Chapter 135
Chapter 135
“Ill.” she salt, trying to sound appropriately excited, but exering a little ren far into crazed, untrat bit. Um. I’m Chlor… which Amos already told you She laughed nervously
مجھے سے ہوا
Ena and Iran both smiled, and Chloe couldn’t help but think that Erts & smile looked a hite strained. Was the glas unhappy? Maybe she had already deemed Chloe not good enough for her progerry? Is that what Amon Fat called
“It’s lovely to meet you.” Etta said. Her voice sounded just as young as her fare looked, but there was a mit ansen, ker so the gine that imparted a sense of age. Was it a holdover from the time period in which they’d been human? Or did all vampires pret Shaaraw historical sounding accent?
Chloe realized that too much time had passed since Etta spoke, and everyone was staring at her. “Oh! Thank you yes it’s
too p>
Fran chuckled softly, her mossy green eyes darting from Etta to Chloe and back again. “Chloe, what would you say to
Chloe’s eyes widened as her gaze shot to Amos. “Alcohol? I thought that wasn’t allowed p>
Fran and Etta both laughed.
Amos looked a bit embarrassed. “Uh, no, you can drink. The blood–matching agency would’ve required donors not to drink alcohol because i there’s enough in your blood it can make us drunk p>
“Oh.” The idea of Amos getting literally drunk off her blood held some kind of illicit appeal. But now was not the time to think about Shak
“But it doesn’t matter, because your contract is paid out. You can drink if you want. Just… well, warn me, I guess I’d hate to try getting aud done while I was half in the bag without realizing it p>
“Oh, you’d realize it,” Etta said silkily, shooting a devious glance at Fran. A little smile quirked the corner of Fran’s mouth
Amos cleared his throat. “Ahem. Well. Have a seat, everybody p>
Etta and Fran sank into the button–tufted chairs on the other side of the coffee table, while Chloe sank back down onto the settee
“Fran, what’ll you have?” Amos asked, still standing.
“Do you still have that rosé from last month p>
Amos nodded. “Chloe p>
“Oh, er … I’ll have what Fran’s having. Thanks p>
The idea of drinking wine seemed almost illegal. She’d gone for months without touching alcohol because of her HemoMatch contract. She’d never been much of a drinker to begin with, but any tolerance she’d had was shot now. Would it make her look high–maintenance and prissy to ask for a wine spritzer? She didn’t want Etta to think she was taking advantage of Amos’s generosity and kindness. So she kept her lips shat and resolved to sip very slowly.
“So, Chloe,” Etta said in her soft, sweet, vaguely antique–sounding voice. “Tell us about yourself. Amos has been somewhat close–lipped p>
“There’s not much to tell, ” Chloe answered, trying to figure out how to condense her entire identity into acceptable small–talk. “Um, I’ve lived in Chicago most of my life. I’m a nurse. I… uh…” She cast about, trying to think of a hobby or passion of hers. The truth was, she’d had no time for either hobbies or passions the last several years. Giving up, she shifted the conversation to them. “What about you p>
“Ah. Well. I’ve also lived in Chicago for most of my life. I work for the Council as a financial analyst.” Chloe realized that Etta must have meant
Chapter 135
she aworkout for the vampire Council. “Tran and I met in 1974 when she hit me with her car p>
Chloe biked. “What p>
It was an accident,” Tran stressed. “And it was mostly her fault p>
Chloe looked from Tran to Etta, not sure how to respond to that.
Fita shrugged, lips pressed together to suppress a smile. “I should’ve been more aware of my surroundings,” she admitted. “Our senses are sharp enough that I ought to have known a car was coming before I tried to cross the road. But I was a little distracted. I’d gotten some spiked blood at an unground vamp club without realizing it. I was completely out of my head. I ended up chasing taillights all the way out of the city, out of the suburbs even. I was in a nowhere farm town when Fran plowed me over like roadkill p>
“I did not!” Tran objected, laughing. “You bashed off my front fender and put me into a tailspin! I ended up in the ditch because you were high
as a kite p>
“Accidentally!” Etta shot back.
Chloe laughed with both of them, feeling almost light–headed as the worst of her nerves settled. Amos reappeared, glasses of rosé in hand. He handed one to Fran, then joined Chloe on the settee. She accepted her glass from him and sipped at it cautiously.
“Wait,” Fran said, putting a hand on Etta’s arm. “Why are we telling our embarrassing stories when we should be telling Amos’s embarrassing
stories? ”
(2)
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