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  “Sorry, he doesn’t like the carrier very much,” I said, insincerely. Meowser could claw Benjamin’s eyes out for all I cared.

  “The vampire leaders would like to meet you while they are here visiting the United States. They will arrive late tonight,” he finished.

  “Yikes,” I said, exploding into nervous laughter.

  “Just be yourself,” Benjamin said. “They’ll be glad to see you’re no threat. Anonymity is every vampire’s primary goal.”

  “That’s what you think. Just wait until my blog goes viral.”

  Benjamin turned his head toward me, and for the first time, I realized that he didn’t have to pay much attention to the road. Were our reflexes actually that good?

  “I’m just kidding,” I said. “You think I want anyone to know I’m a vampire? No thank you! I’ve seen the movies. Next, come the villagers with their pitchforks and torches.”

  “This is serious, Olivia.”

  “I’m aware, Benjamin,” I said, mocking him. “Of course,” I hesitated, “I am going to tell my friend, Laura.”

  “That may not be as good an idea as you might imagine,” Benjamin started.

  “She’s the only person I have close to me. It’s either that, or we stage my elaborate death scene.”

  “Now that could be considered a hobby of mine.”

  “We’re not faking my death, Benjamin. She won’t tell anyone. There is nothing to worry about,” I assured him.

  “I’m just not sure if you’ll like her response,” he said.

  I chose not to speak until we reached Benjamin’s house. Of course, I’d already considered all the possible outcomes of telling my secret to Laura. Would she believe me? Or worst, believe and then run away from me? Laura always said that I could tell her anything. Well, we were going to find out the worth of her word.

  We pulled up the drive and parked next to another car. “Whose car is that?” I asked.

  “Thomas is here for the meeting,” Benjamin replied.

  The name registered recognition as I stepped down from the truck with Meowser’s carrier. “I remember that name. He was there the night you changed me.”

  “Yes,” Benjamin said, nodding once.

  “Right, well, looks like I found our conversation starter, eh?”

  Benjamin smiled and I was reminded, once again, why I found him so damn attractive in the first place. “Do you just have like a closet full of gray suits?” I asked, looking him up and down. He was probably the best-dressed moving man in town.

  “I have a few, I suppose,” he said, carrying the remainder of my luggage into the house.

  We planned to put most of my stuff in the large storage shed behind Benjamin’s house. Honestly, it was more like an airplane hangar. Having no need for furniture in Benjamin’s fully-furnished house, I’d be without my favorite ottoman for a while.

  Benjamin unlocked the front door and I hurried in, eager to let the cat out. Turning to my right, I greeted the first guest of the evening.

  “Hi. Thomas, right?” I asked, setting the carrier down on the floor.

  “Olivia,” Thomas said, meeting me at the edge of the living room. “You’re looking well.”

  “Right, last time you saw me I was all dying and everything,” I said, making my best dead face, which probably looked more like a sad clown. “I’ll be right back,” I said, taking one of my bags from Benjamin. “I need to set the cat’s stuff down before I let him out.”

  “Of course,” Thomas said. “Benjamin, why don’t I help you unload the truck?”

  Benjamin nodded and started for the front door.

  “Thank you!” I said, hoping that meant they’d do it all. Even though I possessed super-human strength, it didn’t mean I wasn’t still lazy.

  I went to my new room and set the kitty litter down in the bathroom. I took the cat’s food and water dishes from the bag and decided to put them in the kitchen. At least someone should be making use of the kitchen. Outside my room, I found all of my boxes stacked neatly in rows.

  “Holy cow!” I said, calling from the hallway. “That was crazy fast. Can I move that fast? And if so, how?”

  “Just move fast,” Thomas said, appearing in the hallway with the last of the boxes. “I believe your cat is itching to get out.” Thomas had jet-black hair that was cut fairly close to his head. His caramel brown eyes stood out in contrast.

  Benjamin was standing in the living room. “They’ll come for the truck tomorrow.”

  After setting down his bowls in the kitchen, I crouched on the floor and opened Meowser’s carrier. He didn’t come out right away. It took a lot of coaxing on my part. Thomas brought the cat food bowl over and that did the trick. Meowser finally emerged from the carrier and immediately walked over to Benjamin. After rubbing himself all over Benjamin’s ankles, Meowser hid under the sofa, where I expected him to spend most of the next few days. I returned the cat bowl to the kitchen and stored the cat carrier in the hallway closet.

  “If you’ll both excuse me,” I said. “I’m going to start getting ready, since there are people coming over tonight. I want to make a good impression.”

  “A pleasure meeting you officially, Ms. Dahl,” Thomas said, with a nod of his head.

  “The pleasure is mine,” I insisted. “Thank you for your help with my things.”

  My mood improved now that I had my cat moved in. If I was about to meet the leaders of the vampire race, I wanted to look good. I entered the walk-in closet, thumbing through my options. The majority of my clothes were hung earlier in the evening. A skirt and blouse combo would have to do, as it was one of the few items that didn’t need ironing. The black pencil skirt was a gift from Laura for my birthday. The hemline was a couple of inches above my knees. The blouse I selected was short-sleeved, candy-apple red, and dubbed my “lucky blouse” for over two years. Good things always seemed to happen when I wore that blouse; and if I were going to be in a house full of vampires judging me, I needed all the luck I could conjure up. Pairing the outfit with killer, black, Bo-Peep pumps, I laid out all the items on the bed while I showered.

  I used a hair dryer to tame my hair, which was surprisingly cooperative. The long, dark locks fell straight with just the slightest curl at the ends. I never wore a lot of makeup, but I did apply light powder, eyeliner, mascara, and bright red lipstick. Fresh out of the shower and dressed in my favorite outfit, I felt ready to confront the vampires.

  Meowser was curled up on the smaller couch in the living room. The couch probably cost more than everything I had in my old apartment, so Meowser was in kitty heaven.

  “So, what are you guys looking at?”

  I found Benjamin and Thomas hunched over the dining room table. Benjamin was just a half-inch taller and his shoulders were broader than Thomas’. I found it amusing that Thomas was also wearing a light, gray suit. Was it like some kind of rule that vampires had to wear suits? Because, honestly, they could kick me out of the club before I was relegated to wearing a pants suit.

  Nosy me, I squeezed in between the two men so I could get a look at the table. Several maps stretched across the mahogany wood. The one on top detailed the Miami Beach area.

  “What are all these red stars on the map?”

  “Those,” Thomas answered, “are demon attacks in the past week.”

  “Holy shit! That does not look good.”

  Having a nearly indestructible body didn’t seem like such a bad thing anymore. I was going to have to warn Laura to be careful out there. Maybe I could convince her to leave Miami. Job of her dreams or not, there were lots of museums in plenty of other cities. Cold cities. Without demons.

  “So, what are you guys going to do about all this?” I took the map of downtown Miami out from under the stack and examined it. Two attacks had occurred just a block away from Laura’s apartment.

  Benjamin leaned back against the dining room table, staring down at me. “Most of the vampires have slowly abandoned the area. About thirty remain.”
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br />   Thomas nodded, replacing the Miami Beach map on top. “But that doesn’t solve the problem. Initially, we thought by cutting off their supply, they’d slowly disappear.”

  “Can’t they just get vampire blood from somewhere else, but stay in South Florida where it’s more warm and fuzzy for them?” Demons can drive cars too, right?

  “Exactly.”

  There were a lot of red marks on the maps. “And you guys just don’t care about the humans being killed?”

  Thomas folded his arms across his chest. “It’s not our concern.”

  “But,” I said, getting fired up, “anonymity is a priority. Right, Benjamin?” I looked at his face to make sure he’d back me up on this. “And if these attacks continue to get out of control, then it’ll only be a matter of time before people discover the demons; and the vampires could be next.”

  Thomas nodded. “You bring up some valid points. Would you care to discuss it further? I was about to leave for my evening meal, after which, I plan to return to the meeting. I’d enjoy your company, Olivia.”

  “Go out for a meal?” I looked at Benjamin sideways. Please get me out of this gracefully, I told him with my eyes. I had a feeling it wasn’t a good idea to share my aversion to drinking human blood with any other vampires. Talk about singling myself out with the new crowd.

  “Unfortunately, we just fed before we arrived,” Benjamin said, coolly.

  “Yeah, so, maybe some other time?” If Benjamin thought I owed him anything for covering for me, he had another thing coming.

  “Until later, then,” Thomas said, leaving through the front door.

  I breathed an unnecessary sigh of relief. Benjamin set the maps down carefully across the table so that we could see the entire layout of the greater Miami area. He did look amazing in a suit, I mused, eyeing him up and down.

  “Oh Benjamin, I hate to admit that I was looking at your ass, but you have cat hair all over you.”

  “You’re joking,” he said, his face serious.

  “No, really. You must have been sitting on one of Meowser’s sleeping spots.”

  “You mean the couch? I must have sat on the couch? How silly of me.”

  “Hold on, “ I said, heading to my room. “I have a lint brush.”

  “Never needed a lint brush until you got here.”

  “I never needed to be here until you drank all of my blood,” I retorted from the bedroom.

  The doorbell rang. Shit! “Hold on, don’t answer it! Let me speed brush your pants.”

  Of course, I could only find my travel lint brush, and Meowser’s hair was crazy long. He’s like a diva cat. I ran the mini lint brush up and down the back of Benjamin’s bazillion dollar suit, enjoying the absurdity of the situation.

  “Oh, the joys of living with someone,” Benjamin said as he turned to open the door.

  I threw the lint brush clear across the room so that it landed behind the sofa. “And you’re such a walk in the park. Open the door already. Wait, no don’t!” Boy, was I nervous all of a sudden. If I didn’t meet their expectations, would they kill me? Would I be banished and forced to join a pack of werewolves?

  “Do werewolves exist? Wait, never mind,” I said, shaking my head. “Do I look okay?”

  “You don’t look, ‘okay’,” Benjamin said, “you look mouthwatering. Honestly, a little too good for the likes of these men. Just relax, and when the ceremony starts, don’t ask any questions.”

  “What? The what?” My eyes went wide in panic.

  Benjamin laughed, I mean a real laugh. His body shook in a way I’d never seen before. “I made that last part up. No ceremony.”

  “Did you just make a joke?”

  Benjamin opened the door before I had a chance to smack him in the head for scaring me like that. I stood by the chair, leaning against the back in a couple of different ways. I was trying my best to look comfortable, natural, and powerful—all at the same time. Maybe if I turned my elbow just so, I’d convey confidence in my ability to drink blood. Oh, hello there, Mr. Vampire Leader, I was just leaning here, admiring this painting.

  Yeah, I looked reeeaally comfortable.

  “I see you all came together,” Benjamin said.

  “Not all of us, Natasha and Duncan will be along shortly,” one of the men answered. He was a petite man with a pointy nose, like a bird’s beak. He wore his hair in a short, ponytail at the nape of his neck, and had a good inch to an inch-and-a-half of white hair showing at the roots. Clad in a black sweater (in this warm weather?) and black slacks, I noticed a bit of graying chest hair peeking over the border of the sweater’s v-neck.

  Another man and a woman followed the small man. The man wore a white, button-down dress shirt and khaki pants. He was rather large with jet-black hair, cut short. His dress shirt strained against the pressure to contain his expansive stomach.

  The woman was taller than I, which was no great feat. She’d best be described as average height, five-foot, six, maybe. It looked like she’d been turned in her early thirties. Her short, black hair didn’t have time to gray when she became a vampire. She wore short bangs, and the hair was cut in a bob, reminiscent of the flappers from the roaring twenties. She wore a skirt-suit, the color of eggplant.

  We all stood at the entry of the living room. Next to me, Benjamin touched the small of my back, my cue.

  “Hello, everyone. My name is Olivia Dahl. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” My voice was shaky. I felt like it was my first day on the job, fresh out of college. If I were still human, my chest and neck would have become blotchy and red by now. It always happened to me whenever I met important people and got nervous.

  I stepped forward and took the first man’s hand into mine. My father always taught me the importance of a good, strong handshake during a first impression. “Olivia,” I said, to the petite man.

  He was taken aback at first by my physical gesture, but quickly composed himself. “Charles,” he replied, with the oddest accent. I couldn’t place it. It was as if he once had a British accent long ago and nearly lost it.

  I moved on to the portly man next. His large hand enveloped mine. “Anthony,” he said.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” I trilled, as congenial as ever. Remember! They give points for smiling!

  “Victoria,” the woman said. She was remarkably serious. I tried to catch her blinking, but could not.

  “So, uh, I’m a vampire. I um, promise not to break the rules. These lips are sealed,” I said, using my fingers to zip my mouth shut.

  Benjamin cleared his throat. “Why don’t we all sit down?”

  “Can I get anyone anything to dr…” I started. Benjamin shot me a menacing look and I stopped talking quickly. Oh my, how would I ever make it through this meeting?

  We took our seats in the living room. Somehow, I drew the short straw and ended up next to Anthony, the corpulent man. I was a small woman, but still, I had some curves. I did my best to position myself at the far corner of the sofa. If I dared shift an inch to the right, my thigh would end up snugly against his leg.

  “So, where are you guys from?” I asked, putting on my marketing hat. Benjamin told me the purpose of this meet-n-greet was to see who the new girl was. Me. So, I figured I’d do what I did best. Schmooze and make small talk.

  Our guests remained silent for a little while. I’m sure it seemed longer to me than it was. I smiled all around and let my eyes lock on Victoria, imploring her to please throw me a rope here. Neither of us wants to be here, lady.

  “Peru,” the Victoria said. Surprisingly, she had a thick accent. The emphasis, when she said Peru, was on the “u”.

  “Oh my,” I said. “You know, I just saw the most amazing documentary on the Incan ruins, Machu Picchu. Is that how you pronounce them?”

  “Yes,” she said, smiling. “Machu Picchu. They are quite something.”

  “And you, Anthony?” I asked, turning my attention to the man next to me.

  “Actually,” Charles, said, interrupting my i
nquiry, “we’d like to know about you, Ms. Dahl.”

  “Right. Of course. What would you like to know?”

  “Well, it’s not every day that a vampire is made,” Charles continued.

  Anthony cleared his throat and I felt the entire sofa vibrate. “It’s been one hundred and eleven years since the last vampire was created.”

  “Thomas,” Benjamin added. “He is the most recent vampire.”

  “That’s a very long time,” I agreed. “I want you to know that I understand the gravity of my being changed. Not that it was my choice, but given the alternative, I suppose I’m glad.”

  There was a knock on the door and Benjamin stood. “Please, excuse me,” he said, walking to the door and opening it. Two more vampires walked in. Natasha and Duncan, presumably.

  Natasha was blonde and young, probably about my age at her turning. She wore a tight, red dress with cap sleeves and a high neckline. She was, by far, the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. The man that followed her was almost as good-looking as Benjamin, except he had long, flowing hair. Frankly, I didn’t go for the long hair. I mean, it was longer than mine, and that just wasn’t my thing.

  “Duncan. Natasha,” Benjamin said, his voice lacking the friendliness he’d shown toward the others. “We were just finishing up.”

  “Oh, but I have questions for the woman you decided to turn. Really, Benjamin,” Natasha said. “After all these years, this is the woman to whom you chose to donate your blood?”

  Bitch.

  “Umm, Hi. I’m right here?” I said. “And trust me, I’m not happy about this one bit. This isn’t exactly the way I pictured my life turning out… or ending, rather.”

  Natasha laughed. I could see Benjamin’s hands opening and closing in tense agitation.

  “You expect me to believe that you didn’t target him? You just couldn’t wait to get him to sink his teeth into you, I’m sure.”

  “Okay! You know what? I don’t have to listen to this,” I said, shifting in my seat and leaning forward. “Could you please scoot over an inch?” I asked Anthony, the large man next to me. He didn’t belong anywhere near a loveseat.