Stakes & Stilettos - Michelle Rowen [24]
He was so earning the brownie points today.
In the family room we were both given a nice large glass of Baby Duck sparkling wine—a Dearly family favorite—and Thierry was introduced to every relative of mine who lived within a hundred-mile radius. Three uncles, five aunts, seven cousins… including my cousin Missy, who made a beeline toward me at first sight.
“Sarah!” She gave me a huge, smothering hug. “Oh, my God, it is so great to see you.”
“You, too.” I gave her a closemouthed smile. “How’s married life treating you?”
“Fantastic… or should I say fangtastic? Could not be better.”
I glanced over in the corner to see her new husband, Richard, in a heated discussion with my uncle Charlie. I assumed it had something to do with fishing, since that was Uncle Charlie’s favorite subject. Richard wearily raised a glass in my direction and flashed a quick smile at me that revealed his small fangs.
My very human cousin Missy had married a vampire. He was also an accountant. I’d been at their wedding—one of the bridesmaids, in fact—when I realized that Richard and I had more in common than simply knowing Missy. That’s when I realized also that vampires, while keeping their existences secret, were more prevalent in everyday society than I’d ever imagined. That was also when Missy discovered my little secret—and she’d been more okay with the discovery that I was a vampire than I was.
I shuddered slightly at the memory of that fateful wedding. Bad, bad dress.
“Who’s the hunk?” Missy asked, nodding at Thierry.
I told her. As briefly as I could. She seemed suitably impressed that I’d landed a master vampire. I didn’t share with her the fact he had already been previously landed by another woman.
“Listen,” she said. “I wanted to tell you and I’m hoping it doesn’t mean anything whatsoever, but it’s about the reunion.”
“What about it?”
“I consulted a psychic about the decorations.”
Missy, although a few years older than me and not attending the reunion tonight, was on the reunion organizing committee. It was a yearly thing and it kept her busy.
“You consulted a psychic about the reunion decorations?” I repeated it to make sure I’d heard her right.
“It’s hard to make a gymnasium look like a fairy-tale castle. A little help goes a long way.”
“I’m sure that it does.” I took a sip of my wine. “And what did she have to say?”
“She said that a beautiful varnish wouldn’t change the darkness that lurks inside.” She swallowed hard. “I have no idea what she meant by that. Her eyes went all white and weird and then she snapped back to normal and didn’t even remember what she said at all.”
“White eyeballs? That is weird.”
She chewed her bottom lip. “Do me a favor and be careful tonight. Madame Chiquita is apparently extremely accurate.”
“I promise to be on the lookout for any dark, lurking varnish.” Great. White-eyeballed psychics were giving unpleasant predictions about the reunion. Or maybe Missy was just paranoid.
That made two of us.
“Missy!” Richard called. “Uncle Charlie wants to plan a fishing trip with me. Can you come over here, please?”
She grinned at me. “Duty calls.”
I turned away, wondering how much money Missy had been charged by her reunion psychic, and realized my father was standing directly behind me.
“Hey, Dad.” I smiled without showing my fangs and gave him a hug. “Great to see you.”
My chest gave out a weak twinge of pain and I had a quick and unexpected flashback of the stake being in my chest.
Just relax, I told myself. Act normal. You’re normal. Everything is fine.
My father eyed Thierry, who, across the room, seemed to be having an awkward conversation following a rather tight hug from my aunt Mildred.
“Who is this fellow, anyhow?” he asked. “You’ve never mentioned him before. What happened to George? I thought you two were engaged.”
Long story. A case of mistaken identity at Missy’s wedding. Hilarity ensued. Ancient history.
I cleared my throat. “I’m with Thierry now. I’m sure you’ll love him.”
“He doesn’t seem your type.”
“Oh, he is my type. Trust me.”
“Where’s he