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“What?” I asked.
“My ambulance has been judged to not be up to Company standards because of the bullet holes.”
“Sorry about that.”
“But rather than get a replacement, I have opted to buy it from them. They’ll paint out the logos, of course.”
“Okay.”
“Once I get the holes patched, it will make a dandy home on the road.”
“I’m happy for you. Wait—are you leaving?”
“I’ve asked for and been given a sabbatical. Thought I’d go up north and check out the music.”
“Oh.” I felt a strange and heavy letdown at the news. “How long a sabbatical?”
“A few years.”
By the time he got back, I’d be locked into another contract. In the meantime, they’d team me with some other vamp. Ellinghaus was eccentric, but I was used to him. He was a positive distraction from the routine, and I knew for a fact I could trust him with my life.
“Well, we’ll keep in touch on Facebook.”
“Actually, I was hoping you might consider something else. I would be pleased and honored if you would come along. Nothing improper, just two coworkers taking a sabbatical in the same place.”
I dropped my spoon.
“We could watch each other’s backs, same as usual.”
“But I … two more years…”
“If I may be allowed to ask a personal question, are you happy here, Miss Goldfarb?”
“Uh…”
“Do you see yourself advancing as far as you’d like on your current career path?”
“Um … when you put it that way … no and no. But if I left I’d need a job.”
“There are excellent opportunities to be had for a crafter of your talents.”
Work was available for those with magical training, but you had to have connections or a really good résumé. I lacked both. “Oh, Ell, I’m a one-, maybe two-trick pony with the bounding spell and aura-reading.”
“Which has it all over the ponies who have no tricks.” He tilted his head. “Your heartbeat’s gotten very fast. May I take that to mean you might be interested in discussing this further?”
“Maybe. This is a big thing.”
“Indeed it is, Miss Goldfarb.”
To my shock, he took off the glasses. I wasn’t used to him without the shades. He seemed almost naked.
Damn, but he had beautiful eyes.
* * *
Author’s Bio:
P. N. Elrod is an award-winning author and editor, best known for her ongoing urban fantasy series, The Vampire Files. She’s sold more than twenty novels to various publishers with translations into several languages. A hopeless chocolate addict, she’s hard at work on a new Steampunk series. More info on her toothy titles may be found at www.vampwriter.com.
