“Do you want the hopes and dreams Miss America answer or the honest-to-goodness truthanswer?”
“The truth. Always the truth.”
“Right. The quick and dirty version is that I met Michael at a bar while I was out with my roommate, Liz.” I didn’t mention the Wits and Tits contest. No need to bethattruthful. “We got to talking and I told him about my huge student loan debt.”
“What did you study at school?”
I was taken aback by his interest in me, having been conditioned to expect Nick’s self-centered behavior. Even now I couldn’t believe that I’d tolerated the idiot for as long as I did. Live and learn, I guess. “Psychology.”
He leaned back against the seat. “Why aren’t you—”
“Counseling humans instead of hanging out with vamps?” I finished for him, raising a brow cheekily.
“I maybe wouldn’t have put it so bluntly, but yes,” he smiled.
“Well, Robert, as I’ve come to learn, having a bachelor’s degree in psychology is about as useful as having a degree in underwater basket weaving, except people actually find a use for baskets,” I said with a dramatic sigh.
He laughed.
“Besides,” I added, taking in the limo, my dress, and his tuxedo, “I’m hardly scraping the bottom of the barrel here, am I right?”
“You have a point. And then, what, Michael hired you on the spot?”
I swallowed a sip of champagne and shook my head. “He invited me over for a meeting at Dignitary. We had a chat, and then I was offered the job. This happened last week.”
“Just like that.”
“Yep, just like that.” I smiled sheepishly. “Well, I did kind of pass out during the interview.”
“Why?”
“Michael had his assistant, Stephano, leap on the ceiling to prove that vampires are real. I didn’t believe him at first.”
“Did you say anything before you passed out?”
“Holy shit.”
Robert threw back his head and laughed.
“I was running for my pepper spray when I hit the deck.”
His laughter intensified. I was pleased that he was amused by my anecdote, even if it was at my expense.
“Michael is a delightful man. I have known him for years. You’ve met Marlena?”
“Yes, she was at the meeting, too.”
He looked at me solemnly. “I’m truly sorry.”
Did nobody like the woman?
“I’ve known Marlena for some time, too,” he finally said, sounding far from thrilled about the fact. He did not elaborate, and I was glad. The less I had to discuss Marlena, the better. The vampy redhead made me uneasy.
“Are you looking forward to tonight?” I asked, keeping the conversation rolling.
“You want me to be honest?”
“The truth,” I said, mimicking his earlier words. “Always the truth.”
