Page 62 of Quiver of Cobras
‘She loves gin and tonic.’
He made a face. ‘Yuck. But okay.’
‘And she’s very skittish. She’s still worried about those stalkers of hers.’
He waved a hand dismissively. ‘But I took care of those for her.’
He took care of them because it suited him at the time to show off his leadership skills while acting like a homicidal maniac. ‘I’m sure she’s very grateful,’ I murmured. ‘But there still might be more like them out there.’
‘I always had the impression that human stalkers worked alone. A whole group of them has got to be unusual.’
‘I blame the internet,’ I said cheerfully. In a way that was true: the internet meant that the vampire hunters had ways and means of tracking their prey and coordinating their efforts to abduct bloodsuckers like Julie. But I couldn’t tell Rubus that, even if I wanted to, because I was still bound by the terms of Julie’s blood-enhanced NDA.
‘Anyway,’ I continued, ‘because she doesn’t know who you are, I’ll have to be present at the dinner as well. Just to reassure her, you understand.’ And to stop Finn from potentially going postal. ‘You won’t even know I’m there.’ I could barely keep a straight face as I said the last part. As if.
‘Fine, fine.’
Rubus was so excited that he’d have agreed to anything. I mentally crossed my fingers. I needed this next part to work so I was going to have to tread carefully. That was okay. I was the Madhatter; I had cunning and guile in spades.
‘She takes her appearance very seriously,’ I said. ‘Not a hair out of place, no unsightly facial blemishes or spots. After all, she’s got paparazzi following her as well as stalkers. She’s got to look her best at all times – and she expects her companions to do the same.’
Rubus grinned. ‘She’ll be happy with me. I photograph well.’
‘Mmm-hmmm.’ I nodded. ‘So do I. But you’ll notice that I’m not wearing any jewellery either.’
His brow creased. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘She hates gold. And silver. She says she’s allergic to both but I think she just doesn’t like anything that glitters more than she does. She seems to have a particular aversion to men who wear jewellery. I wasn’t with her very long, you understand, but even I had time to see what she did to men who wore necklaces and earrings in her presence. She can be very … cutting.’
It was so ridiculous that Rubus fell for it wholeheartedly. ‘That’s not a problem. I don’t wear any jewellery apart from…’ He hesitated. ‘Oh. How does she feel about rings?’ He held up his hand, displaying his pinky ring. ‘I never take this off. It was a gift from my father.’ For a brief second his eyes gleamed with smug satisfaction. ‘Morgan doesn’t have one.’
I let my expression fall. ‘Oh.’ I swallowed. ‘Well, it’s not very flashy. Maybe she won’t notice it.’ I bit my lip. ‘I’m sure it’ll be fine,’ I said, making it clear with my tone of voice that it would be anything but.
All of a sudden, Rubus looked anything but happy. ‘I never take it off,’ he repeated in a low mutter.
‘I’m sure she’ll understand.’ My fingers twitched and I dropped my eyes to my lap.
‘It’s only temporary though. It’s only one meal.’ He pursed his lips and considered. Then he yanked off the ring and leaned across me, dropping it in the glove box. ‘Anything to keep Stacey happy.’
‘Julie.’
He rolled his eyes. ‘Whatever.’ His smile returned. ‘I’ll dazzle her with my good looks and charm instead of my gold.’ His mouth took on an unpleasantly lascivious twist. ‘Easy. She’s going to love me.’
‘They do say that opposites attract,’ I agreed. ‘And Julie is cultured, intelligent and attractive.’
It was probably a good thing that he wasn’t paying me any attention. He checked his appearance once more in the mirror. Then he sniffed his armpits. ‘I should put on more aftershave. Just in case.’
‘You don’t want to overdo it,’ I advised. Especially given it was already hard to breathe. ‘She’s an actress. She’ll appreciate some subtlety.’
Rubus didn’t look entirely convinced but at least he refrained from adding more of the noxious scent. He stepped out of the car, adjusted his tie and his cuffs, and headed for the door of the restaurant. I followed, watching as he used the remote to lock the vehicle before pocketing the keys. With any luck, Finn would possess more skill than just the ability to scowl. I’d played my part. It was up to him now. I turned my head as Rubus walked inside the restaurant and spotted the waiting car on the opposite side of street.
‘Glove box,’ I mouthed. Then I smiled. This was just too freaking easy.
***
The restaurant was half full. We were directed to our reserved table in the corner, which I’d made sure was away from the window and any view of Rubus’s car. I had to admit that he was acting like a perfect gentleman – he even pulled out my seat for me. Rather than put me at ease that made me feel slightly wary, as if at any moment he was about to leap up and start slamming pixie dust down the waiters’ throats. I didn’t let my worry show, of course. I was far too super a spy for anything like that.
‘She’s not here,’ Rubus said.
