He would havepaid it all or at least offered to pay half, but he got theimpression she was the type of woman who liked to be in charge. “Ofcourse. How much do I owe you?” He went to get his wallet.
Alyssa put herhand on his arm. “No, you don’t understand. I don’t want yourmoney. You’re my one-hundredth date,” she repeated as though it wassupposed to mean something.
“I’m sorry, Idon’t understand.”
“You owe meyour hand in marriage, my handsome angel man.”
His jawdropped. “Err, I don’t think—”
A haunting songfilled his head, cutting off his words.
The bowlingalley spun around him. His vision tunnelled, with Alyssa’s face inthe centre. Her mouth was moving, but the siren’s song sounded likeit was inside his head. He even imagined he could feel her moistbreath blowing into his ear, taste the salty air.
Confused, hebacked away, his knees buckling.
“Hey, what haveI told you about singing that song in here?” came a man’s voicefrom somewhere behind him, muffled, detached somehow. Calebcouldn’t work out if he had a foreign accent or his speech was alittle slurred.
Alyssa closedher mouth, and the song stopped.
Caleb turned tosee who’d told her to stop singing. His head spun more, and heswayed.
The samesomeone caught him. “It’s okay, dude. It’ll pass soon.”
The chap’sT-shirt had the bowling alley’s logo. He spoke to Alyssa. “Nowclear off and leave the poor guy alone.”
Alyssa stuckout her bottom lip like a sulky child. “Spoilsport. You always ruinmy fun.”
The chap cuppedhis ear. “Sorry, can’t hear you,” he said, his tone loaded withsmugness.
With a flick ofher putrid green hair, the mermaid flounced off.
Caleb’s headfelt like it was stuffed with cotton wool. “Thanks. I don’t knowwhat I would have done if you hadn’t shown up.”
The youngfellow pointed to his ears. “Hold on a sec.” He fiddled with thehearing aids in both ears. “Sorry, what did you say? My hearingaids were turned off. It’s the only way I can get close toher.”
“Well, I’m gladyou did. Thank you.”
“Happy to help.She does the same thing every time.”
“She’s beenhere before then?”
“Yeah, all thetime. If I’d have seen her come in, I would have chucked herout.”
“It’s not yourfault. It’s mine. Sorry to have caused you any trouble.”
“We’re cool,dude.”
Caleb nodded.“Thanks again, but I don’t think I’ll be bowling tonight. Bye.”
He walked outof the bowling alley, shaking his head to clear the remainingfuzziness. A few moments later, he called a taxi. Somehow, hedidn’t think flying would be a good idea tonight.
After thatnightmarish experience, a banshee should be a doddle.
ChapterFour
Someone knockedon Evie’s front door again. Probably the chauffeur for her datewith the vampire, Henry.
She finishedapplying a smudge of lip gloss and ran to the door.
A delivery guystood holding a small box tied with a red ribbon. Fortunately, notthe surly man who’d given her the flowers, but not a chauffeureither. “Evie Thomas?”
“Yes.”
He handed herthe box, asked her to sign his digital handset and went toleave.
“Wait, are youfrom the agency?” she asked, thinking it was a nice touch for thedating agency to do this sort of thing before each date. It had tobe them; even if Alvaro had somehow managed to get her address, shedoubted the self-absorbed Fae would have thought to send herflowers before their date—even though she didn’t hang around longenough to ask.
The deliveryguy’s expression went blank. “Huh?”
Not LoveBites then, so who sent them? “Oh, never mind. Thanks anyway.”She closed the door.
Evie went intoher lounge, pushed a pile of overdue bills off the sofa and satdown. She balanced the small box on one knee.
After untyingthe ribbon, she opened the box. A sickly-sweet aroma wafted up hernose as if she’d walked into an old-fashioned sweet shop. Insidewas a set of vampire's teeth—of the chewy sweet variety.
Evie burst outlaughing. What a perfect gift to put her mind at rest over thecraziness of dating a vamp. She stuffed the sweet into her mouth,careful not to smudge her lippy.
Hmm, delicious.If the gift wasn’t from the agency, it must have been fromHenry.
Another knockat the door. Hopefully, the chauffeur this time. She slipped intoher tatty khaki jacket and answered the door.
She’d gone forher best black jeans and a pretty blouse for this date, moderatelysmart, she thought—until now. The guy stood there in a posh suitand tie, chauffeur cap, and a pinched arse expression that made herwish she was wearing something dressier.
Not that shewould have worn the too-tight black dress; the last thing shewanted was to get a vamp’s blood pumping—if they even hadblood.
“Lord Henry ofMarley Hall has instructed that I drive you to his residence,” saidthe chauffeur.
Oh,heck. She feigned a smile like she did this sort of thing allthe time. “Thank you.”
The drive outof the city took an hour or so before the chauffeur, who’d notuttered a word throughout the journey, pulled into a long privatedriveway leading to a magnificent stately manor bathed in a goldenglow from the evening sun.
Evie’s eyeswidened. She was way out of her comfort zone, but she was here now,so what did she have to lose?
The snootydriver opened the car door for her as Lord Henry himself cameoutside to greet her. Dressed in a full tuxedo with a burgundybowtie and cummerbund, Henry bowed graciously, took her hand andkissed her knuckles, his touch light and stone cold. “Welcome,Evangeline.”
Eek, he soundedso formal. Now she wished she hadn’t put her full name on herprofile with the agency. “Hello…” She wasn’t sure if he expectedher to address him by his title. “You can call me Evie,” she toldhim, hoping he’d take the hint. He didn’t.
He noddedinstead and led her into a spacious hallway five times bigger thanher flat, decorated with opulent furnishings, age-old fabrics andoak panelling.
She followedHenry, who glided rather than walked, across the room, her chunkyboots clomping on the polished parquet flooring, the sound echoingaround the vast space.
Evie squaredher shoulders. You can do this, girl. No sign of a coffin;had to be a good thing, right?
Henry openeddouble doors at the rear of the hallway and stood back, tilting hishead for her to enter.
She steppedinside. In the centre of the room sat a long table laden with alavish banquet. Heavy
