But just in case this Malcolm guy is actually psychic, you push that thought out of your mind, focusing instead on the other part of his offer as you ask, “So…how much are we talking?”
“Money?” He smiles. “A thousand, perhaps. Two?”
“…dollars?”
Malcolm laughs. “Yes. Unless there is some other currency you prefer.”
“No, no,” you say, waving your hands quickly in the air. “Dollars are fine. Great, actually. Dollars are great.”
That’s more than enough to make up for your missing rent.
And with your bottom-tier wage at the cafe, that much money represents hours and hours you won’t have to toil away facing annoying customers.
Not that you hate your job or anything.
You actually don’t mind it, most of the time.
But…
But your jobisstill customer service, and customer service isn’t exactly always fun.
And this is awfully tempting.
“I won’t get turned into a vampire or anything?” You ask, just to be sure, even though you’re pretty sure Ziros said that’s not how it works. “Or, like, catch a disease?”
Malcolm shakes his head. “Why everyone thinks they’ll be turned is beyond me. I blame Hollywood. But no. No, that willnot happen. Rest assured, your safety, and that of everyone in my establishment is my top priority.”
“Oh.”
“And I can already think of one or two customers of mine who would possibly pay evenmorethan what I just suggested. So we can consider that the minimum. With potential for bonuses.”
You stare at Malcolm.
This all feels surreal.
Is this a dream?
“I assure you, this is not a dream.”
You blink at him. “You just read my mind!”
“Ha. No.” He reaches for the side table, sipping slowly from a drink you don’t remember being there. “I simply have second-sight. There are certain things I can sense, but not others. It’s a rather rare but prized gift among our kind, you know.”
“Ourkind?” You stare at him. “Aren’t you a vampire?”
“I am half vampire, half-sorcerer myself. How do you think I sensed everything about you so keenly?”
“Oh.”
You glance at the windows, but it’s hard to tell what time it is through the tinted glass.
“If you need time to think about it—”
“No,” you say, standing. And before you can change your mind, before you can stop to think, you blurt, “I’ll do it.”
Wait, what?
That’s right.
