“We’re going to get along just fine, Olivia.” Robert reached over to pat my knee and his hand froze midair, as if it occurred to him that his sudden movement might scare me.
As if. I was tempted to grab his hand and put it on my knee for him, though I might have picked something higher and to the center. Dirty girl! What was wrong with me?
“No, I’m not looking forward to this function,” he said. “Not one bit.”
“Oh?”
“These things are always the same: employees trying to impress me, women trying to seduce me, and investors trying to screw me.” I would have liked to do all three to Robert, though maybe not in the same fashion as he was thinking. He let out deflated sigh. “I find it all so tedious.”
“Women trying to seduce you, hmm?” Funny how that was what I’d picked up on most. I wasn’t sure if I’d only had the thought or had vocalized the question. No matter. The car slowed and then came to a stop in front of a colonial-style estate.
“Ah. We have arrived,” he said.
11
Robert took my arm as I exited the limo, sparing me from having to flap my arms like lunatic. At the entrance of the event was a carved wooden archway that was illuminated by sparkling coils of glass fairy lights. We walked under it and headed to the banquet hall, where a string quartet played softly. Enormous bouquets of crisp, bright flowers were situated on every table. I closed my eyes and inhaled the intoxicating scent of lilacs, orchids, and lilies. With the handsome gent at my side, I felt like I’d stepped straight into a fairytale. All I needed was a glass slipper. Corny, but true.
Robert’s dark look wrenched me back into reality.
“I am afraid you are going to meet many dull people tonight,” he said, Moments later, he was rudely seized by the elbows by two men in tuxedos. They were jawing about some fancy pants politician Robert needed to meet. Robert stopped them before they could sweep him away completely and shot me an apologetic look over his shoulder.
I waved him away with a smile. He had to mingle. I understood perfectly. “Go ahead,” I mouthed.
“Sorry,” he mouthed back.
I strolled to the bar to kill some time. I could feel dozens of curious eyes upon me, hear them whispering:Who is she? Did she arrive with Robert? Could she be his new lady?
I was relieved that they didn’t refer to me with crudeness, like I was Robert’s flavor of the month. I peeped covertly around the room, trying to discern the humans from the vampires. It was difficult to tell the difference, since most everyone in attendance was pasty. Seemed the human corporate types also didn’t see a lot of sun. Probably too busy trying to take over the world, or whatever it was they did at the company.
As I was finally nearing the bar—walking in the dress took forever—a man around his fifties approached. He had a glass of champagne in one hand and his other was held out for me to shake. “I’m Patrick.”
I introduced myself and took his hand into mine. It was like shaking hands with a frozen vise grip. He was one ofthem.
“Here, I brought this over for you. You looked like you could use it,” he smiled with a wink, offering me the glass of champagne.
With much appreciation, I accepted the drink.
“Are you having an enjoyable evening?”
“I’ve only arrived. It’sbreathtakingin here,” I commented dreamily.
He lifted a shoulder. “Meh.” He’d seen better. “Rumor has it that you’re a Dewhurst grad.”
“How did you know?” I was beyond shocked. Robert and I had been there, what, five or ten minutes at most? How could they have found out so fast?
“I can sense these things,” he said, tapping his temple.
Wow. I’d met my first mind reader.
“Oh. Right.”
“I’m Dewhurst alum myself,” he said.
“You are?” I beamed, happy to have found at least one individual in the place I had something in common with. “When did you attend?”
“Class of ninety-nine.”
“I missed you by a couple decades,” I smiled.
