Nicolo chuckled and shook his head at his mother’s antics. “Mortal practitioner. I met him at one of the shops I went to; we’re meeting at The Black Lamb for a late supper and drinks.”
“How lovely,” she sighed, dramatic and teasing. “A pub for a first date.”
“Mamma!” he groaned, dropping his head back on the seat. “It’s casual and low pressure, and public as well, so he will feel safe and not worry about me having any nefarious expectations.”
“That would have been a coffee date, dearest, not a late night in a pub.” Priscilla chided him with a teasing lilt, and herolled his eyes in fond exasperation. “Do be a gentleman and remember to pull out his chair for him, and don’t forget that mortals can get drunk, so don’t over-imbibe.”
“Yes, Mamma.”
He was over five hundred years old and she still treated him like a child sometimes. It came from a place of fondness and affection, so he let it slide. They chatted about inconsequential things for a bit and then they said goodnight.
“Back to the Tower, sir?” Gary, his driver, asked once he hung up the phone.
“Yes, please. I need to change for my date and drop off Mamma’s present in my rooms. I can’t have her see what it is before her party.”
He sent a text to Camden as they headed back to the Tower in downtown Boston.
Still on for drinks and dinner? Can’t wait!—Nicolo
A few moments passed and then he got a reply, making him grin.
I can’t wait! See you at The Black Lamb! My shift ends at 11pm.—Camden
11:30pm okay? Is that enough time?—Nicolo
That’s perfect! See you then!—Camden
Camden
“A customer?Really? You’ve never said yes to a customer asking you out before. What was so different this time?”
Cressida Hughes was his overnight coworker, and she was a vampire as well, though not as old as most of the vampires in Boston tended to be—less than a year Turned, and she had been a blood donor at the Tower for several years before being Turned. She was an outlier in blood donor circles—she had worked at Res Antiquae for years before Camden started working there right out of college, whereas most blood donors were employed at the Tower. Their role was to literally feed the hundreds of vampires who were members of the Boston Bloodclan.
“He was effortlessly charming, and he listened to me,” Camden answered. He paused, pulling on his overcoat and tugging on his long wool scarf. “Nicolo Barbarigo. Do you know him?”
Her brows went up to her hairline, and she blinked at him in surprise. “I don’t know him well, he’s several hundred years old, and his sire is even older, one of the oldest unranked masters in the clan. I never had the honor of feeding him, but I did feed his sire, Priscilla Mancini, a few times. They’re both decent people, rather eccentric, and kind to their donors.”
“That’s good to know,” Camden said, fussing with his coat and scarf, eyeing the clock in the break room in the back of the shop. “We’re meeting at The Black Lamb for dinner and drinks.”
“How cozy,” she replied. “He’s loaded—make sure he buys.”
He rolled his eyes at her comment and headed out front, Cressida following him out onto the sales floor.
“Goodnight, Cressida,” he called over his shoulder, and Darrell was waiting to open the door for him. “Goodnight, Darrell.”
“Mind the sidewalks, sir, it’s killer out there,” Darrell said, holding the security door open.
“Thank you, I will.”
The rideshare car was waiting for him, and he confirmed the licence plate and driver before getting in the back of the car, brushing snow off his head. The snow was coming down thick and fast.
The driver gave him a brief hello and began the drive to the pub. Snow crunched under the tires, and Camden worried that the streets might be too bad for the short drive, but the car had bespelled all-season tires and didn’t lose traction.
The trip took longer than usual due to the weather, but there was minimal traffic at that hour and they reached the pub just before the arranged time. Camden tipped the driver extra and got out carefully, the sidewalk covered in snow.
A bare hand appeared in front of him and he gratefully took the help, gripping ice-cold fingers as firm as stone. He found his footing on the slick sidewalk and stood beside Nicolo as he shut the car door for him. “Thanks.”
Camden blushed when Nicolo lifted his hand to his lips and softly kissed his knuckles. “My pleasure.” Nicolo then tucked Camden’s hand into the crook of his elbow and gestured to the front of the pub, lights glowing invitingly. “Shall we? I have a booth already.”
