“You know what. Stop sneaking up on me.”
Viktor shrugged, but his toothy grin gave away his sneaky intentions. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I think you’re avoiding the subject.”
“What subject?” Ruby watched Max speaking with Bubba and Astrid, and wondered what had just happened.
“The subject of who that guy is that you were just drooling over.”
“I was not drooling over him.”
“I don’t know about that. Looked like drooling to me. As your brother, I need to issue formal approval before you can date him.”
“Since when?”
“Since I discovered I have a sister.”
“Whatever. You’re just being difficult.”
“That could be true. Maybe.” He laughed out loud when she gave him a death stare.
“Why are you here, pest?”
“Same question back at you. Why areyouhere?”
“I told you. I’m looking for someone.”
“I’m someone.”
“That’s the truth. In fact, you are a ‘special’ someone, aren’t you?” She tapped his chin twice. “Tell me again why you’ve come to pester me?”
“We have a table on the west wall of this place. Vilma made a big donation to the charity this year. She sent me over to ask if you’d like to sit with us.”
Ruby shook her head. “Maybe later. Like I said, I’m looking for someone.”
“Ooh. An evil, dangerous, paranormal criminal?”
“No. Not even close. A normal guy with a tattoo on his right ring finger. I have a message to give him.”
“Is it like a message that he’s a dead guy? Is he about to get cement shoes and tossed in the deep end at the local waterfall?”
“I don’t understand the words coming out of your mouth and I also don’t think you have the vaguest concept of what I do as a paranormal investigator. It’s not all kicking down doors and taking bad guys down, you know.”
“It’s not?”
“No.”
He shrugged. “I’d probably be bored within a week then.”
“Probably.”
A woman dressed like a cow strolled by with a crying infant who was dressed sweetly as a baby calf. Viktor grinned at the infant and the baby’s unhappy face suddenly morphed into a drool-filled, giggly smile. The mother paused to let Viktor tap his finger lightly on the baby’s nose. The baby giggled again with more drool escaping, the peal of his laughter so loud it made others turn and smile.
The mom started to walk away, and the baby’s unhappy shrieks resumed before they were five feet away. Viktor moved closer and the baby started giggling again.
“That’s so odd,” the mother said. “Usually little Bobbie doesn’t take to strangers.” She turned toward Viktor and moved her baby closer. The baby giggled and clapped his tiny little hands together in joy.
For the next several minutes, Viktor tried to leave the baby’s side. Each time, the child cried until he returned.
Ruby patted him on the back. “Looks like you’ve gone from bad boy bachelor to big bad baby whisperer. I love it.”
