“Not really. But this is Los Angeles. Who does?”
He rubbed his temples. “Every time I see you, it takes another year off my life. What do you want?”
“Grumpy.” I smirked. “I knew I should’ve brought donuts.”
Harris glared.
“I need to learn how to date a human.”
Harris’s eyes widened. “Wait. Like—how to go on a date with a human so you can get close enough to him to… you know?”
“I’m not sure I do know,” I replied, puzzled.
“So you can… do what you do?”
I blinked at him, trying to parse his meaning. Then it clicked.
“Oh! No, I don’t plan to murder him for his blood, if that’s what you’re asking. He’s a doctor, not a serial killer.”
Harris shot me a scandalized look. “Cole, this is a police station.”
I rolled my eyes. So touchy.
“Relax. Everyone here is hypnotized to ignore us when we’re together. You know that.”
Harris glowered.
I tried again. “I met a very nice human man who saves lives for a living, and I’d like to take him on a proper date. I want to get to know him better. But every time I try to ask him about himself, Eli acts like I’m trying to extract his teeth. How do humans do this?”
“It’s called empathy.”
“Sounds painful.”
“Sometimes it is,” Harris muttered. Leaning back in his seat, he added, “Helping you hunt serial killers is one thing, but I’m not sure it’s ethical to teach you how to seduce this poor guy.”
I waved that away. Harris was lovely, but his idea of seduction probably involved a six-pack of water-tasting beer and telling his date he loved them. No thank you.
“Oh, I have no problems seducing him. I don’t need your help with that. I want to get to know him.”
Harris stared at me, mystified. “Why? Does he have information you need?”
I nodded solemnly. “About himself, yes.”
“Is he a victim of a crime? Did a bad guy try to—”
“Detective, no!” I exclaimed, exasperated. “This has nothing to do with my next kill. I’ve met a very nice boy, and I’m having trouble getting to know him. That’s all.”
Harris frowned, like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it didn’t, he asked, “Well, what have you tried so far?”
I started counting on my fingers. “Well, I’ve shown up at his work a few times, I guess. I also broke into his home and stole his journal. And then I bought the house next door and moved in so I could keep an eye on him and his sister.”
Harris’s eyes widened as I spoke.
“I picked him up from work and drove him home this morning,” I added, feeling defensive. “He’d done a sixteen-hour shift, and I was worried he might be a danger to himself and others. It’s the second time I’ve given him a ride home.”
“This guy willingly got into a car with you? Twice?”
“I can be very persuasive.”
