1 Dead Girl's Guide to Style (3 page)

Max’s mouth twisted at the corners when I approached. His smile made my stomach flip and I wasn
’t quite sure why. Was it because of his good looks? I shouldn’t let that influence me. 

“Is everything okay?” he asked.

I attempted a sweet smile. “Everything is great.”

“It looks as if we missed the wedding.” He gestured toward the limousine that was pulling away from the curb.

I nodded, but got right to the point. “Do you want to explain to me how you know Caitlin?”

Caitlin stood behind me with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot against the pavement.

He glanced at her. “I don’t know Caitlin.”

My eyes widened as I stared at him. “Then why did you say that you did?” I asked.

“I never said that I knew her,” he said.

I eyed him up and down. I supposed he hadn't told me that he knew her. “But you didn
’t say that you
didn’t
know her. Why did you agree to go out with me if you didn’t know her? How did you know who I was?”

“Your name was on my caller ID. My
new neighbor gave me your number. I was going to call you for a consultation… for your help. Remember I said I needed your help?” He searched my eyes.

What were the odds that he would call for help at the moment I called him by accident?

Max looked at me with those big brown eyes and I couldn’t argue with him. After all, the guy had just returned, I’d give him a little slack.

The thought had barely left my mind when Max looked to his left and then grabbed my arm.

“Hey, let her go,” Caitlin yelled.

As he pulled me down the path, I glanced over my shoulder. The men were back there again—the ones who had followed Max. Caitlin ran after us until the men zoomed past her and toward us. After that she couldn’t keep up. No doubt she thought that Max was trying to kidnap me. Whatever was going on with Max and these men, I didn’t want to be in the middle. I couldn
’t go out with Max if he had strange men chasing him.

Max and I made it just a block down the street when the men caught up with us. The taller one wrapped his hand around Max’s arm. I spun around and kicked the other guy in the shin. My fangs instantly extended like little white porcelain daggers. Just for good measure I released a little hiss. Of course I probably sounded more like a kitten purring than a tough vampire.

The guy I’d kicked held his hands up in surrender. “Whoa. We’re just here to ask Mr. Dupree if he will join us at a party in his honor.”

How random was that? What kind of nutty person stalk
ed someone just to ask them to a party? I thought it had been odd that these men both wore black suits. Now I knew they were dressed for a formal affair.

I glanced at Max. “Do you know them?”

He’d been hiding from them earlier and now they were inviting him to a party? Needless to say, I was completely confused. I wasn’t sure I wanted to stick around to find out the truth.

Max shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t know you.”

“See, he doesn’t even know you. Haven’t you ever heard of an invitation? Generally it’s sent in the mail. Explain who you are,” I demanded.

One of the men stuck out his hand. “Sorry, man, the name is Dean. This is my partner Jared. We work for Mr. Goodwin at
the Dupree Company.”

Max cast a strange look my way. Wasn’t that the factory that made men’s underwear? Why did they want to talk with Max? Wait a minute. Max’s last name was Dupree.

“We heard you were back and wanted to invite you to a welcome-home party,” Jared said.

Max still had a
confused look on his face and I was sure that my expression matched his. 

“Why are you throwing him a party if you don’t know him?” I asked.

The men exchanged a look and then focused on Max. “We know him. He probably doesn’t know us, but he knows the Dupree Company. He owns the place. He owned it before he was turned.”

I whipped a look at Max. He didn’t return my stare. Well, that explained the same last name.

“We were told to find Mr. Dupree and ask him to the party. Our limo is right over there waiting for us. Won’t you join us?” Dean motioned over his shoulder.

“We have a lot to discuss,” Jared said with a forced smile.

I poked Max in the side. “You have to go. They’re having a whole party for you.”

I had to admit it was strange, but nonetheless, it was a party for Max. Wasn’t he the least bit curious? And he owned the company? What was that all about?

Finally, Max nodded. “All right. I’ll go with you. Would you care to join me?” Max asked me with a smile.

I glanced over at the limo. “Sure, I guess that would be okay. I am all dressed up after all.”
Caitlin’s cousin didn’t know me well. She’d only invited me because of Caitlin. There was no way my presence would be missed. I could call Caitlin from the car so she wouldn’t worry. I returned Max’s smile.

He nodded. “And you look beautiful, I might add.”

My interest was more than a little piqued. I hoped this party would be better than the wedding reception that I’d be missing. It had to be, right? At least I wouldn’t be expected to catch the bouquet.

We followed the men over to the limo. For a moment, I wondered if they were who they said they were. Would they get us in the car and then try some weird freaky stuff? The driver held the door open for us and I climbed in. If they were taking us somewhere to torture us, I guessed there wasn’t much I could do about it now. Why did I always assume the worst?

I slid across the leather seat to the far side of the vehicle. The men sat across from us. I stared at them, unsure of what to say. An awkward silence hung in the air like a thick fog over a creepy graveyard. This had to rank up there pretty high as one of the strangest blind dates ever.

I leaned over to Max and whispered, “Why didn’t you tell me you owned the Dupree Company?”

He cast a quick look my way, and then said, “It’s been a long time and I just returned. A lot of things have changed since I’ve been gone.”

I nodded. “Yes, I suppose things have changed.”

The men continued to stare. Upon closer inspection, the tall one had a blood stain on his shirt. What kind of feeding frenzy had he been on
?
The shorter one smiled when I glanced at him, but I turned my attention to the scenery outside the window instead of engaging with him. We’d passed a park that had large oak trees and a huge stone fountain in the middle. A few couples strolled by hand-in-hand.

We traveled through street after street and I wondered if we’d ever arrive at our destination. This could possibly be that kidnap
-and-torture scenario I’d thought about earlier.

“Where is this party?” I asked impatiently. “It seems like we’ve been in this car for a long time.”

Dean looked at his watch and then said, “It’s been five minutes.”

“Oh, it seems longer,” I said.

Well, with the awkward conversation it had seemed like forever.

Finally, we made a left and pulled up in front of a house that was jam-packed with other vehicles—mostly limos. I looked down at my blue dress and wondered if I was still underdressed. Max smiled at me, but I couldn’t read his expression. Was he really happy about this party? It had been a long time since I’d attended a gathering of this magnitude.
When I’d been growing up, my parents had thrown lavish parties at their home, but since I’d moved away they’d settled down and now just sat at home doing crossword puzzles and eating bags of microwave popcorn.

Max’s body tense
d when he saw the house.

“Whose place is this?” I whispered.

“Have you heard of the Enforcer?” Jared asked.

I stared at
Jared. “Yes, I suppose I’d heard of him, but I kind of thought that was a myth.”

The
Enforcer was some kind of vampire law enforcement. Whatever that meant. I stayed far away from trouble and I didn’t want any dealings with law enforcement.

“Sorry, it’s no myth,”
Jared said as he opened the car door for us.

Max and I climbed out of the limo and followed the men to the front door of the massive home. It was a newer home that was covered in stone. The double wood doors were twice my height and the front porch fanned out to greet guests. It was out of place with the surrounding homes made of white plank and brick.
This was a quiet area that didn’t look as if the residents threw too many parties.

The balmy evening wind carried a whiff of Max’s cologne to my nostrils. He smelled divine, I had to admit. We made it up the landscaped path to the front door. The men didn’t have a chance to knock before the door swung open.

We followed them into the large foyer. A crystal chandelier hung low over a massive center table. Marble floors gleamed under our feet. Applause sounded from the left and I looked over to see a bunch of people in the living room staring and clapping.

“I’m assuming the applause
isn’t for me,” I said.

We inched into the room. The walls were painted in a warm beige and cushy leather furniture decorated the room. The sign that hung over the stone fireplace in the room read
Welcome Back, Max.
No one had ever thrown a party like that for me. But of course I didn’t own a big company like Max apparently did. I had no idea who these women or men were, and by the look on Max’s face, I didn’t think he did either.

“Do you know these people?” I asked.

He stared out over the crowd. After a second, he said, “I think I know the men over there.”

So why exactly were we at this party?

“You own the company and all these people are excited that you’re back, huh?” I tried to make sense of the situation.

He shrugged. “Yesterday when I went to the company they had security kick me out.”

I frowned. “That’s not very nice. I guess they didn’t realize who you were.”

One of the men Max had pointed out approached us and smacked Max on the back. “Max, my old friend. It’s great to have you back. I assume we’ll see you at work on Monday morning.”

Max had only just returned from the dead. You’d think they could give him a couple days to get settled before they expected a full work week out of him.

The man who I assumed was an employee of the Dupree Company
regarded me with his snakelike eyes. If he was trying to make me feel uncomfortable, it was working.

Max nodded. “Yes, you’ll see me Monday. Of course I hope security doesn’t kick me out again.”

The man chuckled nervously. “Of course not. Enjoy the evening.” He didn’t waste any time getting out of there after Max’s comment.

Max pointed across the room. “Looks like there’s a bar. We might as well take advantage and have a drink. What do you say?”

I nodded. “White wine, please.”

A drink sounded like the only sensible thing at the moment. The scent of blood circled around me from other
s’ drinks, but I opted to forgo the blood for the moment. Sometimes I just got tired of drinking the stuff. The bubbling fountain of synthetic blood in the corner of the room was a nice touch though. Guests tipped their glasses underneath for refills. Ruby red liquid shimmered in the crystal goblets.

“One white wine coming up,”
Max said as he grabbed my hand and led me through the crowd.

All eyes were on us as we moved through the room. Even though I’d dressed for the wedding, I still felt self-conscious with the other women covered in diamonds and expensive gowns. This was quite a turn of events for the evening.

After Max handed me the wine, I took a sip and studied the room. People were still stealing glances at us. The scrutiny sent a chill crawling over my skin. Maybe it was just me, but a palpable tension filled the air.

“Would you like to dance?” Max asked, breaking me from my reverie.

The music was slow so that would mean we would be in close proximity. Considering how gorgeous Max was I figured a slow dance wouldn’t be all that bad.

“I’d like that,” I said.

He took the glass from my hand and placed it on the bar. Next he grasped my hand in his and led me to the middle of the room where others swayed back and forth to the melody. When Max placed his hands around my waist and pulled me close, a strange feeling ran through me. How long had it been since Max had held a woman in his arms? Had he been in love before he had been turned? It was just nerves, I told myself. We moved with the music and slowly I became intoxicated by his masculine scent. Max smiled and met my gaze, but didn’t speak.

“I wasn’t expecting a party like this tonight.” I gestured with a tilt of my head.

He winked. “I was expecting to attend the wedding of a complete stranger.”

I laughed. “The bride was my friend’s cousin, so I didn’t really know them either. Why did you come with me tonight?”

“What else did I have to do? I figured if a woman was calling to ask me out I’d better accept,” he said.

I glanced around at the faces who watched us. “What else did you have to do tonight? How about a party in your honor?”

He shrugged. “Obviously someone forgot to send me the invitation.”

“That is strange. Why did they make you leave?” I asked.

“I guess they weren’t aware that I’d returned,” he said.

As we continued the dance I felt eyes on us. Not the stares that I’d seen from the room full of people. No, this was heavier than that. I glanced to my right and noticed Dean and Jared speaking with another man—the
Enforcer. I’d seen him before, but only in photos—I subscribed to the Vampire Daily News. He was a lean man with long legs and a sprinkling of gray in his dark hair. His face was long and narrow with sharp cheekbones. They watched for a moment longer, and then turned their attention away from us.

“Do you know that other man?” I pointed.

Max nodded. “Yes, I know him.”

When I cast another look their way, the
Enforcer turned and walked out of the room. That was when Dean and Jared turned their attention on us once again. It was a party for Max, but to be honest, the people didn’t seem all that excited about his presence.

“We should get out of here,” Max said when he noticed I was focused on the men.

“Don’t you think they’ll miss you?” I asked.

“They won’t even notice we’ve disappeared.” Max grabbed my hand and pulled me through the crowd of people.

When I glanced back the men were watching us. The frowns on their faces made me think that we weren’t exactly welcome to leave whenever we wanted.

“Let’s hurry. I think the men don’t want us to leave,” I said.

We hurried through the house and raced out the front door. Max pulled me over into the nearby shrubbery. It was a good thing because within seconds the men had appeared outside. They stood on the front porch, peering out into the darkness. The music that floated outside from the house made their conversation unintelligible, but I knew they were discussing our departure. Luckily, they turned around and disappeared back into the house. It was great that people had made the company successful in Max’s absence, but if all the employees acted like Dean and Jared, I wasn’t sure how long that would last. They shouldn’t have left Max alone at the party. That was their first mistake. I was thankful they had though because we were able to slip away easily.

It was our chance to get out of there before Dean and Jared returned. Max grabbed my hand again and we dashed across the yard. I didn’t bother to look back because I didn’t want to know if they were following us. The pleasant evening had brought with it mystery and apprehension—so much for a boring life.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked as we headed down the sidewalk.

“I
’m taking you home. Obviously, it isn’t safe being with me. With crazy parties and all,” he said.

“I have to admit that was the strangest party I’ve ever been to, and I’ve seen some weird parties before. Don’t ever go to a party hosted by a woman named Lola Lawrence. I still have a scar from that night.”

Max paused and stared at me. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Finally he said, “Never mind. I don’t want to know what happened at Lola Lawrence’s.”

“Wise decision. Anyway, Dean and Jared are strange, don’t you think? I got a weird vibe from them. What about you?” I asked.

Max’s every stride was full of the kind of confidence I’d expect from a vampire who had been around for a long time, not one who had just returned. “I don’t know them, but I felt the vibe as well. Like I said, it’s not safe being with me.”

Well, he might be right about that. Nevertheless, I hoped that Dean and Jared didn
’t follow us in the limo to my house.

When I glanced back, they weren
’t there—maybe the evening was looking up after all. I was glad because I had no intention of running from the strange men all night. I wasn’t sure what the purpose of that party had been either. Were the people excited about Max’s return or not? They certainly had a strange way of showing it. Sure, they’d thrown him a party, but it felt like an afterthought and not one hundred percent sincere.

“There has to be a reason they went to all that trouble to throw a party for you and then followed us outside. Don
’t you want to find out?” I asked as we hurried down the street.

“I imagine I’ll find out on Monday when I go to work.” An edge of apprehension filled his voice.

When I looked over my shoulder I was sure that I’d seen the limo turn down the main street. At this point we’d moved onto a side street. Max noticed my expression and looked back.

I gestured over my shoulder. “I thought I saw the limo. You should turn back and ask them why they followed us. I mean, we escaped from the party. That should be an indication that we didn’t want to be at the place. Of course, I guess it was a little rude that you left without saying thank you.”

He frowned and then said, “I don’t want to stop long enough to find out why they followed us. I don’t know that I can fight two men by myself. I’m newly returned, remember? I still don’t have all my strength back yet.”

I guess Max had a good point, but if I were him, I would have to find out what they wanted. Why would he have to fight the men though? What was that about? Had I missed something?

For a moment worry flickered in his dark eyes, then he said, “Let’s not talk about what happened. I want to know about you. What do you do for fun?”

“I work,” I said matter-of-factly.

“Come on, there has to be something else you do.” A teasing smile pulled at one side of his mouth.

“Well, I read and like to walk in the park. What about you?” I asked.

“Things have changed, so I’m not sure what I like to do anymore. Before I was turned I worked and that was all I did. There wasn’t a lot of free time.”

“And now you’re back. Who’s been in charge of the company while you were gone? Did you sell underwear?” I asked.

“I sold men’s ready-to-wear clothing. Apparently it is now just underwear.” He quickened his steps and I sensed his uneasiness with the topic. “The Enforcer has been in charge since I’ve been gone.”

Max
looked straight ahead as we walked, but I briefly studied his profile, the high cheekbones and strong jaw.

“Why has he been in charge?” I asked.

“Maybe he counted on me never returning. I’m not sure.”

The crescent moon slipped out of view. Clouds gathered and I knew a storm would be here soon. We finally reached my front door. I pulled the keys from my purse. This was the awkward part of any date, although I wasn’t even sure this could be considered a real date.

“Well, it’s been an interesting evening,” I said as I looked over his shoulder for Dean and Jared one last time.

He smiled. “I
’m sorry for everything and for the mix-up. I wish there was a way to make it up to you.”

As long as he had strange men taking him to weird parties and then trailing after him, there wouldn
’t be any need to make it up to me. I wanted an uncomplicated life and from what I could see so far, Max had the exact opposite of that.

Max stared into my eyes and I finally looked away.

“I’d better go now,” he said, as if he’d read my mind.

“Please be careful out there,” I offered.

Max gave me another long stare and I wondered if he’d move in for a goodnight kiss. I was shocked to realize that I wasn’t totally opposed to the idea. As weird as the night had been, I couldn’t ignore that Max smelled really good, was handsome, and had lips that appeared to be extremely soft.

Max didn’t make a move for a kiss though. Instead he nodded and then headed off down the sidewalk.
After taking a few steps, he looked back and threw his hand up in a goodbye wave. Letting him leave like that made me nervous, but I wasn’t sure why.

Regardless of how I felt, that was the end of that. I’d never see the guy again.

Once inside, I leaned against the door and let out a deep sigh. Tossing my purse on the table by the door, I moved over to the window and peeked out. Did I think I would see him again? Heck, I didn’t know what I thought. One thing was for sure, I hoped that I wouldn’t see Dean and Jared again. A fork of lightning split the sky followed by an enormous boom of thunder. No one was outside, so I closed the drapes and moved away from the window. In spite of not wanting to get involved in any complicated matters, something made me want to help Max. Who was I kidding though? There was nothing I could do for him. I couldn’t run after him. It was something he would have to handle on his own. He was a big vampire now and it was all up to him.

***

The next evening, I had a date with John Downs. When he’d asked me out to the theater, I’d thought it would be an okay evening. But the evening abruptly ended when the manager tossed us out of the theater. My date had acted as if the performance was worthy of yelling at the actors like we were at a sporting event. The other patrons had shouted at us and even the actors had stopped performing. I was almost positive the actress playing the grandmother had flipped us the bird.

I rushed out of his car as soon as he pulled up in front of my house. He leaned in for a good night kiss, but I was already halfway up the path to my front door by then.

“I’ll call you,” he said.

“Not if I can change my number first,” I mumbled over my shoulder.

Why couldn’t I meet a nice, normal guy?