“I know. But I don’t want a constant reminder of what I am . . . what Barry is . . . so George gave me his dentist’s number, and she managed to fit me in this afternoon. She specializes in fang reduction and porcelain veneers.” She reached up and touched her teeth. “I feel normal again.”
“Well, if that’s all it takes.”
“A hundred bucks. She says I have to come back every other month for fang reduction maintenance.
Plus, apparently I have a couple of cavities. Which sucks.” She started to cry again.
“So it’s your big day tomorrow, isn’t it?” I said, then looked over at George making the cut sign against his throat like “say no more.” I guess he was in on Barry’s big birthday surprise, too.
She sniffed. “Yeah. Happy stupid birthday to me.”
“I still haven’t bought your gift yet. Any suggestions?”
“The last two months of my life back.”
I scratched the top of Barkley’s head. His tail thwacked happily against the floor. “I’m already on the waiting list for that one. Other than that.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe some cheap jewelry. I know you’re on a budget. Plus, with what happened to your apartment, you have way more important things to think about than getting me a gift.”
Understatement. Definitely. Just thinking about it made me cringe.
“More important? Me? Never. Now, I believe you said something about getting severely drunk?”
George came fully into the living room. “We’re going out tonight to a club. I’m not working—hallelujah
—Amy needs some cheering up. You . . . ” he paused as he looked me up and down, “You look like you’ve seen better days.”
I gave him a look, but then realized he was telling the truth.
His expression became more serious. “By the way, we were going to discuss your little love bite there?
You were asleep last night when I got back. Still asleep when I left this morning. Maybe I should have been concerned, but I did have things to do.”
I touched my neck and wished for the hundredth time today that I was wearing a scarf. “Nothing to discuss. The matter has been dealt with.”
He looked unconvinced. “If you say so.”
“So where are we going? And please don’t tell me Haven, because I’ve seen enough of that place for one immortal lifetime.”
George made a gagging sound. “No. I’m sick to death of vamp clubs. We’re going to a human club. A new dance club in Queen’s Quay called the Liar’s Club. The plan is to dance like fools and drink ourselves stupid.”
I sighed. “If only alcohol could do it anymore.”
George grinned. “Well you’re in luck. Because I managed to score a little contraband.”
“What does that mean?”
He disappeared into the kitchen and emerged with a small silver flask. “This is like gold, but I’m willing to share with my two favorite girls. Since they’re not here, you two will have to do.”
“Very funny. What is that?”
“It’s called Moonshine. But it’s not like regular homemade booze. It’s . . . very special. And it works on vampires just like hard liquor works on humans.”
I eyed the silver flask. “Moonshine, huh? Where did you get it?”
“If I told you I’d have to kill you. But then I’d have to get in line, wouldn’t I? So are you in?”
I sighed and thought about it for a moment. Hunters of the world focused on finding me and killing me in a spectacular fashion. The leader of all hunters allegedly on his way to Toronto to have me all to himself before he refocused his attentions on hunting down Thierry. And I was planning on heading out for a night on the town of drinking and dancing?
Sounded like a plan. Bring it on.
Later that night I found myself in the dark, noisy interior of the Liar’s Club. It was ten o’clock and I had spent a good chunk of time getting dressed in my new outfit, a short silver skirt and a flowy white blouse that rivaled last night’s black dress for its plunging neckline. I wore enough makeup to make me look like a streetwalker. That is, if everyone around me, both women and some of the men, weren’t wearing a similar amount. Amy had helped me apply it. Without my shard I’d been relying on pressed powder and lip gloss to see me through. Otherwise I might end up poking my eye out with a mascara wand.
I really had to save up for another shard.
Amy was dressed to kill, though considering her mood, I hoped not literally. Her skirt was even shorter than mine, and her top so low-cut that you could almost see her brand-new belly-button ring (a diamond-studded bat). Her hair was sleek and very blond and made her stand out in the crowd whenever she went under a light. She looked like a slutty angel.
“If only Barry could see me now!” she shouted above the techno thump of the dance music.
“Yeah, I think he might lose a few more inches in height.”
“It would serve him right!”
Janie and Lenny were over in the middle of the throng of people crowding the bar keeping an eye on us party monsters. It was a lot different from Haven, mostly because it was very busy. Sweaty bodies were everywhere. And from the smell, I could tell that 99 percent of them were human. Humans just have a different smell than vampires, something I hadn’t even realized before, since I didn’t hang out with humans much—if at all—anymore, and especially not in these numbers. And it wasn’t just sweat. It wasn’t unpleasant. Just the opposite, in fact. It was slightly nutty, almost like a peanut butter smell. If I gave it any thought at all—which of course I hadn’t—I’d say it was an appetizing smell that made my fangs ache slightly.
I’d always loved peanut butter.
But that would be a wrong thing to think. And extremely disturbing, given the week I’d had.
So, knowing that we were surrounded by regular Joes, that pretty much left me, Amy, and George as the friendly neighborhood vampires in residence.
We secured drinks, and George tipped his flask into each of them, depositing a few drops of the
Moonshine. And then we went to dance.
After a few loud, throbbing dance tunes, I was feeling a little more at ease. Not much, but a little. I used to go out clubbing a lot more before my vampification. It was fun. A good chance to forget your worries and dance your butt off after a hard week at the day job, knowing that nothing outside the dance floor mattered. The world came to a stop for fun, fun, fun.
Then again, I was much more of a bubblehead back then. Not being hunted helped my mind stay free of anything but the day-to-day issues of fashion, cute guys, and having a good time.
Aka the good old days. Sort of.
Therewere a few things about clubbing I’d never been particularly fond of, though.
Some guy had sidled up behind me and was now grinding his hips against me. “Hey, baby. Wanna dance?”
I glanced over my shoulder at him. He was your typical club rat . . . sweaty, yet peanut-butter-esque,