JК
Danse Macabre :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 3 из 427» I dumped the grounds into the trash can, and shookmy head. «I can't go shopping for one tonight.»
«Can't you make a quick stop on the way to Jean-Claude's little tкte-а-tкte tonight? It's not like this is the main event.»
Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of the City of St. Louis, and my sweetie, was throwing one of the biggest bashes of the year to welcome to town the first ever mostly-vampire dance company. He was one of their patrons, and when you spend that much money, you apparently get to spend more to throw a party to celebrate that the money was helping the dance troupe earn rave reviews in their cross-country tour. There was going to be national and international media there tomorrow. It was like a Big Deal, and I, as his main squeeze, had to be on his arm, smiling and dressed up. But that was tomorrow. Tonight's little get-together was sort of a prelim to the main event. Without letting the media know, a couple of the visiting Masters of the City had snuck in early. Jean-Claude had called them friends. Master vampires did not call other master vampires friends. Allies, partners — but not friends.
«Yeah, Ronnie, I'm riding in with Micah and Nathaniel. Even if I stop, Nathaniel will insist on going in whatever store with me, or wondering why I don't let him go. I don't want any of them to know until I've got the test and it's yes or no. Maybe it's just nerves, stress, and the test will say no. Then I won't have to tell anybody.»
«Where are your two handsome housemates?»
«Jogging. I was supposed to go with them, but I told them you'd called and needed me to hold your hand about moving in with Louie.»
«I did,» she said, and sipped her coffee. «But suddenly me being nervous about sharing space with a man for the second time in my life doesn't seem like such a big deal. Louie is nothing like the asshole I married when I was young and stupid.»
«Louie sees the real you, Ronnie. He's not looking for some trophy wife. He wants a partner.»
«I hope you're right.»
«I don't know much today, but I'm sure Louie wants a partner, not a Barbie doll.»
She gave me a weak smile, then frowned. «Thanks, but I'm supposed to be comforting you. Are you going to tell them?»
I leaned my hands against the sink, and looked at her through a curtain of my long dark hair. It had gotten too long for my tastes, but Micah had made me a deal: If I cut my hair, he'd cut his, because he preferred his hair shorter, too. So my hair was fast approaching my waist for the first time since junior high, and it was really beginning to get on my nerves.
«Can't you make a quick stop on the way to Jean-Claude's little tкte-а-tкte tonight? It's not like this is the main event.»
Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of the City of St. Louis, and my sweetie, was throwing one of the biggest bashes of the year to welcome to town the first ever mostly-vampire dance company. He was one of their patrons, and when you spend that much money, you apparently get to spend more to throw a party to celebrate that the money was helping the dance troupe earn rave reviews in their cross-country tour. There was going to be national and international media there tomorrow. It was like a Big Deal, and I, as his main squeeze, had to be on his arm, smiling and dressed up. But that was tomorrow. Tonight's little get-together was sort of a prelim to the main event. Without letting the media know, a couple of the visiting Masters of the City had snuck in early. Jean-Claude had called them friends. Master vampires did not call other master vampires friends. Allies, partners — but not friends.
«Yeah, Ronnie, I'm riding in with Micah and Nathaniel. Even if I stop, Nathaniel will insist on going in whatever store with me, or wondering why I don't let him go. I don't want any of them to know until I've got the test and it's yes or no. Maybe it's just nerves, stress, and the test will say no. Then I won't have to tell anybody.»
«Where are your two handsome housemates?»
«Jogging. I was supposed to go with them, but I told them you'd called and needed me to hold your hand about moving in with Louie.»
«I did,» she said, and sipped her coffee. «But suddenly me being nervous about sharing space with a man for the second time in my life doesn't seem like such a big deal. Louie is nothing like the asshole I married when I was young and stupid.»
«Louie sees the real you, Ronnie. He's not looking for some trophy wife. He wants a partner.»
«I hope you're right.»
«I don't know much today, but I'm sure Louie wants a partner, not a Barbie doll.»
She gave me a weak smile, then frowned. «Thanks, but I'm supposed to be comforting you. Are you going to tell them?»
I leaned my hands against the sink, and looked at her through a curtain of my long dark hair. It had gotten too long for my tastes, but Micah had made me a deal: If I cut my hair, he'd cut his, because he preferred his hair shorter, too. So my hair was fast approaching my waist for the first time since junior high, and it was really beginning to get on my nerves.