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My gaze flicks upward, peering at the digital clock mounted on the wall directly behind her. “It’s only seven fifteen.” I slip my fingers into my pocket, fishing out three of the twenty-dollar bills the ATM spit at me earlier. “We’ll be done in twenty minutes. Here, this is for your trouble.”
I leave the girl no room to argue. She dips her head in agreement and calls over her shoulder. “Johnny!”
A thin, lanky boy with curly blond hair snaps upright, his arms filled with dirty plates.
Claire gestures toward us, discreetly shoving the wad of cash into her apron. “Reservation, room number one.”
Johnny nods his head and stumbles toward us, weaving around cluttered tables and the humans who crowd them. “Follow me,” he says.
We enter a dimly lit room large enough to host three tables. The server places a set of menus at the nearest one. “Here you are, sir.” He looks toward Jane, dipping his head further. “And for you, ma’am.”
I pull out the nearest seat, dislodging our linked arms. “Sit,” I whisper, urging her forward before I round to the other side. She tucks her bag beneath the table and gracefully slides into the chair across from mine. I request two beers, the only alcohol they serve, before the young server disappears through the doors again.
Jane looks at me intensely, her a canvas of unspoken questions.
I return her gaze for a moment, holding her there as I try to uncover every emotion held within her. I hadn’t known she could be this stoic, nor had I realized how strong she was when faced with death and the absolute upheaval of her life.
In fact, I know next to nothing about Jane.
And she knows my most guarded secret.
“What?” I finally ask, lacing my hands together on top of the table.
She rubs her thumb over her index finger absentmindedly. “Why did you save me?”
I let my gaze drop, instead focusing on the menu. Deep-dish pizza, thin crust, pizza with pineapples… “I heard your cry.” I flip the page of the menu, hoping my next prompt will shift the subject away from my cloudy motivations. “What else is on your mind?”
Jane wrinkles her freckled nose before snatching up her menu and unfolding it. “So, you can break through walls and snap locked doors. Are you invincible, then? Like Superman?”
I cock a brow. “Superman?”
She purses her lips expectantly.
Sighing, I drop the menu. We both know I won’t be enjoying this meal as much as she will. “I’m strong. Very strong.Notinvincible, though.”
She turns her menu over, scanning the various toppings. “Why don’t you have fangs right now?” As if to make sure, she glances up at me from beneath her lowered lashes.
I smile, displaying my blunted teeth fully. “Because I don’t need them. They aren’t being… evoked.”
Her brows knit together. “O-kayyy, makes perfect sense.” She exhales audibly and taps the edge of her menu on the table. “Why the gloves?”
“I’mcold.” I cock my head to the side, eyes narrowing as I try to figure her out. “Why aren’t you in a panicked frenzy right now?”
She presses her lips together, nodding slowly. “Oh, I am. Yeah...” She lets her words trail off, and before I can tell her how insane she is for a person sohuman, the server returns. He places two beers, two straws, and a bundle of napkins on the table.
“Are you ready to order?” He smiles sideways at Jane before turning to me, his grin morphing into a more sophisticated expression.
Jane grabs my menu and places it on top of hers before holding them both to the young man. “Can we get a medium-sized stuffed crust pizza with mushrooms and spinach on top?”
I can’t keep the distaste from my face as he walks away. Vegetables never were my thing.
Jane starts up again, this time leaning across the table and speaking with more vehemence. “You’re a vampire who drinks blood, is super strong, dead cold, and you can retract your fangs, correct?”
I nod once.
She sits back in her chair. “Okay, then who were you before you were all of those things?”
My body goes motionless. “Excuse me?”
