“We have to come up with somewhere safer to wait until we can reach your friend Debbie,” he said.
“Yes.”
She sounded tired, and he frowned with worry. Now that they were out of the dim theatre, he could see just how pale she was. She was also starting to appear gaunt, as if the nanos were running low on blood, so had turned to eating away at any fat in her system, and he wondered if they could do that. He forgot all about the question when he took a closer look at her face. She was gritting her teeth, and there were small lines by the corners of her eyes, signs of pain. She was suffering.
“You have to feed,” he murmured, moving closer to her as he spoke so that he wouldn’t be overheard.
“What do you suggest?” Lissianna’s voice was expressionless. She was asking what he was willing for her to do and that was when Greg realized that if he hadn’t been with her, she would have fed hours ago. Actually, if it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t be in this position at all, he acknowledged, but it seemed rather obvious to him now that she had refrained from munching on a passing shopper to keep from upsetting him.
“Feed,” Greg said firmly.
She paused to peer up at him uncertainly. “Really?”
Greg nodded as he urged her to the side, out of the way of passersby. “You already told me you don’t take more
than a little per person. They won’t miss it, and you need it, so go to the ladies’ room and find a donor…or three,” he added thinking she probably needed more like six or seven people, but she would know better herself. “I’ll wait in the food court.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For understanding,” she said simply.
He shrugged. “I’m starting to think of it like hemophilia, Lissianna. You just use a different type of intravenous and bypass the blood bank.”
Lissianna smiled and Greg found himself going still as she leaned up on tiptoe to press a kiss full of gratitude to his lips. At least, Greg suspected it was a kiss of gratitude for her, for him, just that light brushing of lips had him wanting more and he wrapped his arms around her as she started to withdraw, then deepened the kiss.
“Greg?”
Greg recognized his name, but preoccupied as he was he didn’t pay attention.
“It
is
you! What are you doing here?”
The question was like an irritating fly buzzing around his ear and Greg would have been happy to ignore it, but Lissianna broke away from him to turn to the speaker. Sighing, he turned too and stared at the short brunette facing them. He was so stunned at the sight of his sister, Anne, that it took him a moment to respond.
“Well?” she demanded impatiently.
“What are you doing here?” he countered.
“Shopping.” Anne gave the half dozen bags she held a shake, then raised an eyebrow.
“We’re doing the same thing,” he said quickly to answer the question.
His sister glanced toward their empty hands, then
smiled at Lissianna. “Hi, I’m his sister Anne. And you are?”
“Lissianna,” she answered slowly, her gaze shifting from Anne to Greg.
“Oh, what a lovely name,” his sister said, then added with her usual bluntness, “but long. Can I call you Lissi?”
“Lots of people do,” Lissianna agreed, her smile appearing more natural.
“Good.” Anne turned back to Greg. “So? What are you doing here? You said you were going to be in Mexico this week.”
“My flight was canceled,” Greg blurted. “When I tried to rebook, I couldn’t get another one until Wednesday, so I just canceled the trip.”
“Uh-huh.” Anne didn’t sound like she believed him. “And you didn’t call me because…?”
When Greg stared at his sister blankly, Lissianna answered for him. “That’s probably my fault, Anne. I’m afraid I’ve kept him rather tied up with one thing and another the last couple of days.”
Greg choked at her choice of words. He’d been literally tied up.
“Really?” Anne was beaming. A born matchmaker, she obviously smelled romance.
Lissianna just smiled, then said, “I’ll leave you two to talk while I visit the ladies’ room. Excuse me.”
Greg watched her walk away and turned reluctantly back to his sister.
“So spill?” Anne said at once.
“Spill what?” Greg asked, feeling suddenly hunted. His sister had him in her crosshairs.
She heaved a disgusted breath, then thrust her shopping bags at him. “Here, go find a seat in the food court and
watch these. I suddenly have to visit the ladies’ room, too.”
“No, Anne, just—Crap,” he muttered, as she hurried after Lissianna. His sister would be all over Lissianna like a blanket, asking questions and preventing her from feeding, unless she fed on Anne. Greg blinked at the possibility. He rather liked the idea. Which was probably mean, he realized. Shaking his head, he turned and walked into the food court to find an empty table.
The food court was busy, but Greg eventually found an empty table and set his sister’s bags down. He took a seat, and glanced toward the washrooms just in time to see Lissianna and his sister coming out.
“Well, we should have a coffee,” Anne said cheerfully as she reached the table.
“Oh, we can’t, thanks, Anne,” Greg said quickly.
“Don’t be silly, of course you can. I asked and Lissi said you didn’t have any plans.”
He glanced at Lissianna to see her offering him an apologetic grimace, but was more concerned by her pallor. Obviously—as he’d feared—she hadn’t managed to feed with his sister trailing her. Greg turned back to his sister. “Yes, but—”
“I won’t take no for an answer. You’ll stay for coffee with me, won’t you Lissi?”
Lissianna managed a smile.
“See,” Anne said, taking that as a yes. “Come on, Greg. You can help me get the coffee while Lissi watches the bags and rests. The poor girl looks ready to drop.”
Greg glanced from one woman to the other. When Lissianna gave him a sympathetic glance and waved him off, he sighed and stood to follow Anne.
“She’s pretty,” Anne said as she led him to a coffee booth.
“Yes,” Greg muttered.
“Pale though. Has she been sick recently?”
“Er…flu,” Greg lied.
“I could tell.” Anne nodded solemnly as the person in front of them got their order and moved off. She stepped up to the counter and ordered a cappuccino and a chocolate croissant, then glanced at him. “What does Lissianna drink? Does she like cappuccino?”
Greg stared at her blankly, then admitted, “I don’t have any money on me.”
Anne stared. “What?”
“I forgot my wallet.” It was the truth, but it gave him an idea and he brightened. “Actually, maybe it’s good I ran into you. Do you think I could borrow some money from you for a day or two?”
“Sure.” She opened her wallet. “How much do you want?”
Greg hesitated. They hadn’t been able to go to a hotel because they hadn’t the money, so had planned to beg a place to stay from Debbie. But they couldn’t reach Debbie…which wouldn’t be a problem if they could stay at a hotel. Taking a breath, he asked, “Could you loan me a couple hundred?”
Anne’s head jerked up in surprise, but after a moment she nodded slowly. “I’ll have to hit an instant teller to get you that much. We’ll swing by one after we have our coffee. I’ll get the drinks.”
Greg sighed as she turned back to the counter and ordered two more cappuccinos and two more chocolate croissants. She paid for the order, then turned to glance at him while they waited for them to be made.
“So? How long have you known Lissianna?”
“Not long,” Greg said evasively.
“I asked her what she does, and she said she works in the shelter?”
“Yes. Social work.”
“Mmm.” Anne smiled. “Social work, psychology, they’re pretty close. You two must have scads in common.”
“Uh…yes.” Greg said warily, then was relieved to see their order being set on the counter. “Here we are.”
He reached past her to take the tray, then led her back to the table where Lissianna waited. They were silent as he set out their drinks, then set the tray aside.
“Mmm, this is good,” Anne said as she tried her croissant, then she glanced from Greg to Lissianna, and said, “I didn’t think to ask. How did you two meet?”
“Through work,” Greg said at the same moment as Lissianna said, “Through family.”
Anne laughed. “Which is it?”
Greg and Lissianna stared at each other, then he cleared his throat and said, “Both really. Her mother consulted me about a phobia, and I met Lissianna through her.”
“Ah. So you’ve already met her mother,” Anne said, as if it were significant.
Greg sighed inwardly, knowing they were toast. He had no doubt she would grill them unmercifully. And she did. He spent the next half hour trying to fend off questions and evasively answering those he couldn’t stop. It was a great relief when she finally looked at her watch, and said, “Oh geez, look at the time. We have to get moving.”
“We?” Lissianna blinked.
“Yes,” Anne smiled. “I have to pick up Mom. We’re meeting my husband at Casey’s for dinner. But first I have to stop at an instant teller to get Greg…er…that money I owe him.”
“Oh.” Lissianna glanced at Greg, and he managed a smile that froze when Anne went on, “Actually Greg, if I stop at an instant teller it will make me late picking up
Mom. You guys don’t have any plans, so why not join us for supper?”
Greg opened his mouth to try to bow gracefully out of the dinner, but Anne added, “It’s been so long since you had dinner with Mom, and I’m sure she’d love to meet Lissianna. Of course, John and I will buy dinner, then I can get you the money after that. It would make things much easier for me.”
Watchoo
, he thought. Harpooned through the guilt bone. He cast an apologetic glance Lissianna’s way and nodded a yes to his sister.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured several minutes later, once they were seated in the backseat of his sister’s car. He’d joined Lissianna in the back, claiming it would save moving when they reached his mother’s, but really he wanted to talk to her.
“It’s all right,” Lissianna assured him.
“I suppose you didn’t get to feed with Anne chasing after you into the ladies’ room?”
She sighed and shook her head. “It was too busy anyway, full of teenagers. I couldn’t possibly control them all while I fed on one.”
“Well, when we get to the restaurant, go to the bathroom and give it another try. And if Anne follows you this time, bite her.”
Lissianna’s eyebrows went up at the suggestion, but before she could speak, Anne called out, “Here we are!”
Greg glanced around to notice they were slowing, and Lissianna hissed by his ear, “What if they’re watching your mother’s for us?”
Greg’s eyes widened in alarm. He hadn’t thought of that. For a moment he panicked and didn’t know what to do. Then Lissianna unsnapped his seat belt and her own and pulled him down to duck in the backseat even as she did.
He felt the car turn right, then Anne brought the vehicle to a stop in what he knew must be his mother’s driveway.
“What are you two doing?”
Greg and Lissianna glanced up to find her leaning over the front seat, staring down at them with bewilderment.
“Er…surprising Mom?” he suggested, and saw his sister blink, then she smiled widely.
“What a great idea! She’ll love it. You guys stay hidden, I’ll go get her.”
Greg released a relieved breath as she disappeared from overhead, and he heard the car door close. His gaze slid to Lissianna who was kneeling in the floor space between the front and backseats, with her head on the backseat. As he watched, she began to chuckle.
Greg smiled uncertainly. “What’s so funny?”
She raised her eyebrows. “Look at us. Did you imagine this situation before all this madness started last Friday?”
He smiled faintly. No, he certainly hadn’t imagined a situation like this. His life had been incredibly predictable and boring. Now he didn’t know what it was. Greg stared at her tired face and still found her beautiful. Easing forward on the floor, he kissed her softly, sighing against her lips as Lissianna turned her head on the backseat to make it easier.
“Here we are.”
Greg heard the word and the sound of two doors closing, but was learning he had a great capacity for shutting things out. He did so now, shutting out his sister’s voice and concentrating on kissing Lissianna.
“I have a surprise in the—Oh…er…Maybe I’ll show you when we get to the restaurant,” he heard his sister say over their heads and knew she was peering over the front seat at them. He couldn’t care less.
Greg stopped kissing Lissianna long before they reached the restaurant; partially because kissing her and
not being able to do anything else was terribly frustrating, and partly because he was starting to get a cramp from their confined positions. That was also the reason he rose up to sit on the backseat and said, “Hi, Mom.”
There were several moments of surprised exclamation as Greg explained his presence there and introduced Lissianna, then they were arriving at the restaurant. As he’d expected, his mother seemed to like Lissianna on sight and chattered away to her happily, welcoming her as if she were family. John arrived shortly after they did, and Greg introduced Lissianna again. They had placed their orders and their drinks had been delivered when Lissianna excused herself to go visit the ladies’ room.
Much to Greg’s relief, Anne didn’t chase after her this time and he began to relax, thinking she would be able to feed, when his mother turned a concerned expression his way and said, “She seems a lovely girl, son, but she’s awfully pale. Are you sure she isn’t sickening?”
“She’ll be fine once she eats,” Greg assured her honestly, then added the lie, “She’s a touch hypoglycemic.” It was probably the wrong thing to do.
Lissianna’s steps were clipped and hurried as she pushed through the door to the bathroom, but they stopped abruptly when she was confronted with a row of empty stalls and a counter full of sinks that weren’t being used. The bathroom was empty.
“I don’t believe it,” she muttered, then turned and walked back out, only to pause in the small hallway leading to the bathrooms. Lissianna was hungry. Painfully so, and didn’t think she could keep up a happy facade for Greg’s family much longer without feeding at least a little on someone. Damn! Why hadn’t Anne followed her, she
thought with irritation. Greg had said she could bite her. Not that it was probably a good idea to bite your boyfriend’s sister the first time you met her, but…