“You know, Quinn, even though I haven’t known you that long, I hope you’re not insulted if I doubt your sincerity.”
He shrugged. “I know. I guess it’s been one of those ‘walk a mile in someone else’s shoes’ things for me. I’ve been raised to believe that va—that vampi—” He stopped and frowned deeply.
“Bloodsucking, murderous monsters,” I finished for him. Again with the sarcasm. It was a gift.
He sighed. “It’s hard. I’ve always been raised to believe that they’re evil. Now I’m one of them, and I don’t feel any different than I ever did. It makes me wonder if I’ve been in the wrong all of this time.”
“You think?” I rolled my eyes. “Let’s just leave it with your apology and my saying no big deal. I hope you have a good life, Quinn, I really do.”
When I turned to walk away, he grabbed my shoulder. “It’s not just that, Sarah. Ever since I met you, I… I don’t know. I just can’t think about anything else.”
I looked up into his blue eyes. “Come again? Can’t think of anything else but what?”
He turned away, rubbed his forehead hard, then turned back to me. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“Me?”
“I know it’s stupid. I know that you and Thierry… well, whatever. That guy wants to kill me as it is. I don’t know what this is between us. But it’s something.”
I didn’t say anything for a moment. He couldn’t stop thinking about me? My brain temporarily stopped working. Finally I found my voice.
“Are you nuts?”
“What?”
“You have a hell of a lot of nerve, you know that?”
Quinn stared at me blankly.
I shook my head. “I’m just supposed to forget everything that happened before, now that you suddenly realize I’m not as evil as you thought I was? If it hadn’t been for your father at the bar, I’d be dead right now. If it hadn’t been for Dan and his friend in the PATH, I would be dead again. No way, buster. I’m not about to give you a third kick at the can. I helped you out because I felt guilty about what happened to you. That’s it. That’s all. So, why don’t you find some other girl to stalk?”
He rubbed his forehead again. His face was a little red, either from all the rubbing or from embarrassment, I wasn’t sure. “You’re right. All of it. You’re absolutely right. I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I’ve done nothing to prove myself to you. I’m sorry to have bothered you.”
He shook his head hard, as if that might erase everything he’d just said to me, and turned to walk away. After my little outburst I’d be surprised if he ever came near me again. And that was a good thing, right? I don’t care if he’d seemed like a nice guy when I first met him, that we hit it off really well. He’d been nothing but a problem since that moment. But still… I was in a little bit of shock. Mr. Vampire-Hunter-turned-Vampire had just basically admitted that he had a crush on me? The last damn thing I needed was another complication in my life. I chewed my bottom lip. Not that that had ever stopped me before.
I swallowed hard. “Quinn!”
He stopped and turned back around. “Yeah?”
“How do the words ‘double date’ sound to you?”
Amy was thrilled when I phoned her at work. She immediately put me on hold so she could call to make reservations. She got right back to me.
“Tonight. Top of the CN Tower,” she said. I could tell she was grinning from ear to ear at the prospect of our mutual date. “In the 360 Restaurant.”
“Isn’t that expensive?” The CN Tower was Toronto’s landmark tourist attraction, a huge tower that rose high above all the other downtown skyscrapers and had a world-class rotating restaurant on the top floor. Fancy schmancy.
“So?”
“Yeah, I’m unemployed, remember? I was thinking more along the lines of McDonald’s.”
“Don’t worry about money. This is a special occasion. You are so going to love Peter.”
I was already regretting agreeing to this. Why did something sound like a great idea one moment and a horrible mistake the next?
But it was just dinner. It didn’t mean anything. It would give me something other than my vampire problems to focus on for a while. I returned my overdue monster movies and begrudgingly paid the late fee. Then I returned the designer shoes and went shopping for a dress to wear to dinner. After seriously shopping for two hours I finally found it. Short, tight, and a gorgeous shade of violet. Plus, it was on sale. Buying it triggered my happy shopping endorphins. Maybe the day was turning out better than I thought. I went back to the apartment to get ready. I’d decided I was going to have a good time and forget all about Thierry and his magical mystery spouse.
It was working until I had to put on some makeup. As soon as I pulled the shard out of my purse, I got a little misty-eyed. I had the overwhelming urge to throw it against the wall and watch it shatter into a thousand pieces. But I wasn’t that crazy. Not yet, anyhow. Quinn had given me his cell phone number and I called to tell him when to show up. At seven-thirty I pushed open the glass door to my apartment building and strode out into the chilly night air on my three-inch heels. He was waiting for me. When he smiled, I could see his brand-new fangs. Guess we were in the same boat when it came to developing early, thanks to Thierry’s full-strength blood. He looked good, too. Some men clean up well, and Michael Quinn was one of them. He wore a dark blue suit with a crisp white shirt underneath, open at the collar. The color of the suit brought out his gorgeous blue eyes. His sandy blond hair was combed back off his face, and as I got closer, I noticed he was wearing my favorite Calvin Klein men’s cologne.
Still didn’t excuse him for almost killing me twice. But it was a nice start. We took a cab to the CN Tower, then gave Amy’s name at the reservation desk and were ushered past the tourist crowds to the elevator reserved especially for restaurant patrons. I’d been there a few times before, so it was all no big deal, but Quinn looked amazed as the elevator rose high into the sky. The hostess showed us through the busy restaurant to Amy’s table, which was against the curved window that looked down at the city lights below. She sat there all alone, napkin in lap, sipping a glass of white wine. When she saw us, she got to her feet and gave me a hug. She wore a sea green sparkly dress and the earrings she’d bought the other day at the mall. Her light blond hair was pinned back from her face with matching sparkly green clips.
“You look amazing,” she said. “And, Quinn, it’s good to see you again.”
Quinn smiled back at her. “You too.” I’d told him to be on his best behavior since Amy didn’t exactly know about my secret identity as one of Toronto’s best-dressed monsters.
“Peter’s still at work. But he said he’d get here as soon as possible.”
“Overtime?” I glanced down at my watch. “Dedicated guy. What does he do for a living, anyhow?”
“Um.” Amy frowned. “Not totally sure about that. I think it has something to do with pest control.”
I nodded. “That sounds sexy.”
We sat down at the table.
“So, what do you do for a living, Quinn?” Amy asked.
“Coincidentally enough,” Quinn said, “I used to do a little pest control myself.”
“Really?”
I kicked him under the table.
“What is it about that business that makes you work such long hours?” Amy asked.
Quinn ignored my dirty look. “Dedication to a job done right, mostly.”
“Did you find it dangerous?”
“Dangerous?”
“It’s just that Peter keeps getting hurt. I’m worried about him. Every time I see him, he has a new bump or bruise.”
“Accident-prone,” I said. “Or a really badass cockroach. Hey, let’s change the subject, shall we? Talking about work is depressing for an unemployed slob like myself.”
“Sure, no problem,” Amy said. “Quinn, have you lived in Toronto long?”