Stacy shook her head. "Wow. Not even slightly. You didn't mean it. I want an apology that you mean."
I took a step in her direction just as Amy called my name, and I glanced over at her.
"Sarah, what do you think of this?" She held up a necklace that had a big early-Madonna-
like bejeweled cross on it.
I immediately added to my growing list of curse side-effects:
Extreme aversion to crosses. EXCRUCIATING.
The cross turned a blinding white color like a tiny death-sun and sent out waves of agony directly toward my eyeballs.
"Put that thing away!" I yelled at her, falling to my knees and covering my eyes.
The light disappeared and Amy rushed to my side. "Oh, my God. Sarah, I'm sorry! I didn't even think about it."
"It's okay," I said weakly. "Just don't do it again. Please."
I looked up at the entrance to the store but Stacy was gone. I staggered to my feet and ran outside looking in all directions.
That bitch. She'd completely disappeared.
I glanced off to the side to see George and Butch discussing something obviously more important than keeping an eye out for the witch who'd ruined my life. They looked at me.
"What?" they said in unison.
Panic clutched at my chest. I wanted this curse gone. I hated it. I hated everything about it. It was completely ruining my life.
I swallowed past the tears that wanted to fall and went back into the store, got the clerk to come out of the back, and Amy and I walked out five minutes later with two lovely matching diamond pendant necklaces.
Sure it was stealing, but at the moment I didn't really give a rat's ass.
I also kept the bathrobe. So sue me.
We arrived at Haven at a little after nine o'clock, so it was open for business. A scattering of customers sat at the tables, sipping on their drinks in the upscale club and listened to a mixture of jazz and contemporary tunes. Two waiters—both of whom I knew had already landed jobs elsewhere in readiness for the club's transferring ownership—strolled the floor.
Since it was Friday it wouldn't take long before the club was completely filled, as vampires of all professions came in to chill out after a long week at their day jobs.
I currently didn't have a day job, but I sure as hell needed to chill out.
Thierry wasn't sitting in his usual booth; instead he stood at the door scanning the entrance for our arrival. He came directly toward me as we entered the club and seemed about to hug or kiss me, but he didn't. In fact, he took a step back from me.
I swallowed hard. He was afraid to touch me in case we went all vampire-Sid-and-Nancy on everyone. It figured that the moment Thierry was okay with public displays of affection, they were off the menu.
"I was worried," he said, his face tight. "When the phone went dead—"
I held up a hand. "Stacy took off. I don't know where she went."
His jaw tightened. "At least we know she's definitely in the city."
"At least." I felt a tap on my back and turned to see Amy with her arms out.
"Somebody need a hug?" she asked.
I nodded and hugged her. It was better than nothing.
She patted my back. "Just don't bite me."
I pulled back. "Why do you have to say something like that?"
"Better safe than sorry."
George and Butch moved off to the side of the bar and ordered drinks before the bartender moved over to me.
"Hey, Sarah!" he said happily. His name was Ron and he was a big fan of the Slayer of
Slayers. He thought I was some kind of hero. I hadn't tried to change his mind yet.
"Order something to drink," Thierry suggested. "Have you had any blood lately?"
I bit my bottom lip and glanced at his neck. "Not since last night."
His expression darkened and he clasped his hands behind his back. "I am finding it difficult not to touch you. Especially after last night."
I blinked. "Seriously?"
He nodded gravely. "It is troubling."
I let that disturbing, yet also slightly exciting, knowledge settle over me, and then I told him about my reaction to the cross jewelry as well as my mind-control abilities. I left off the part about the unpaid-for merchandise.
"Stacy wants me to apologize to her." I turned toward the bar and leaned heavily against it. "I'm getting the feeling that she won't be receptive to helping us out until I do that. But
I don't know how to get in touch with her."
"We now know she's definitely in Toronto. It's only a matter of time before we find her or she attempts to contact you again."
I felt his hand at the small of my back then, and I looked up at him. Nothing happened other than the nice warm imprint of his touch. I smiled and slid my right hand up the center of his black shirt to his chest. "See? We're touching and there's no vampire apocalypse. Everything's going to be okay."
"Perhaps I've simply been overthinking the situation." He took my hand in his and kissed it. "I picked up your school yearbooks. They're on the desk in my office."
"Thank you."
"Now, if you'll excuse me for a moment I must speak with Butch."
He left me at the bar and Ron set up three shots of B-Positive in front of me and I took a moment to toss them each back. It was my favorite blood type. I continued to hold on to my theory that it would make me "Be Positive." Ten weeks with fangs and I was still waiting for the positive energy to kick in.