Real Vampires Know Hips Happen Part 21

"No! I'll bet you let him have it for that att.i.tude." She s.n.a.t.c.hed my hand away from the piece of lace I'd managed to tear. "Gloriana! He can't get away with that."

"I know. But then he just left town. Business." I stared down at the ruined lace. "Look at what I did." Tears ran down my cheeks. "And it was so beautiful." I sniffled.

"Darling. Of course I shall fix it." She waved her hand and it was perfect again. "That b.a.s.t.a.r.d. He has hurt your feelings. Would you like for me to punish him?" She sounded eager.

"No! This is between Jerry and me. When he gets back, I'll make him tell me what he's hiding." I took the hanky she handed me and wiped my cheeks.

"If he won't, I've found a new sorcerer, much higher level than that fool Waldo. He has a truth serum that will make your Jeremiah spill every secret he has ever clutched to his brawny and quite handsome chest." She smoothed my hair back from my face. "I've quite enjoyed our little chat. Now I must go. My father is holding a council meeting. I owe some pardons and must be there to dole them out. Such is my life."

"You know you told me that Zeus disapproved of your dallying with mortals and that's why you hid me among the Sirens in the first place. How can you even suggest taking me back to Olympus with you? Wouldn't Zeus be horrified at a granddaughter like me?" I wasn't considering it, but it wouldn't hurt to find out what she had in mind.

"I was young and foolish when I gave you away." She sighed and climbed out of bed. Her gown suddenly changed into the traditional toga. For her meeting, I supposed. "Zeus is a family man. He will accept anyone who has some of his blood running in her veins. Don't worry about that." She smiled brilliantly. "Are you thinking about coming?"

"No, not really. Just curious." I waved my hand. "Go, you don't want to be late. I'm sure your father has a temper."

"Yes, he does." She came to my side of the bed and leaned down to kiss my cheek. "Thank you for this little chat. You have made me very happy." Then she vanished.

Well. It hadn't been so bad for me either. If she could behave herself, I wouldn't mind having a mother. A truth serum. Now, that was a handy tool. But her sorcerers were not to be trusted if Waldo was any indication. Of course I could read minds past their blocks anyway. If I really wanted to get at the truth, I could do that to Jerry. It was simpler, but I wanted him to offer the truth, rather than trick it out of him.

I started when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Lily stuck her head in. "Where's Dad?"

"Gone to Florida. He'll probably be there a week. Why? Out of money again?" I threw off the covers and got out of bed. Her eyes widened when she saw my fabulous nightgown and robe. Yeah, Lily, eat your heart out.

"Did you tell him about last night or the ATM thing?"

"He had to have walked right past you. I didn't have to tell him anything about last night except that you had pot downstairs. That didn't seem to bother him."

"We moved the other action to my bedroom. He didn't see a thing." She clearly wasn't the least bit embarra.s.sed. "Two mortals, Glory. I dined quite well." She showed her fangs.

"Obviously you have no standards. If you erased their memories, who am I to say what you can or can't do? I'm not your mother." And thank G.o.d for that.

"Exactly." Her face was hard. "What about the robberies?"

"Are you still doing them?" I walked up to her, deliberately avoiding the answer she wanted. "People work hard for their money, Lily. It's not right to take it from them."

"Yeah, I get it. You work, I don't." She reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. "The guys last night won't remember where they lost this either. So you see, Glory, I guess I'm just made for a life of crime."

I grabbed her and shook her until the bills fell to the floor. "What the h.e.l.l is the matter with you? Why are you living this way?"

"What choice do I have?" She jerked away from me and scooped up the cash. "Tell me that. I have no skills, no job. Nothing. Dad gives me a bedroom but then when I try to have company downstairs you barge in. So I essentially have no privacy. I hate it here!"

"Stop. Go back. You have skills." I held on to her arm when she would have stormed out of the room. "You have wonderful taste. Look at this sleep set I have on. What's it made of?"

"I don't know how in the h.e.l.l you afforded it, but it's fine silk, from one of the best boutiques in Paris. Your friends Florence and the countess shop there. That's Alencon lace trim and it retails, both pieces, for about fifteen hundred bucks." She touched it gently, running her finger down the lace like I had done. "Gorgeous. A lover give it to you? Not Dad, surely. I can't imagine him stepping foot in that little shop."

"No, my mother. She had the same one in ivory."

"Yes, very cla.s.sic. I'd have preferred ivory myself." She sighed. "I couldn't afford a hanky from that place this century."

"Okay, what you just did is a valuable skill. At least in my shop. You know your clothes and their value. I'll hire you. I have an opening right now. I don't pay much but I can probably talk your father into setting you up in your own apartment if you have a paying job. It'll be fun. You'll be working around great clothes and the kind of young people you seem to prefer."

She started to say something.

"Yes, they're used clothes, Lily. We call them vintage. But our customers appreciate them. You'll soon learn that."

"You'd really get him to pay for an apartment?" She obviously was more interested in the privacy issue than the job offer. She could have all the orgies she wanted. I wanted to shake her again.

"If you're working. That has to be part of the deal. And I have rules in my shop, Lily. No stealing. From me or anyone. You have to be nice to the customers and to the other clerks too. Lacy liked you, she's the day manager, so that's a start."

"Yeah, she was still there when I came in a few times. She's cool. A were-cat." Lily was thinking. "Could I have a discount? If I actually found something decent enough to buy there? I'm sure my dad would still give me my allowance."

"Of course. All of my clerks get twenty-five percent off anything they purchase." I could see she was considering it. "One more thing. We don't drink from our mortal customers. If you want to sip from the mortals on Sixth Street, do it somewhere else, not at Vintage Vamp's."

"Seems reasonable." Lily smiled suddenly. "For an apartment of my own, I'd work for Lucifer himself." She stuck out her hand. "It's a deal, Glory. When do I start?"

I shook hands with her then wondered if I'd lost my mind. I'd just hired a thief to work in my shop. Good going, Glory.

Sixteen.

Flo and I had a date to meet in the shop. I had trained Lily on the credit card machine and she was surprisingly quick to learn. I don't know why I was surprised. Her father was a businessman who was good with numbers. She'd obviously inherited his abilities in that direction. I'd had to fuss at Jerry's daughter a few times when she got on her high horse, declaring some of our stock too c.r.a.ppy to wear. We were a college town. Not all of our customers could afford the designer originals she considered worthy.

"Mi amica, it is about time we have a chance to catch up and have a little girl talk." Flo came rushing in carrying packages. I recognized the logos from some of her favorite boutiques in Paris. She'd brought me presents.

"Come to the back room. I hope that's not all for me." I never felt my own lack of money more than when I was around my best bud. She'd always been wealthy-she made no secret of the fact that she'd built her fortune through a wise collection of fabulous jewelry from grateful lovers. When she'd married Richard, it was like she'd been unleashed. He was even more ancient than she was and had a gift for investing. I couldn't imagine what the two of them were worth together now.

"Of course I can buy my BFF a few piccolo cose." Flo waved to my clerks as I tugged her to the back. "You will not spoil my fun by refusing a single thing."

She dropped her bags then paused. "Wait a minute. Did I just see Jeremiah's daughter out there? Was she helping a customer? Working?" She grabbed me. "What is going on, Glory?"

"I'm trying to help her." I shut the door. I wasn't going to share the ATM thing. The fewer people who knew about that the better. There had been no new robberies reported on the news so I hoped that meant Lily had actually stopped. "You know she tends to keep bad company. Jerry's out of town so I thought she could earn some pocket money here and stay out of trouble."

Flo's eyes got big. "Working as a shopgirl?" She put her hand over her mouth. "Mio Dio, I didn't mean...Of course there is nothing wrong with her working here. It's just that her mother will have un attacco. You know, hate it. She is so..." Flo put her finger under her nose and lifted it in the air.

"Yes, I'm sure Mara...What did you say?" I was trying not to show how Flo's reaction had bothered me.

"Will have a fit. Yes, that is what I say." Flo giggled. "I'd like to see her face when she sees this. But Lily. She agreed? Is she doing well? She is not making the customers feel bad? She is her mother's daughter after all."

"So far, she's okay. She looks young, acts young, the students relate to her." I picked up one of the sacks on the table. "I hope you didn't go overboard, Flo."

"You had a terrible time in Scotland. Poverina. Jeremiah didn't know you. And his mother was there. I know Magdalena wasn't kind." She knew both of Jerry's parents. Had even had a brief affair once with the laird when he and Mag had been separated.

"No, she was pretty mean. The whole trip was more or less the pits." I pulled out a gorgeous blouse in a blue that matched my eyes. It was even the right size. "It's perfect. I'm trying it on right now." I wore black pants that would go with anything. I tore my black and white sweater off over my head and carefully slipped on the blouse. The silk was light as a feather and felt wonderful against my skin.

"Perfetto." Flo hugged me, tears in her eyes. "Please accept these little gifts. It makes me so happy to see you pretty in something new." She gestured around the back room, crammed full of vintage finds that had yet to be priced and put out in the shop. "You deserve it. I hate to see you always wearing someone else's castoffs."

My hands stilled on the last b.u.t.ton. Flo too. What was with everyone lately? I didn't mind wearing vintage. Loved the history in it and the fun of taking something worn in a previous era and pairing it with a modern piece. I didn't say anything because I knew Flo and I would never agree on this. She liked everything right off the store rack. Had closets full of clothes only worn once because then they weren't "fresh." Someday I was going to talk her into letting me have them to sell. Otherwise they were just abandoned, left to languish when someone else could bring them to life again.

"Thank you, my friend." I smiled and picked up another sack. "Your taste is wonderful. I can't believe you were thinking of me when you had all of Paris at your feet. Speaking of...Tell me what shoes you bought over there. The ones you have on are fabulous."

That got her off and running and we spent an enjoyable evening together, catching up. But something was missing. I loved Flo and knew she would do anything for me. We just didn't have the same feelings about certain things. It was a reality check and a reminder that my ordeal with Jerry had given me a new perspective on a lot of things.

By the time we said good-bye, I had cheered up. No big deal. I could still love her, laugh with her and plan an evening out with her and Richard once Jerry got back. Just because she thought my whole business was tacky-my word, not hers-I couldn't let that ruin our friendship.

After Flo left, Lily stuck her head into the back room where I was trying to figure out which bills to pay first. "I'm going to take my break now."

"Wait. Tell me how it's going." I gestured for her to come inside and close the door. "Any word from your father?"

"He called and told me where to find a gas card in his office." She smiled. "That's better than when he went to Scotland. At least I can fill my tank."

His tank. She was driving Jerry's Mercedes but I didn't correct her. "Did you tell him about the job?"

"Yes. I told him you thought he should get me my own apartment too. That I was working here to prove I could be responsible. He was surprised." She examined her fingernails, painted black with white skulls.

"Surprised? By the apartment thing or the job?"

"The job. He wasn't sure I'd like working in a shop." She started peeling off the black. Stick-ons, obviously. "I am so over these. Anyway, I told him I didn't mind it. I'd met some nice kids and I like Sixth Street." She grinned, showing fang. "Great dining."

"Lily, remember what I said." If I caught her taking someone down a pint in a dressing room...

"I take my action outside. Relax, Glory. Dad said he understood about the apartment. He'll get right on it once he gets this deal in Florida worked out. He's interviewing for new management." She was on fingernail number six. "You'd think with the job market the way it is he'd have plenty of quality people to choose from."

"Maybe you should talk to him about what he does. He owns several hotels and casinos. If you're into that scene, you could work for him. Though it would be in another city instead of here." I don't know why I hadn't thought of that sooner.

Lily dropped the last decal in the trash can. "Trying to get rid of me, Glory?"

"No, just laying out some options for you. Flo reminded me that your mother might not like the idea of you working in a shop. You do come from a wealthy family."

"Fat lot of good it's doing me." She made a face. "I want to stay in town awhile. Get to know my dad. Sorry if that's cramping your style, but that's my plan." She opened the door. "Now I have thirty minutes coming to me for a meal break. If I plan to eat, I'd better hustle." She flashed the tip of a fang. "See ya in thirty." She sauntered through the shop, waving to the other clerk before she headed out the door.

Okay, that had been interesting. She'd talked to Jerry but I hadn't. He hadn't called me and I wasn't going to make the first move. We were at an impa.s.se. Fine by me. We needed to thrash things out face-to-face.

I heard a scratching at the back door, so faint I wondered if I'd imagined it. No, there it was again. I opened the door and saw a familiar face.

"Aggie? What are you doing here?" She didn't look right. Her hair was wild and she still wore the same outfit I'd seen her in the last time we'd met, almost a week ago, at Ian's. Now it looked a little worse for wear with stains on the sweater and the hem coming out of the skirt. She held her shoes in her hand.

"Quick, shut the door." She ran over and slammed the one into the shop. "Hide me."

"What's the matter? Who are you hiding from?" I noticed she was trembling. I helped her to the chair where she collapsed and dropped the shoes carelessly next to her. Not Aggie-like behavior since they were this season's Manolos. I could tell at one whiff that she was still mortal.

"Ian. I...I had to sneak out of his compound, Glory." She jumped up and ran into the bathroom, stopping to examine her face in the gla.s.s. "G.o.d! Where are my cheekbones? I look like one of those dolls they used to say came from a cabbage patch. Remember them? I always thought they were scary when I saw mortal children playing with them." She pinched her cheeks. "Do you see what he's done to me?"

"Aggie, what are you talking about? Sneak? I thought you and Ian were in love." I stood behind her while she washed her hands, using lots of soap.

"Get out of here, I have to use the toilet." She shoved me out the door. "It's h.e.l.l being mortal." The door shut in my face and I heard the lock turn.

Well, well, this was interesting. I heard a flush then water running again. Finally she emerged from the bathroom. She'd obviously used the brush I kept in there because her hair, which had been in a tangled mess, was now under control. She'd washed her face too. She looked younger without makeup, almost innocent. I knew better.

"So why did you have to sneak out and how did you get here?" I sat on the table, ready to hear the whole story.

"That a.s.shole, that lying piece of s.h.i.t won't turn me vampire, Glory." Aggie grabbed my hand. "You do it. Right now. Every minute I'm mortal, I'm getting older. Look at me." She ran into the bathroom again and peered at her reflection. "Lines! Around my eyes. Do you see them?"

"That's because you're squinting. Relax, Aggie, it's only been a few days." I leaned back on both hands so she couldn't grab one again. "Did Ian say why he wouldn't keep his word?" I had a pretty good idea but I wanted to hear it from her.

"Well, first"-she dragged herself from her study of her face and sank into the chair again-"he took blood from me. Claimed I was delicious." She rubbed her throat. "I took that as a compliment. It is, isn't it? Coming from a vampire?"

"Sure. I can smell your blood from here. You're A positive. It's pretty common, but tasty." I smiled and showed fang. "I wouldn't mind drinking from you myself."

"Stop it! You will not come near me with a fang." She glared, like she was still the bada.s.s she used to be.

"Try and stop me." I laughed at the look on her face when I got up. I walked right past her to my minifridge and took out a bottle of synthetic, twisting off the cap. "Relax. I have this. Your mortal blood is safe from me. Now go on, what other reason did he give you for not going through with his promise?"

"Well..." She picked up a shoe and slipped it on. "He realized our love wasn't exactly true." The other shoe got a lot of her attention and she wouldn't look at me.

"What do you mean? He was certainly declaring his undying love when the Storm G.o.d was there making it rain like we should start building the ark." I set down my bottle and put my hands on her shoulders. "Look at me, Aggie. Did you sing him to you? With your Siren's song? Make him fall in love with you?"

"Of course I did!" She threw off my hands. "How else could I get a man like Ian to love me?" Her eyes filled with tears. "You think I don't know what you people think of me? I realize I'm not an easy person to deal with. Sirens don't need people skills, we have powers. You guys here in Austin are the first friends I've ever had besides the sisters." She started sobbing. "Now my powers are g-g-gone!"

I knew she meant the other Sirens. They called themselves a sisterhood. Basically a group of serial killers who called men to them in the sea, used their bodies for s.e.x, then tossed them on the rocks to die. It still made me shudder to realize I'd been one of them once. I was glad the Storm G.o.d had wiped my memory of that time in my life. Aggie thought we were friends now? Pathetic.

"Why did you do it, Aggie? Why Ian?"

"He is so s-s-smart, handsome, and a w-w-wonderful lover." That last word was a wail that could have cracked gla.s.s.

"Jeez, Aggie. Have a meltdown, why don't you?" I glanced at the door to the shop and switched on the radio. Okay that wasn't very sympathetic, but she'd manipulated him. "People will hear. Pipe down."

"I can't. Look at me. I'm dying by inches. I lost the man I love and now he sees me as nothing more than a meal on heels." She grabbed a vintage tablecloth from a nearby shelf and cried into it, her shoulders shaking.

"Okay, calm down. Maybe you can go back, work on developing a real relationship with Ian. Become, I don't know, loveable." I knew it was a stretch, but she did look awful. Nose red, eyes puffy. Heartbroken.

Her head snapped up. "Are you serious? If I go back there, I know exactly what will happen. I'm nothing but a blood donor to him now. He wants me to be healthy. So I'll be able to give him plenty of that good A positive every night. Did you know he hired a chef? Just for me. You should see the food he has this guy whip up. Gourmet treats, desserts, everything fattening that I love." She stood and jerked up her sweater. "Look at me. I can't b.u.t.ton my skirt! And it's been less than a week."

I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. Pet.i.te Aggie, size six Aggie, had a little round tummy. Oh, there was justice in the world. Ian had been stuffing her like a Thanksgiving turkey.

"Where's your resistance? You don't have to eat what's put in front of you." She'd told me once though that Sirens often had lavish banquets but never gained an ounce. Part of their magic. Obviously another perk gone along with her immortality.

"Oh, yeah? Well after Ian gets through with his mind games, I can't resist jack." She shoved her sweater back down. "He's doing it on purpose. Punishing me. There's nothing Ian hates more than being manipulated. He told me that. I played a mind game on him so now he's getting even. Quid quo whatever."