I stuck my worry about Flo onto my mental to-do list and plastered a smile on my face as I entered the shop. Ryan looked up from straightening a stack of sweaters. And, yes, that stack was shrinking every day. My business was booming and I had good help.
“How'd it go today?” I stuck my purse in the storeroom and picked up a pile of receipts.
“Sold that leisure suit to Tony Crapetta. He said you told him he could have a family discount?” Ryan squinted at me through his thick glasses. He'd stuck with the Gatsby look, this pin-striped suit a dark brown.
“Sure. Twenty percent.” I tapped in some numbers in the calculator next to the register. “You've got a nice commission coming this week.”
“I know.” Ryan gestured around the shop. “I tried to call you about the discount, but your cell phone must have been off. So I just gave it to him. I hope that was okay.”
Cell phone off. Yes, I'd turned it off at Blade's, after I'd called home. Lacy knew enough not to try to reach me during the day, but we hadn't made a big deal out of that to Ryan. Of course common sense should tell him I had to sleep most of the day if I worked all night.
I looked at him and focused, trying to read his mind. Flo was right. White noise. Weird.
I wondered if Lacy could read his mind. Maybe not. And that would be part of his appeal. No random thoughts interfering during sex like “Check out those thighs” or “Will this woman ever come?” The worst? “Why won't she just blow me so I can go home and catch the end of the game?” Been there, done that. Another reason I usually swear off mind reading.
“You don't have to call me about discounts. I have the price I paid for each item in the inventory list in the computer. The program Derek set up for me. Just look up what I paid, use your best judgment. I like to get at least double what I paid to cover costs.” And wasn't that computer technology the coolest thing? I looked around and saw some empty spaces crying out for new merchandise.
I hoped Miranda would come by with her latest finds from the weekend estate sales. Austin has lots of old homes, old families and great sales to hear Miranda tell it. I got a little wistful for a moment, but that was useless. I'd never be able to check them out for myself. Estate sales didn't go on at night. Period.
“Something wrong?” Ryan was still squinting at me. “You're quiet.”
“I'm okay. Do you need new glasses? You look like you're straining your eyes.” I reached for the glasses and Ryan jumped back, out of reach.
“No! I mean, I've got really bad eyes. Can't see worth a damn without the glasses and not much better with them.” He adjusted the frames and looked down at Valdez who was studying him intently. “What's up with the dog? I don't think he likes me.”
“Valdez is probably jealous. He knows you're with Lacy. And he really likes her.” I grinned at Valdez's snarl. “Of course that's conjecture. He's just a dumb dog.” Valdez turned and trotted to sit by the front door, obviously miffed. Too bad. He'd let Flo go off with a dangerous man. I hated to, but I was going to call Damian as soon as Ryan left. Someone had to check on Flo.
“You can leave now, if you want to. I've got it covered.”
“There's a customer in the dressing room.” Ryan glanced back at the curtained area. “I'll wait until she gets out. Commission, you know.”
“Hey, head out. I'll make sure you get the credit.” I put my hand on his sleeve and he jumped. Gee, he was really uptight. Surely he didn't have a clue that I was anything but a night owl, did he? But weird people came in the shop all the time. Shape-shifter friends of Lacy's. Vampires who wanted to sell their old clothes.
I was going to play this by ear, but I might have to let Ryan in on my little secret if he was going to keep working here. Of course that might send him screaming for his life. My real problem was that I didn't know Ryan that well. I'd hired him on Lacy's say-so and she'd known him about five minutes at the time. So far all the books balanced, and the son of the SuitMasters mogul wouldn't need to steal anyway.
Ryan had been thinking over my offer. “Thanks. I'll go home and change. I'm supposed to meet Lacy here later. Tell her I'll be back by nine. So we can go out to dinner.”
“Will do.” Out to dinner. What a concept. I watched him leave, giving Valdez a wide berth. The curtain moved and a woman stepped out of the dressing room. “That looks great on you!” I smiled and got involved in a discussion of the mini versus maxi skirt debate. The woman had great legs. We went with the miniskirt and Ryan got his commission.
An hour zoomed by, with customers, a vampire with an armload of clothes and Miranda all stopping by. I had a good assortment of stock to tag and inventory and was alone in the shop doing just that when Lacy came in.
“Yoo-hoo! Ryan, love dumpling, are you back there?” Lacy sauntered into the back room. “Oh, Glory. Hi.” She turned red. “Where's Ryan?”
“I let love dumpling off early.” I glanced at the clock. “He went home to change and will be back in a few minutes.”
Lacy picked up a fifties sundress. “Cute stuff. Miranda?”
“Yes. I think I'll keep the summer stock back here until spring. I got in a great fur coat a while ago.” I held it out. “Chinchilla. Feel.”
“Mmm. Soft. I had a chinchilla once.” Lacy smiled, her canines gleaming in the light. I had a feeling she wasn't talking about a coat.
“Let me ask you something. About Ryan.”
“He's working out, isn't he? I know he's enjoying it here.” Lacy grabbed a pink lace teddy. “Mine. He'll love this.”
“Can you read his mind?” I leaned against the table.
“I don't know. Well, no, when he has on his glasses. And I refuse to try when he's got them off.” Lacy got a dreamy look. “I can't tell you how many lovers I've lost because of the whole mind-reading crap. Some thoughts just kill the mood, you know? There's a lot to be said for mystery.”
“I agree. Blade never lets me read his mind. Not unless he's got a message for me.” I had a feeling I was getting my own dreamy look. “Never mind that. Ryan
is
mortal, isn't he?”
“Of course he is.” Lacy held the teddy up to her, then tossed it down. “Too big.” She found a black one and checked the tag. “This will work.”
“Earth to Lacy. This is serious, Lacy. Why can't we read Ryan's mind? Any thoughts?”
“Well, he wears those thick glasses, everywhere but in bed. I usually look in a mortal's eyes to read minds. The windows to the soul, you know.” She shook her head. “Don't ask me to read his mind in bed, Glory. Even though he says he's blind as a bat, I don't want to go there.”
“Have you showered with him? Surely he'd take the glasses off to shower.”
“No, we haven't done the shower thing yet.” She bit her lip. “Tonight. I'll get him in there tonight and see if I can read his mind, if you really think it's necessary. What are you worried about, Glory?”
“I don't know. Maybe I'm getting paranoid. But with so many people out to get us, I'm entitled. I'd just feel more comfortable if you could read Ryan's mind, make sure he doesn't have a clue about who or what we really are.”
“I've thought about telling him the truth.” Lacy really had it bad. She was swaying to the ballad on the radio, the teddy clutched to her breast.
“Snap out of it, Lacy. Most mortals can't handle the truth.”
“You're right.” Good-bye dreamy look, hello worry.
I felt low for bringing her down. Maybe Valdez was right. I was a downer.
“Enjoy Ryan while you can. If you decide we can trust him, we will.” I patted her shoulder. “Can you make someone immortal?”
“Werecats are born, not made. So when I mate with a mortal, I'm setting myself up for eventual loss.” Lacy sighed.
“Blade or Damian could turn him for you. If you thought he'd want to be vampire.”
“Really?” Lacy lit up. “So we could be together forever?”
“Just a thought. I haven't asked them, but even Flo can turn mortals. Not me. I don't do that.” I heard the bells tinkle on the front door. “It's a personal thing.”
“Right.” Lacy put the teddy in her purse. “Take this out of my pay, will you? That's Ryan. I'd know his smell anywhere. See you later.” She headed out into the shop, stopping in the doorway. “And, Glory, I'll let you know what I find out.”
“Thanks. And consider the teddy a gift. Enjoy.” I smiled. Young love. It had been so long since I'd felt that first flush of infatuation. Way too long. But I'd had an incredible night with Blade. Infatuation wasn't nearly as great as the real deal. Oops. If I wasn't careful, I was going to end up in a threesome with Mara and Blade. Not going to happen. Mara had to goâ I didn't care whereâbefore I'd fall into bed with Blade again.
I picked up my cell phone and hit the speed dial for Damian. Voice mail. I left a message that I needed to talk to him and hung up.
The door opened and bells tinkled. Vampire. A woman I recognized from the wake for Margie walked in carrying a pile of clothes. Wheeling and dealing kept me busy for the next hour. I was alone when the door opened again and Damian came in.
He was grinning of course. Like I'd called him asking for more sex, the real thing this time.
“Sorry to disappoint you, Damian, but this is about Flo.” I threw up a block. Maybe I was getting used to pain, but it wasn't as much of an effort as it had once been.
“My sister is in trouble.” Damian lost his smile. “What's happened?”
“I don't know that she's in trouble, but she and Valdez tracked down Richard Mainwaring last night.” I glanced at Valdez. When Damian had crossed the threshold, the dog had jumped up and looked ready to take a chunk out of my visitor at the slightest provocation.
“Did she kill him?” Damian's fangs shot out and I shivered. Whoa, this man could go from charming seducer to homicidal vamp in less time than it took me to blink.
“No. He's not our guy.”
Valdez bared his teeth.
“Flo and I believed him.”
“You believed him.” Damian looked down and snarled. “My sister who thinks with her”âhe said an Italian word that probably meant a female body partâ“and a dumb mutt believed him.”
“You want to take on this dumb mutt, asshole?”
Valdez morphed into his attack mode and I stepped back.
“Stop it!” I said bravely from behind the counter. “A customer could come in.”
“So we'll erase some memory.” Damian and Valdez had locked eyes and it looked like neither one was giving an inch.
“Valdez, I forbid you to attack Damian.” My dog knew the rules. He couldn't disobey a direct order from me. No matter what. He glared at me, almost
willing
me to change my mind. I shook my head.
“Can you tell us where you saw Mainwaring? Where Damian might look for Flo?”
Valdez sat and scratched his ear.
“Maybe.”
“Damn it, let me rip out his throat, Glory. You will be well rid of this mangy beast.”
Valdez just wagged his tail, obviously not concerned. Hey, I was concerned enough for both of us.
“Tell him, Valdez. Where do you think Flo and Mainwaring went?”
“He's got a garage apartment on Lamar Street. Yellow with brown trim. It's on a corner.”
“Address?” I put on my sternest look. “Damian is not going to drive up and down Lamar, which my customers tell me is one of the longest streets in Austin, looking for brown and yellow houses.”
“You got that right.” Damian looked like he really wanted to kick my dog.
“Don't even think about hurting this dog, Damian. I mean it.” I stepped between them.
“Sixteen twelve Lamar.”
Valdez pushed his head under my hand. I swear he was grinning at Damian. Like he'd won or something. Jerk.
“North or South?” In Austin that made a difference.
“South. Satisfied?”
Valdez scratched his ear.
“When you gonna pick up some more flea shampoo?”
Damian spun on his heel and headed for the door.
“Let me know what you find out,” I said to his back. He nodded and disappeared into the night.
“You could have been more helpful.”
“I told you. Mainwaring's okay. If I were you, I'd worry more about Sabatini.”
Food for thought. But now the evening stretched out endlessly. The hours crept past, especially the ones when no customers showed up to distract me. At one point I popped over to Diana's to get a Bloody Merry. Diana wasn't there. So I paid and returned to my lonely post.
The bells on the door tinkled and I looked up eagerly. Blade and Mara.
Blade looked around. “Are you alone?”
“Yes, it's the slow time of night.” I walked out from behind the counter. “Welcome to my shop, Mara.” See? I can be gracious.
“It is . . . quaint.” Mara strolled over to finger a fifties cocktail dress. She was still in her tight jeans but had thrown on a leather jacket against the chilly evening air. “Good quality, but why on earth would anyone buy used clothes?”
“You'd be surprised.” I really liked that jacket she wore, talk about quality. “You ever want to clean out your closet, come see me. I pay a fair price.”
Mara's nose went up like she'd just caught a whiff of something nasty, like my lack of class. “I donate my castoffs to a worthy cause.”
“I'm glad you can afford to do that.” I
wasn't
going to let her get to me. Of course she'd never had to work a day in her life. From privileged birth to wealthy husband. I glanced at Jerry. My own fault I hadn't snagged a rich husband of my own.