Page 33 of Only Fangs

“It gave Yetty the ick, you know,” she says.

Once introductions are finished, we sit in the collection of small armchairs in the corner of the studio to discuss plans.

“So you’re just going to send me the photos and I’ll sketch the people who sign up?” Kiki asks as she sits on the sofa, tucking her feet underneath her in the same strangely graceful way Yetty did. I used to think it was adorable but now it just makes me remember we were from such different worlds. The sisters are both dancers and artists and I was… well, I debug code for a living which is hardly the pinnacle of creative endeavour. Yetty liked to tell me that, a little too often if we’re being honest, and always with this little hint that she was disappointed in me, like I wasn’t fulfilling my whole potential. Like I could be better. It kind of grounds you down after a while.

“No photos,” Ari tells her.

Kiki arches an eyebrow. “No photos? So how do you expect me to work?”

“Live models.”

“Ha.” Kiki’s laugh comes out more like a bark.

Ari turns to look at me. What the actual fuck is her problem? her face asks.

“It has to be live models,” I say, trying to keep my voice level.

There’s a creak behind me as the door to the studio opens and a wave of apprehension breaks over me. I know it’s her, I can feel it deep within myself.

“Oh. It’s you,” Yetty says as I turn to look at her.

“Hi,” I say, raising my hand in a strange little wave. As soon as I realise what I’m doing I drop it, like a Pavlovian response; she always said it made me look “even more dorky than usual”.

“Brody has a potential commission for me,” Kiki tells her sister.

There’s a fourth chair and Yetty sits down, legs tucked beneath her. “Let me guess, you need someone to draw all the dragons from Game of Thrones?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ari clench her hands into a fist for a moment.

“This is my business partner, Ari,” I tell Yetty. “We’re building a new dating app and we want portraits of the members as they sign up.”

Yetty yawns and doesn’t even try to stifle it. “You’re building a dating app?” She chuckles softly to herself. “Well don’t let me interrupt,” she adds when she realises the rest of us aren’t talking.

“Where were we?” Kiki says. “Oh yes, you were saying you didn’t want me to sketch from photos?”

“I’ve already explained,” Ari says and that irritation she’s been trying to damp down bubbles to the surface. “The subjects will need to model live.”

“Live models?” Yetty says, but it sounds more like a rhetorical question. “That’s a stupid idea.” Her face twists into a smirk and I’m not sure if it’s because she’s being contrary – something she has always taken pleasure in – or if it’s because she knows that from this angle I can see straight down her top. She isn’t wearing a bra, never wears a bra, and takes a perverse pride in forcing you to look and then chastising you for it afterwards.

“It’s the only way this works,” Ari says, no longer trying to hide her irritation.

“Oh sweetheart. I don’t think it’s a good idea to come and ask for my sister’s help and then try to tell her how to work.”

“They’re vampires.” Ari doesn’t sugar coat it, and she doesn’t apologise either. It is merely a statement of fact.

“Ha,” Yetty replies. The only vampire she’s ever met is Matt and I think she thought it was all a bit of a hoax.

Ari stands up. “Well, I guess I’m sorry we wasted your time.” She doesn’t sound sorry. I’m watching Yetty and the blood literally drains from her face, taking her to paler than death in less than a second.

“Are you coming?” Ari asks me, sweeping past the others and heading out of the door of the studio.

I follow her, throwing a look back at Yetty. I’ve never seen my ex-girlfriend stunned into silence before.

When we get outside I turn to Ari. “What the hell happened in there?”

“What?”

“Don’t play innocent with me. You did something in there and Yetty changed in an instant.”