“
“Yep. That’s why I couldn’t do the commercial.”
“Sweet Mary and Joseph! What happened?”
“I’d rather not say just yet, but we’re hoping the government will help us out. I’ll try to stop by DVN tomorrow night after I’m done babysitting.”
“Babysitting?” Maggie asked.
He gave the stress ball another squeeze. “I’m taking the president’s daughters to a vampire nightclub.”
Maggie laughed. “Once they see how well you can dance, they’ll definitely want to help us.” There was a pause, then he heard her mutter, “No, Simone, you can’t go with them. You have to be here for the commercial.”
Gregori winced. Simone had overheard his plans. “Talk to you later, Maggie. Thanks for helping out.” He hung up, tossed the stress ball to his other hand, then called his mother. “Hey, Mom. How’s everything at the school?”
“Oh, we’re fine. Is it true?” his mother asked in a rushed, excited voice. “I heard you have a date!”
The stress ball exploded in his hand. “Shit.”
“Excuse me? What was that noise?”
“It’s nothing.” He tossed the ball in the trash. “It’s not a date, Mom. It’s a diplomatic mission. And how the hell did you hear about it?”
“You seem a bit agitated, dear. Are you nervous about your date?”
“It’s not a date!” He grabbed another stress ball. “I’m as calm as can be. I just have the fate of every Vamp in the world on my shoulders.”
“Oh, well, some days are harder than others. So who is the young lady you’re dating?”
“I’m not dating! I’m taking the president’s daughters on a friendly little outing to prove how trustworthy I am.”
His mother made a tsking noise. “I’m not sure if that Madison Tucker is the right girl for you.”
“I’m not interested in her. And how did you hear about this?”
“Well, Emma called. And then Olivia called. So are you interested in the other daughter? Shall I come back to Romatech so I can meet her?”
“No. Stay away.”
She huffed. “That’s not very nice. I just want to meet your new girlfriend.”
“
“There’s no reason to raise your voice.”
Gregori took a deep breath and carefully squeezed the stress ball. “I gotta go now, Mom. Important stuff to do. Talk to you later.”
“Very well. Have a wonderful time on your date.”
He hung up and threw the stress ball across the office. “Important stuff to do.” He pulled a bottle of Blissky out his bottom desk drawer and wrenched off the top.
He took a drink and wiped his mouth. “It’s not a date.”
He took another long drink to drown out the foolish voice inside him.
Chapter Ten
Madison’s pretty blue eyes widened. “Wow! I haven’t seen you look this good in years!”
“Gee, thanks,” Abigail muttered as she eyed herself in the mirror. What would Gregori Holstein think of her now? She tugged at the neckline of the black cocktail dress her sister had picked out for her on a whirlwind shopping trip that afternoon. “I still think this is too revealing.”
“Will you get off that?” Madison tilted her head, frowning. “But it does need something. Just a minute.” She rummaged through her Louis Vuitton suitcase and pulled out a velvet jewelry case. “I should have something here.”
Abigail sat on the edge of the bed and winced at how much of her pale legs were showing. She hadn’t worn a dress in years. She hadn’t taken a day off work in years, either. Mom was always telling her she needed a life, but her mom deserved to live, too.
When she’d explained to her mom that Madison had actually been right and not only were vampires real, but they would be going out with one tonight, her mom had taken the news quite well. In fact, Abigail couldn’t recall the last time she’d seen her mother this excited. She’d looked five years younger when she’d seen them off this morning.
So Abigail had decided not to feel guilty for missing work. Or for costing Dad a small fortune. Madison was used to traveling to New York on a private jet, but Abigail had never indulged in the glamorous lifestyle. What was the point? She’d realized years ago in college that having a six-hundred-dollar tote bag wasn’t going to help her pass a chemistry exam. And now she worked in a lab where everyone wore white coats. Her colleagues got excited over formulas and life-forms, not the latest trend in the fashion world.
After landing in New York, Josh and Charles had whisked them immediately into a black Suburban limousine and taken them to the Waldorf Astoria, code name Roadhouse. She and Madison were sharing one bedroom of their elegant suite, so the guys could use the other. The agents planned to sleep in shifts so one of them would always be on guard duty.
Abigail sighed. The combined cost of the hotel suite and her dress was more than she earned in a month. She had to admit, though, it had been exciting, running around Manhattan with the paparazzi chasing them and the Secret Service guys guarding them like they were something special.
“This will be perfect!” Madison held up a glittering rhinestone necklace. Her grin faded. “What are you doing sitting? You’ll wrinkle your dress.”
Abigail returned to the spot in front of the mirror, wobbling on the borrowed high heels. “I’m going to fall over in these things. I’d rather wear the flats I brought.”
“Don’t be silly. You need the heels. You’re a little short, you know.” Madison looped the necklace around Abigail’s neck and latched it in the back.
Abigail winced. A long string of sparkling rhinestones ended in the valley between her breasts. It was like a flashing billboard that advertised,
This was crazy. A vampire nightclub? Sexy cocktail dresses? This was nothing like the mission she’d proposed to her dad. That trip would require hiking through rough mountainous terrain. But she supposed this was a safer way to get acquainted with Gregori and his world.
Madison checked her makeup in the mirror, then glanced at Abigail. “You need some lipstick. Here, this color will suit you.”
Abigail frowned at herself in the mirror. She’d put on lipstick ten minutes ago, but it was gone. She must have chewed it off. She’d probably poisoned herself just to impress a vampire. An incredibly handsome vampire.
With a groan, she pulled the top off the lipstick tube. She needed to calm down. Relax. He was just a guy. A gorgeous, mysterious guy who happened to be Undead.
She applied the copper-red shade. Great. This would probably remind him of blood.
She winced. What on earth was she thinking?
The phone rang and she jumped, smearing the lipstick across her cheek. “Oh no!”
“Don’t worry about the phone.” Madison checked her mascara. “The guys will pick it up.” She looked at Abby and flinched. “Oh my God! What have you done?”
“I slipped.”
“Sheesh! I leave you alone for ten seconds and you turn into the Joker!” Madison dug into her cosmetic case.
