Hey Jealousy
Mick stood at the counter at the Hugo Boss store, thoughts of Josef's party on his mind, among other things. For the first time in a long time he was actually looking forward to getting dressed up. Maybe that was because he wasn't going to be the only one in a monkey suit. Or maybe, it was because Beth was going to be there and probably wearing something that made her look even more incredible than usual.
He waited patiently, a smile on his face as the sales receipt for his purchase printed. He debated whether or not to call Josef and find out where Beth and Alana were. He reached inside his pocket palming his I-phone. Did he really want to bother her while she was out enjoying herself? She hadn't had any free time lately and although Alana was a little strange she would make sure Beth had a good time. Like Josef said, she was harmless. He removed his wallet from his pocket instead.
The printer connected to the cash register made an awful sound as if it were jammed and the saleswoman who had not only rang up the sale but had helped Mick shop for his suit looked up at him in a panic.
"Oh no! Not again!" she exclaimed breathlessly. She lifted the lid on the printer. "I'm so sorry Mr. St. John! This happened on my shift yesterday I just have to…" She pulled the crumpled receipt tape out of the printer and turned the printer off. She examined the receipt. It was barely legible. "I'll have to reprint your receipt. Sorry." she apologized.
Mick smiled reassuringly. "No problem."
"It'll just take a minute." the saleswoman, whose nametag read Annie insisted. She ran a hand through her strawberry blonde hair nervously. She turned the printer's power button back on and waited for the green light to illuminate signaling that the printer was back on line. "Sometimes I really hate electronics and computers and technology." she told her customer.
Mick nodded his agreement. He'd had lots of time to get used to technology, but sometimes it still baffled him how people could talk on phones that weren't grounded to a telephone line to people in another country or send important information or news via internet mail and not in a letter that you mail at the post office. It amazed him how most anything could be done by surfing the world wide web. News could be found not only on the front page of a newspaper, but viewed on a color TV in high definition day or night, or on a computer, on a site like Buzzwire.
How quickly his thoughts came back to Beth.
"Computers can sometimes be more trouble than they're worth." he sympathized.
She chuckled. "Yeah, you got that right." She returned to the register, pounded a few keys on the keyboard and groaned in frustration when she realized that the printer was not back online. "And so can printers. "
"I don't even need a receipt…" Mick tried as he watched the poor frustrated young woman. It was just paper that he'd probably throw away, unless he could find someway to claim the purchase for Josef's party as a tax deduction.
"Lemme try something else." She pulled the ink cartridge out of the printer, unplugged it from the register and brought the printer over to the back counter. She then removed the power cord from the printer connected to the register beside hers and plugged it into her computer. She turned it on and grinned when the light came on. "There we go." she hit a few keys and the printer printed out a receipt.
She removed the receipt from the register and highlighted where it listed alterations. "Your suit will be ready tomorrow any time after 1PM." she explained. "Just bring your sales receipt." She smiled and handed it to her customer. "Again, sorry about that. Thanks for choosing Hugo Boss Mr. St. John."
Mick took the receipt folded it and put it in his wallet. "Thanks Annie. You have a great day." he told her with a smile.
Annie grinned. "Thanks. You too! Have a nice day."
Mick headed towards the double doors, his cell phone in his pocket chiming alerting him to a new text message. Part of him hoped it was Beth. He stopped inside the lobby of the store and removed his phone from his pocket. The message was from Josef.
De Mori Restaurant 412 Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills CA
Josef had heard from Alana. 412 Rodeo Drive was just a few blocks down. He was just a hop skip and a jump away from the restaurant. What harm would it be if he just dropped by? He looked at his watch. 1:45 PM.
Didn't Beth have a lunch date today? Was her date going to be at the restaurant? If he was, things were about to get interesting. Mick put on his sunglasses, exited the lobby of the Hugo Boss store and began walking in the direction of De Mori.
Yes, things were about to get very interesting.
At De Mori Beth sat across the table from Brandon. They were conversing while waiting for Alana to return from the ladies room.
"I don't have any deep dark secrets Brandon, sorry to disappoint you." Beth told the coach.
"None?" he questioned. "Really?"
Beth shrugged. She was getting really good at this acting thing.
"That's a shame. You look like someone who has a story." Brandon observed.
She shook her head. "No story, not really. I'm originally from California. I moved to Boston after my sister died. My brother is MIA and my parents still live in Sacramento. They're divorced but Dad still lives in the pool house. I moved here two weeks ago, and was considering opening up a yoga studio but then the opportunity to assist Willa came up and here I am." she lied expertly.
"And that's not a story?" Brandon asked with a laugh. "That's a TV movie!"
"No, it's my life." she insisted trying her best to make him believe it really was. She took a bite of her tiramisu.
"Quite the life. More interesting than your bio on the Belmont High webpage would lead people to believe." he commented.
Beth swallowed her food and looked at him nervously. "I have a bio page on ?"
She tried to think back to the interview process she had gone through with Willa. Had she mentioned anything about a biography page on the school's website? Where did the info come from? She'd written anything on the application that she could think of at the time.
"Mmhm, all the faculty does. Have you always wanted to be a professional cheerleader?" he asked with a laugh.
"Actually, yes." Beth replied. "I knew when I was a kid that I wanted to dance. My father wanted me to be a lawyer. My mother just wanted me to marry someone rich who'd take care of me. I fell in love with dance. Cheerleading really is the only real occupation where you can be a professional dancer other than maybe a dance teacher or dancing in some chorus line somewhere." Where was this stuff coming from? Maybe she'd missed her calling as an actress. "What about you? Have you always wanted to be a football coach?"
"Professional football player was my first choice. But things change… I'm gonna order something to drink. You want anything? Something else to eat maybe?" Brandon asked flagging down the waiter.
Beth shook her head. "Just a water thanks. I'm satisfied with dessert."
"Do you think your friend Alana might want something else? I should get her another order of tiramisu since I ate some of hers."
"Speaking of Alana, she's been gone for awhile. I hope she's alright." Beth said with concern.
"Maybe there's a long line at the ladies room?" Brandon suggested.
He gave the waiter his order and turned back to Candie. "There's always a line for the ladies room." he said with a grin.
"Yeah, that's probably it." Beth replied forcing a smile.
* * *
Alana stopped at the end of the bathroom hallway. A small crying child stood blocking her way to the dining room. The little girl who appeared to be four or five had wandered away from her table.
Alana approached the little girl. She stooped down beside her. "It's alright sweetheart. Are ye lost? Did ye get away from yer ma?" she asked in a soothing calm voice.
The little girl's answer was more whimpers.
"We'll find her." she assured, trying to comfort the child.
* * *
The waiter returned to the table with three waters, another order of tiramisu, a cheeseburger and a coke; the coach's order.
Beth took another bite of her tiramisu and then pushed the plate away feeling like she had earlier that morning when she was in the bathtub.
"So how'd you end up coaching the Broncos? Was that something that you just fell into?" Beth asked Brandon casually.
Brandon reached across the table and picked up the salt shaking some on his fries. "Well I was working as a landscaper. I had a small home business and the opportunity to coach Hayden's team came up. I thought it would be a nice way to spend some time with my son and relive my high school glory days. I was star quarterback." he said grinning proudly. "But then Hayden got sick and the medical bills started piling up and my wife was already working two jobs …so I put landscaping on the back burner and took a permanent position at the high school."
Beth listened as she lifted her water glass to her lips taking a sip.
"I would have been happy doing anything though. Being a radio DJ… or a reporter." Brandon added.
Beth spat out her water all over herself and the table. She coughed hard bringing her hand to her mouth.
Brandon rose from his chair. "Candie! Are you alright?" he rushed to her side.
* * *
Alana led the scared child by the hand, over to the host stand at the front of the restaurant. There she found a young woman who looked remarkably like the little girl and was equally as upset as the child.
"Lainey!" the woman cried when the child came into view. She made her way towards her daughter and the woman holding her hand.
"Lainey. That's a beautiful name! Here's yer ma, Lainey. " Alana said as she walked Lainey half way to meet her mother before she released the child's hand.
The mother ran over to the child and swept her up in her arms. "Lainey! Don't you ever wander away from me like that again!" she cried hugging her tightly. She turned to Alana. "Thank you so much for finding her. I turned my back for two seconds… I thought she was gone forever."
"I'm glad to be reunitin' ye two. Hold onta yer precious thins. They can easily slip through yer fingers." she said sadly, momentarily remembering the pain and loss in her own long life.
Lainey's mother nodded and walked away with the child in her arms. Alana turned and began walking in the direction of the dinning room. She didn't want to leave Beth alone with that shady man any longer.
Mick entered the restaurant and spotted Alana walking away from the host stand. "Alana!" he shouted from the doorway.
Alana heard her name being called from somewhere behind her. She turned around and scanned the crowd for the person who was trying to get her attention. Her face lit up when she saw it was Mick.
"Mick!" Alana cried happily. She ran towards him. "Am I glad that yer here! Did Josef call ye? Never mind, don't answer that. Jest come with me and play along." she insisted grabbing him by the arm.
Mick said nothing as Alana grabbed him and began pulling him through the restaurant. Josef's secretary was definitely upset about something. He didn't want to make her worse by asking questions. It was better just to play along as she'd asked.
Alana led him to the main dining room only a few feet away from where Beth was sitting at a table with Coach Brandon Creassup. Coach Creassup was her date? Anger welled inside him. He resisted the urge to jump over the tables and tear his throat out. He took a deep breath to calm himself and inhaled something that he didn't expect to smell at a restaurant in the middle of the day. Decay? And worse than just decay, newly turned vamp. He knew it wasn't coming from Beth or Alana and everyone else was too far away for the scent to be so strong. The smell was coming off Beth's date, the coach. He had been associating with a vampire. A newly turned vampire.
"What is Coach Creassup doing here?" Mick asked Alana quietly as they made their way to the table.
"I'll tell ye what he's not doin' here!" she whispered loudly. "He's not behavin' like a gentlemen that's what! In all my one hundred twenty four years I've never met another like him! He's sittin' there tryin' ta charm the nickers off Beth… er Candie." Alana took Mick's hand in hers.
'Your one hundred twenty four years?' Mick thought to himself, but decided not to say anything about Alana's strange comment this time. He had more important things than Alana's eccentricities, to worry about right now. "Well he won't be for long." Mick replied lacing his fingers with Alana's.
He was starting to understand what Alana meant when she said play along. Candie Kane was having lunch with Brandon Creassup. Miss Kane did not know Mick St John. But Brandon knew Mick, and Mick knew Alana because he and Alana were… he looked down at their joined hands.
Beth finally got her breathing under control. She took another small sip of water and sat back in her chair. Brandon returned to his seat and brought his hand to his chest.
"No more trying to drown yourself to get out of having lunch with me!" he insisted. "I might start taking it personally."
Beth managed a smile. She saw Alana and Mick approaching the table and did her best to hide the shock from her face. What the hell was Mick doing here, and why was he holding Alana's hand? She decided to play it cool. Candie didn't know Mick St. John.
"Sorry it took me so long gettin' back." Alana explained a huge smile on her face. "I ran into me fella here. Candie, Brandon, this is Mick St. John me boyfriend."
"It's nice to meet you." Mick said plastering a smile on his face. He looked at Beth his eyes showing disappointment.
Brandon held out his hand for Mick to shake. "Mr. St. John, how funny it is to run into you here. You know Alana? What a small world."
Mick hesitantly shook the coach's hand. "Yeah, very small." he agreed. Alana released his other hand and moved to take her seat. Mick instantly rushed to the chair and pulled it out for her.
Alana smiled and looked at Mick. "Awe Mick, what a gentleman ye are. Thank ye." she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek quickly before sitting down.
Mick pushed in her chair and then sat down beside her. "Having dessert for lunch, ladies?" Mick asked with a grin.
Alana nodded. "Ye know how much I like me tiramisu." she reached across the table taking Mick's hand in her own again.
Beth remained quiet her hands firmly gripping her water glass.
"Did you want anything to eat Mick? A drink maybe? I could get the waiter." Brandon questioned bringing his fingers to his mouth to whistle.
"No thanks." Mick answered a little too quickly hoping to spare the wait staff from Coach Creassup's ignorance. "I've already eaten." he squeezed Alana's hand and smiled at the Irish woman. He glanced over at Beth again who was starting to look paler than usual.
"Alright." Brandon stated he turned to Candie. He reached across the table and touched her hand. "Are you sure you're alright Candie? You look pale, like you're not feeling well."
Beth took a sip of her water, she smiled at the coach. "I'm fine Brandon. A little too much tiramisu." she grabbed his hand and scooted her chair closer to him. If Mick wanted to play games. She'd play games.
"Aye but is there ever really a thin' as too much tiramisu?" Alana asked the occupants at the table with a light hearted laugh.
Mick shook his head. "Nah. I don't think so. You can never have too much of a good thing."
"Like football." Coach Creassup added.
"Ice cream." Beth tried participating in the conversation quietly.
"Sex." Mick said grinning devilishly at Alana.
Alana's cheeks blushed a deep shade of crimson. She took a sip of water to cool her face.
"Sex." Brandon agreed raising his glass.
Beth scooted her chair back and released Brandon's hand. "Excuse me." she said rising from the table and walking quickly out of the dining room.
Mick instantly stood but resisted running after her. He looked at Alana apologetically. And then to Brandon. "Gee, I sure hope your friend is alright. Maybe you should go check on her?"
"She looked like she might throw up, but I'm sure she'll be fine after she visit's the ladies room." Brandon insisted taking a bite of his cheeseburger.
Mick tried very had not to vamp out in the middle of the dining room. What an inconsiderate ass! He wasn't even worried about his date?
"I'll go make sure she's alright." Alana replied rising from her seat.
Brandon continued eating his cheeseburger oblivious to the rest of the world.
"Alright sweetheart go check on your friend. I've got to go pick up my tux for Saturday night." Mick lied as he hugged Alana goodbye. He was hoping to get away from the table and find Beth as quick as possible. "I'll call you later tonight." he told Alana before she disappeared. He turned to Brandon. "Mr. Creassup I'll be by the school sometime tomorrow. There are a few things I've been meaning to talk to you about."
Brandon nodded. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow Mick." he held his hand out again for Mick to shake.
"It's Mr. St John to my business clients." Mick informed him flatly. "Have to keep it professional, you understand." Mick shook the greasy hand of the football coach and then turned and made his way out of the dining room leaving Brandon alone at the table.
Alana rushed into the woman's bathroom. "Beth are ye in here?" she called throughout the empty bathroom.
Beth stood leaning against the wall farthest from the door. She took some deep breaths trying to calm herself. "Yeah." she replied softly. "I'm here Alana."
"Are ye alright?" Alana questioned as she approached. "I'm sorry about all that nonsense at the table. I ran inta Mick and I wasn't sure how ta… because Candie doesn't know him." she tried to explain.
"I'm not upset with you Alana. I'm upset with the vampire." she assured the red headed Irish woman. "What the hell was he even doing here? He's a vampire." she whispered. "They don't just show up at restaurants unless they're serving human blood on the menu."
Alana shrugged. "Aye, I'm not sure. Perhaps Josef sent him?" she tried.
"Or perhaps he just had to come here and get a good look at my date? I can't believe him! He doesn't want me, but no one else can have me either?" Beth wondered aloud. "How is that fair?"
"Maybe he was just looking out fer ye. I'm sorry Beth, but if ye don't mind me sayin' so, that Brandon is a bit of a sleeveen. He behaves like a right eejit! All he was interested in was makin' a holy show of himself!"
Beth laughed. "And in English that means?"
"He's not right for ye. Ye deserve better." Alana observed. "I know yer tryin' ta get information fer yer case, but be careful, don't let it get any further than that." she warned. "As fer Mick, that's partially me fault. I called Josef. Brandon's first impression alone made me want ta turn him inta a small reptile. Josef calmed me down and sent reinforcements. The last man who cheesed me off that much ended up bein' me housecat. Lysander made the mistake of tryin' ta take somethin' that belonged ta me." she touched her right hand and fingered the small emerald ring there. "But he makes a good pet." she said with a smile.
"You're a little peculiar." Beth observed.
"I get that a lot." Alana replied with a smile.
"There's something that's been bothering me all day…" Beth began.
"Well, if it's been worryin' ye all day, out with it." Alana insisted.
"Earlier today, with the dress, did you do that? And the nail polish at the salon? How'd you do that?" Beth babbled. "I mean I think I saw what I saw with my own two eyes, but I'm not sure what I saw."
"Aye, I did. Not that ye would believe me anyway." the Irish woman answered sadly.
"Oh I believe you!" Beth insisted wide eyed. "I believe you! So what made you able to do all that? Are you a…" she hesitated. "You're not a vampire."
"I'm a witch." Alana stated casually.
"A witch?! Like a broomstick riding, cauldron stirring, spell casting witch?" Beth questioned.
"Sort of. No broomsticks, no cauldrons, but yer on the right track." Alana said with a smile.
"Wow. Are there more of you? Other witches I mean. Forgive me if I'm being rude. This is fascinating. I drove Mick crazy with questions when he told me what he was."
"Tis a very long story, so why don't we talk about it some other time. Mick's outside waitin' fer ye ta yell at him."
"He's still here?" Beth inquired.
Alana nodded. "I imagine he wants ta apologize for behavin' like a gobshite."
"He's been doing a lot of that lately." Beth reminded herself.
"Apologizin' or behaving' like a gobshite?" Alana asked.
"Both." Beth replied.
Alana laughed. "He is a man, he may be an undead man, but he's still a man."
Beth laughed with Alana as the two walked out of the bathroom. "True. Very true. Well, I'd better go talk to Mick. I'll meet you back at the table. Would you keep Brandon entertained while I'm gone?"
Alana grinned devilishly. "Aye it'd be me pleasure." she turned and walked towards the dining room the grin still plastered to her face.
Beth walked in the opposite direction of the hallway to the host stand and waiting area where Mick was seated.
"Beth." he rose from the bench he was sitting on.
"Outside." Beth muttered sounding cross as she exited the restaurant.
Mick took a deep breath and followed her. The sun may be dangerous for vampires but somehow Mick decided a conversation with Beth right now would burn him worse.
Beth paced the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked him angrily.
"I got your message when I woke up earlier. I was on Rodeo shopping for a tux for Saturday night and Josef texted me. I thought something was wrong. How was I supposed to know you'd be here with Coach Creassup?" He wasn't lying… some of it was true he assured himself.
"You knew I had a date today Mick!" she challenged.
"Yes, but I didn't know it was going to be here. So what, you think I'm stalking you?" he bit back. Okay, so some of it was not so true.
"You've been doing it since I was four!" she reminded him.
"I came to save Alana from whatever she needed saving from. That's it." he lied.
"Yeah, she's a real damsel in distress. After what I've seen today it's pretty safe to say she can take care of herself, and since she's been Josef's secretary for the past four years, I'm pretty sure Josef knows that too."
"Beth that's beside the point. We have a problem." Mick began.
"You're right! We do have a problem." she replied.
"No, the problem is the coach Beth. When I came in I smelled vampire on him, newly turned vampire." he warned.
"You smelled vampire on him? That's great Mick! I can't believe it, you're so jealous that you'd lie to me and tell me you smelled vampire on the coach!?"
"I am not!" Mick insisted.
"You're not jealous or you're not lying?"
Mick thought for a minute. What was the right way to answer that question?
"Okay fine, I admit it, I'm a little bit… I'm jealous! Okay?"
Beth scoffed. "There's nothing to be jealous of Mick! There is nothing between Brandon and I. Sure he's attractive, and he can be charming sometimes, but I'm not looking for a relationship." she assured him. Especially since the last ones ended so well. She thought to herself. "I agreed to go to lunch with him because he covered a gym class for me the other day. And he's the only one who cares about the missing girls! Remember the case we're supposed to be working on?" she asked suddenly feeling light headed. She brought her hand to her head.
Mick groaned. "You mean the case that you're so involved in that you're neglecting your health?"
"Didn't we already do this last night? Okay, yes, I agree with you, I'm pushing myself too hard. But you know me, I always work too…" she swayed on her feet.
Mick rushed to her side and caught her before she could hit the ground. "Whoa. I think we just ended this conversation. We can talk about this later. You're going home and going to bed even if I have to put you there myself."
Beth got to her feet Mick's arms still around her. It felt good, familiar, safe to have Mick's arms around her. "Fine Mick, I'm not gonna argue with you. You win, I feel like a dishrag. I'll go home. I'll get in my pajamas and I'll even go to bed. If you promise me one thing."
"Depends on what it is." he argued. What was this let's make a deal?
"Promise me you won't say anything else about me spending time with Brandon." Beth replied knowing it was asking a lot.
"You're planning on spending more time with him?" Was she crazy?
Beth shot him a look. "He's my coworker. What am I supposed to do ignore and avoid him? It's for the case."
"It could be dangerous Beth, really. He's been associating with a newly turned vamp." Mick insisted.
"Mick…" she pleaded. "Just please promise me. Promise me you're not gonna say anything."
Mick sighed heavily. If promising Beth he wouldn't say anything about Brandon would make things better then fine he'd promise. But he couldn't promise he wouldn't be keeping an eye on Brandon.
"I promise. Cross my undead heart." he told her.
"I'm gonna go get my stuff and say goodbye to Alana and Brandon." Beth told the vampire squeezing out of his embrace. "I'll be right back."
"Alright, take you're time. I'll go get the car so you don't have to walk any further than necessary."
"Okay." Beth replied before disappearing through the restaurant entrance.
Alana who had been sitting at the table alone with Brandon for the past ten minutes had had enough. The man was rude and ignorant and apparently did not understand the words 'I'm not interested.'
"So Alana, tell me about yourself." Brandon asked polishing off the rest of his cheeseburger. "How do you know Candie?"
"I met her through a mutual friend and I like her a lot." she warned.
"I understand friends looking out for friends. Maybe we could be friends? I'm not so bad once you get to know me." The wait staff cleared the dirty dishes from the table and brought Brandon some coffee and a piece of apple pie.
"Who says I want ta get ta know ye?" Alana questioned.
"Awe c'mon Alana. You're really hurting my feelings here. If I've done something to offend you, I apologize." he said as he poured some sugar from the bowl on the table in his coffee.
Alana took a bite of what was left of her lunch and lifted her water glass. With her free hand she slowly flicked her wrist. She set her water glass back down on the table.
"Don't waste yer apologies on me. Ye might want ta be apologizin' to Candie. Ye didn't even rise when she or I stood. And ye didn't care enough ta check on her when she excused herself."
"What are you talking about? This is the year 2008. Men don't do that stuff anymore." he argued taking a sip of his coffee.
"That doesn't mean they shouldn't." Alana replied.
As soon as the coffee touched Brandon's tongue he spat it out. "Oh gross! There's salt in my coffee! What kind of idiot fills the sugar bowl with salt?"
Alana shrugged and used a clean spoon to investigate his claim on the sugar bowl. She scooped up some of the white crystals and brought them to her mouth to taste. It was sweet just the way sugar was supposed to be.
"There's no salt in the sugar bowl. Ye must be mistaken." she argued
Brandon scoffed and he flagged down the waiter. "Could you bring me another coffee? Something's wrong with this one."
The waiter nodded and rushed off to get the man another coffee. Alana flicked her wrist again.
Beth walked back to the table in the dining room her face still pale.
"Candie, are you feeling better?" Brandon rose from his seat a distinct ripping sound filling the room.
Beth shot Alana a look. There was a huge hole where the seat of Brandon's pants should be, and he seemed to be oblivious to it. She tried not to giggle as she said her goodbyes.
"I'm not feeling well Brandon, I'm going to have to cut this short. I'm sorry." she grabbed her purse from her chair.
"Oh, well Lemme take you home." Brandon insisted.
Beth shook her head. "Thanks, but I already hailed a cab." she replied trying to stifle her laughter. "I'll see you tomorrow at school." she turned to Alana who rose from her seat to say goodbye. "Bye Alana."
"I'll call and check on ye later Candie. Bye." Alana hugged her new friend carefully.
Beth smiled as she walked away from the table.
"Well that's kind of a bummer." Brandon replied when Candie was out of sight.
"Aye, tis a bummer indeed." Alana replied grabbing her things. "I have ta be goin' too. And ye must be gettin' yerself a new pair of cacks." She didn't stick around to see the look on Brandon's face when he realized he was flashing his boxers to everyone. She thought it best to let him suffer that humiliation on his own. Instead she walked away from the table and out of the dinning room. 'Not ta fret Brandon, ye won't be rememberin' this tomorrow.' she thought to herself as she flicked her wrist once again. She of course, would have preferred he remember it for the rest of his life, but Beth was her friend. She didn't want to do anything that may mess up her chances of solving the case she was working on. If that meant Beth had to be friendly with that dodgy git, then so be it.
Alana caught up to Beth in the waiting area at the front of the restaurant. "Will Mick be takin' ye home then?" she asked.
"Unfortunately." Beth replied.
"Awe try ta give the man a break, Beth. He may have a banjaxed way of sowin' it, but he loves ye." she told Beth with a wistful smile. "Now I'll jest go and get Martin ta put yer thins in Mick's car fer ye." Alana said another quick goodbye to her friend before leaving herself.
Mick, who was waiting for Beth, came back inside and handed the hostess his credit card. He asked her to put the table's bill on the card with a substantial tip for the wait staff that had to put up with Brandon's rude behavior. He signed the credit authorization and walked out of the restaurant with Beth. Mick helped her into his car and took Beth's packages from Martin, who had been waiting beside Mick's Mercedes when they'd come out. He put them in his car, slid in behind the steering wheel and the two drove off, Beth falling fast asleep.
Somewhere lurking in the shadows of Rodeo Drive a newly turned vampire was watching and was not happy with what they saw.