“Who is this?” Gianni held up a piece of paper with some writing on it. The paper was a faded yellow now, once white.
Nalida took it from him and read it. Her eyes lit up suddenly, and she handed it to me. “Oh! I forgot about this. This might actually be a lead. This man came looking for her. When I told him I hadn’t heard from her in a few years, he gave me his information and asked me to pass it on. I tried to call her, but she had changed her number. That was about six years ago. When I couldn’t reach her, I came out here and put the paper in a box so it wouldn’t get lost.”
“Was he human or vampire?” I asked.
Nalida’s eyes took on a far-off look as she tried to recall. “Vampire.”
“Bloodborn or Bloodshed?” Gianni asked.
“He had the red eyes.”
“And did he say why he was looking for her?” He pushed.
She shook her head. “No. He was very… secretive. He wouldn’t tell me anything.”
I stared down at the paper. “Okay, if he’s alive, we’ll find him. Nalida,” I looked up at her, desperation firmly on my face. “What could I give you to take all of this home with me?”
19
“What do you think about a promotion?”
I continuedtowardYorick, my boss. He watched me with his icy-blue vampire eyes as I carried a tray of half-finished expensive drinks back from a high table.
“Promotion? To what?” I glanced at him as I set my tray down on the bar. The glasses made a slight clinking sound as they teetered.
I straightened in my heels and crossed my arms over the rhinestone-covered bra that he called a uniform.
“Bartender. I think you’d be good at it.” He crossed his arms over his, which was covered in an expensive suit, and smiled. “It comes with a raise and better tips.”
“Did you get your head knocked in again?” I joked, referring to how he decided to end his human life.
“No,” he laughed with me. “One tree falling on me was enough. Seriously, I want you to do this. I said larger tips!”
“What did you just say?” My eyes went wide. He rolled his eyes.
“Tips. Puh!” He exaggerated the last consonant, and now I was the one to be embarrassed. A voice from my past echoed the word I thought Yorick had said in my ears, and I shuddered.
“What’s going to happen with Landon?” I motioned to the current bartender.
The blue-eyed, shaggy-haired blonde turned and grinned. “What’s up?” he asked, coming over to us.
“I want Scout to learn under you. Show her how to bartend.” Yorick turned to me, his decision made. “You’ll start tomorrow night.”
I nodded, and the manager of Gilmore’s disappeared back into his office. I reached for my tray and started backtowardthe kitchen. I placed the glasses in the sink and returned to the floor.
It was a slow night, for which I was grateful. I had been working here for about a month now, and these times were few and far between. While the tips were good, and I was happy to have gotten a job so quickly, I was worn out.
When Ginata had brought me here straight from New Jersey, she had told me that Gilmore’s was the nicest bar in all of New York for vampires. The rich came here to conduct business.
“As long as you be a good girl, you’ll be very happy here.”
I shuddered at how she said it, but I was still determined to move on and do what she said. Be happy.
And for the most part, I was. I hadn’t seen Ginata since that first night. She got me a job and my apartment and then promised she’d see me soon. I’d be bothered about her absence if I had time to entertain company, but I wasn’t. This job kept me… busy.
I couldn’t even say exhausted, because my vampire body didn’t really let me feel aches or tiredness for long. But my brain wept for some kind of relief that I had yet to give it since I had left that house.
I was zoned out for the millionth time but shoved back into reality by air being blown into my face. I blinked and focused my eyes on Landon, elbows leaning on the bar, smiling at me. “Penny, for your thoughts?”
