Page 26 of With the Stars

Did you just swear, Peter?

“Nothing happened.” Peter smiled and picked up an empty cup. “Do you need anything else?”

“I’m happy you had some fun. It’s been a couple of years since Diane died.” Breda patted his hand. “I understand how hard it can be to move on.” Breda smiled at the ladies. “His man was delicious.”

“Thank you.”

Peter almost dropped the cup, but managed to keep hold of it when he heard Minho’s voice by the back of his shop.Why are you here?

I like them, so I thought I should come over and see them again.

“Oh yes! That’s the man I saw.”

“Minho? You made us think you were only friends, Peter.” Mildred patted the empty seat next to her. “Come and sit with us so we can get to know you better.”

“She means interrogate you.” Pat grinned and ignored Mildred, who glared at her. “She’s all bark and no bite.”

“That’s because my James has passed. Though you do look good enough to bite. I can see why Peter let you do what you did on the table.”

Peter watched Minho take a seat on the table next to them, away from the light. “It was a fun night.”

“I never thought I would see Peter with a man.”

“I guess he needed to meet the right man.”

“How old are you? You’re much younger than Peter.” Mildred narrowed her eyes. “We won’t let you take advantage of him.”

“First, I’m older than I look, and second, I’ve waited a long time for Peter, so I would never take advantage of him.

“How long?”

Minho leaned back in his chair, crossed one leg over the other and smiled. Peter’s heart sank. He knew Minho was going to say something. “Thirty years, give or take a year.”

The women all burst out laughing. “You’re funny. How old are you?”

“Hmm. Not far off three hundred.”

Pat had her phone in her hand and was busy scrolling. She looked at the screen, then Minho, then back to the screen. “It is you.” She showed everyone her phone. “You’re a vampire,” she whispered.

“I am.”

“Prove it.” Elin leaned forward, peering at him.

“In here? Now?”

“Do something quick and easy.”

Minho’s eyes glowed and Peter prepared to do something but he had no idea what. The women all stared at him then peppering him with questions. Peter left him to it and went to help London behind the bar when business picked up. At this rate, Minho might as well take an ad out in the local paper. So much for vampires needing to remain a secret.

By the time he’d finished serving, the women were all laughing with Minho, and Peter stood watching. How had he done it? Sarah was staring at him all googly eyed and Mildred looked like she was about to enter her second youth. Pat was laughing, andElin had a permanent smile on her face, even Breda smiled softly at him.

You are a charmer.

Not really. They’re lovely women. Once they got over the shock, we talked about the past. It’s nice and they don’t care about me being a vampire. They said there had to be more than humans because most humans were as dumb as a rock. The intelligence had to have gone somewhere.

They know not to say anything?

They do.

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