1 Dead Girl's Guide to Style (9 page)

“I can
’t believe she did that,” Caitlin said.

Mona had dashed out of the room as soon as she’d shoved me.

I tried to get my footing as I walked across the tile, but my shoes were wet and I ended up doing nothing but slipping and sliding. Mona had tried to kill me. She would have to try a lot harder than that to get me. Caitlin grabbed my arm and helped me walk across the tile to the door. My shoes squeaked with every step. We finally reached the exit and Caitlin yanked it open. A guy stepped back as we almost ran into him.

“Did you see a woman run out of here?” Caitlin asked him.

He shook his head. “Nope.”

Caitlin and I ran through the gym. People stared at us. Of course they stared at me even more because I was completely wet. We spotted Mona out the large windows that lined the front wall.

“There she goes,” I said as I ran toward the main door.

The guy behind the desk glanced up at us. He frowned, but didn
’t say a word and went back to perusing his magazine. We could have been on fire and he wouldn’t have cared. Caitlin and I ran out to the parking lot.

“Hey, you, come back here,” Caitlin yelled.

Mona turned around and flipped us off.

“I think that means she
’s not coming back here,” I said.

Mona jumped in her car and spun out of the parking lot as we watched.

Caitlin placed her hands on her hips. “She has to come back some time.”

“We can
’t hang around here forever waiting for her to come back.” I ran my hand through my hair.

“No, I guess we can
’t, but we can come back. Plus, we know where she lives.” Caitlin waved her finger.

“I don
’t think she’s living there all the time,” I said. “Sometimes she lets the historical society use the place. I think she just keeps the place because she can and she knows that Max wants it.”

“That
’s so sweet of her,” Caitlin said.

“She
’s a real doll,” I said.

“We won’t let her get away with that,” Caitlin said.

I wasn’t sure what we would do to stop her. In the meantime, I had another date. After my luck with men lately, I should have just cancelled.

Chapter Fourteen

I decided to go to Mona’s house and confront her. Well, the house that she was claiming was her own. I walked through the gate and up to the front porch. I looked around, hoping that the men wouldn
’t show up. So far no one was there. I knocked on the door, but she didn’t answer. No sound came from the other side of the door. I peeked in the window, but didn’t see her. Apparently she wasn’t home. I looked back again and didn’t see anyone. Maybe I could just sneak in the house and take a little peek around. No one would notice. But how would I get in?

I twisted the front door knob, but it was locked. Not knowing what else to do, I decided to go around and check the back door. I was sure that it would be locked too, but I had to give it a shot. If I couldn
’t get in that way, I’d try the windows. Then if none of that worked, I’d have to give up. I moved around to the back of the house and stepped up to the door. After a quick glance around at my surroundings, I tried the knob. To my surprise, it actually opened. I glanced back again, and then stepped inside the house.

I called out, but no one answered. Maybe Mona was hiding and waiting for the chance to jump out and attack me. I peeked around the corner into the kitchen, but didn
’t see her there. So far she wasn’t in any of the rooms. I’d have to look upstairs too. I just hoped that she didn’t come home when I was in the house. It would be impossible to explain my way out of that one. I went down the hallway toward the steps. After making my way up the staircase, I looked through all the bedrooms. She could have been hiding in a closet. That would be weird.

The upstairs bedrooms all had furniture and fully made beds as if someone was coming for a nap at any minute. The room with all pink I figured had to be her room. I stepped inside the space. It was a weird feeling to be in there without her home. I moved over to the vanity and looked at some of the things sitting around. Perfume, a hairbrush, and a stake. It looked as if she was ready to eliminate someone if they came near. It sent a shiver down my spine. I didn
’t want to be the vampire on the other end of that wood.

I looked around the room for a moment longer, but didn
’t see anything that looked of any importance. Once back in the hall, I had just made it to the staircase when a noise came from downstairs. It sounded like someone had opened the front door and stepped inside.

I
’d had a feeling she would come home before I had a chance to get out of there. It was just my luck. Now I would have to fight her. Footsteps sounded across the hardwood floor. They seemed quite loud though. It didn’t sound like it was her. She was a small woman.

I knew I might as well go down there and confront her. It wouldn
’t get any easier if I hid in her closet. It would only make matters worse. I straightened my shoulders and forced myself to start down the long staircase. In my mind I went over what I would say to her—it probably wouldn’t go as well in real life as it did in my mind though. I would try to be as rational as possible. That would probably be hard because she wasn’t the type who wanted to be rational no matter what she claimed.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs I had been fully prepared to see Mona standing there. But I hadn
’t been prepared to see the vampire staring at me. I’d never seen him before. A sly smile spread across his face as soon as he looked at me. I knew that I was in trouble.

“What are you doing here?” he asked softly.

“I’m looking for Mona.”

He raised an eyebrow. “She
’s not here. I don’t think you are supposed to be upstairs.”

“I thought I heard something,” I said.

I knew he wouldn’t believe me though. He wouldn’t believe anything I tried to tell him. I looked over his shoulder at the front door and wondered how I could escape. Gauging the distance between where I stood and the front door, I decided to make a run for it. I wasn’t sure if I would make it, but it was a chance I had to take.

I ran for the door. My hand brushed the knob when he grabbed me from behind. He slammed me to the floor and was on top of me within seconds. It all happened so quickly that I
’d barely had a chance to register what was occurring. The weight of his body against mine was crushing and I tried to push him away.

“What are you doing?” I called out.

He didn’t answer as he stared me in the eyes with a creepy glare. He had me pinned down and I didn’t know what I would do to escape. The man was much stronger than me. My only chance was to outsmart him. That would be the only way to fight this vampire. It probably wouldn’t be too hard—he didn’t look that smart to me.

Pushing against his body, I tried to use all my strength, but I soon realized that would get me nowhere and would only drain my energy.

“I don’t think this is such a good idea. You don’t know what kind of trouble you’re getting yourself into,” I said.

He acted as if I hadn
’t said a word. The next thing I knew, he had his lips against my neck and the tips of his fangs pierced the delicate skin of my neck. His attack had knocked me for a surprise.

“Why are you doing this?” I managed to ask.

Old pain stirred inside of me as the memories of my initial attack flooded back. This time I wouldn’t be the victim. I wasn’t as fragile as hand-blown glass anymore.

He was focused on biting my neck, so I wasn’t getting a response. He had no right to do this and I would make him pay for his actions. In my panic, I still knew that I had to get him off me before he took all my blood and energy. Why had I come inside this house? That had been a bad decision. Was this one of the vampire hunters? I pushed him, but he still had a hold on me.

“Get off,” I said again.

Apparently I wouldn
’t be able to talk my way out of this one. A daze settled over my mind and a fog whirled through my mind. He was draining me, but it didn’t feel as I’d thought it would. I felt as if I could do anything. I felt stronger than ever. I reached up with my knee and kicked him. He fell back and it was over.

I couldn’t believe that I’d managed to get him off of me. Where had I gotten the energy and strength from? I was just thankful that I had found a way.

Just because I’d gotten him off me didn’t mean that this battle was over. He jumped up and lunged for me, but I leapt out of the way. I had no weapon, so I grabbed the first thing that I saw, which was a small lamp on the table next to me. Hauling it over my head, I slammed it down onto his head. He stumbled backward, but it didn’t look as if it had had much of an effect on him. I’d only made him angrier now. Plus, I was all out of lamps to use as a weapon. I glanced around for something else, but the room didn’t have a lot of knickknacks.

I was all out of options and my only choice was to make a run for it. Turning to my side, I yanked on the door so hard that I thought it might fall off the hinges. I ran out the door and dashed down the stairs toward the front gate. I didn
’t need to turn around to know that he was right behind me. Once I ran out of the gate I turned to my right. I didn’t have much of a plan, but it probably wouldn’t matter even if I had. There was no way I would get away from him.

The effect of the extra energy still ran through my body. I used it to my advantage and kicked my run into high gear, moving as fast as my legs would go. I didn
’t look back because that would only slow me down. Once I made it to an intersection, I turned to my right. When I reached halfway down that street, the energy I’d felt left my body all at once. I collapsed onto the sidewalk. If he was behind me then there was nothing I could do to stop him from getting me this time. I wondered if anyone had noticed that I’d fallen to the ground. Or if they cared, for that matter.

Arms reached down and scooped me up. I knew this was it for me. Wasn’t anyone going to help me? Then again
, what could they do? Why would they get involved? I looked to my side to take in my attacker’s face. I was shocked to see Max looking back at me.

“It
’s you,” I said softly.

“I have you now. Don
’t worry,” he said.

“He was following me,” I said.

“He’s not going to get you now,” Max said as he carried me.

Now people were watching us. They’d ignored me when I was lying helpless on the sidewalk.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“I’m taking you to my home,” he said. “Who was following you?”

“A vampire attacked me,” I managed.

Max carried me in his strong arms toward his place. I couldn
’t help but notice how great he smelled. Not something I should have been thinking about at that moment, but I couldn't help myself. He was silent as we made our way down the sidewalk, cutting down another street and over to his place.

“Your arms must be getting tired. I think I can walk now.”

He paused and then placed me down to the ground. “I guess I was swept up in the moment. Adrenaline and all, you know?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I know the feeling.” I looked back. “He didn
’t follow us, huh?”

“I never saw anyone,” Max said. “Are you sure he was following you?”

“Well, I’m not sure. I didn’t look back once I took off from Mona’s place.”

“What were you doing at her place?” he asked as we continued down the sidewalk.

“She needed help with a dress,” I said.

Why had I lied to him? It wasn’t a quality that I liked in myself.

Chapter Fifteen

Caitlin still felt bad about fixing me up with Joe. I th
ought she knew that I wouldn’t take her recommendations for a date anytime soon. It had made me rethink ever going on another date again, but I’d had this one planned for some time, so decided to go through with it. My next date walked through the door to pick me up.

“You look great,” he said.

He looked handsome too in his dark pants and dark shirt. When he smiled a flash of Max went through my mind. I wasn’t sure why I was thinking of him at that moment.

My date was taking me to a club to see a local band. I hoped that this date turned out better than the other ones I
’d had lately. I grabbed my purse and we made our way outside.

“My car’s right there,” he said.

Already things were looking up. He even held the door open for me.

The club was a short distance away and so far the guy seemed completely sane. I was waiting for the bomb to drop.

“How long have you been a stylist?” he asked.

He was even asking about my work. How nice was that? We pulled into the parking lot and he cut the engine and opened my door before I
’d even gotten the seatbelt off. He guided me toward the door with his hand on the small of my back. The club was tiny and packed full of people. Apparently this band was popular and a lot of people had turned out for the show.

We moved through the crowd. The conversations made the place loud, and the band hadn
’t even started playing yet. I glanced at my watch. We’d arrived just in time.

“Would you like something to drink?” my date asked over the noise.

“Yes, I’d love a glass of wine.”

“Coming up,” he said as he headed toward the bar.

I found an empty table and snagged it up before someone else had a chance. After a couple minutes, he returned with two wine glasses in hand. I couldn’t believe how relaxed I felt. Finally a date that wasn’t a disaster. Now if I could just stop thinking of Max.

“I
’m really glad that I asked you out the other day. I have to say I wasn’t sure if you would agree,” he said.

I smiled. “Well, thanks for asking.”

“I saw you in the grocery store and I just knew I had to ask you out.” He took a sip of wine. “I’ve not been feeling well lately and it felt good to get out of the house.”

“Oh, what
’s wrong?” I asked.

“I had a kidney stone and let me tell you it was the worst pain. I know it has to be worse than any pain ever. Plus, I think I had it worse than anyone else ever has.”

I stared at him as I took a sip of wine. He described his pain in detail as I continued to drink.

Finally the band appeared on stage and started playing, but that did nothing to stop my date from talking about his recent illness and other not
-so-great topics. I really didn’t need to know that he had stomach issues after eating certain foods. At least not on the first date.

After twenty minutes, I decided to give myself a break and go to the ladies
’ room.

“If you
’ll excuse me, I’ll be right back.” I pointed toward the entrance for the restrooms.

He stood as I made my way around the table. When I glanced back, I noticed that he was watching me.

I had to admit that I took my time in the restroom. There was no need to hurry. I wasn’t looking forward to getting back to the conversation. Maybe I could convince him to just listen to the music. And I’d thought the date held so much promise.

I reapplied my lipstick and then headed back toward the table. I noticed right away that he wasn
’t there. As I neared the table, another couple immediately sat down. Even our glasses had disappeared. I looked around to see if he was standing at the bar, but didn’t see him.

Had I taken so long that he
’d left me there? I hadn’t been that long. I glanced at my watch as people crowded around. The club was getting even more crowded. I inched my way through the group of people and headed across the room. Maybe he was standing on the other side listening to the music.

To be honest, I should have just left and called a cab. The band was good, but I
’d rather be home with a pint of my favorite blood and a good book. When I reached the other side of the room, I still didn’t see him.

I stepped around another group of people and decided
to hail a cab. There was no point in hanging around here by myself. As I headed out, I spotted him. He was in a tongue tango with a brunette. They were making out in the middle of the club. As I watched the public display of affection, I bumped into a couple.

“Watch where you
’re going,” the man said.

“Sorry,” I mumbled.

My date still hadn’t noticed that I was watching him. They were all over each other. It looked as if my evening was officially over. Let this woman listen to his kidney stone story.

I couldn’t believe this guy had asked me out and then ended up making out with someone else. That was just my luck
. I really shouldn’t have been surprised by the evening's turn of events.

I fought my way through the crowd and over to the front area. I couldn
’t get out of this place fast enough. To think I’d thought this guy might be okay. I felt sorry for the woman who was sucking his face. He probably wasn’t a good kisser anyway. I was glad to be rid of him.

When I reached the front, I was slowed by a group of people.
I finally forced my way through the crowd and came smack into someone’s chest. When I looked up into the man’s eyes, I couldn’t hide my smile. Max was standing in front of me. In that moment, I knew that he was just the person I’d wanted to see. But what was he doing here? It seemed like he was on every lousy date with me lately. Was he following me? It was probably just a coincidence. One that I was happy about. He flashed a wide smile in return.

“I wasn
’t expecting to see you here,” I said.

“I guess you never know where I am.”

“I didn’t know you liked this band,” I said.

“I thought I would check them out.” He looked over my shoulder. “Are you alone?”

No words came out. I just stared at him with what was probably a stupid look on my face.

He nodded. “Having problems with your date again?”

I eyed him up and down. “How did you know?”

He shook his head. “Why are you with these men? They
’re obviously no good for you. You should go out with someone who knows how to treat a lady.”

I continued to stare at him as if my mouth wouldn
’t work.

Max reached out and touched my arm. “Why don
’t we go outside and get some fresh air?”

I nodded. “Sure, that sounds like a good idea.”

Max cleared a path for us and held my hand as we made our way to the door and then stepped out onto the sidewalk. It was a warm evening and darkness had completely blanketed the area. I was thankful for no hot sun. Max still held my hand and I made no effort to let go of his either.

“Will you allow me to see you home safely?” he asked.

I hesitated and didn’t speak.

“We don’t have to walk. I can hail a cab.”

Before I had even answered, he was flagging down the nearest cab. The car pulled up to the curb and Max opened the door for me. I might have hesitated for a moment, but then finally climbed into the back seat of the car. After I gave the driver directions, Max settled in the seat next to me and then looked over at me.

I smiled. “Thanks for looking out for me.”

He returned a smile. “I didn’t want to stick around that place anyway.”

It felt as if we’d just gotten into the car when we pulled up in front of my house. He handed the driver the fare and we jumped out of the car. Max was right beside me as I walked up the path to my front door. My stomach danced and I was fully aware of his presence. When I stepped up to the front door, I stopped and met Max’s gaze.

I don’t know why, but just then, I asked, “Would you like to come inside?”

Without hesitation he said, “I
’d like it very much.”

I took out my keys and unlocked the door. After placing my purse on the table by the door I turned on the lamp next to the door.

Max looked around. “You have a lovely home. It’s cozy and welcoming.”

“Thank you. Please have a seat and I
’ll get us a drink.”

Max picked up a toss pillow and studied the room more.
I hurried into the kitchen. The whole time I couldn’t believe I’d invited him inside. What was I thinking? Was it really a good idea? I attempted to check my makeup in the stainless-steel toaster, but the image was too blurry. I grabbed the blood, poured it into two glasses, and made my way back to the living room. Max was sitting on the sofa.

When I neared him, he stood and closed the distance between us. I hadn’t expected that move. He took the glasses from my outstretched hand and placed them on the table. He focused his attention on me again, his gaze moving down to my lips. The next thing I knew, his lips were on mine. I didn
’t fight it. I was completely lost in the moment. He kissed me like no one had ever kissed me before. Max took my hand and we moved over to the sofa, plopping down without even looking to see where we’d land. I didn’t take my lips off his the whole time. He drew me closer to his hard body.

His tongue mingled with mine and his hands glided across my body.
As I lowered myself onto the sofa more, Max was now on top of me. After sensually gliding his lips over mine, he moved my mouth and made his way to my neck. He softly kissed and licked my skin. I didn’t stop him at first, but then suddenly it was as if the fog had been lifted from my mind.

“Stop. I don
’t know if we should do this,” I said.

Max stopped and moved off of me. “I
’m sorry if I was moving too fast.”

I was torn by all that had happened and wasn
’t sure what I wanted. I straightened on the sofa and met his stare.

“It wasn’t that you were moving too fast,” I said.

He looked down and then looked up at me again. “What is it? Do you not feel the same way for me?”

I stared at him, but didn’t answer. Why didn’t I answer him? I didn
’t know how he felt for me. Did he just want a roll in the bed or did he want someone to share time with and have fun? I wanted more than one night. And I didn’t want to give him the wrong impression. After all, less than an hour ago, I had been on a date with another man. That just seemed weird and I had to put some distance between us right now. Before I did something that I would regret. I wanted time to think this through without letting my hormones make the decision for me. He must have read my mind because he stood and made his way to the door.

“Please forgive me if I made you uncomfortable.”

I stood and walked over to him. “It’s not that at all. I just need some time to think things through.”

He nodded and then turned and walked out the door. I wasn’t sure that I had made the right decision. I’d probably screwed up a good thing.

 

Other books

CELL 8 by Anders Roslund, Börge Hellström
Breakdown (Crash into Me) by Lance, Amanda
Three Men and a Bride by Carew, Opal
Licence to Dream by Anna Jacobs
Salty Sweets by Christie Matheson
Lighthouse Island by Paulette Jiles
Operation Date With Destiny by Blakemore-Mowle, Karlene
Kit & Rogue (The Sons of Dusty Walker) by Sable Hunter, The Sons of Dusty Walker


readsbookonline.com Copyright 2016 - 2024