulletin board at Rafe’s club. It should go fast. If you don’t charge too much.”

“Good idea. Or I may rent it to my sister. Charis? You met her.” I glanced out at the sidewalk. A few people walked past. I pulled my phone from my jeans pocket and saw it was still early enough for the club to be open. “I need a drink. Think I’ll walk down to the club anyway. I could at least take a look at that board and see what places are renting for. Anything else you need to tell me before I go?”

“It’s about Kira.” He leaned against the doorway. “Hot shifter that works here?”

“Yes, the panther. Lacy hired her while I was gone. I like her.” I sat again and leaned against the counter. My meeting with my mother had drained me. “What about her?”

“She’s one reason your shop is in the black. The woman spends more than she makes here each month.” He grinned. “I noticed she dresses well. Now I know why.” He glanced around the shop. “She likes the kind of stuff you sell. Old things and buys a ton of it.”

“We call it vintage. And I give the clerks twenty percent off. Which you’ll get now too.” I grinned. “No kidding. She basically works for free?”

“Yeah. It’s been months since Lacy has had to write her a paycheck.”

“Good to know.” I got up and headed for the door. “Thanks, Ed. Leave me a bill and I’ll write
you
a check when I get back. I won’t be long.”

“Sure. Thanks, Glory.” He started to go back into the storeroom. “Oh, and I’m sorry about your mother. My own is great. Can’t say I relate to what you’re going through but I have a big shoulder if you ever need one to lean or cry on.”

I stared at him and looked into his kind eyes. “I appreciate that, Ed. I really do. I’ve discovered you can never have too many friends in our world.”

“Know what you mean. Rafe and I go way back. It was a lucky day when I hit Austin and ran into him again.” He shrugged. “I know you and he are friends. I’m giving you what we call the ‘family discount’ for my services.”

“Wow. Thanks.” I blew him a kiss then headed out the door. That encounter had gone a long way toward lifting my mood. I walked down toward Rafe’s club, N-V, wondering if I’d run into Charis there or if she’d tried one of the other bars still open on the busy street. Another bouncer was at the door when I got to the club, a vampire I knew who was happy to let me in.

“Rafe’s here, in his office, if you want to see him.” The man obviously remembered when I’d been first on Rafe’s speed dial.

“I think I’ll just hit the bar. You’re really crowded tonight.” I was going to have to push my way through a lot of people to place a drink order.

“You must not have seen the sign out front. Israel Caine is on at midnight. Special performance. He has a new album coming out soon so he worked out a deal with Rafe to do a short set of the new songs, as a preview.”

“Oh, wow. Glad I stopped by.” I looked up at the balcony. This was where the vampires usually congregated and I was glad to see a few of them there, including Flo’s brother Damian. He waved at me to come up and I hurried toward the stairs.

“Glory! Where are you going?” Charis intercepted me before I made it up the first step.

“Upstairs. Some friends are there. I’m going to join them.”

She looked up and of course Damian was checking her out. “Oh. Is that great looking guy..?”

“He’s like me.” I glanced around, surprised some of her men weren’t flanking her. “You know what I mean. Not sure you want to get involved.”

“You don’t think I could handle one?” Charis grinned. “Introduce me.” She gave me a shove between my shoulder blades. “Dare ya.”

“Oh, hell.” I didn’t want to do this, but she was right. Of course my sister could handle a vampire. I smiled, thinking of her whipping out a blazing finger if Damian got too fast, too soon. So I stomped up the stairs, still pretending that this was against my will.

“Gloriana, it’s been too long.” Damian was on his feet at the top of the stairs. “Who is this lovely lady with you? She looks like you, but is not, how you say, one of us.”

“I’m Glory’s long lost sister.” Charis held out her hand.

“Charis, this is Florence’s brother, Damian Sabatini.” I kissed Damian’s cheek. “Damian, Charis St. Clair.”

Damian kissed Charis’s hand in his Italian way and began to charm her. We were introduced to his party, a group of visiting vampires from Houston. Apparently they were in town to study the way he ran the local Vampire Council.

“I know Florence. We met when Glory was visiting my home.” Charis had claimed the chair next to Damian’s. “Flo is such fun.”

“Yes, my sister can be.” Damian obviously had questions about that home but his manners were too impeccable for him to ask in front of these guests. “Glory, have you talked to Ray since you got back from your, um, visit?”

“No. I need to. I was gone much longer than I expected.” Not that I expected to be gone at all. I turned my chair to face the stage when the lights dimmed and it became obvious the show was about to start. “Ray must have been worried.”

“Charis, this Ray we are talking about is Israel Caine. He and Glory used to be a couple.” Damian smiled.

“Really. You and a rock star, Glory?” Charis leaned forward. “Good for you. I saw the posters. This guy is hot and obviously very famous.”

“Yes, he is. He took Glory to the Grammy awards once.” Damian had managed to rest his hand on Charis’s shoulder. “They were engaged at the time. He was frantic when she disappeared. He was sure you had been kidnapped, Glory.”

“Engaged!” Charis sat back. “Is he..?”

“We don’t need to talk about it here, Charis.” I was determined to end this conversation. “Love the dress.” Tonight she wore a slinky cocktail dress in electric blue made of a stretchy fabric that showed off her perfect figure. It was cut low in front and high on one thigh. Damian was certainly noticing.

“Thanks.” Charis shrugged off the compliment. “Damian, Glory
was
kidnapped. Her mother dragged her away against her will.” Charis had a martini in front of her already. How, I had no idea.

No one had even asked me what I wanted. Now the lights dimmed completely and I gave up hope on a drink. At least that had ended the conversation that was going in a direction where it had no business going.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Israel Caine!” The crowd roared. Then there was silence as a throbbing beat came out of the darkness. Finally a single spotlight hit a man dressed in black. Ray. He stood there, looking out at the room, but I knew he couldn’t see us. He looked good, dark hair a little long, curling at his shoulders. He wore a black silk shirt and snug black leather pants. The shirt was open over his chest. I knew what every part of him looked like and didn’t blame Charis when she sighed and tapped me on the shoulder.

“Girl, I can’t believe you had that and chose Blade.”

I reached back and pinched her knee. Damned mind reader.

“She’s gone. The woman I loved. Gone. Where did she go? She took my heart and left me wanting her.” He sang as if his heart were broken. The lyrics went on. How he’d searched. Tried to substitute others for that woman, but they weren’t the same. Couldn’t fill the hole where his heart had been.