“Yes,” Nikolas called from the background, telling me Sara had put us on speaker. Nikolas sounded amused and a little aggravated at the same time.
“I didn’t mean to,” Sara said defensively. “They looked upset. How was I to know you’re not allowed to touch them?”
I grinned at Pete. “So, Nikolas, how’s it feel to be home?”
“Not as quiet as I remember,” he answered dryly.
Sara muttered something, and Nikolas spoke in a soothing voice. “My mother is not angry with you. She’s just glad they didn’t hurt you.”
And that was our cue to go.
“We’re heading out to lunch. We’ll talk to you guys in a few days,” I said.
“Bye,” Sara and Nikolas said together.
I hung up, and Pete and I laughed again as we got into the Mustang.
“Poor Nikolas,” Pete said.
I snorted. “Poor Russia, you mean. Nikolas knew what he was getting into.”
“Man, it’s quiet here without her.” Pete buckled his seat belt. “Gino’s?”
I started the car. “We had that yesterday. Let’s go to Gail’s. They have the chicken pot pie special on Thursdays.”
“Sound’s good.”
Emma
“Here you go. A BLT and a Caesar salad.” I laid the plates in front of the two customers at the table and straightened. “Can I get you anything else?”
“We’re good, thanks,” said the middle-aged woman.
I smiled and returned to the counter where Brenda gave me a thumbs-up. “You’re a pro,” she whispered.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. It was my second day at the diner, and Gail had given me two tables in the back to start me out. If I couldn’t keep up with two tables, I’d fire myself.
The door opened behind me, and Brenda smiled. “And here are your next customers.”
I turned as she walked out from behind the counter to greet the guests. My stomach dropped at the sight of Roland and Peter standing by the hostess stand. They smiled at Brenda, and she led them to my open table.
I passed Brenda on my way to their table. She winked and whispered, “You’ll like these two, especially Roland. He’s a charmer, that one.”
Peter was facing me and his eyes widened when he saw me approach them. “Emma? I didn’t know you were working here.”
Roland’s head whipped around, looking even more surprised than his friend. “Hey. Didn’t expect to see you here.”
I summoned a smile. “I started yesterday.”
“Nice,” Peter said. “The food here is great and it’s not too far from the waterfront.”
“Especially if you enjoy walking,” Roland added with an expression I couldn’t decipher. “Did you get caught in that rain last night?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t too bad,” I lied. “Can I get you something to drink while you look at the menu?”
“Coke and the chicken pot pie,” Roland said.
Peter handed me their menus. “Same for me.”
“Great. That’ll be out in a few minutes.” I went to put in the orders and pour their drinks. When I carried the glasses of Coke back to the table, Roland spoke before I could walk away.
“So, how are things at the apartment? You getting settled in okay?”
“It’s great, thanks.” I relaxed a little. This was the closest I’d gotten to the werewolves, and so far, they didn’t seem to be smelling anything off of me.
Steve called their order, and I went to get it. Peter dug in as soon as I set his plate in front of him.
“Have you seen much of town yet?” Roland asked.
My smile was real this time. “No, but I love what I’ve seen so far. Now I know why Sara talks about this place so much.”
He smiled back. “Yeah, it’s a great place. If you want, we’ll give you the grand tour, show you all the best spots.”
I felt a moment of panic. “Thanks, but a friend has offered to show me around.”
“Oh.” His smile faltered. “You made a friend already? That’s great.”
“Yes. His name is Scott, and he works here.”
Roland’s eyes darkened a shade. “Scott Foley?”
Peter coughed on a mouthful of food.
“You know him?” I wasn’t sure what to make of their reactions. Did they not like Scott? He was so friendly.
“Yeah. We all go way back,” Roland said evenly.
I realized I was spending too much time talking to them when I should have been watching my other table. “Excuse me. I need to get back to work. Enjoy your lunch.”
Brenda nudged me with her hip when I went back behind the counter. “Looks like Roland’s not the only charmer in the room.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you might have made a conquest already.”
A conquest? “No, you misunderstand. Roland and Peter are my cousin’s friends. They were being nice. That’s all.”
“If you say so,” she murmured.
Two tables cleared at the same time in her section, and she went to clean them. “Can you give me a hand?” she asked me.
“Sure.”
I went to the closest table and stacked the plates. As I was picking up the glasses, a man bumped into me on his way out. A glass slipped through my fingers and shattered on the tile floor.
“Oh, shoot.” I grabbed the stack of unused napkins on the table to blot the spilled soda before it went everywhere.
Brenda came over with a broom and dustpan. “Careful. Don’t cut yourself.”
No sooner had the warning left her mouth when I felt a sharp pain in my thumb. I jerked my hand back with a small cry.
Brenda crouched beside me. “Let me see.”
She bent over my hand, and I felt her pluck out the shard of glass. “You’ll live,” she announced. “Let’s go bandage this. I’ll get Scott to clean up the glass.”
We stood, and I looked down at the large red drop welling from the pad of my thumb. The coppery smell of blood hit me, and my stomach lurched. A second later, dizziness slammed into me, and I swayed on my feet.
A pair of hands grabbed my arms gently from behind, holding me against a hard body. “Steady there,” Roland said in a low voice.
My body stiffened. I tried to pull away, and my legs almost gave out.
“Easy,” Roland murmured.
“Maybe she needs some air,” Brenda suggested.
In the next instant, I was swept up into Roland’s arms and carried outside. It was a cool day, and the fresh air felt good against my skin. He set me down on a bench and sat on his haunches in front of me. A hand cupped my chin and tilted my face up to his. I sucked in a breath at the worried blue eyes inches from mine, and my stomach did a weird little flip.
“You okay?”
For a moment, I forgot to answer. “Y-yes.”
Brenda sat beside me on the bench. “Are you alright?”
Embarrassment pushed aside my anxiety. What must they think of me, nearly fainting because of a tiny cut on my finger?
I nodded mutely, angry at my weakness. The irony of an ex-vampire who gets sick at the sight of blood was not lost on me. Ever since I’d been healed, I couldn’t stomach the smell or sight of it. If there was a God, he had a messed-up sense of humor.
“Let me see,” Gail said, and Roland stood to let her in.
Having all these people fuss over me only intensified my discomfort, but I sat quietly and let her look at my finger. She cleaned the blood off with a damp cloth and applied a bandage.
“It’ll be okay in a day or two,” she said. “But you should go home for the rest of the day.”
“I don’t need to go home,” I protested, sounding weak even to my own ears.
“You’re white as a sheet, honey,” she said kindly. “We can manage here without you for the rest of the day.”
Scott handed me my bag. “Here, Emma. I’ll give you a lift home.”
“I’ll take her.” Roland reached down to help me to my feet. “No need for both of you to leave work.”
Gail nodded. “Thank you, Roland.”