CHAPTER SIX
~
Darcy was fed up with looking for a parking space. She got it; it was summer, the tourists were plentiful, and she was coming to the party late in the afternoon, but still, she’d told Zeke she’d be in town at four, and it was five past. Being in the same boat as others who were driving around aimlessly looking for a space didn’t make her feel better; it only reminded her that she was in an endless queue, all vying for an empty space.
Darcy saw the couple walking with purpose down the street and knew they were heading for their car. They didn’t have that exploring touristy walk about them, and she slowed to a crawl to see where they were heading. Her heart skipped with excitement and hope as they slowed and headed for a black Honda. “Amazing that a free spot makes me so happy!” she muttered, hitting the indicator to signal the cars behind to go around her.
On the opposite side of the road, a car slowed. The guy behind the wheel eyed the spot, eyed her, and sneered. “Oh, I don’t think so,” she said, feeling the magic tingle at her fingertips, lowering her chin and declaring a mental war on the man who thought he could steal her rightful space from under her nose.
When the couple got in the car, she bided her time, slowing her breathing and waiting for the right moment. The parked car roared to life; the indicator showed he was about to pull out, and the vehicle on the opposite side of the road made his move.
Darcy pulled on her magic and threw it with menace at her opposition. The space freed up, Darcy hit the accelerator as did her opponent, and as she sailed into the open space nose first, the sneery guy’s car kangarooed and stalled.
Darcy turned to look at the man, frantically trying to start his car. The nose of the vehicle was poking out into oncoming traffic and creating a blockage in front and behind him; horns beeped, drivers poked their heads out of windows and angrily shouted, and the sneery guy shrunk with embarrassment in the driver’s seat, desperately struggling to get his engine started.
Darcy pushed the driver’s door open, stepped out, and focused on the helpless driver. The smirk on her lips was undeniable, and for the emotionally fulfilling moment, his gaze caught hers, and she gloated. She had no idea if that was a life lesson the jerk would take onboard, but she took pity on the drivers behind him and used her magic to fire up his engine. The relief on his face was short-lived as he took off like a bat outta hell – hopefully, never to be seen again.
“Tell me that was you,” Zeke said from behind her.
Darcy turned, a smile on her lips and her eyes full of mischief. “He tried to take what was mine and found out the hard way that not all of us are created equal.”
“That sounds like Nana’s feck about and find out rule,” Zeke said, closing the distance between them.
Darcy’s smile grew. “Sounds about right.”
“Nicely played,” Zeke said and tapped his temple. “And a memory moment.”
“Memory moment?”
“Not to steal the mint from your pillow,” Zeke replied.
~
“Faith!”
Faith jolted to attention. She’d been clearing one of the last tables out on the back deck when she was distracted by something she thought she saw at the cliffs. The night was closing in, and she dismissed it as an optical illusion. She turned to Evie, who had an empty plate in hand. “There goes another year off my life,” she said, lowering her chin and cocking an eyebrow at Evie.
“It’s not the length of your life, but what you’ve done with it that counts,” Evie said, amused. “Daydreaming is a waste of time; be productive.”
“Work more?”
“A good work ethic is…”
“Boring,” Faith replied. “Where is Jennifer?”
Evie hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “With Serendipity, I’m about to take them both home.”
“Ha!” Faith snorted a chuckle. “Enjoy the night with Dippy if she hasn’t driven you insane by morning...”
“She’s not doing her job properly?” Evie said, chuckling.
“That’s pretty much how she sees it,” Faith replied.
“I can handle Serendipity,” Evie said, unsure if that was true.
“That’s what she wants you to think; it gives you a false sense of security. My advice: lock her in with Jennifer when you get home,” Faith replied with a shrug.
Evie frowned. “You mean ask her to sleep on Jennifer’s bed?”
“Sure, if that makes you feel better about it,” Faith said, chuckling to herself.
Evie was unsure how to take that. “I feel guilty about Mr Paws.”
“Nah, he’ll be fine with Nana. His level of sarcasm means he’s a lap cat. On the other hand, Dippy is enough to make you repeatedly run headfirst into a wall and enjoy the experience.”
“You seem to attract those types; speaking of which, where is the vampire tonight? He is usually propping up the barstool at the end of the bar, but I don’t remember seeing him.”
Faith had been wondering the same thing all day. “No idea, but isn’t it nice and quiet without him?” She lied.
Faith had been uneasy all day; it was like an itch needed to be scratched, but she couldn’t reach it. Something was missing and needed to be done, and she couldn’t figure out what was happening. It had taken her all day to figure out that Lex was the missing piece, and she wasn’t entirely sure she liked coming to that conclusion.
“We’ve made up for it in tourists,” Evie said, shrugging. “Now I’m ready for bed.”
“It’s before ten.” The tourists were still drinking and rowdy, and life was going on all around her, even if she wasn’t enjoying it herself. A group of tourists burst onto the decking and staggered towards the tables she had just cleared.
Evie”s eyes flashed with mischief, and a wicked smile took her lips. “I never said I wanted to sleep right away. Night.” Evie turned to leave, but a big, burly, drunken slob got in her way.
“Can we get another round of beers, a couple of plates of spicy chicken wings, fries, and why don’t you join us?” He leered at her breasts.
“I’ve got this,” Faith said, waving Evie away. That got the creep’s attention as the other guys in the group egged him on.
The drunken guy staggered toward Faith, his head wobbling like he couldn’t keep it straight. “You want some of this, baby?” He opened his arms wide and headed for her in a sideways crabwalk.
“Chair – sit,” Lex demanded, thrusting a chair into the back of the man’s knees, a firm hand on his shoulder as the drunk collapsed into the seat.
“I’ve got this,” Faith said, and boy did she hate repeating herself. At least Evie respected her when she said it and didn’t intervene – Lex had appeared from nowhere and taken over. “Girls just wanna have fun, and you are seriously messing with that.”
The drunken guy belched long and hard. “Yeah,” he said, raising his index finger in a eureka moment. “She wants to have fun, butt out.” His friends grumbled along with him.
“Trust me when I say you wouldn’t enjoy the kind of fun she wants to have with you,” Lex said, trying to keep things even and on track. He didn’t need to kill anyone – hopefully – and he hated to use his vampire skills to subdue the crowd. He’d much rather spend his time on other endeavours.
“Butt out!” the drunk said, trying to get to his feet. Lex’s hand stayed on the man’s shoulder, keeping the pressure up so he remained seated.
Lex bent at the waist and leaned in from behind, whispering in the man’s ear with a bit of vampire persuasion. “Do not move from that chair until I tell you.”
“Lex,” Faith said, sounding bored. “Don’t do that.” She didn’t know what he was up to, but she had a good idea. Lex was in front of her in an instant.
“Would you prefer I told him to go for a midnight swim and not stop until he reaches a European country?”
“We are a European country.”
Lex frowned. “You’re right, but I doubt he knows that and will swim off to France or elsewhere…”
“Drunk and stupid wouldn’t make it a mile…”
“Oh,” he said, taking a moment to consider that. “And your point?”
“Behave,” Faith said, berating him with a look.
Lex placed his palm on his chest and tried to look innocent. “I think I’ve been firm but fair.”
“I’m getting their order, and if he pees himself ‘cos he couldn’t get to the toilet, you’re cleaning it up,” Faith said, sidestepping the vampire, but she could feel him on her heels as she entered the bar. “And stop following me!”
“Just riding your tailwind,” Lex said, surprised when she spun around at him, eyes flashing annoyance.
“Are you saying I have a fat butt?” she demanded, a little disconcerted that it had become something of a theme.
Lex narrowed his eyes and considered his words; leaning in toward her, he offered her a cocky grin. “I thought those were all the rage; some women pay good money to have monkey brains or whale blubber injected into…”
“Monkey brains?” Faith said, pulling back and eyeing him with disgust.
“Who knows what they put in that mixture,” he said, shrugging.
Faith placed her hands on her hips. “Are you here for a reason?”
“To annoy you, or so it would seem,” he replied.
“I’m working…”
“Working hard or hardly working?”
“Go away, Lex, and take back what you told the drunken guy,” Faith said, returning to the bar.
“I told him to be nice and respectful to women…”
“Oh,” Faith considered it. She couldn’t be mad at him for that; women everywhere would be doing a jig if they knew. “Fine, that mind meld can stay…”
“Are you sure?” Lex asked, leaning in a little. “I can give him his obnoxious, offensive personality back…”
“I said it was fine.” Faith tried to make a timely escape to the bar, but Lex was in front of her in a heartbeat, and she pulled up short, looking around to see if anyone else had noticed his speed. “Something else?”
“Always.” Lex offered her a slow-to-burn, sexy-as-hell smile that took its time to get there, but when it did, it made her feel vulnerable by being devastating in its effect. “But it’s off the menu and on the side.”
Faith folded her arms and drew a scowl from her arsenal of glares and stares designed to make him back down. “I told you, I’m working.”
“You keep saying that, and yet, you can’t seem to tear yourself away from me…”
“Oh, for the love of…” she grumbled, dropping her arms and sidestepping him again.
“An inconvenient truth, Faith,” he said from behind her, but it sounded like he was whispering the words in her ear.
Faith headed for the kitchen at warp speed. She knew she couldn’t shake him from her heels no matter how fast she walked, but the kitchen was off-limits, and her domain and she needed that escape.
Funny, she’d missed his presence when he wasn’t around, and now he was back; she wanted him gone again.
Faith was grateful to feel the swing door on her fingertips and pushed into the kitchen, and with a burst of magic, she tossed the door closed behind her – grateful for the sound of a thud when the door connected with her intended target.
“Hey!” Hope’s voice screeched on the other side of the door.
Faith stopped and dropped her head forward, closing her eyes and cursing the vampire. “Sorry!” she snapped, turning to find Hope standing in the doorway, shaking off her hand.
Things seemed to go wrong when Lex was around, and it was just another in a long list to add to her troubles and Fubar’s. “My bad,” she said, grimacing at her friend and wishing she could take it back.