Chapter 11

It turned out my hearing was more precise than ever, I realized it wasn’t only Pepper I heard arriving. In a twist of fate, the rest of them had come in as well, letting the DJ spin the floor before we opened.

Just then Robert and Tracy walked in arm-in-arm, laughing. Their voices were perfectly in-tune and made a warm harmony together. Mitch and Pepper followed, deep in a very animated conversation that made them rather interesting to watch.

Geoffrey said, “They’re discussing World of Warcraft. Online they appear to be arch enemies, but actually work together to conquer other players. Strategy games are a hobby for both of them.” He grinned in affection toward them. He truly loved them as his own family.

Pepper spied us and plopped down on my side. Robert pulled up a chair as Mitch and Tracy went elsewhere, discussing music for tonight’s set.

“Pepper and I were bantering around an idea for tonight.” He looked at Pepper, who winked at him, grinning the entire time. I smelled something fishy.

He started, “Since it’s Halloween and the club is decked out, why don’t we have a guest player with us for tonight’s set?”

Pepper piped up, “Please, Geoffrey? Just one night. Can we please, pretty please?”

“We’ve got dozens of costumes left over from the old days,” added Robert,
playing along with Pepper’s excitement.

“Besides, no one will notice us tonight, we’ll actually blend in for once. Oh come on, please? Let’s have some fun.” Her lower lip pouted out all sad-like, but the twinkle in her eye gave her enthusiasm away.

With a roll of his eyes Geoffrey gave in. “There’s no fighting you two when you tag team me. Fine… go, but hey, not too gory. Last time Mitch looked too much like a monster, all right? We want people to enjoy us, not be terrified.” His body laughed softly while a grin appeared on his face, but his face showed he had a question.

“Pepper, who did you have in mind as a ‘guest’… ” was all he got out as she turned to me with a huge grin of her own.

“Megan, that includes you too.” She stood, taking my hand.

“Um… hold on. What do you mean, ‘me too’? I have to work, I don’t know what Ashleigh will say, and I don’t have a costume.” I stammered over my words, trying to come up with an excuse that would stick. Normally I just faded into the woodwork, though I did love Halloween and what came with it: costumes, make-up, the whole thing. I’d dressed up every year when I was a kid. For one night a year I would pretend I was someone else.

Geoffrey knew I didn’t like the spotlight being on me, but I didn’t want any problems between him and Pepper. So I sucked it up and tried to roll with it. Maybe I could have some fun.

“It’s your choice, Megan,” he added. “Pepper likes to play dress-up. Don’t let her guilt you into it.”

“It’ll be fun, Geoffrey. You know it. Besides she could pretend to be… one of us?” She raised her model-perfect eyebrows into a question.

“Wait a minute. You want me to dress up like a… vampire?” I gagged on my words, tried to giggle, but failed miserably.

Geoffrey’s face went stone-cold. He stood up, towering over Pepper.

“That’s too much, Pepper. That’s not even a joke,” he all but growled through his tensed jaw. Mitch came over and stood next to Pepper, obviously wanting to know what happened. He placed his hand on her shoulder. She smiled at him and winked.

“Not one of us, silly,” her voice chimed as she patted my hand reassuringly. She looked completely innocent.

“Oh that’s good. I was beginning to worry there, for a minute.” I said, relieved.

“No, she could be a singer… with the band!” She smiled her brightest smile at me, all perky.

My eyes bugged out! I temporarily lost my ability to speak.

“Oh,no you don’t. Not me. Not on the stage. Not in this lifetime,” I stammered, backtracking out of my seat. I was truly nervous. “Pepper, you’re going to make my life very uncomfortable.”

Geoffrey looked at me with sympathy in his eyes. “It’s up to you, Megan. I’m sure Pepper’s intentions are harmless. It’s whatever you want,” he said, placing his arm around my shoulder, kissing my hair. His turn to relax and mine to rein in my freaking-out abilities.

“Meg, it’s Halloween. Come on. Relax and have some fun. Please-pretty-please?” she all but begged me.

“I don’t know, Pepper. I’m not one for being the center of a crowd. I’m more of a ‘hang on the fringe’ kind of gal.” True terror was turning in my stomach, mingled with guilt. Maybe she was right. A little fun couldn’t hurt anything, and I did trust them in a way I hadn’t done with anyone else.

“I promise not to go overboard. We could hide you in back with me on the keys,” she explained, trying to hide her eagerness.

“I’ll have to ask Ashleigh. It’s supposed to be packed tonight. I… I don’t want to leave them shorthanded.”

“Oh just one set? Please?” She pouted so well her lower lip quivered, her best imitation of a toddler.

“Besides, I get so lonely by myself all the way in the back.” Her big blue eyes got all fluttery and sad… yeah, right. She was trying to be sweet and innocent, but I knew better.

“Okay, okay already. Fine.” I caved in and smiled. “You got me, but I have to clear it with Ash before anything else.” I didn’t know what Ash’s idea of personal life-versus-work was, but I was hoping to use her as my out. I was about to call her when Pepper whipped out her cell and had the number dialed before I could blink. Cool, I’ll let her deal with Ash. God only knows what her reaction would be.

I listened to her gush and plead like a kid begging her mom for a new toy and then with a gleeful “Thank you,” she flipped the phone into her pocket. She grabbed my hand and dragged me to her dressing room.

“Bye, you two,” I heard Geoffrey say as we went down the hallway. With a click she locked the dressing room door.

“Just in case you try to escape,” she said, and smiled brightly.

“Like I could get away from you.” There was a real factor of the unknown that I was uncomfortable with. I did my best to think nothing of it. She plopped me down in front of a huge double sink with a marble countertop. The lights were bright and reminded me of a photo shoot set-up.

“What exactly are you planning on? Plastic surgery?” I asked, gawking at all the products laid out across the counter. I could see hair coloring, three different-sized curling irons, several cans of AquaNet hairspray, make-up in every shade imaginable, and brushes to apply it all.

So not only was she doing an extreme make-over on me, she’d work on wiping out the ozone layer single-handedly with the hairspray—lovely.

“Oh, this is nothing. You should see my set-up at the house, it’s much more complete. This is just the fun stuff.” She laughed gleefully, grabbing a jet black cover cape, placing it over my shoulders, and securing it with a silver clasp in front.

She and I had never actually been alone for any length of time, and my own questions were coming to the surface.

“So…” I chose one I hoped would be easy, “…how long have you been singing? You have a beautiful voice.”

“Thanks, pretty much all my life. I started out during the prohibition era.” She picked up the curling iron and slid it over my hair, repeating the process over and over.

“Around the twenties, then?” I asked, as she turned me in the chair, spraying AquaNet. She looked so young: to think she was from that time was a challenge to wrap my brain around. I tried not to squirm, my anxiety was flexing its muscle—but I was able to wrangle it.

“Yeah, give or take a few years. I don’t remember very clearly. After a while human memories fade.”

What an odd statement, “human memories”. What other kind are there?

“Is that when you met Geoffrey?” I asked, hoping I wasn’t being nosy.

“Not directly, no. But I am here today because of him.” She pushed in a bobby pin. I asked the obvious follow-up question.

“How so?”

She seemed to put her thoughts in order as she reached for another section of hair.

“I’d been badly injured by someone…” she hesitated, which piqued my curiosity, “…and he saved me, gave me my second chance at life.”

Her smile beamed even while talking about dying and being turned.

“So …he turned you then, I take it?”

She added more curls as she answered. “I look at it as being saved. I don’t recall much of that time, the transition is what he called it…”

She reclined the chair and kept working on me. Over the next hour she pulled, sprayed, powdered, and re-sprayed my face and hair. Her touch was light and gentle, surprisingly so, considering what she had to work with. My hair has never held a curl for long, and with my pale-on-pale complexion it would take a lot to give me color.

It was surprising to find it so easy to talk with her.

“When I awoke to my new life he showed me kindness that I’d never known existed. He helped me learn to adapt to this life. Geoffrey guided and mentored me. I think of him as the big brother I never had.”

“I remember you saying that.”

As I listened to her, it dawned on me that I’d never sat with anyone other than Ashleigh just to talk, to share stories. I realized that my world was beginning to change, something I hadn’t banked on. Change and I were never best of friends, but something inside me was growing and maturing, whether it was this link thing Geoffrey kept speaking of, or myself as a person. Maybe I was ready for the rest of the world. I’d started hoping, started caring about them, but I was still hesitant about opening myself up to others. Maybe in time my own doubt would fade.

With a quick sigh, Pepper said, “Okay, let’s go play dress-up!”

Her closet could be classified as a small department store of her own. A huge armoire was filled to capacity with intimate apparel of every color, fabric, and shape imaginable. She quickly chose her own, then turned her gaze to me, making what looked like size calculations with her hands, then reached in a different drawer.

I blushed instantly. I’d never even in my wildest dreams thought of wearing a deep dark-blue strapless bustier with what looked like a matching sequined garter belt. This was going to be harder than I thought. Just the beginnings of this outfit was making me blush.

I stood there holding the flimsy garments, feeling my cheeks grow an ever- increasing shade of scarlet. I was longing for my old worn jeans and oversized sweatshirt to hide in.

“Let’s see, okay, let’s get stockings.” She turned to leave, oblivious to my embarrassing silence. She turned back to me with a look.

“What?” she finally said aloud, still trying to pull me along.

“You actually want me to wear this? Pepper…” I swallowed loudly, trying to clear my clogged throat, my nerves rising. “Pepper, you may not know this, but I’m the wallflower, the paneling no one notices. This alone…” I held up the bustier “…screams, ‘Hey, look at me!’”

“Megan, these go under the outfits. No one will know…unless you tell a certain someone.” She winked at me, causing even more butterflies to take flight in my already nervous stomach.

She turned around, and began to quickly sift through skirts hanging in what looked like order of length. She held out two choices. “This one’s for me and this one’s is for you.”

Hers was an ultra-mini. Mine was a long skirt, good. Then I took a better look at it. It had a slit clear up the side to my hip. Oh God, give me strength to make it through this.

“You’re serious?” I reached for the skirt and paused. Just take it and don’t think about it, I kept repeating in my head. I turned it around, hoping to find the rest of it hiding in the folds of fabric but no, of course not.

“You want to trade?” was her perky reply, which promptly made me hold tightly to the skirt, praying she wouldn’t whisk it away.

Okay… I had to breathe…. relax. It’s just one night, and besides I’ll be in the back, way in the back, near the stage wing where I could easily dart off to if I lost it.

Then as if on cue, “And no, you may not dart off stage and leave me by myself. Not tonight.” She smiled her innocent smile. How does she do that? I had to ask.

“Okay, how’d you know what I was thinking just now? The darting off stage thing.”

“The more I’m around you the more tuned I am to you. Besides you’re predictable. You don’t like all the attention. Plus now I’m assuming Geoffrey hasn’t told you about my little gift.”

She tapped her temple. I thought for a moment she meant she and I were linked and again she answered my thought before I voiced it.

“No, we’re not linked.” She paused while choosing two very sheer long-sleeved shirts, one red and one black, tossing me the black one.

“When I was human I had a very good sense of reading people, their emotions, and how their bodies reacted. But as I got to be a teenager I discovered if I really
concentrated on one person I could see their emotions, know how they’d react. Sometimes I can even feel if they’re ill.”

“So let me get this straight.” I began to put my set of ridiculous clothes on. “You’re saying you can see my emotions?”

“Not all the time. It’s only been recently with you. It was bound to happen, but Geoffrey asked me to give you some privacy.”

“Is it that easy?” I asked as I was trying to wedge myself into the bustier. “Is it something you can just turn off?”

“No it’s not like a switch, but with you I swear your shyness acts like a filter. Sometimes I just get images, like flashes of color.” She zipped me up. The black skirt hugged every curve.

She turned me around, taking a quick glance down at my now very authentic band outfit. She seemed puzzled. Maybe I put something on inside out, or knowing my luck, backwards.

“What’s wrong?” I asked automatically. I turned to look in the floor-length
mirror, pleasantly surprised that I looked halfway decent. With the heavy makeup and my hair all done up I didn’t look my usual mousy self.

“You need something that pops… right here!” She pointed toward my increased cleavage. Thanks to the bustier, I had cleavage.

She turned to a huge metallic case sitting on the lower shelf. It looked like one of those cases you’d find a secret agent handcuffed to. She popped the lock and the lid swung open.

Inside, nestled in thick black velvet, sat dozens of pieces of the most exquisite jewelry I’d ever laid my eyes on­—and I thought Ashleigh’s collection was large.

“Where did you get all of these?” I gawked at piece after piece in the folds of the fabric.

“Well, I’ve had lots of time on my hands, and let’s just say a few suitors to boot! My man always gets me baubles. I’m a sucker for jewelry, but I can’t seem to find what I’m looking for…” She kept lifting tray after tray out, looking for something.

I looked in the mirror, not knowing what might look good with this outfit, but I gave it a shot. My outfit was black and dark blue, sheer, lacy, shimmery. Then I knew what would go perfectly but it wasn’t here, instead it was back at my place: the beautiful blue sapphire that Ash had given me.

“Hey wait…” I said with excitement. “I have just the thing you’re looking for but it’s back at my place.” I couldn’t keep the enthusiasm out of my voice. I was suddenly excited about adding at least this small token of me to the outfit.

We both glanced at the clock, knowing it would be a close call to get there and back before opening. But I so wanted to add something of my own to this costume.

“You look awesome!” she gushed at her handiwork. I had to give her kudos; I really did look like a member of their band.

“Let’s go out, show the boys, and then get back to my place before Ash notices.” I said, actually more excited than I had anticipated.

We both looked down to our feet, just staring. “Whoops…almost forgot. The best part, shoes!” she said as we dashed back through the closet to the section
containing hundreds of pairs of shoes, sandals, boots, you name it.

Of course she would choose the frightfully tallest pair of platforms, black lace- ups with red stitching covering them. As soon as I blinked she had them laced up, and now was a bit taller than me. She looked absolutely outrageous. My own black biker boots with silver buckles would complete my outfit perfectly.

“I’ll grab my boots when we hit my place. For now these are good.” I wanted my favorite old worn-down Converses with the toes starting to wear out.

We came to the control room, where the door stood open. As we entered, Robert and Mitch stopped dead in mid-note and stared. Geoffrey had his back to us. Geoffrey had kept playing but his head was turning ever so slowly.

Pepper giggled, yet I felt nervous. I didn’t want him to turn around. What if he didn’t like it? But then again, what if he did like it? The embarrassment alone would sink my night for sure.

In a blink of an eye I thought the words that I so desperately wanted to say out loud. I was holding off the panic the best I could.

Don’t turn… please?

Instantly he seemed to freeze. I could even tell he’d stopped breathing, for I couldn’t pick up any scent in the air through our link. I could feel his wanting to move, to come to me, but the fear of humiliation was stronger, so I resisted him.

Pepper took my hand.

“Hey, what’s going on?” She snapped her fingers at me, getting my attention.

“You’re giving off some seriously green waves of nasty. Don’t pay the boys any attention. They like to ogle a lot at gorgeous women!” She playfully blew kisses and winks.

All the playfulness of dress-up from the bathroom evaporated as my stomach clenched.

“I don’t get ogled at.” I swallowed hard, trying to keep the bile down. He put down his guitar without turning toward me. If this was just a taste of tonight, I was going to fail miserably.

Pepper gestured to me to stand back-to-back with her. I tried to keep what smile I could muster in place, trying to play the part. This was the reason I stayed in the shadows.

“Shadows are to hide in… my love. You shine like my own midnight diamond, lighting up my darkness,” he whispered to me as he slowly opened his eyes.

Is it too much? I silently asked him, waiting for him to say or do something.

“So, boys, what do you think?” Pepper motioned with her arms, demonstrating a deep bow, she urged me to do the same. Except mine wasn’t quiet as graceful.

In perfecting timing they both rolled their tongues and purred, “Purrrrfect!” I took a small step back, not used to their reactions to me.

“Megan, it’s a good thing, believe us. You two look great!” I felt my anxiety relax a fraction. Geoffrey put down his guitar and took my hands. As soon as we touched, my nerves were gone.

“Boys, can you give us a moment?” They all grinned, leaving the room to us. Pepper winked at me on her way out.

“You look absolutely smashing.” He slowly turned me in a circle, smiling, and then reaching down, he gently kissed my cheek.

“Thanks, it’s a bit much, but hey, Halloween only comes once a year, right?” I played it off, fidgeting with my glasses. He took them off and lifted my chin with his nimble finger. He looked at me with a quizzical look.

“Is there something you needed to ask?”

“Um… oh yeah. Is there any way we can jet back to my place? I have a necklace I want to wear tonight.”

“Of course, right this way, my lady.” He gestured to the door.

“Enough of that already. I’m not a lady.” We skirted around the stage, out of sight range of Ashleigh talking up the bartenders about checking ID’s.

You are in my eyes. His silent words made me blush as we got in the car and headed up the street. Thanks to the back alleys, we got there quickly. I went to open my door, and he was already there, his usual public mask slipping, just a minute amount.

“You don’t have to come in. I’ll just be a second. I’m grabbing my necklace and throwing my bag in the door.”

He chuckled, leaning against the Mustang, looking totally sinful in his tight black leather pants and matching jacket.

“Are you sure you can get on the elevator and not trip? Or hurt yourself?”

“Yes I’ll be fine, smart ass.” I punched his shoulder, trying to be funny. Instead of a laugh I got a sore hand. I gotta remember not to do that.

He looked at my hand with raised eyebrows. “Are you sure about that?” Yes, it was silly, but I couldn’t resist: I stuck my tongue out at him.

“Tease,” he mockingly called out. I rolled my eyes as I made my way in.

The elevator doors opened as I grabbed my keys. Once inside my door I went straight to my bedroom, reaching for my dresser. In the dim light from the hallway I opened my mother’s heart-shaped jewelry box. My mother’s birthday had been on Valentines Day.

Nestled in the bottom of the box was the pendant. I flipped the bathroom light on, blinking at the brightness. The clasp shut easily and I looked in the mirror. The pendant hung just right. I’d forgotten how blue it was.

I snapped the light off, grabbed my purse, and turned to close my door.

“Megan?”

I whipped around, startled by Chase’s appearance. I hadn’t expected to see him. He quickly pulled his own door closed.

“What’s up, Chase?” I locked my door, ready to go.

“Wow… I didn’t recognize you.” He stood there just staring at me, his eyes obviously taking in more than I was comfortable with. I’d forgotten I had my costume on.

“Yeah, well, it’s Halloween. What can I say? Pepper got a hold of me.” I floundered for words as his eyes swept up and down.

“Pepper MacAfee? From the band?” His eyes popped with questions.

“Yeah, she went a little overboard.” I rolled my eyes. I tried to glance nonchalantly at my watch. We were cutting it close, he’d better wrap it up.

Would you like some assistance with your admirer? I heard inside.

My eyes lifted to the elevator doors, and there he stood, in all his Halloween bad-boy glory. He’d put on his floor-length cape. It billowed behind him as he made his way toward us, stage strut and all.

I tore my eyes off of him long enough to notice Chase’s fifteenth-century friar’s robe costume. His blonde hair and blue eyes almost made him look like a young monk, all angelic.

“Cute costume, Chase.” I smiled politely.

“Ah… thanks. A bunch of us from my old frat house are going as the Benedictine Monks.” He reached up to the neckline, pulling at it. “But this wool on my neck is rough. I swear it’s going to make me bleed.” He chuckled.

I stifled the small giggle, tried to escape seeing the look on Geoffrey’s face.

I could alleviate his neck problem. He smiled innocently, as he slid up to my side, wrapping his arm around me.

“Oh, hi, Geoffrey,” Chase stuttered, taking a step back.

“Good evening, Chase,” he said ever-so-politely.

He turned to me, and jokingly said, “You know, you’re awfully short.”

“Oh crap, my boots. Thanks. I totally forgot.” I pushed the door open, quickly leaving the two of them in a Mexican standoff.

Boots, boots, where are those damn boots? Yes, here they were! I tried to speed-lace them up, and I could’ve sworn I’d left them in the other room.

I stepped out into the hallway with the polar opposites staring at each other. Chase was obviously much more unnerved. Geoffrey just grinned his beautiful bright whites, a little smug.

His eyes unmoving from Chase, he took my hand. “Ready to go, then?”

“Yep.” I rocked back on my heels, feeling the tension between them.

“Chase.” He nodded once.

“Geoffrey,” Chase squeaked out, then glanced at me. “See you there then. And Meg… you look great.”

Awkward!

“Well that was eye-opening, if I may say so,” he snarled as we got into his car.

“Oh my God, there was so much testosterone I was going to drown. What is it with you?”

He wove between two slower cars, making me very nervous. I caught him spying at me from the corner of my eye.

“My apologies. The more I’m with you, more of the human side of me resurfaces, and it’s not all sunbeams and rainbows.”

“Well it’s nice to hear that, actually.” He raised his eyebrow at my lame crack at wisdom.

“It’s nice to know that it’s in you.” We both smiled.

I was thinking of work as I got in the car, and that brought up a question, one that I’d filed away. But with tonight being Halloween, it itched to be asked.

“So how many sets will you be doing tonight?” The stop lights changed to red and we were waiting.

“Probably three or four, depends on how packed it is.” We moved forward through the green light as the last person scurried across the street in front of us.

“With tonight being Halloween, the place’ll be busy, no doubt. Lots of regulars, and a good-size portion of new customers. Ash is sure to love that.”

I had another question, but wasn’t sure how to bring it up.

“What are you tip-toeing around? You’ve got a question I can’t hear.” He glanced at me, and kissed our intertwined fingers, trying to relax me.

Okay I’ll just ask it; the curiosity getting the best of me.

Will there be others tonight? I silently asked. I felt a little embarrassed at not saying it aloud.

I looked down and fidgeted with my outfit. We’d stopped at another light.

“It’s all right if you ask, Meg. I’d rather you ask than assume something. Whatever questions you have, I’ll always answer truthfully. Even without our link I couldn’t lie to you. You mean too much to me to offend you by lying.”

“Thanks,” I said softly, looking up at him.

“You’re welcome. To answer your curiosity, yes. I’m sure some of the community will be there, but not until later on in the evening.”

A second question came to mind.

“Yes?” he asked, having heard my thought.

“About that, do they normally come in later? At first I thought I was imagining it, the first few weeks. The others, they come in around an hour or so before closing, right?”

“You are observant, I’ll give you that, and yes they do. They try to avoid being there in the thick of it. But if things get iffy,” his voice quoted the air as we parked in the back alley, “then we go downstairs where we can relax and take care of our…”

“Thirst?” I offered trying to relax his stiff words.

“Yes, thirst.”

He looked at me, waiting for the reaction that didn’t come. His words just brought more questions, no fear.

“You’re just full of inquiries tonight, aren’t you?” he smiled, pulling up one
corner of his delicious lips, momentarily distracting me. That would have to wait. I had one more question before we went inside.

“Downstairs, will I be able to come down to see you?” My own safety wasn’t my concern; my own burning curiosity was to go back down to where it all occurred, where the puzzle pieces had come together.

“Ah… yes. Well, not everyone who frequents downstairs is as well-behaved as we are. You understand that we don’t feed on your kind.” His voice was relaxed, but his eyes were just a bit tight with worry.

“The viruses we carry can be deadly, but there are those among us that look upon your kind, humans, as only that… food. We don’t. Only a select portion of others come to enjoy the company of humans.”

“So, let me see if I understand this. The downstairs is for vampires that want to mingle with humans, but they don’t feed on them.”

“Yes, but we still have to remain hidden. Those who come are restrained among humans. They can resist the aroma of fresh blood. Though don’t underestimate them, we are all still predators in the flesh.” His eyes held me in that statement, and I understood why. I needed to know this for my own protection. Yet I knew he’d never let anything happen to me. He smiled, having heard my thought.

As we pulled up to The Stage we saw the crowds had swelled, overflowing to the sidewalks. He felt my nerves kick into high gear.

“You can do this.”

“But I don’t like being on stage, in front of so many.” I was wishing for my own carved pumpkin and candy bowl at home right now.

“That’s not what I was talking about.” A childhood image of myself, dancing as a ghost, flashed before my eyes.

“Let’s go have fun!” His happiness and energy were instantly inviting. What could happen in a bar, on Halloween, with a bunch of vampires, right?

Let’s pretend I didn’t say that.