Quinn grabbed a saltshaker. “So this does the trick, huh?”
“I’m not promising much with only one, but we’ll give it a try.”
“What should we drink to?”
I thought about it. “To new beginnings.”
“Sounds good. To new beginnings.” We did the shot, sucked on the limes, and smiled at each other.
Ten minutes later the cab hadn’t arrived yet, and we’d just done our third shot. I’d decided that Michael Quinn was going to be my new best friend. Part of my new life. In other words, I was almost completely drunk. I’ve always had a low tolerance for alcohol, so sue me.
“What’ll we drink to this time?” Quinn slurred a little as the fourth round arrived. I had no idea how long he’d been sucking back beers before I’d even gotten there.
“To my new life,” I said.
“New life?” He held his shot in his shaky right hand. “Can you elaborate on that, Sarah Dearly?”
I nodded. “Why, yes, I can. To my new life as a vampire, which quite possibly could have no end.” I raised my glass. “To my newly immortal life. May my retirement-savings plan pay off big-time for me.”
Quinn nodded. “To Sarah being a vampire.” He clinked glasses with me and downed his shot.
“Yes!” I tried to toss the tequila back, but most of it ended up on my shirt.
“Now”—Quinn carefully placed his elbow on the bar top so he had a hand to lean against—“you really shouldn’t kid about something like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like being a vampire. That’s nothing to joke about.”
“Who says I’m joking? I am a vampire.”
“No, you’re not.”
“And yet… I am.” A wide, goofy smile spread across my features as I looked at Quinn.
He stared at me with unfocused eyes. “You’re a vampire.”
“Yup.”
“You don’t look like a vampire.”
I frowned at him. “And how do you expect a vampire to look?”
“I don’t know.” Quinn leaned back in his stool to look me up and down. “More together somehow. Maybe all dressed in black. And fangs—shouldn’t you have fangs?”
I shifted to cross my legs. It’s true, a sparkly Diva T-shirt and pink yoga pants didn’t really scream “creature of the night.” I had to get to the mall as soon as possible and expand my wardrobe possibilities.
“Black makes me look too pale,” I explained. “And apparently the fangs take a while to sprout.”
“I see.” He seemed to be mulling it over.
“So, you believe me?”
“Yes,” he said, and reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a wooden stake. He placed it in front of him on the bar counter. “I guess so.” I sobered immediately at the sight of the stake. It was exactly like the ones White-teeth and the boys had used last night to turn poor Gordon into a dark, wet puddle outside the cemetery.
Poor me.
My initial reaction was to scream my head off, but instead I forced myself to laugh—it ended up sounding a little too hysterical to be lighthearted.
“Did I say I was a vampire? That’s so funny. I’m actually supposed to take this medication. It’s around here somewhere.” I patted my empty pockets. “Delusions, you know. Weird, fleeting images in this crazy brain of mine. Only yesterday I thought I was Marie Antoinette.”
“Uh-huh.” Quinn stared at me. “Delusions. Sure.”
“Anyhow, it was super meeting you and all. Thanks for the drinks.” I glanced at the empty shot glasses and my half-full Bloody Mary, not such a good choice now that I thought about it. “I guess I better get back to the psychiatric hospital before they notice I’m gone.”
“You’re not going anywhere.”
“I’m not?” I grimaced as my gaze was drawn back to the very sharp stake.
Not good. Not good at all. I began to think that maybe Quinn wouldn’t turn out to be my new best friend, after all. Call it a hunch.
He leaned close to me so I could feel, as well as smell, his alcohol-laden breath as he spoke. “I kill vampires, you see. That’s why I’m in town. I like killing evil things, and I’m very good at it.”
“Then it’s a good thing I was kidding earlier. About being a vampire, that is. I’ll just be on my way now.”
I tried to move past him, but his iron bar of an arm blocked me.
“Let’s go outside and do this proper.” Quinn’s eyes were narrow. Mean. The flirty friendliness that had been there only a few minutes before had completely vanished. I looked around the bar to see if there was anyone who would help, but no one even glanced in our direction.
I turned to meet Quinn’s eyes. “I’m not evil. Please don’t hurt me.”
He shook his head. “It’s too bad. You seemed so normal. If you hadn’t told me, I never would have guessed it.”
“Can’t we just forget the whole thing?” I asked hopefully.
“No.”
Now I was freaked. This was the second time in two nights that I’d been cornered by a crazy man who wanted to kill me. I wondered if it was some kind of record. Only being a vampire for less than twenty-four hours before getting exterminated. Kind of made the whole immortal thing just a lot of hype.
“Let’s go outside,” Quinn said.
I shook my head vigorously. “No way. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Then this might have to get messy.”
I swallowed hard and was ashamed to admit that tears were sliding down my cheeks.