Chapter 4

Interlude

Intro: "Don't Wake Me" by Love and Theft

Sunlight is not a friend to human or vampire, not after a night of indulgence on the level that Mick and Beth had shared. Alcohol wasn't the issue, though wine had flowed freely, but rather the frequent, prolonged activities of the previous evening. Not that anyone was complaining - quite the contrary. After all that had recently happened to them, they felt that they'd earned it.

Friday night, after an admittedly frightening start, had a very late and satisfying conclusion. Teasing, tasting, touching, caressing…with an intensity neither had experienced with anyone else. Finally, sated and spent, the lovers slept in their separate accommodations in the stylish penthouse apartment - Mick in his freezer, Beth on the couch.

Beth was so exhausted that she slept much later than normal, waking at 10:30 on Saturday morning to the annoying rays of light that somehow managed to force their way through the almost closed blinds. Her irritation was amplified by the sound of persistent knocking on the reinforced front door.

Throwing back the soft brown cashmere throw covering her, Beth groggily struggled into her jeans, cursing as she tripped over one of the armchairs.

This had better be good! she thought grumpily as she yanked open the front door - and immediately regretted the action. What am I thinking? she berated herself. She and Mick, unfortunately, did not live in a world where one could open the front door without checking first to see who was there. She wasn't sure she would ever get used to that.

Fortunately for Beth, the worst consequence of her momentary lapse was having the smartly-dressed delivery man see her with a bad case of 'bed head'. Bowing slightly and smiling, the young man presented her with a small, beautifully wrapped box. "This is for you, Miss Turner, from Mr. Kostan. He requests that you open it immediately."

As he turned and walked away, Beth called out, "Wait! How do you know who I am?" The delivery man simply waved and continued on his way to the elevators.

Running her free hand absentmindedly through her tousled hair as she elbowed the front door shut, Beth inspected the package from Josef. What an enigma he was! Settling back down on the soft couch, she ripped the package open. The box contained a cell phone with a single button on the front, along with a beautifully embossed card. The front of the card contained the inscription, "Call me after you read this - Josef".

Her curiosity thoroughly aroused, Beth opened the card; her mouth dropped open as she scanned the details of an extremely large credit - in her name - at Stella McCartney's new store in L.A. She immediately dove for the phone and hit the single button.

"Well, good morning, Beth!" Josef's voice betrayed his smile. "I see you have my package."

"How did you know I'd be here?"

"Just a lucky guess, I suppose… Seriously, where else would you be? Unless Mick is disappointing you, of course. Is he disappointing you, Beth? Because there are…remedies…if he is." He was obviously enjoying himself.

"Josef, I know you'd like details, but I will leave that discussion to Mick." Beth responded primly. She smiled in spite of herself. Josef Kostan's curiosity and voyeuristic tendencies were, oddly enough, part of his charm. "Now what is this extremely generous gift for? Is my wardrobe so bad that you feel the need to give me a makeover?"

"Believe it or not, I have no ulterior motive here - despite the fact that I would love to have you on my arm in designer clothes. This is simply me expressing my thanks in some…" Josef paused for effect "…useful way. Besides, I owe Paul a few favors and he loves nothing more than to have me mix business and pleasure."

Beth unconsciously echoed Mick's earlier reaction to Josef's disclosure. "You know Paul McCartney?! The Paul McCartney?!"

Josef snorted. "I believe he's more properly referred to as Sir Paul McCartney. It's a long story, Beth, and you have shopping to do. I expect this to be used while the spring collection is still in her store." With that, Kostan hung up.

Beth stared at the now-useless phone in her hand, waging a brief skirmish with herself over whether to accept the gift. Knowing Josef Kostan better now than she had even a week ago, she realized that he would not only push her to accept it, but would be hurt if she didn't.

Why not? Realizing she had not seen any of her 'human' friends in some time, she quickly called several former BuzzWire colleagues to set up a late lunch. She couldn't help but reflect on how bizarre her life had become. She not only had work and non-work categories for friends and acquaintances, she now also had 'human' and 'non-human' segments as well. How much crazier could her life get?!

She smiled sadly as she recalled a statement made by her late boyfriend, Josh Lindsay, shortly after she had met Mick. "Since you've met that guy, screwed up is starting to seem normal." How right he had been. She sighed and wiped away a sudden, unbidden tear. Nope! Not today, you don't! This was not a day for tears.

"I have something to celebrate," she told herself, thinking of the vampire in his freezer upstairs.

With that thought, she dressed hurriedly, writing a note to Mick to let him know she would be through with her luncheon by late afternoon, and instructing him to call her when he arose. Knowing that he would worry about her, she included details on where she would be shopping and eating. She toyed with the idea of leaving the note on his glass-topped freezer, but realized that, with his heightened vampire senses, he would likely get up if she did so. And, he definitely needed freezer time after their day yesterday.

Settling for leaving it taped to the sliding door hiding his blood supply, she let herself out, smiling at the thought of the day ahead of her.

A quick trip to her apartment for a shower and change of clothes prepared Beth for her expedition. She appraised herself critically before heading out, standing in front of her full-length mirror, hands on hips. She had tamed her hair and applied her makeup with a careful hand, wanting to look her best for her adventure into the unknown world of designer clothes. Choosing an outfit to wear, however, had been a challenge, to say the least. Nothing she owned came close to being 'trendy' or particularly stylish. She admitted to herself that Josef had certainly been on target when deciding on a 'useful' gift for her.

Resigning herself to feeling like she was in Julia Roberts' 'Pretty Woman' role when it came to shopping at high-end stores, she grabbed her keys and headed out to McCartney's store on Beverly Boulevard.

Fortunately, Marissa had been able to free up her day to provide moral support and encouragement, so Beth did not feel totally alone as she stepped into the luxurious store with her friend. The opulent surroundings were a new experience for both of them, and they looked around uncomfortably as they were approached by a salesperson. She kindly offered them Perrier and escorted them to a modern leather and chrome couch.

"How can we help you?" The slim, stylish young woman immediately made Beth feel frumpy by comparison.

Marissa, who had been ogling the décor, whipped her head around as she heard her friend say, "I have an account here, established by Josef Kostan. My name is Beth Turner." The saleswoman perked up immediately. "Yes, we've been expecting you, Miss Turner. Let me get the manager."

"Josef Kostan?" Marissa hissed, trying to get her friend's attention. "Beth. Psst! Beth! Are you having an affair with Josef Kostan?!"

Beth had to admit, it was fun to see her friend so flustered. "No, Marissa. But we are friends and I did Josef a favor. He just has a... creative... way of showing his thanks."

"Beth, this is so unlike you, I cannot even wrap my brain around it," her friend blurted. "How did I not know that you were friends with Josef Kostan? He's one of the richest men in America! And he looks hot. Very hot."

"Well, it's not like we went to high school together or anything." Beth smiled. "We just met each other in the past few months through a…" she paused, searching for the right words, "…a mutual friend."

She started to say more, but at that moment, the store manager came up and introduced herself to both of them. "Mr. Kostan is a valued friend of Stella and her father." The tall young woman flashed a brilliant, if artificial, smile. With her height, long mane of shining red hair, and model's physique, she looked like she had just stepped out of the pages of Vogue. She sounded sincere, however, as she sat down beside Beth. "I want to be sure we take good care of you here. We'll start with Stella's spring collection. Can we get you anything?"

Marissa, her dark eyes flashing, said to no one in particular "Why do I feel like I'm having a 'Pretty Woman' moment? Should I order pizza?"

"You too?" Beth chimed in.

At that, the room broke into laughter and the women settled in to enjoy themselves.

Three hours later, the duo was heading out to Taste, a trendy new restaurant on Melrose – the type of place they would normally shun in favor of less expensive options, but this was a special day. They joined another BuzzWire friend, Jordan Sharp, as they settled into choice seats, still excited and bubbling over their experience at Stella McCartney's store.

The sales people and manager had treated them like royalty, hovering over them, plying them with drink, and patiently talking with both women about style and design. It had been the experience of a lifetime, Beth thought to herself, and she made a mental note to send Josef a bottle of single malt, along with her 'thank you' note.

Beth had not even been able to come close to spending the allowance from Josef, despite the high prices of the designer clothes and accessories she saw - she was just too overwhelmed. She did, however, manage to select some items that she felt comfortable with, one of which she was wearing. She wondered if anyone had ever insisted on wearing their purchases out of the store before!

Looking down at herself in sleek, fitted black trousers and cream-colored wrap top, she ruefully reflected that the black strappy sandals alone had cost more than the entire outfit she had worn into the store! That ensemble was now safely stowed at the bottom of her Stella McCartney bag. And just wait till Mick got a load of the killer 'little black dress' and hot pink pumps she had purchased for an evening out with him - not to mention the designer underwear…

The three women settled in for a leisurely lunch on the covered deck at Taste as the shadows grew longer on the lush outdoor dining area. Marissa had all of them in hysterics over her descriptions of the fashions – and broomstick sales people – they had seen in Stella McCartney's store.

Jordan was brimming with excitement. "I'm so sorry I had to miss it! You know clothes are my thing! That damn slave driver, bottom feeder, sleaze editor Lewis never stops. Beth, you look fabulous – I think money and designer clothes agree with you! You will have to let me know when you are going back! We really miss you at BuzzWire. I can't believe you left!" All this was said before Jordan drew a breath.

Beth smiled. She'd forgotten how much she enjoyed Jordan's bubbly personality and enthusiasm. Jordan was tiny – under five feet tall, and weighing less than 100 pounds. With her dark curls and almost black eyes, she looked like an exotic gypsy.

When she had first joined BuzzWire, Beth had thought that they had nothing in common, despite their similarity in age. She had come to realize that, while their interests differed, they shared a common work ethic and passion for news. It was just their definition of what constituted 'news' that differed. She missed the excitement of BuzzWire and the rush of pursuing a story, but working there increased the danger of exposure of Mick's identity. It just wasn't worth it.

The three friends continued to chat and catch up, lingering over glasses of Santa Margherita pinot grigio and splurging on decadent chocolate dessert. Beth couldn't remember the last time she'd had such a fun, relaxing afternoon.

Marissa, who was sitting across from her, suddenly straightened in her chair, tossed her dark hair, and took a gulp of wine. "Holy crap!"

"What?" Beth and Jordan chimed in simultaneously.

"OK, there is a seriously hot guy coming into the restaurant. No, don't turn around, Beth!" Marissa blurted, as Beth started to shift in her chair. "Come on, act cool! Don't let him see that we're watching him!"

Marissa continued to eye the man from under lowered lashes as he walked through, unable to stop looking at him. "I tell you what, even by Hollywood standards, he's gorgeous," she breathed. "This must be the reason why they named the restaurant 'Taste'! Yum!"

"Uhm, Marissa, you'd better wipe the drool off your chin if you're trying to be cool!" Beth laughed affectionately. This is fun! Why did I wait so long to get together with these two?

"Oh, Marissa! I see who you mean!" Jordan chimed in from her vantage point next to Marissa, arching her eyebrows. "OK, Beth, she is not overreacting. I think I'm having a hot flash – and I'm too young to have hot flashes!"

Both women sat back, sipping their wine while they enjoyed the sight of the handsome man striding into the outdoor restaurant area.

Recommended song: I Just Wanna Make Love To You by Etta James

Tall and fit, with dark wavy hair, the man paused to glance at the outdoor seating area, tilting his sunglasses down briefly to look around. He seemed to find what he was searching for and pushed the shades back up into position. Running his hand through his hair, he walked into the patio area with an easy grace that belied his height. He was dressed simply in a black top, jeans and boots; the long, well–tailored and obviously expensive black pin‑striped coat that he wore over a toned body just enhanced the sexy image.

"Oh, my," Marissa sighed. "He's coming this way. Wow!"

"He is a man-god!" Jordan breathed.

"When do I get to look?" Beth's tone was plaintive.

"Not until you can do it discreetly," Marissa commanded. "You can not embarrass me in front of this guy!"

"Hey, I was fine until you two started going on and on," Beth retorted. "I think I can control myself – you guys are the ones sitting there with your mouths open."

Just then, Jordan announced, "Hey, I know who that guy is!"

"Who?!" Beth was impatiently restraining herself from looking around - and it was getting harder by the minute. "Come on, Jordan, spill it!" She pulled her purse into her lap to dig for her compact so she could take a peek without embarrassing her friends.

"He's the guy who was Tierney Taylor's boyfriend when she was killed! I remember seeing his picture!"

"Scott Walsh?" Beth was incredulous. She'd seen Scott up close and he was no 'man-god' like the two of them seemed to be describing – unless they had had a lot more wine than she had.

"No, not Walsh! Please! We have better taste than that! No, I mean the guy that was the head of her security. Everyone said they were an item. He looked pretty damn good in the photos, but he is much hotter in person." Jordan spouted all this without taking her eyes off the man in question as he continued his stroll in the restaurant, drawing the discrete attention of other diners as he did so.

Beth, who had given up on her search for a mirror, choked on the mouthful of wine she'd just swallowed as she realized with a start who they were talking about. Coughing and sputtering, she caught her breath and decided to play along with them. She smiled innocently at her friends, who hadn't even glanced her way while she was choking. Some friends! I'll fix them! "Oh, yeah. That guy. He was pretty fine, as I recall."

"Oh. My. God," Marissa intoned. "He just made eye contact with me. He's coming over!"

"Sure, Marissa," Jordan raised an eyebrow, adding sarcastically. "Out of a whole restaurant full of people, he picked you out of the crowd."

"Well, why not? Lemme tell you, I'd certainly go fishing for one-eyed trouser trout with that man!"

Jordan and Beth both burst out laughing. Beth was holding her sides, gasping for air, as the 'man-god' sauntered up to their table.

"Good afternoon, ladies." Mick St. John came to a stop at their table, mercifully shaded at this hour of the afternoon. "How was your lunch?" He reached up and removed his sunglasses, exposing them to the full impact of his hazel eyes, fringed with ridiculously long lashes. He cocked one inquisitive eyebrow at them, an action that rendered the former BuzzWire team speechless.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he looked around the table, his gaze coming to rest on Beth's blue eyes and smiling face. Without saying a word, he leaned over the table and kissed her passionately, leaving no question as to the nature of their relationship.

Marissa and Jordan sat across the table, watching, eyes wide, and mouths hanging open.

Reluctantly breaking the contact, he straightened. "Beth, introduce me to your friends."

Jordan shook Mick's hand as they were introduced, still speechless. Beth could not ever recall a time when that had happened. Marissa kept looking from Beth's smiling face to Mick's and back again, as she also shook hands. She managed to squeak out "hello", then sat back, cheeks flaming.

"Well, I don't want to interrupt your lunch." Mick reached out his hand to drop an electronic key fob in front of Beth. "I wanted to be sure you had your key to…our place. Just give me a call when you're through." Leaning down to kiss her again, he ran his forefinger tenderly along her jaw line and whispered, "You look amazing…"

Straightening, he replaced his sunglasses. "Ladies, it was great to meet you." He strolled away, oblivious to the attention he attracted as he left. Beth shook her head, smiling to herself. That inherent vamp coolness!

She turned back to her friends who still sat there, dumbstruck. Marissa recovered first, practically shouting at the young woman across the table. "OK, girlfriend, what the hell is going on?! What are you doing with the key to the man-god's place?! What have you been keeping from us?!"

"Nothing, Marissa, I promise. We've all been so busy. I just hadn't seen you to tell you about Mick!" Beth protested, but her face looked guilty, nonetheless.

"Well, we're here now honey, so settle in and give with the details!Don't leave out a thing." Marissa motioned for a refill of the pinot grigio. "This is gonna be good!"

Beth sighed. Marissa, once started, was relentless in her quest for information.

"There's not that much to tell, honestly." She looked from one friend to the other. "Mick and I met when I was working on my first BuzzWire broadcast. You remember that story about the supposed vampire slayings – the ones that ended up being committed by the crazy professor's teaching assistant..."

"Yeah, yeah," Marissa interrupted impatiently, waving her hand in the air. "Get on to this guy!" She had no interest in an old crime story, not when there was clearly more 'meaty' fare to discuss.

"Well, Mick," Beth emphasized his name to her friend, "was the man who saved me from the teaching assistant when he tried to kidnap me. He's been a private eye here in L.A. for some years – a very successful one." She added that last comment, knowing that, sooner or later, Marissa would wrangle an invitation to Mick's penthouse – obviously not the dwelling of a P.I. barely scraping by.

"We worked on several cases together while I was still at BuzzWire and became good friends. As a matter of fact, he's the guy…" Beth hesitated, swallowing hard. "…the guy who was with me and tried to save Josh when he was shot. Afterward, he was always there for me. It just sort of…happened."

She left out the part about her and Josh having difficulties in their relationship over Mick and the fact that she already had strong feelings for Mick even before Josh was killed. Don't kid yourself, she chided silently. You were already in love with Mick when Josh died. In fact, if she were being totally honest, she had probably fallen in love with him the first time she saw him – at two A.M. in the park, while covering that first grisly 'vampire' co-ed slaying months ago.

"So, now that it's happened," Jordan jumped in, cutting off Marissa, whose mouth was already forming another question, "where is it going?"

"I'm not quite sure." Beth was honest - with them and with herself. "We do know we love each other – isn't that enough for now?"

"Uhm, NO!" Marissa stated emphatically. "Did you learn nothing from your relationship with Josh?" She ignored the elbow to the ribs that this comment elicited from Jordan.

"You two never moved in together, even after you'd been with each other for a year. Can I assume that you are moving a little faster this time around? I mean, this 'man-god' did just give you the key to his place, right?"

"Yes. Yes, he did." Beth smiled, her eyes shining. "I guess I'll be spending more of my time there."

"Well, I should hope so!" Jordan sighed, propping her chin on her hand. "Honestly, I don't know how you managed to leave him to spend time with us. I know I would have dumped you two in a heartbeat for an afternoon with that hunk."

Marissa leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms and smiling at her blond friend. "Well, well. Beth Turner. You are a woman of surprises. First, the billionaire Kostan bestowing expensive gifts, now a gorgeous, sexy boyfriend. What other little secrets do you have hidden?"

Beth just smiled and shook her head. You have NO idea, my friend!

"So, what's on the menu for this evening? Besides me, of course."

Josef Kostan sat casually in his favorite leather chair, studying the slender brunette who stood before him. "Are you asking me as my attorney?"

Simone Walker folded her arms, and stared pointedly at Josef, whose boyish visage would be disarming even if he didn't have that same legendary 'vamp appeal' shared by Mick St. John. "Don't get cheeky with me, Josef. I chose last time! It's your turn." She decided to change her tact a bit. "Speaking of last time, you never did tell me what happened Friday night."

Josef responded to the implied question with a rueful smile and the distinctive sound of a bottle being uncorked. He filled a heavy crystal rocks glass half full, the amber-colored liquid swirling around the single, outsize ice cube. Contemplating it in the light for a moment, he finally took a long swallow, closing his eyes in appreciation as he savored it.

Simone silently studied her companion. One of many things she'd learned about Kostan was that the type, quantity and cost of the liquor he imbibed was directly related to his mood or the amount of crap he'd just endured. Through observation and deduction, necessary skills in her chosen occupation, the attorney quickly did the calculations. She recognized Josef's glass as a Waterford classic and the nearby Daum crystal decanter from which Josef had poured the alcohol was almost perfectly round in shape, with a colorful, opaque, blown-glass base, and no label on the bottle itself. The only identification was a small folded card hanging by gold thread with "A. Hardy" in matching embossed letters.

Drawing upon the recent crash-course he'd given her in Fine Spirits 101, Simone identified Josef's drink as an extremely rare Hardy Perfection 140-year-old cognac, of which only 300 bottles were ever known to have existed. Considering that each bottle cost about as much as a new car, Simone surmised that the Friday night in question – or the period since then - had been especially crappy.

"Don't look at me in that tone of voice!" Josef chastised with mock indignation. His large, liquid brown eyes, however, shone with the delight he genuinely felt in her presence.

Simone walked across the room, finally standing within arm's reach of the vampire. "Josef", Simone began, using a special tone that both of them understood.

The vampire lightly patted his lap. "Here, have a seat."

The young woman looked him up and down, and then finally accepted his invitation, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck.

"So, aren't you gonna kiss me?"

Simone wrinkled her nose. "Hey... I know what you do with that mouth!"

Without warning, Josef leaned in to kiss her, giving her a quick nip on her lower lip, partly for attention, mostly for pleasure. "Yes, yes you do. And you've never complained before." They laughed in unison, the sound of their mutual amusement echoing pleasantly off the 'great room' walls

"So… you didn't answer my question. What happened on Friday?"

Josef dropped his head, just enough for Simone to rest her chin on top of it. Secretly, she thrilled at how incredibly tender he could be with her, knowing full well what he was capable of. And so they sat like this, the vampire and the human, enjoying several minutes of blissful, coupled silence before he raised his head to look at her. Her forehead touching his, Simone whispered sweetly, "You still have to tell me, you know, Josef."

The immortal released a long, exasperated sigh of defeat. "OK, OK, " he acquiesced. Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Josef told her the details of the last two days. The Monaghan execution. Beth's discovery of potentially dangerous evidence from the couple's prior life together at their residence. Her subsequent efforts with Mick to have it all removed.

Simone held up one hand. "Before you go on, I am formally invoking attorney-client privilege, just as a precaution." This wasn't an issue of trust. It was just that, as in all matters where he was concerned, Simone's first and foremost concern was to ensure that he was protected. "Now, continue".

Josef's smile grew wide. "And then, the fun began. After the immediate emergency was taken care of, I had to call a full community sit-down to explain to everyone how close we came to disaster. You know almost as well as I do, how lethal discovery would be for our kind. Well, because she really was the hero of the hour, I requested that Mick bring Beth to the shindig - ".

"No, Josef! You didn't!" Simone exclaimed in disbelief. "You invited a human to that? Why didn't you just serve her up on a snack tray?!"

"Yeah, there were a few inherent risks," Josef admitted, "and unfortunately, one vamp did seriously cross the line. He had the nerve to step up to her after Mick put the threat down, something even I wouldn't do lightly. And... well, you know how he is."

"Lemme guess - that's why your Eames chair has disappeared."

Josef shrugged. "Gotta admit, I was slightly miffed at my impetuous friend for that one. But, given the circumstances - and because that asshole really had it coming - I let it slide. Besides, I had it insured for an ungodly amount of money - per your instructions," he admitted, with a clear nod of gratitude. "I've got my people looking for a replacement as we speak."

"So - what next?" She was truly curious.

"Once everyone calmed down, I explained the whole situation. We rarely have executions in our community." Josef paused for a moment, still a bit shaken by the image of the torching. "I needed for everyone to understand that our rules are in place for all our protection, with severe consequences for making bad choices. And, to let them know that Beth was a friend of the family. Much like yourself."

Again, he smiled broadly. "I made it very clear that she is to be afforded all respect and protection. If anyone so much as looks at her sideways, I will find out about it, and I will do something about it". His smile was still wide, but now a bit of fang showed, as if to accentuate his point.

"And the evening ended peacefully after that," Simone drawled with more than a hint of sarcasm.

"You already know, don't ya?" Josef grinned. He couldn't help it, there was nothing better in his world than a smart, beautiful woman, with just the right amount of snark. "After I adjourned the meeting, I had a separate discussion with Mick, Beth and the Cleaners. Let's just say I have issues with so-called professionals who don't do their job. For a human to see what they didn't...not acceptable. No offense," he quickly added.

This time, Simone was speechless. "You called out the Cleaners in front of Beth?!"

Josef shrugged. "Why not? This was damned near FUBAR, and she fixed it. Screw their egos, they had it coming." The vampire avoided mentioning his sincere intention to kill the lead Cleaner had she not accepted her culpability for the failure. "And, to add insult to injury, I'm guessing that one of the cleaning crew was offended that Mick had chosen a human, judging by the way she was staring daggers at Beth."

"Chosen? Josef... are they a couple?!" Simone couldn't help but be surprised by that revelation, given that Beth didn't seem to know much about vampire behavior. She flashed back to the awkward evening when Beth had walked in on Mick feeding from her in Josef's presence - hell, with Josef's encouragement!

During their subsequent conversation about the matter, Simone had quickly picked upon on Beth's strong feelings for Josef's friend, but anyone who knew vamps well wouldn't have overreacted as she did. At least, I don't think they would…As for Mick... one could never really tell with him. Though he was admittedly very charming and handsome, there was something about him she found distancing, even by vampire standards. "I didn't think Mick really took to anybody."

"After Coraline, can you blame him?" Josef defended his best friend. "She put that guy through the wringer. No, Beth is good for him. Really good for him. I haven't seen him this happy in more years than I care to count."

Josef also knew better than anyone else, including Mick, the strength of his assertion. The Dean Foster incident and Beth's quitting BuzzWire for Mick's sake, were solid indicators of her loyalty and devotion. "I know that she will do whatever it takes to keep him safe and take care of him. He's in good hands."

Simone noted the admiration in Josef's voice as he described Beth. He was not given to hyperbole, so what he'd said had real meaning. "And I take it the feeling is mutual?"

Josef chuckled softly. "You know, Mick, being the messed-up individual he is, told me he loved Beth long before he actually said it to her. True Mick style."

"Wow" was all Simone could muster as a response. Be they human or vampire, men did not make such pronouncements lightly, especially to their friends. "Do you think it'll work?"

Now that's the sixty-four million dollar question. "As well as a human-vampire relationship can, I suppose." Kostan mentally winced at the opening he had just handed to Simone, and resigned himself to the new direction the conversation was sure to take now. He admittedly loved awkward - but not like this, not when he was the focus.

Even Simone, who at this point was comfortable pushing Josef's buttons, tread carefully with this topic. "Josef... you and I both know the inherent difficulties in mixed relationships - different rules, expectations clash - I mean, look at how Beth reacted to Mick's feeding from me... like he was cheating on her or something. And, we both know that wasn't the case." She was careful to assert her primary allegiance to Josef and emphasize her understanding of him and his kind. "Which is why you and I need to make a decision."

"About what?"

"You know what! Either you want us to be together, or not." There, she'd said it.

Josef threw up his hands, with a surprised look. "Whoa, Simone! Hey, I know you mentioned that you were interested in not being human anymore, but to be fair you had been drinking heavily on those occasions." The vampire glanced at her to gauge her response.

Simone expression went from determined to frustrated. "I know what I'd be getting into, far better than you give me credit for. Really, why won't you at least consider it?"

"Let's just say..." Josef hesitated slightly, thinking of Sara. Even after all these years, the pain was more wrenching than he cared to admit. "Let's just say I have 'performance anxiety' when it comes to turning." Just as quickly, he recovered, his infamously impish persona returning. "Nowhere else, mind you. Just there."

She wasn't going to let him win that easily. "Josef, I'm serious."

He responded to her invective with a kiss, his hands moving down her body, stopping on her bottom, which he gripped firmly. "So am I."

Not another word was spoken, save for the occasional gasps and groans of pleasure.

The evening was passing at a slow, sensual pace for the couple on the couch.

Mick St. John sat with his long legs stretched out on the comfortable leather couch, his back propped up against the broad arm of the sofa. Staring into the flames shooting up through the tempered glass display in his living room, Mick experienced a sense of peace that he had never before felt in his long, eventful life, even when he was human. There was an almost physical sensation of weight and worry dropping from him.

The source of this contentment was in his arms. Beth lay with her back against his chest, her head pillowed on his shoulder. His strong arms were wrapped around her, providing a cocoon where she felt safe and loved.

The two had lain on the couch like this for several hours, sipping wine, watching the flames, and listening to the soft sounds of the jazz Mick loved. They uttered few words, but their physical contact spoke volumes. Holding hands, their fingers intertwined, they seemed to be trying to burrow into each other. Beth snuggled into him, while Mick enveloped her, enclosing her with his arms, trying to convey his love.

After the events of the last few days, they had needed to rest and recharge. They spent the weekend together, doing the things that normal couples do - even though 'normal' was not a term that could ever be applied to their relationship. It had been the right decision. Over the course of the weekend, they could both feel their spirits lift.

They spent Sunday night in Mick's apartment with the door locked and their phones off. By mutual consent, they had ended up on the couch with the wine, the music, and each other as their only companions. It was enough.

Beth thought back over the events of the past few days; it had been quite a weekend - in a good way, for once.

The events of Friday were particularly stressful - dealing with potentially damaging evidence of the Monaghans' lives as vamps and staying one step ahead of Ben Talbot, not to mention being the unexpected guest of honor at Josef Kostan's as he brought key members of the L.A. vampire community together. All that, while at the same time trying to help Mick overcome the effects of a day and night without freezer time. Not a day she wanted to repeat any time soon.

The night though... Beth smiled... the night was definitely something she would repeat any time she had the opportunity. She thought back to a comment she had once teasingly made to Mick. We haven't even slept together yet... it might not be any good! The sidelong glance he had given her was sly and confident. They had both known it would be good - but just how good it was literally took her breath away. Sex with Mick was erotic, tender, playful, and... amazing. He's amazing.

Shopping for designer clothes with Marissa had been fun, but the topper for the day was when Mick made his entrance at Taste as they finished their lunch and lingered over glasses of wine. After he left, Jordan and Marissa had plied her with questions about Mick – and Josef – until she had begged for mercy, promising to invite them over to Mick's penthouse soon. Beth was fairly sure she would live to regret that invitation, but it seemed the only way to break free of them.

Once lunch was over, she and Mick had rendezvoused to shop together at trendy Los Angeles furniture stores, picking out a bed for his apartment, which was to be delivered during the week. For the first time, they had felt like a normal couple. Almost.

Today had been a leisurely day of sleeping in, reading the paper, watching old movies, and now, an evening of wine and music.

When the jazz CD came to an end, Mick stirred reluctantly and reached for the remote control to start the next CD, a collection of Louis Armstrong hits. His movement brought Beth back to the present with a start. Settling back again, Mick pulled her back against him, folding her back into his arms again. He rested his chin on the top of her head. "Did you know that the very first film to include sound was The Jazz Singer?"

"I DID know that - so did you take a date to see it?" Beth teased, knowing full well that the 1927 movie was released when Mick was a small child.

"Hey, I'm old, but I'm not that old!" he protested. "I've only seen it in jazz history shows, like the Ken Burns' series. My favorite jazz movie came out after the war - Daddy Long Legs." Beth turned in his arms, looking at him quizzically. "It was an old musical with Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron and a great jazz soundtrack." He sighed. "They don't make movies like that anymore. No one could move like Fred Astaire in a tux."

"Why, Mick St. John, I didn't realize you were such a romantic at heart. Fred Astaire, huh? I never would have guessed!"

"I didn't say I could dance like him! There's just something about the romance and elegance of those old musicals, though, that can't be beat."

"You can be in charge of our evening's entertainment the next time we have an evening together, then," Beth teased. "I expect to see your favorite Fred Astaire movie - you can give me a history lesson. And, in return, I'll show you another one of my purchases..." Beth stretched to bare the top of her lace stretch Stella McCartney bodysuit.

They settled back to enjoy the remainder of their night together.

All in all, it had been a very pleasant evening. He'd enjoyed Simone, he always did. Normally, he would have retreated to his freezer for a long, satisfying sleep by now, especially after this recent bout of lovemaking. But not this time...

Josef Kostan turned from staring out the glass wall of his Hollywood Hills mansion to face the vampire sitting before him. The visit had been totally unexpected, especially at such a late hour. Had this not been a person of importance, the intrusion would not have been tolerated. He handed her a glass of the amber-colored liquid he had enjoyed earlier with another lovely woman.

"Alright, Victoria. You wouldn't talk to me on the phone so, now that you're here, tell me what's happening in New York."

The beautiful woman in front of him crossed her long, shapely legs and sipped the expensive cognac slowly, savoring the flavor. Victoria Silver had an appreciation for the finer things in life – and there were few finer than 140 year old Hardy Perfection Cognac.

"Nice, Josef. This liquor is truly well-named." She smiled up at him. "And here I didn't think Los Angelinos had any class."

"Victoria, we are nothing but class," Josef's sarcasm briefly surfaced as he sipped at the liquid in his own glass. "It hasn't been that long since you've visited us, has it?"

"It's been a while, Josef...Probably too long. I'm just not a fan of Los Angeles."

Kostan studied his visitor. Victoria was a striking woman, tall, slim, with a full head of black hair and sky blue eyes fringed with dark lashes. A stranger would guess her to be in her early thirties. She was stylishly dressed and Josef could not remember a time when he had seen her without high heels. For Victoria Silver, stilettos were the equivalent of sneakers.

Josef and Victoria had met well over a century ago, in New York City when Abraham Lincoln had been president. They had both taken refuge there during the Civil War when New York was a thriving city, operating as a major hub for troops, supplies and equipment for the war effort. The chaos had served them well in their quest to remain undetected.

She had already been a resident of that city for almost 100 years by that time, having settled there when New York was serving as the capital of the United States. Even then, the cosmopolitan nature of the city had appealed to her, dirt streets and all.

"You adore New York – and you hate L.A. – so I can only imagine what would bring you out here, Victoria."

She inhaled sharply, and closed her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them, her gaze was serious and troubled. "Josef, I'm worried. I thought it was something we should discuss in person, rather than over the phone. There have been a series of… incidents… that I think you should be aware of. You and I have both been around a long time and we've lived through bad times before. I just have a feeling in my bones that 'it' is about to happen again." Victoria's light tone belied the seriousness of the conversation.

"So, tell me," Josef sighed as he dropped down onto the designer couch across from her.

"We've had several fatal attacks on vampires - and numerous unexplained disappearances of others over the last several months. These are members who are not the type to just disappear. They have businesses, covers - fully integrated into the human community. They would not just disappear," she emphasized again.

"No trace of them?" Josef's dark eyes were brooding as he looked at his beautiful guest.

"None. And, believe me, I've had people looking." Victoria studied the drink in her hand as if she could find the answer to her questions there, swirling the remainder in the heavy crystal glass.

"You know me, Josef. I'm not given to paranoia. Not like a certain vampire I know." She looked at her companion pointedly. "I don't cry wolf – and I don't like L.A. I wouldn't be here if I didn't think it was serious. It's just too similar to what you and I have been through before."

There was a moment of silence, broken by the sound of Josef's cell phone, startling both of them, especially given the late hour.

"Kostan here," Josef answered impatiently, irritated at the interruption.

Victoria watched his face as he listened intently. Josef's countenance grew grim, and his eyes took on the icy stare of an enraged vampire as the person at the other end continued to talk.

"No! Where is she?" Kostan shouted. "WHERE IS SHE?!"

Victoria carefully put down her drink on the glass-topped side table and got up. This sounds like a call Josef should take alone. She stopped en route to the door, however, when she heard the anguish in his voice.

"No…that can't be…not her…not like that…"

"Josef, what is it?! What's the matter?" She rushed back from the door.

"JOSEF!" Even with her preternatural reflexes, Victoria Silver barely missed the missile that had recently held the remainder of the rare cognac. It sailed through the air, hurled with all of Kostan's considerable strength, its trajectory bringing it into contact with the far wall. The unique spherical design of the bottle was no match for Josef's force, shattering as it hit, the cognac sliding down the wall in a torrent of amber tears.

She flinched as he released a roar of pain, fangs extended, his eyes white-hot with rage. He began pacing frantically, hurling curses as he did. The elegant vampire kept her composure as best she could in the face of his uncharacteristically fearsome tirade. Josef kept repeating one recognizable word over and over…

"SARA!"

End Song: Hurt, Christina Aguilera