Rylie Cruz 2 - How to Date a Vampire (4 page)

Chapter Five

How to Date a Vampire, Rule #5:

Don’t use the pickup line, “Your coffin or
mine?”

I blew out a breath. “About humans being
turned only halfway. It’s like they’re stuck between the worlds.
Not fully a vampire and not fully human anymore.”

“God, that’s awful. Do you think that’s what
happened to Jack?”

I shrugged. “It’s possible, although I’m not
sure how it works. I don’t remember all the details.”

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

“I know I have to do something. And I can’t
do it from my apartment, either. It’s obvious Jack is going to try
and go on with life as if nothing has happened. He can go to work
as usual, then I’ll start my work at finding Ernie and getting this
whole thing behind us.” See, I had a plan. Well, sort of… a loosely
formed plan.

“If you say so. Just please be careful. What
I saw today was crazy and terrifying and…” She shook her head. “I
don’t ever want to see it again. I was afraid for your life.”

I stepped over and wrapped my arms around
her. “I’m so sorry for putting you through this. I promise I’ll
take care of it.”

She nodded and squeezed me back for several
seconds until I thought she’d cut off my air flow.

Once she let go, she asked, “And where are
the pack police anyway?” She stomped over to the window and peered
down. It was hilarious to hear Jennifer speaking the paranormal
lingo.

“They’re not known for being timely, I
guess.”

Jennifer moved away from the window. “Follow
me.” She gestured as she moved past.

“What are we doing?” I asked as I followed
her out of the room and into her bedroom. A pink floral comforter
covered her bed. Numerous pillows were lined up with military
precision against the mahogany-stained headboard.

Jennifer plopped down at her desk in front
of her laptop and typed into the search bar on the screen.

“Vampires not fully turned? That’s what
you’re Googling?” I frowned.

“Well, do you have any better phrases?
That’s what happened to him, right?”

“Okay, good point, but I don’t know for
sure.”

“Well, this is a way to find out.” She
pointed to the computer.

“Yeah…” I clucked my tongue. “Google is the
best source for all paranormal information.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Carry on.” I gestured for her to continue.
“You really think you’ll find something…oh,” I said when she pulled
up a website devoted completely to this phenomenon.

Jennifer scooted her chair closer to the
desk. “Now we’re on to something. Let’s see what it says.”

I leaned in closer over her shoulder as I
looked at the screen.

She scrolled down the page. “Well, it’s not
all bad.” She clucked her tongue. “Some of the benefits are
improved night-vision, ability to sense other vampires, enhanced
strength, and
stamina
.” She looked at me and her eyes
widened while a devilish grin spread across her face.

“Get your mind out of the gutter,” I said,
trying to control my smile. “What are the cons? Well, besides
wanting to drink blood and being sensitive to the sun?” I
asked.

“It doesn’t list cons.”

“Ugh. Figures.” I let out a heavy sigh.

The ability to sense other vampires would
explain why Jack had said he sensed the vampires before he came out
of the bedroom. He knew they were coming, I guess.

I paced the length of her bedroom. “Okay,
this is good information, but what do I do to fix it?”

“Rylie, I don’t think there’s a way to fix
it. This is for life.” Her voice held an overtone of apprehension.
She met my gaze.

“Don’t say such things. There has to be a
way to fix it. I can’t let this happen to him. I can’t just say,
‘Oh well, sorry Jack. Deal with it.’”

She gave me a pitying look. “I understand
how you feel. It wasn’t your fault though. How were you supposed to
know they’d bite him?”

“With my luck, I should have known. I
shouldn’t have let him come with me.”

“You can’t shield him from your paranormal
life forever.”

“Ugh. This sucks,” I said as I paced the
length of the room again. “What am I going to do, Jennifer? I’ve
gotten Jack into this mess. He’ll never forgive me for it. See,
this is why I know I still have the curse. Something like this
would happen only to me.”

“Calm down. Don’t think like that. We’ll
figure this out. So what are his symptoms?” Jennifer asked.

“Symptoms? Are they symptoms? It’s not like
he has a cold.”

“Of course they’re symptoms. What else would
you call them?”

“Quirks? Idiosyncrasies? Bad habits?”

She rolled her eyes. “Nice try.”

“Fine.” I let out a deep breath. “Well, he’s
super sensitive to sunlight. He drinks blood from packages of raw
meat. He has a fascination with my neck. So it doesn’t make sense.
I mean, if he were a vampire, he wouldn’t be able to go out into
the sun, at all. He can still eat food; he just has a craving for
blood.” I shivered.

“Gross,” Jennifer said. “I could never date
a vampire. The drinking blood thing would gross me out.”

“Do you have any idea how ridiculous I’d
look to my clients if they knew I was Googling information on
vampires? I’m supposed to know these things, for heaven’s
sake.”

“How are you possibly supposed to know about
vampires? Just because you’re a werewolf doesn’t mean you’re an
expert on all things paranormal.”

“Well, I should know more than I do. I need
to make a couple of phone calls and try to get to the bottom of
what is going on. Plus, I need to find out who the vampires are who
did this to him. They should pay for what they’ve done. They can’t
just go around biting people whenever they want… all
willy-nilly.”

“I know you said you needed to know more
about vampires, but um, isn’t biting people kind of their thing?
You know, like you howl at the moon, vampires bite.”

“Thanks for clearing that up for me. It’s
not the old days, they can’t get away with that biting junk
anymore. I doubt they’re as blood-starved as they’ve led everyone
to believe. What an act. And they’ve had everyone fooled all these
years.”

“Are you going to tell Jack about the woman
who came to the apartment with the address?”

“Ugh. I don’t know. I should tell him. But
what if he’d wanted to go? I couldn’t let him go into that
deathtrap.”

“I understand.” Jennifer gave me the pity
smile. “Let me know if I can help,” she said.

I gave a half-hearted smile. “Thanks, Jen. I
know I can always count on you. First thing I’ll do when I get to
my office is make a phone call.”

“Who are you calling?”

“The craziest vampire I know.”

***

After talking to the pack police and once
again getting very little help, I showered, then picked out the
best professional outfit I could find that would also make it easy
to fight vampires. When I stepped out into the hallway, Jack was
waiting for me.

“You look beautiful,” he said.

Yeah, well, ditto that for him. I didn’t
know quite how to put it, but he was even-better looking than
yesterday. Something had made him sexier. Were his eyes bluer? Lips
fuller? Muscles harder?

“Thank you.” At least I hadn’t giggled and
batted my eyelashes at his compliment.

“I want to apologize again for the problem
at my parents.”

“I should have fought harder.” He glanced
down at his feet as we strolled along.

“What? You fought hard. No one can say you
didn’t.” I touched his arm. “I guess you think my family is
crazy?”

“You’ve never met my family.” He chuckled.
It seemed to take all his effort to release that small amount of
laughter.

“At least your family is human. They don’t
run around howling at the full moon.”

“Well, you got me there.” He laughed
again.

At least he still had his sense of humor,
but how long would that last?

“I’d like for you to meet my family
sometime.”

Whoa. That was a good sign. He wouldn’t ask
that unless he planned to stick around for a while, right? “I’d
love to.” I smiled.

Chapter Six

How to Date a Vampire, Rule #6:

Don’t be afraid to share your bronzer.

We made our way down the sidewalk toward the
café. I still couldn’t help but look over my shoulder. Just the
other day, a couple of rogue werewolves had chased me, and now
vampires were after me. What was next, Sasquatch? I had all the
paranormal creatures hunting me; it was ridiculous.

I glanced over and Jack grinned, squeezing
my hand. The remorse from Jack’s new plight was worse than the
guilt my mother tried to give me for not coming over for dinner
every Sunday evening. And that was bad, trust me. I'd brought him
into this paranormal predicament now.

“How are you feeling?” I asked as we passed
an antique shop.

“The sun sure is bright,” Jack said as he
squinted.

Uh-oh. I looked up at the overcast sky. Did
I dare mention that the sun he thought so bright was hidden by a
big cloud? That combustion word that I hated popped into my head.
No, Jack would not end up as a pile of ashes. Besides, it wasn’t
the sun that was making him not feel well. It was the darn
vampires. But Jennifer was right, he didn’t need to be out in this
and I knew that. Not to mention the vampires would obviously be
back. I was only kidding myself if I thought otherwise. Until I
found Ernie, the problem wouldn’t go away no matter how much I
wanted to pretend it would. I didn't know how long we could keep
avoiding the vampires.

“The sun is so bright that I can hardly see
to walk around.” He held his hand above his eyes, attempting to
create shade.

I pulled my purse off my shoulder and
reached in. “Here, put these on,” I said handing him my
sunglasses.

He stared at the glasses for a second, then
looked over at me. “These have rhinestones on them. I’ll look like
Elton John.”

“Elton John is very popular.”

He chuckled half-heartedly. “I’m not Elton.
I’m Jack Chandler. An insane

psychiatrist.”

“You’re not insane. It’s the French Quarter.
People will think you’re getting ready for Mardi Gras.” I bit my
lip to keep from laughing when Jack slipped on my sunglasses.

“It’s still months until Mardi Gras.”

We passed a man playing a guitar, weaving by
as he strummed a song I didn’t recognize.

“Maybe we should just grab the food and go
back. It looks as if it might rain,” I said.

Jack looked up at the sky and groaned.
“Maybe you’re right,” he mumbled. “You know, I did a lot of
soul-searching to come to terms with your…” He glanced over at me,
then looked away. “Well, with you being a werewolf. I don’t know
that I can do enough searching to accept this.”

What could I say to that? I didn’t blame
him. “I can imagine how you feel. I wouldn’t blame you if you hated
me for dragging you into this.”

“I could never hate you. If I had it to do
over again, I’d fight the vampires off for you.”

That was one way to make a girl turn to
mush.

Jack turned to face me, brushing my cheek
with his finger. He smiled, but it was weaker than the smile I’d
grown accustomed to. “Come on, let’s get some food.

Once we reached the café, I left Jack at one
of the little wrought-iron tables out front. Was the lack of blood
zapping his energy? I ordered our food, keeping a close eye on Jack
as he sat out front. His appearance had taken on a more mysterious
air, not necessarily a bad thing, but I didn’t really think I could
explain it. Jack was sexy no matter what, though.

After grabbing the food, I returned outside.
“The clouds look darker. Come on, Jack, let’s get back before the
rain unleashes on us.”

I smiled, trying to be as comforting as
possible. The guilt from what I’d done to him was getting the
better of me.

As we made our way from the café, I glanced
up, hoping the rain would hold off until we got home. The air was
fresh and warm against my skin. Jack wore my rhinestone-encrusted
glasses. He never looked up, probably worried that the sun would
emerge from behind the clouds. Despite the clouds, it was a
beautiful day in the French Quarter, if not for Jack’s
condition.

We strolled along the sidewalk,
hand-in-hand, probably looking like a happy couple without a care
in the world to everyone around us. But I knew differently. I felt
the weight of Jack’s new problem on my shoulders, as if the
vampires were actually sitting on them.

As we made our way past a shop that sold
tarot cards and other spiritual gifts, a man in a beige button-up
shirt and beige slacks stepped out from the door. He nodded and
smiled. He was dressed as if he was ready to set off on a cruise
ship or maybe drink a Pina Colada by the beach. As we neared him,
the look on his face let me know that he wanted to chat.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t in a chatting mood.

He picked up the broom that had been propped
up against the window. “Such a romantic setting for a walk. You two
make a very lovely couple.” He began sweeping the sidewalk.

How could I ignore him after he had said
something as nice as that?

“Thank you.” I smiled.

I felt as if I was being rude by not saying
more, but really, what else was there to say? Was I not being nice
enough? I really needed to get over my niceness complex. It was
like an obsession to be extra polite to people. Not just kind of
friendly, but super friendly to everyone. Well, everyone except for
Lily. She didn’t count.

I tried not to make eye contact with the
man, but I felt his stare on us. I thought the conversation would
end with my thanking him, but it didn’t. Something told me he
wanted more from us. A gut instinct, I guess. I’d been having a lot
of those lately. More than I had wanted.