19. Vi
vi
. . .
“Did you catch the smug look on Todd's face when you kissed me?” I asked, sipping my latte as O’s glowing neon sign came into view.
It was unseasonably warm, invoking the very first whispers of a not-so-far-away spring. I’d left my coat unbuttoned, the little black dress I’d tossed on for work clinging to my hips and chest invitingly.
A view that my vampiric counterpart didn’t miss, since Ren’s gaze was firmly resting on my collarbone.
I cleared my throat, and she started, laughing awkwardly at her obvious distraction.
“He’s lucky all we were doing was kissing.” She jostled the little cardboard tray of coffees in her hands to one side, her arm falling over my shoulders to bring me close. “I have such a weakness for beautiful women, you know.”
“You’ve mentioned.” I laughed, leaning up to press a kiss against the vampire’s jaw that left behind a smudge of pinky lip gloss.
Her long lashes framed a pair of deep, almond-shaped eyes. The perfect complement to high cheekbones and full, lush lips that I just wanted to?—
And like she read my mind, Ren leaned forward, stealing a swift kiss.
“Stop looking at me like that. Elsie’s been waiting on pins and needles to see you and will pout if we’re late because we stopped to make out in an alley. Besides, what kind of example is that to set for Cole? Can’t bitch at him about tardiness if I’m late too.”
I huffed, my hopes of a few stolen moments tucked between high rises dashed as we crossed the street toward O.
Nick was already waiting outside, leaning against the stone facade of the building as we approached, dorky knitted cap pulled down over his ears.
“Striker,” he called, adjusting to stand up straight and taking off his hat in one motion, making his sandy brown hair stand on end. “How’re you doing?”
I fought the urge to wince. Realistically, I’d prepared for this.Practiced what to do with my face in the mirror all morning as I patted people’s hands and told them I’m fine! or It happen s ! But something about the first round of worrying coming from Nick threw me off kilter.
I hadn’t been ready for the usually stoic doorman to seem so… bashful.
“I’m okay,” I said a little stiffly. “Have a good week?”
“It was alright,” he returned, not dissuaded by my poor attempt at redirecting conversation at all. “Listen, about Valentine’s Day?—”
“Nick,” Ren interrupted. “Let it?—”
“No, Ren,” he said firmly, taking one of my hands in two of the massive dustbin lid-sized hams he called fists. His rusty brown eyes reflected the neon from the sign, turning them scarlet. “I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry.”
I forced an awkward smile to my face that I hoped was at least a little convincing. “Don’t worry about it.”
“He won’t be back, and we’re in the process of hiring a couple of extra guys to work the floor. Make sure you girls are safe in there while Dana or I are busy.”
Affection flickered for Nick, this big, burly vampire with a bad attitude, so clearly concerned. Already taking actionable steps in order to make sure the situation wouldn’t have a sequel.
“Oh, uh… Thank you, Nick,” I said, the words coming a little stiffly from my tongue in my surprise. “That would be really great.”
To drive the point home, and partially because I was curious how he’d react, I shook off Ren’s arm to give him a tight squeeze, the heavy, smoky scent of his cologne washing over me as we embraced.
He patted my back, at least half as awkwardly as I expected.
“You have a good night, Striker. And if you have any problems, call me right away.”
I pulled back, offering him a little wave as I made my way down the stairs. “You got it! Hope it doesn’t rain anymore.”
“You and me both,” Nick returned with a smile that showed off his long, pointed fangs.
Ren caught my hand as I opened the door, leading us through it and into the coat check area—blissfully empty, as the club wouldn’t open for another couple of hours—and into the main club.
“Vi!” Elsie gasped as we appeared from the heavy double doors, her crimson eyes full of relief.
Ren wisely divested me from my flat white as Elsie made a too-fast-to-be-human beeline for me, our bodies colliding with a soft oof .
“I’m so happy to see you,” she said, pale arms tightening around me in an overly tight hug. “I was so worried. How are you? Are you okay?”
Ren’s hands were full, leaving her to nudge Elsie with her elbow. “Give her some room, Els.”
“Oh, right. Sorry,” she said, releasing me to pull back and look at my face. “Overexcited. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I assured her, delivering a quick peck to her lips. “Men, vampire or not, always have problems with no , right?”
She pulled a face. “Hate that.”
“So do I,” I said with a shrug, pulling her coffee from the tray in Ren’s hands and offering it to her. “I’m all good, okay? I was a little shaken up, but Juniper took me home and took great care of me. And then Ren came by in the morning and I ran into Dana at the gym?—”
“She told me,” Elsie cut me off, using her free hand to take mine and lead me to one of the luxe velvet sofas near the stage. She sat down heavily, pulling me beside her with the subtle creak of springs. “Listen, I want to talk to you. June told me?—”
“Listen, Elsie,” I tried to interrupt, but she continued like I hadn’t spoken, the words half jumbling together in her rush to get them out.
“—About the dickhead vamp. I’m so sorry! And then I tried not to smother you, so I didn’t keep texting you when you didn’t reply, but I was really, really worried, Vi.”
Guilt bloomed in my stomach.
“Elsie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry. Really, it’s totally fine.”
“It's not!” she protested. “We’re supposed to keep you safe! It’s like our entire dumb, stinking job and?—”
“She’s right,” Dana interrupted, leaning over the back of the sofa to brush a kiss against my temple, making me jump.
I’d never get used to how silently they moved. I hadn’t even heard Dana’s shoes as she’d made her way over.
She set my coffee into my hand, sighing. “I should’ve been there to step in too. We’re hiring people, you know? To be on the floor during?—”
“Nick told me,” I said, putting my hand over hers where it was resting on the back of the couch. “Thank you.”
“Least we can do,” Ren said, coming to join our group.
Elsie cleared her throat sheepishly, toying with the ends of her hair with her free hand.
“So… You aren’t leaving then? You’re not going to…” She chewed her lip, looking up at me anxiously. “Quit?”
“I’m not quitting. Don’t worry.”
“But—” Elsie started hotly.
“I thought, I don’t know, maybe for a second I would. But I like it here… And Ren convinced me otherwise.” I raised an eyebrow at the vampire. “Didn’t you tell her?”
Ren's sinful smile told me she’d done nothing of the sort, replying airily, “Must’ve slipped my mind.”
Elsie sighed, her silvery brows drawn together. “Okay.”
“What is it?”
“She’s jealous,” Dana said instantly, taking a sip of coffee.
“What?” I asked.
“Juniper and Ren both got to be with you when you needed someone,” she continued like it was obvious. “And me, for the record.”
“Stop, Dana!” Elsie moaned, covering her face with her hands, slightly obscured by her paper cup. “It's not like that at all! I don’t care about… Okay, hang on, it’s not that I don’t care. I just… Ugh ! I just want to spend time with you. That's all.”
Cute.
Unbearably cute, really.
Elsie’s earnest expression, paired with her obvious discomfort at vocalising her wants made me smile.
“Well, why don’t you come over?” I offered. “We can have a girls' night. You all can come. I’ll ask Blondie, Juniper, and Babydoll too.”
“Really?” Elsie asked. “I didn’t think you’d want… Never mind. Yes! I would love to come over.”
“Okay,” Dana agreed. “It’ll be fun. Though, Cole? Doesn’t really fit for girls’ night, Vi.”
“Cole can be a girl for a day if he wants,” I said with a shrug. “Saturday? After work?”
“Sure.”
“Yes!”
“Sorry, Pet,” Ren said, shaking her head. “I have a date with Juniper. Why don’t we make plans for the three of us another time?”
“Sounds good,” I said. “We still have the game on Sunday anyway, right?”
“Absolutely. Did you invite Danny?”
“Yes, and they wanted me to tell you you’re their favourite.”
Dana gasped, mock scandalized. “After all the legwork I put in?”
“I know,” I said, patting her hand empathetically. “Life isn’t fair.”
Elsie hopped up, seeming adequately cheered up with solid plans on the calendar. “I gotta go get ready, but I’ll see you for lunch? Our usual time?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” I said, accepting her offered kiss and then stealing another. “Have a good show, Princess.”
Her returning smile was blinding before she stopped at Dana and Ren for a quick kiss, tossing, “See you later!” over her shoulder as she hopped up onto the stage to disappear behind the curtain.
Juniper took her place, accepting the last coffee from Ren’s tray.
“You’re made of tougher stuff than I gave you credit for.”
Her eyes met mine over the rim of her cup, sharp winged liner and long, mascara-dark lashes drawing attention to the beautiful oceanic colour.
Though I already knew the answer, I wanted to make sure Juniper knew she was invited. And, if I was honest… I was kind of hoping she’d offer an alternative time for us to see each other again. Sleeping beside her soft body was a comfort I’d been craving since she’d been missing from my bed.
“Do you want to come over Saturday after work?”
“Sorry,” the redhead said, sounding anything but. “I have a date with your girlfriend.”
I looked over at Ren, and she shrugged.
“Told you. June bought us tickets to the theatre a few months ago, Pet. Afraid we’ll have to miss this one.”
“Aw, that’s really too bad,” I sighed. “You're always up in the loft. I feel like I barely see you.”
Cole flopped down on the couch on my other side, tilting his shaved blond head back against the cushion. “What’re we gossiping about?”
“Juniper avoiding Striker,” Dana said, her tongue pressing against her fang.
She was goading Juniper, but the redheaded vampire didn’t fall for it.
“Actually, we were talking about girls’ night. Saturday at Striker’s—Babydoll’s,” Ren said, clearly trying to be helpful.
"Well, non-man’s night. Do you want to come, Blondie?”
“Oh, I am in .” He dragged out the last word. “I love it when Babydoll gets wine drunk and starts spilling secrets.”
Dana chuckled, brushing a quick kiss over my cheekbone. "I need to go do the security check. I'll see you later?"
“Yeah. Give me an actual kiss, though?”
Dana obliged, taking her time enjoying the moment until Cole groaned.
“Okay, okay, lovebirds! I’m loving this new dynamic, but we should get ready to open.” He hopped up from the couch, waving Juniper away. "Off to your tower, you maidenless heathen."
“Watch your mouth with me, Blondie. I’m not fucking you, so I have very little regard for whether you have use of your cock. And access to extremely sharp scissors.”
“Good, maybe you’ll do me a favour. Always wondered how the other side lived.”
“Why don’t we go get ready?” Ren asked, offering a hand to help me up amidst Juniper and Cole’s continued bickering. “Maybe if we’re quick you can help me figure out a costume for Saturday?”
“Costume?”
“Yeah, we’re going to a midnight showing of Rocky Horror.”
“Oh, that will be amazing!” I said wistfully, and Ren raised an eyebrow.
“I didn’t take you for a theatre nerd.”
“I think I’ve proven time and again that I’m into more stuff than you give me credit for.”
Ren laughed. “I’ll just have to keep finding these secret preferences then.”
“That you will.”
The week went by uneventfully—unless you counted the incessant coddling of four vampires.
When Saturday night rolled around, I was looking forward to a few days off, at least so I could have a little alone time. As alone as one could be while hosting girls’ night in Kaylee’s apartment, as she’d graciously agreed that it sounded like a good idea, and a date with Ren tomorrow afternoon…
Monday.
Monday would be my alone time.
Marco, one of the new security guys that Dana and Nick had hired, with beautiful eyelashes and far too many poorly done stick-and-poke tattoos, leaned heavily against the bar. He flashed me a dirty grin that showed off lightly pointed teeth.
“Try to keep out of trouble tonight, eh, Striker?”
I rolled my eyes. “How much trouble can I get into with Blondie, Babydoll, Dana, and Elsie?”
“I, for one, fully intend on misbehaving,” Cole purred toward the vampire, waggling his eyebrows.
He’d been trying to get Marco’s number all week, but if I had to guess, the guy was straight as a board.
He hardly even looked the bartender’s way, sighing as he said, “Of course you do, Blondie.”
“You could come if you want, you know?” I offered, mostly to be polite.
He shook his head. “Pass.”
Even though it was a bummer Ren and Juniper wouldn’t be able to make it, I was looking forward to seeing what they were going to wear for their date.
I’d been gifted with an ultra-rare Juniper grin when I asked her about it, with the seamstress excitedly explaining that everyone wore costumes like the show and about the audience throwing bread at the stage. It sounded like utter chaos.
Cole threw me an exasperated look behind Marco’s back, and I suppressed a laugh.
I started on the pair of martinis the overly drunk vampire at the end of the bar ordered, thanking my lucky stars that overserving laws didn’t apply to people you couldn’t kill with alcohol poisoning.
Were they annoying as all hell? Yes.
Did they tip extremely well? Double yes.
“Maybe Ren and Juniper will take pity on you, Marco. Give you something to do?”
He shuddered. “Nah, I’ll go home and watch TV or something. I don’t want any part of what those two are doing tonight.”
“Fucking, would be my guess,” Cole supplied, glancing at the ticket screen and pulling out a pair of champagne flutes and an ice bucket. To his credit he was only pouting a little.
“I so don’t need the details,” Marco said with a roll of his eyes. He leaned in closer to me, dropping his voice so I had to strain to hear him over the ice in my shaker. “Juniper is… intense . Don’t you think?”
“Intense is a very nice way to put it, but sure.”
“Yes?” Ren answered, appearing from behind the thick black curtain that led backstage.
I pulled the top of the shaker, pouring the martinis before adding in the olives. I let her wait there until I had my money safely in hand before replying, “ Sure , not sir . Do your job, nosy.”
She narrowed her eyes on her way to the point of sale, flipping through the remaining open tickets.
“Oh really, Pet?”
My eyes widened at the playful growl in her voice, heart rate accelerating with excitement. I shoved the cash into Cole’s hands as he went to step behind me and backed away quickly, tossing a wave over my shoulder.
“I’m going for lunch! Bye!”
“Chicken!” Cole’s laugh trailed after me as I disappeared into the back, all but running directly into Juniper as the heavy curtain swung shut behind me.
I just managed to stop myself from completely knocking her over, my arm hooking around her waist and steadying her as she swayed.
“Sorry, I should’ve been watching,” I said quickly, inhaling a lungful of her spicy orange and clove perfume.
It wasn’t lost on me that this was the closest I’d gotten to her since Valentine’s Day. Or that I wasn’t keen to let go now that I’d caught her.
“It’s okay,” she said slowly, looking down at me through heavily stacked false lashes.
Except… Wasn’t June just about my height? Even in heels?
I looked her up and down, taking in the elaborate golden costume made almost entirely of sequined fabric. Her long, fiery hair was pulled up into a glittering gold top hat to give the impression of a pixie cut, and her shoes were a high, platformed version of black Mary Janes.
Her thick calves and dimpled thighs were wrapped in sheer, skin-toned stockings, disappearing into a tiny pair of black sequin shorts that revealed just the right amount of cheek.
For a moment, I wondered if my recent brushes with vampire venom had awakened something in me, as I found myself entirely gripped with the need to sink my teeth into her ass.
“Do you like it?” she asked with a smirk that told me I’d been caught staring.
“Love it,” I admitted, making no move to release her. “Did you design this?”
“I did. I made Ren’s too; she just needs to change before we go. She’s going to be Riff-Raff.” Juniper beamed and adjusted her ruby bowtie, her head tilting to the side. “Cool, right?”
“It’s amazing.” I gushed, reaching out to smooth the lapel of her jacket. “Gold is really your colour.”
She hooked her pinky into the chain of my bracelet, tugging it gently. “Yours too. This is quite the piece.”
My cheeks heated. “Ren gave it to me.”
Juniper hummed, the noise thoughtful. “She always has had excellent taste in courting gifts. Is that what you prefer, jewelry?”
“I… Well, I’ve never really… thought about it?”
“When you do, you know where to find me,” she said, reaching up to adjust my hair. “Don’t make me wait long.”
“I—” I started and stopped, unsure what to say about the idea of another vampire showering me with presents. “I really missed you this week. Maybe just… Make some time to hang out?”
It was Juniper’s time to be surprised, blinking. “You just want to… hang out?” she said like it was a foreign language.
I shrugged. “Yeah, watch a movie, wear my PJs, maybe without me having a panic attack first, though.”
Her expression was unreadable as she seemed to let my request sink in. “Okay… Have fun tonight. I’m sorry we can’t go.”
“No, you aren’t,” I teased. “There is no way that cramming all of you into my apartment to play drinking games that involve copious amounts of screaming at each other sounds like fun to you.”
She pressed her scarlet-painted lips into a thin line, a pained expression in her eyes. “That sounds?—”
“Like a nightmare?” I offered with a laugh. “It’s okay, Juni; when we hang out, I’ll plan something more in your wheelhouse. We could check out this rare bookstore I love in the East Village.”
Juniper blinked, her voice coming out a little higher than usual.
“What did you just call me?”
“Juni. Is that okay?”
She cleared her throat, trying to mask her surprise. “It’s cute.”
“Definitely better than Junebug. Those things are fucking terrifying. And I doubt they get any better if you get to know them.” I released her, giving the vampire a gentle nudge with my hip as I moved to walk past. “Enjoy your date.”
“Striker—” Juniper started, catching my sleeve with her perfectly manicured fingers, the black and silver glitter polish catching in the lights as I turned to look at her over my shoulder.
“You okay?”
“Would it be okay if I called you Vi?” she asked, pulling me back.
I went along easily, a smile threatening. “Sure, we’re friends, aren’t we?”
“No, I wouldn’t say so,” Juniper said, leaning in for a kiss that was over before it really started. “Plan that date, would you?”
Surprise stuttered through me, but before I could have time to overthink it, I caught the lapel of her jacket, pulling the vampire in for another, longer kiss.
“I’ll get an itinerary to you ASAP.”