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Continuing her search for a place to stay, Kari found a place that rented apartments for a short term and decided an apartment might be a wiser option than staying in a hotel. She figured there would be fewer people coming and going. With that thought in mind, she booked a first-floor apartment with two bedrooms. Next, she booked her flight. Since she had never flown before, and was pretty sure she never would again, she decided to go all out and fly first class.
When all her reservations had been made, she switched off the computer, picked up the phone, and called Tricia's friend Mel.
"Hey, Kari," he said. "What can I do for you?"
"I was wondering if I could borrow your hearse for a week or so."
"Is it Halloween already?"
Kari laughed. "No, silly."
"Well, sure, when do you want to pick it up?"
"Next Monday afternoon, around one-thirty or so?"
"No problem. Do you want the coffin, too?"
"Oh, yes," she exclaimed, pleased to have solved two problems with one phone call.
"Allrighty, then. I'll be at work Monday, but I'll leave the hearse in the driveway. The keys will be under the mat on the back porch."
"Thanks, Mel. I'll leave the keys to my car there so you can move it or drive it."
"Right. So, what's up? Are you having a scary party or something?"
"Or something," Kari said, grinning inwardly. "And I'd appreciate it if you'd keep this to yourself."
"Will do, cupcake," Mel said. "Just keep it legal and drop the hearse off when you're done with it."
"I will. And thanks again."
Kari grew increasingly nervous as the day of departure grew closer. She had never been on an airplane before. Just thinking about it made her extremely nervous, almost as nervous as the thought of traveling with a vampire.
It gave her the creeps, thinking about Rourke lying as still as death inside a casket during the flight, dead but not dead. As near as she could figure, the flight would take something like fifteen hours. Fifteen hours. He wouldn't be asleep the whole time, but then, she supposed it wouldn't bother him to be awake inside the coffin any more than it would bother her to have to stay in bed for an extended length of time.
Her life had certainly gotten complicated, she mused. Sometimes she wished she had never bought that painting, never heard of Vilnius and his evil curse!
Needing to connect to something ordinary and uncomplicated, she went into the living room, curled up on the sofa, and called Tricia.
"Kari, hi. I was just going to call you!"
"Oh? What's up?"
"Nothing, I was just bored, and wondering how you and Mr. Tall, Blond, and Handsome were getting along."
"Just fine," Kari said lightly. "In fact, I'm going away with him for a few days."
Tricia laughed softly. "A little one-on-one time?"
"Tricia!"
"Well, why else would you be going away if it wasn't to get to know him better?"
Kari sighed in exasperation. "It's just a little vacation."
"Uh-huh. So, where are you going?"
"Romania."
"Romania!" Trish exclaimed. "Are you kidding me? I mean, Romania! Really, Kari, that doesn't sound like a very romantic place to me. Why not go to Rome? Or Paris?"
"Rourke's from Romania. Remember?"
"I know, but still..."
"I've been reading up on the place and it sounds fascinating. Lots of beautiful architecture and old churches, that kind of thing."
"Isn't Transylvania there?" Tricia asked, her voice betraying her lack of enthusiasm. "Isn't that where Dracula lived, or died, or whatever?"
"So they say."
"Well, stay away from those old tombs."
"Don't worry."
"Are you sure you don't want to vacation somewhere closer to home? I mean, what if you go all that way and then find out you two don't have as much in common as you seem to think, or you have a fight? You won't be able to make a graceful exit and head for home."
"I'll be fine, Trish. Sheesh. You sound like my mother."
"How soon are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow night."
"Well, since I can't talk you out of it, have fun. And be careful!"
"Yes, mom."
"I mean it, Kari," Tricia said soberly. "You haven't known him very long and now you're going off to a foreign country with him. The world's a scary place these days, so keep your eyes open and..."
"Be careful, I know. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"Do you need a ride to the airport?" Tricia asked.
"No, thanks, I've got it covered."
"Well, call me as soon as you get back, and I mean the very minute."
"I will, I promise."
"Send me a postcard. Oh, and be sure to take lots of pictures."
"Right. Talk to you soon."
Taking pictures was the last thing on Kari's mind. But now that Tricia had brought it up, Kari went searching for her digital camera.
She spent the rest of the day getting ready for the trip. She packed a suitcase for herself and another one for Rourke. He had told Kari that he thought she and Ana Luisa were about the same height and build, and with that thought in mind, Kari went to the mall and bought a loose-fitting dress, a pair of low-heeled shoes, a bra and panties, a coat, and a nightgown for Ana Luisa, figuring the girl would most likely need some contemporary clothing to wear on the plane, and something to sleep in when they got back home.
She went to a bookstore and picked up a couple of paperbacks so she would have something to take her mind off the flight and the reason for it.
On the way home, she stopped at Mel's to pick up the hearse. She shivered as she slid behind the wheel and backed it out of the driveway. She had never liked scary parties, scary movies, or scary stories, and now she was living a scary story of her own, although she had to admit Rourke wasn't really scary, just a little strange.
Back at home, she checked her suitcase to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything and made sure her plane tickets and the paperbacks were in her handbag, along with a couple of candy bars. She called Pizza Joe's and ordered a ham and pineapple pizza, then went into the kitchen to clean out the refrigerator of anything perishable.
The pizza and Rourke arrived at the same time.
He wrinkled his nostrils against the stink of meat and cheese and tomato sauce as he shouldered his way past the young man delivering the pizza.
Kari scowled at Rourke as she closed the door. "Don't look like that. Pizza's very good. Have you ever tried it?"
