“Liquorice?”
Stefan grimaces.
“No liquorice. Got it. Hobbies? Aside from drinking coffee, playing chess, and spanking people?”
“Is drinking coffee a hobby?”
“If anyone can make it a hobby, it’s you. You have an entire cupboard full of coffee beans.”
“From all over the world.”
“Which proves my point.”
He chuckles.
I tap the table. “Do you have any other hobbies?”
He stalls by taking a sip of his drink. “Pretending to be a vampire.”
It’s impossible not to laugh at that. Loudly. My body, or maybe it’s my brain, hates me laughing. I now sound and look drunk.
“I’m sorry.”
I shake my head, even though I’m now doing a weird cry-laugh mix. “It’s… just…” It’s hard to get the words out. My tongue is heavy in my mouth. My lips are tingly and hard to mould into the right shapes. “Frustrating.”
He puts his hand over mine and keeps it there as the cataplexy gripping my body subsides.
“I once had a boyfriend who decided he wouldn’t make me laugh.”
Stefan’s eyebrows shoot up. “Seriously?”
“Yes. But of course, it’s not just laughing that causes cataplexy, although that’s a sure-fire way to trigger it. But, uh, yeah, don’t be that guy.” I meet his stare. “I can handle a little frustration if it means I’m having fun.” I look down at our hands and then turn mine over and loosely thread my fingers through his. I look up into his stare again. “Hi.”
He smiles. “Hi.”
“Pretending to be a vampire, huh?”
Stefan laughs and shakes his head. “Not really.”
“Does that mean you don’t bite people’s necks?”
“That depends on who’s asking.” He tilts his head and regards me for several seconds. “Are you asking?”
I shrug. “Maybe.” I squeeze his fingers. “Tell me something else.”
“I read a lot, including the occasional vampire novel.”
I grin.
“Fantasy and science fiction are my favourite genres, although I love a good gothic novel.”
“I bet.”
“I’ve never done anything so adventurous as rock climbing.”
“You’d need to wear less dramatic shirts.”
Stefan smiles. “Noted. Can I ask you something?”
