Stakes & Stilettos - Michelle Rowen [4]
“Is everything all right over here?” he asked.
I nodded. “I’m about to take off for my interview.”
“Hi, Thierry,” Heather said, smiling widely at him even though I knew she was one of those who didn’t like him very much. “Why don’t I wait over here for you, Sarah?” She moved far enough away to give us some privacy.
Thierry moved his gaze to mine. His eyes were a medium gray color, but somehow managed to look metallic, like silver. It was a bit spooky until you got used to it.
“You don’t need to get another job,” he said.
“Oh, but I do. I definitely need a nice, normal job to help pay the bills.” I fished into the juice glass and pulled out the penny that was stuck to the very bottom, and then knelt to tuck the money into the front pocket of my purse. “I wanted to buy a new dress for the reunion, but since I can’t afford it, I’m going to ask Amy if she has something I can borrow.”
My ten-year high-school reunion was in two days. Despite my life being in constant peril in the ten weeks since I’d been turned into a vampire, things had cooled off enough that I felt I didn’t want to miss it. It was to be my last gasp as a normal person before I finally, grudgingly, accepted my new life as a vampire. And yes, life as a vampire. Vampires being the walking dead was just another unfortunate rumor, like me being a weapon of mass destruction.
The rumor currently going around was that I was the “Slayer of Slayers.” Sheesh. You kill one vampire hunter in self-defense—an act that had now grown in legend to twelve hunters and counting that I’d taken down with my well-manicured but lethal hands—and a girl gets a reputation.
I hated to admit it, but I think that’s one of the reasons Heather’s boyfriend, Josh, had agreed to meet me for an interview at this crazy hour of the night. He was impressed by my rep. Hey, if it helped to get me a cool new job, I would milk it for all it was worth.
Thierry frowned at me. “Of course you should have something new to wear. Why didn’t you say anything to me earlier?” He slid his hand into the front pocket of his black suit jacket, pulled out a money clip, and proceeded to peel off a few bills. “How much do you need? Will a thousand be sufficient?”
“Uh… yeah, that should just about do it.” My mouth began to water at the sight of the money, but after a moment I forced myself to hold back the drool. “Wait, no. No, Thierry, please. I don’t want to take any more of your money.”
“What do you mean?”
Ninety percent of my body reached out to that roll of money, but 10 percent was holding me back. That 10 percent was surprisingly strong. “Look, I feel like I’ve sponged off you for over two months. Now I have this opportunity to interview with Heather’s boyfriend so I can make my own money. You shouldn’t have to be there with a handout whenever I get sick of what I’m wearing.”
“I don’t mind,” he said.
“Well, I do. I need to find my own way when it comes to this sort of thing.”
God, I was being so mature. It was a little sickening. For my entire life I thought having a rich boyfriend would be the perfect solution to all of my problems, and don’t get me wrong, it was fantastic. But it also made me feel… dirty. And not in a good way. It made me feel that by taking his money I was less of a person. Less of a vampire. Whatever.
Ten weeks ago I’d been fired from my full-time, lousy-paying, but regular job as a personal assistant. My funds had dwindled away to practically nothing. I was down to bartending tips and Thierry’s generosity. A real job was way overdue.
A small smile curled up the side of his mouth. “Are you saying that you don’t want me for my money?”
I smiled back at him. “Oh, I want you. But the money thing is something I need to work out for myself.”
He reclipped the money and slid it back into his pocket. “If you insist.”
I felt a quick pang of regret but stifled it. It was the right decision. I wasn’t a kept woman. And it’s not as though we were