Page 18 of Blood Moon

“Are you sure?” I asked as I removed my apron and strolled toward the stairs. He knew that it was a rhetorical question and didn’t bother to respond.

“I’ll pick you up in an hour. Take your time,” Viktor called as I walked away from the bar.

I ran up the stairs and into my apartment. Once inside, I did a little happy dance, then ran to my closet. Viktor hadn’t said what kind of restaurant we’d be going to, so I had no idea what to wear.

I took a quick shower and opted for simple black pants and a red sweater. Paired with my red flats, I thought it was cute and practical. Hopefully it was dressy enough for whatever Viktor had in mind. It was hard to tell what to expect from a man who never wore anything besides a suit.

I laid out a dress just in case I needed to change quickly when he came up to get me. Then I focused on my hair and make-up. I wanted to look my best, even though this probably wasn’t a date. Oh, shit! Is this a date? I have no idea. I’d managed to talk myself into being nervous. Great. Just what I needed, to be more awkward than I usually am. I couldn’t help but laugh as I applied my cosmetics and scrunched my wavy hair.

Chapter 16

Viktor

After setting Vinny up to close the bar, I waited for Delilah to go upstairs before I returned my laptop to the office, locked it, and headed up to my own apartment to get ready. Changing our plans to go out instead of spending time in either of our apartments was a last-minute decision. I knew that if I had her alone, I would take her to my bed again. I needed something to keep me from devouring her.

I knew that taking her to Starlight would be a risk as well. I hadn’t been there with anyone since Kat. I was sure that Mary had started to gossip about my reservation the moment she hung up the phone. Did I care? I wasn’t sure that I did. I liked Delilah, and a part of me wanted to see where this would go.

I knew I could never let things get serious though. I had to protect her from Strain. That had to be my top priority. To be honest, I would have closed the bar early anyway as a way to keep that scumbag away from her. Just knowing that Strain was planning to take my Delilah out on a date made my skin crawl.

I knew that he would never admit his part in Kat’s death, just as well as I knew he’d never forgive me for taking his sister away from him.

While I was changing, I realized that I hadn’t given Delilah any indication of what type of restaurant we’d be heading to. I hoped that it didn’t cause her any anxiety, as I was sure she would change clothes for the occasion. I decided that casual would be the best bet, so I opted for black pants and a white button up shirt. Starlight was a five-star restaurant, but it wasn’t black tie.

When I was done, I headed down my stairs and up the other side to Delilah’s apartment. I was a few minutes early, but I didn’t mind waiting if she wasn’t ready. I knocked and was shocked when the door opened almost immediately.

She looked amazing. “Wow, you’re stunning. I wasn’t sure if you would be ready yet.”

“Thanks. With Uncle Vinny taking care of closing, I didn’t need as much time as I thought. I hope this outfit is OK for wherever we’re going,” she smirked at me as she looked me up and down.

“It’s perfect. We should go.” I held the door while she grabbed her phone and keys.

The drive to the restaurant was awkward and tense. Neither of us knew what to say.

“Tell me a little about yourself,” she said after a long period of silence.

“What would you like to know? I promised to tell you about Kat, but that will be better told at the restaurant, without so many distractions.” I tried to focus on the road instead of her scent. She smelled of cotton candy, something I hadn’t indulged in since I’d been transformed.

“How long have you been a vampire? What was it like to change? Do you ever regret it?” She paused to take a breath. “I’m sorry, none of that is any of my business. I honestly had no idea that vampires were real until the other day. I have so many questions.” I caught her blush out of the corner of my eye before she ducked her head.

“It’s okay. I had no idea until just a few weeks before I was turned, which was a long time ago—nearly thirty-five years. The change itself wasn’t bad after the initial pain of death. I don’t regret the choice, but sometimes I do regret the circumstances that led to it.” I knew that all of this would come out at dinner, but I wasn’t ready to talk about Kat yet.

“What about you? Tell me something about yourself that no one else knows,” I prompted in an effort to change the subject.

“In addition to my business classes, I took acting and singing lessons. I kept pestering Uncle Vinny to let me sing, but he refused. Employees can’t participate in karaoke—it’s not good for business,” she mocked Vinny when she quoted him. It didn’t surprise me that he refused to let any of her talents shine. He was a selfish dick, who only cared about himself. That was the same character flaw that allowed me to purchase Midnight from him at a loss.

“Really? You can sing? I hadn’t noticed. We’ll have to get you on stage at Midnight for a debut. Maybe I’ll have you entertain instead of tending the bar. If you’re any good, that is,” I smirked at her. She must have decided to let me act as if I hadn’t heard her singing while she worked, and I was okay with that. I was confident that she would be a great performer, even without lessons.

“Are you serious? You’d let me sing at Midnight? Wow, I really should have had a more open mind about you taking over the bar,” she paused, then continued. “But you know, part of that was your fault. You were the one who made Uncle Vinny lock me in that cage. I have questions about that too.”

“He didn’t want to lock you up. He fought with me about it, but I didn’t give him a choice. It’s a vampire skill that most can’t master. I happen to be proficient in most vampire skills that others can’t seem to figure out,” I glanced at her as I spoke.

I took a chance and laced my fingers with hers. “I am sorry about that. I’ll be honest with you. I don’t know how to handle myself around you. Your scent is almost too much. I shouldn’t have had him lock you up, but it was the only way I could protect you from me until I could get myself under control. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

She turned to look out the window, pulling her hand from mine, and spoke softly. If my hearing wasn’t enhanced, I might have missed her comment. “I wanted so badly to hate you, but I can’t. I don’t like that you made that decision, but I think I understand now why you did it. And you saved my life the other night. If I’m being honest, I don’t know how to handle myself around you either.”

I chuckled, and she turned toward me. “You heard that? How?” I glanced over again and she was staring at me.

“Enhanced hearing. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one struggling here.”