the Cup.” He leans in close. “That’s where the riff-raff hang out.”
I open my mouth, but don’t know what to say to that. Angelo rescues me. “Well, Blakely, I need to get these ladies settled. We’ll see you soon.”
Before we can get away, Blakely turns to Bilda. “Hello, my lady. Aren’t you a pretty one?”
She pauses, mouth open, and then I see a blush creeping up from the collar of her simple blouse. She giggles sweetly when he takes her hand and kisses her fingers, and I swear I think she’s about to curtsy, too. Instead she says, “I’m Bilda,” in the funniest little voice and bows back at him. It’s like watching a movie from the thirties.
I’m watching all of this with a sort of fascinated grin on my face, and when I catch sight of Angelo I see that he’s grinning, too.
My mother, a pretty one?
I mean, she is pretty, in a sixty-eight year old kind of way, but she’s also my mom. I study Blakely more closely and see that he’s probably her age. Is she going to end up with a boyfriend?
Angelo’s gaze is more calculating now. Before I can say anything, he says, “Blakely? I just had the perfect idea.”
Blakely and my mother both turn to him.
“Why don’t you show Bilda around, while I take Trinket here to her new office?”
“Uhhh...” I look at Angelo suspiciously.
But Blakely is already standing taller. “It would be my pleasure.” He turns to Bilda. “If you’re agreeable, of course.”
“I’m not sure that’s -,” I start, but Blakely waves away my impending protest.
“I promise I’ll take good care of our newest town treasure,” he says. Mom giggles again, and I glare at her. Discreetly. She ignores me. “She can go with me to lock up my shop and then we’ll take the grand tour. What say we meet at the Cup in...two hours? Make it three? Is that enough time, Angelo?”
“Three is perfect, and that’ll be great, my friend.”
I stare at him. He just said that my new office is two blocks away. Why will this take three hours?
I watch Blakely take my mother’s hand and lead her away. They do look cute together, with his fancy-ish clothes and her ankle-length skirt flaring a little in the breeze. He’s leaning close and whispering something into her ear.
She looks fine, so why do I have a bad feeling about this?
“Come on, let’s go,” Angelo says, taking my arm and steering me down the street after them. “I’m anxious for you to meet Maggie.”
I resist for a minute, remembering the odd silky energy I was feeling earlier, right as Blakely showed up. “Angelo? What kind of supernatural is Blakely?”
His pressure on my arm keeps me walking. “He’s the vampire I told you about, actually.”
I stop dead. That’s what the slick, sensual feeling was, the one I didn’t recognize. “You let my mother wander off with a vampire?”
“Shh,” he says, wincing a little when two pretty teenage shifter girls turn to stare at us before moving on. “It’s no big deal. Blakely is a nice man.”
I want to kick him in the shins. “Can you swear to that on my mother’s life?”
“Yes. I can.” He lets go of my arm and rubs his face with both hands. “Listen to me, Trinket. Jagged Grove is a peaceful place, and the people here aren’t criminals. I’ve checked out every resident here personally - it’s part of my job. Does that make you feel better?”
“I don’t know.”
He shakes his head, and to my surprise I suddenly feel bad for him. He’s trying. He really is, and I’m forgetting my promise to try and look on the bright side.
“But he’s a vampire.” I look after them, but they have disappeared.
“He also loves dragons, has the coolest shop in town, and likes to practice his macramé skills.”
“A vampire that likes to macramé?”
“Yes. Stop pigeonholing people, Trinket. Stop judging this town before you even know anything about it. Please?” Somehow, he’s looking all sweet and sexy and sad at once as his eyes search my
I open my mouth, but don’t know what to say to that. Angelo rescues me. “Well, Blakely, I need to get these ladies settled. We’ll see you soon.”
Before we can get away, Blakely turns to Bilda. “Hello, my lady. Aren’t you a pretty one?”
She pauses, mouth open, and then I see a blush creeping up from the collar of her simple blouse. She giggles sweetly when he takes her hand and kisses her fingers, and I swear I think she’s about to curtsy, too. Instead she says, “I’m Bilda,” in the funniest little voice and bows back at him. It’s like watching a movie from the thirties.
I’m watching all of this with a sort of fascinated grin on my face, and when I catch sight of Angelo I see that he’s grinning, too.
My mother, a pretty one?
I mean, she is pretty, in a sixty-eight year old kind of way, but she’s also my mom. I study Blakely more closely and see that he’s probably her age. Is she going to end up with a boyfriend?
Angelo’s gaze is more calculating now. Before I can say anything, he says, “Blakely? I just had the perfect idea.”
Blakely and my mother both turn to him.
“Why don’t you show Bilda around, while I take Trinket here to her new office?”
“Uhhh...” I look at Angelo suspiciously.
But Blakely is already standing taller. “It would be my pleasure.” He turns to Bilda. “If you’re agreeable, of course.”
“I’m not sure that’s -,” I start, but Blakely waves away my impending protest.
“I promise I’ll take good care of our newest town treasure,” he says. Mom giggles again, and I glare at her. Discreetly. She ignores me. “She can go with me to lock up my shop and then we’ll take the grand tour. What say we meet at the Cup in...two hours? Make it three? Is that enough time, Angelo?”
“Three is perfect, and that’ll be great, my friend.”
I stare at him. He just said that my new office is two blocks away. Why will this take three hours?
I watch Blakely take my mother’s hand and lead her away. They do look cute together, with his fancy-ish clothes and her ankle-length skirt flaring a little in the breeze. He’s leaning close and whispering something into her ear.
She looks fine, so why do I have a bad feeling about this?
“Come on, let’s go,” Angelo says, taking my arm and steering me down the street after them. “I’m anxious for you to meet Maggie.”
I resist for a minute, remembering the odd silky energy I was feeling earlier, right as Blakely showed up. “Angelo? What kind of supernatural is Blakely?”
His pressure on my arm keeps me walking. “He’s the vampire I told you about, actually.”
I stop dead. That’s what the slick, sensual feeling was, the one I didn’t recognize. “You let my mother wander off with a vampire?”
“Shh,” he says, wincing a little when two pretty teenage shifter girls turn to stare at us before moving on. “It’s no big deal. Blakely is a nice man.”
I want to kick him in the shins. “Can you swear to that on my mother’s life?”
“Yes. I can.” He lets go of my arm and rubs his face with both hands. “Listen to me, Trinket. Jagged Grove is a peaceful place, and the people here aren’t criminals. I’ve checked out every resident here personally - it’s part of my job. Does that make you feel better?”
“I don’t know.”
He shakes his head, and to my surprise I suddenly feel bad for him. He’s trying. He really is, and I’m forgetting my promise to try and look on the bright side.
“But he’s a vampire.” I look after them, but they have disappeared.
“He also loves dragons, has the coolest shop in town, and likes to practice his macramé skills.”
“A vampire that likes to macramé?”
“Yes. Stop pigeonholing people, Trinket. Stop judging this town before you even know anything about it. Please?” Somehow, he’s looking all sweet and sexy and sad at once as his eyes search my
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