Page 69 of Fall into Place

“For John?” Fern pointed at the scotch, and Joni nodded. “Fuck him, I’ll drink it. And you should down one of those champagnes and keep the other. Live a little!”

Joni laughed and clinked glasses with Fern, and they both took deep drinks as they wandered away from the bar.

“Hey, would it be crazy if we exchanged numbers or emails or something?” Joni asked, hoping she wasn’t pushing this too far too fast. “It’d be nice to get drinks and gush about Blood Feud and bitch about work sometime.”

Fern smiled. “Give me your phone.”

Joni did, and Fern sent herself a text—but as she handed the phone back to Joni, she got distracted.

“Oh shit, there’s your boss coming back,” she said. “And John’s not with her. Probably getting coked up in the bathroom.”

“Really?” Joni frowned. “He’s too old for that to be cute.”

“Tell me about it.” Fern rolled her eyes. “I’d better go babysit his wife before she realizes what he’s up to. Nice to meet you!”

She was off before Octavia returned—Joni rushed over to her.

“So??” Joni asked. “How did it go? Did Betherton know anything?”

“Mm, he was fairly useless.” Octavia shrugged. “A solid meal, though. Tasted like pheasant.”

“You fed on him?” Joni whispered.

“Does that shock you?” Octavia whispered back. She pulled Joni close to her, her hands gripping Joni’s waist. “I am a vampire, you know.”

Joni hadn’t seen Octavia like this before—there was something wild in her eyes, something dangerous. She looked like she wanted to devour Joni, maybe in more ways than one.

And Joni really fucking wanted her to.

“I know exactly what you are.” Joni looked Octavia dead in the eye.

“Who was that girl you were talking to, with the unfortunate suit?” Octavia didn’t break eye contact. “Were you ignoring our mission to flirt?”

“Mission?” Joni snorted. “Okay, James Bond. And what do you care if I was flirting?”

“Finish your champagne,” Octavia instructed.

“Why?”

Octavia pulled her even closer. “So you can dance with me.”

If this was Octavia at her weakest, Joni couldn’t imagine what she’d be like with her powers fully restored. Joni had never in her life felt more powerless to resist someone.

Joni drank the rest of the champagne—her second glass—it was fizzy and cold, and the bubbles went straight to her head. And then Octavia’s fingers were laced through hers, and she was leading her to the dance floor. The jazz band was playing a slow, sultry cover of “I Put a Spell on You,” and the dance floor was completely empty.

“I thought you didn’t want to draw too much attention,” Joni teased.

“Don’t you know me at all?” Octavia smirked. “I always want attention.”

Octavia circled her fingers around Joni’s wrists, then moved them behind her neck. She put her own hands at the small of Joni’s back, and slowly, rippling like water, they started to dance. Joni could feel the eyes on them, see the people craning to get a look. And she loved it.

“Don’t you want to know who the girl was?” Joni said softly.

“You’re thinking about some other girl while you dance with me?” Octavia raised an eyebrow.

Joni moved even closer to Octavia, their bodies brushing against each other for an aching half a second.

“She’s Betherton’s assistant,” Joni intoned. “And she told me where Lirio lives.”