Page 32 of Fanged Desire
Addison sidled in beside me, back in her jeans and flannel, wet hair leaking spider web rivulets down her back. Esmerelde didn’t look exactly like the woman in the footage, but there was a resemblance in the angles of her face and in her long, slender limbs – evidence enough to keep our guard up.
“The name’s Harper.” I stuck out my hand to shake, but quickly dropped it again when Esmerelde wrinkled her nose in response. “And this is my associate… Wendy.”
I jutted a thumb towards Addison, who shot me a nervous glance before nodding along. Esmerelde looked unimpressed, folding delicate arms adorned with silvery bracelets. She didn’t look like the type to wear sunglasses and suit pants, but then again, Addison didn’t look like a stripper.
There was a reason Esmerelde was first on my list. Jordan had mentioned that the strange elf woman she had met with was unusually enthusiastic about High Stakes health products. And of all the names on the list Maxine gave me, Esmerelde Flawne and her swanky spa stuck out as a perfect match. It would just take a bit of careful probing to determine if Ms Flawne and our mystery woman were one and the same.
“The thing is, we were really hoping to catch your attention.” I took the liberty of pulling up a chair and settling in, lacing my fingers as I met the woman’s icy stare. “My friend here has a business proposition and I think you’ll want to give her a chance to explain herself.”
I had briefly filled Addison in on the plan, although a few minutes in the changing rooms isn’t much time to rehearse your lines.
She took a seat beside me, looking a little flustered when Esmerelde turned icy blue eyes her way, but, to her credit, she played her part with a smile and a lilting note in her words. “Absolutely. I’ve heard good things about this place, and I’d behonored to work with you on a very special project – if you’ll hear me out.”
Esmerelde gave us a once-over, gaze lingering on Addison a second longer than necessary. She didn’t drop her suspicious look, but the compliment seemed to stroke her ego enough to keep her interested. She gestured for Addison to continue and I held my tongue, hoping my accomplice was as skilled at wielding her words as she was with her body.
“You see,” Addison began, crowning her fingers and leaning on her elbows, “I’m a scientist, working in health research, and we’re interested in partnering with your spa to test out some new fitness regimes. Specifically, we’re looking at ways to optimize recovery, reduce bloating, improve muscle health, things that might just align with the services you already offer.”
Esmerelde’s expression didn’t give much away, but I could see the flicker of interest spark behind her cool exterior.
“We’ve been developing treatments that reduce inflammation and enhance post-treatment recovery,” Addison prattled on, surprisingly smooth for someone who was spluttering over my boobs in the hot tub a few minutes earlier. “I’ve reviewed the data, and your spa seemed like the perfect place to pilot some of our work.”
“I see,” Ms Flawne murmured, folding her hands delicately in her lap. “But why come to me? There are plenty of health clubs in the city.”
“Your reputation precedes you,” I chimed in, tilting my head in her direction. “We thought it was best to go straight to the top.”
I tried, ever so gently, to pry open her mind, searching for an opening to plant some influence in her head. But despite the coercion laced through my words, Esmerelde’s mind was inaccessible to me. It only took a moment to realize why.
The talisman was subtle, cleverly disguised as an elaborate necklace. But I recognized it for what it was. An elf charm. Thatall but confirmed the woman’s true nature, if the slightly pointed ears and whimsical aura weren’t obvious enough.
Esmerelde was an elf, high born considering the way she carried herself, but she clearly wasn’t aware of what I was. If she had been, that frosty attitude would be far less restrained. It was one of the few perks of being a turned vampire – without true vampirism in your blood, your human scent lingers long after you’ve been transformed. It was a decent cover and it served me well, but that talisman of hers was still a problem.
So long as Esmerelde had that charm on her person my coercion was all but useless – we would have to do things the old-fashioned way. I masked my mild irritation under a sharp cough and surrendered the stage to my partner in crime.
“All I’m asking is that you consider the proposal.” Addison gave the woman a polite smile, all sparkling teeth and no ulterior motives. “If this works, it could draw in plenty of high-end clientele. And I get to prove my hypothesis to the higher-ups and score the bonus I’ve been working toward. We both make money, and your spa gets professional accreditation. It’s a win-win.”
Esmerelde surveyed us for a moment, weighing the sincerity of our words as she drummed manicured nails on the desk. The silence stretched on just long enough to make things uncomfortable, but I had more than enough experience driving hard bargains, and this woman was bound to crack.
Finally, she gave a slow, deliberate nod. “Interesting. I’ll have to think on it. But I must admit, I prefer working withprovenprofessionals over... spontaneous offers from strangers.”
I kept my expression neutral, though the jab wasn’t lost on me. Addison leaned forward slightly, gracious and syrupy sweet like she was addressing a temperamental child. “We understand completely. We’d love the chance to prove we’re serious about this.”
Esmerelde tossed a strand of dark hair over her shoulder, sleek and glossy like all elves I’d come to know and dislike. “Very well. I’ll have my assistant arrange a follow-up meeting. You can test out your methods on a consenting client.”
I smiled and tried not to look too smug about it. “Looking forward to it.”
With the pretense of business now firmly in place, it was time to cut to the chase. We were still playing a dangerous game, but at least we had a foot in the door – and more importantly, a reason to keep digging.
“You know, we’ve been considering a few avenues, but your establishment is clearly the best fit.” I gestured around the decadent office space, incense and aloe plants included. “Another option we were leaning towards was Micere and its collection of dancers.”
I lowered my voice slightly, mimicking the gossipy whisper of the highborn vampires of my coven. “Although considering the narcotics that pass through that place, we felt there would be too many… outside factors influencing the experiment, if you know what I mean.”
At the mention of Micere, Esmerelde’s nose wrinkled with disdain, though she kept her cold smile intact. “The club? That place is crass. Though you’d be surprised how many people of my pedigree find entertainment there. It’s appalling really.”
Like a fish on a hook, vampire or elf, the highborn could always be trusted to give in to the temptation of malicious gossip. And if Esmerelde wasn’t our target herself, she might just have information that could steer us in the right direction.
“Oh? Well, it’s a good thing we came to you first.” I traced absent-minded circles on the desk with my finger, keeping a clamp on my eager curiosity. “Like I said, we considered a few options. I wonder if you’re familiar with any of them? They’reall big names, but no doubt they don’t hold a candle to this establishment.”
Esmerelde turned her nose up, accepting the compliment with a sharp nod. “It’s in my best interest to keep an eye on potential competitors – and potential enemies no matter the industry. As such, I know just about everybody worth noting.”
