Beth sat at her desk all day, too distracted to work, until Maureen finally told her to go home. She hadn't been able to sleep much after Josef left, and she'd been on edge since Mick called to let her know he was back in town and he'd see her tonight. Her mind alternated between the delicious thoughts of what could happen if the three of them found themselves suddenly naked in bed together, and how miserable she would be if this alienated Mick to the point that their relationship couldn't recover. Then Beth wondered, "what relationship?" They were friends who kiss occasionally but know that there isn't going to be anything else. Does that count as an actual adult romance? Her last several serious relationships had all involved sex when the time had been right, but she wasn't sure if the time was ever going to be right with Mick given the way things were going. Why she'd ever thought inviting another vampire into the mix was going to convince Mick it was okay to do more than just kiss her good night she had no idea. Maybe that's all he wanted from her anyway. This was not going to work.
She grudgingly gathered her things from her desk and headed home. It was, after all, close to 4 anyway, and she had not a single line of copy to her name for the day, and not a bit of progress on any story. Another night at home alone moping might make her feel better, she decided, and she headed to the grocery store to pick up some Ben and Jerry's. Now there were two uncomplicated men she could be alone with who always made her feel good. Beth opened her door and threw her keys on the counter while setting her laptop bag down on a chair. After deciding to forgo the bowl and just eat out of the carton, she grabbed a spoon and headed for the living room to watch…
The spoon clanked on the floor and the carton fell out of her hands.
"Hello, Beth," Josef said with his usual enthusiasm for catching her off guard. He was dressed in a tuxedo of all things.
"Christ, Josef, you scared me. Don't do that anymore." She bent down to pick up her ice cream and spoon.
He was suddenly behind her with his hands on her shoulders as she stood up. "You're not afraid of little old me, are you?" Beth's breathing sped up while he waited for her answer.
"You know I am," she said as she stepped forward out of his grasp. He let her go. "I don't remember calling you to invite myself along to your evening's activities, so what are you doing here?" She settled down onto the couch to eat her ice cream.
Josef looked at the carton in her hand and shook his head. "Depressed? No reason to be, you know."
"Really? Because I think I've thoroughly made a fool out of myself. Yes, I'm having second thoughts. I don't want you to mention our agreement to Mick, and I'm not going to bring it up. Okay? And I'll just make sure I'm not around Mick until the bite finishes healing, so you won't have to tell him about that either. You aren't the only one who can keep a secret." She brushed her fingers over the two small punctures on her neck absentmindedly as she spoke, though her mind was reliving the moment in detail.
Josef sat down beside her on the couch and took the ice cream from her hands, setting it down on the coffee table. He took her hands in his and slowly raised them to his lips, but at the last moment turned them over and kissed each on the wrist. Every second he watched her eyes, listened to her heartbeat, and tried to decided how to handle her skittishness.
"What made you change your mind, Beth?" he asked without looking up from her arms. Josef's fingers brushed over the pulse points on her wrists in small circles.
"Eighteen hours of reflection? There's no way Mick is going to agree to any of this." She pulled her hands back.
Heading for the door, Josef called her bluff. "Wow, Mick is really going to be disappointed. But at least he's finally back to drinking fresh blood, and I think I can find a way to get rid of all those roses. Hmmm, maybe Mick and I can just catch the game tonight. I wonder if I can get tickets…"
"What did you say?" Beth interrupted him.
"I said Mick was going to be disappointed. He spent all afternoon at my place planning out a romantic dinner for all three of us. He actually is in quite a good mood after his first decent meal in decades, which has been reported to me by his meal to be more than adequate in technique, but I'll just go tell him that you don't want..."
Beth was on her feet and following Josef in his path towards the door. "You told him? And he said yes?"
"Of course, my dear. Did you really think I was going to leave this to chance? I have an opportunity to enjoy you thoroughly," he looked her up and down, "as long as Mick is along for the ride, and I'm certainly not going to pass up such a promising invitation."
The hope that had filled Beth's eyes for a moment suddenly drained away. "Josef? What did he say about the, you know, the..." The insecurity was still there, and wasn't going away until Mick reassured her with just how much he loved her.
Josef's eyes flashed to their vampire blue as he pulled her up against him and brushed her hair back from the healing puncture wounds on her neck. "The bite, Beth? How much you enjoyed it? Or the idea of the two of us sharing you tonight? You know, there are pleasures we can give you that no human ever could." Josef's voice had become lower with the change in his eyes, and the anxiety melted away with the effect he was having on her body. She knew she should have been afraid, but all she could think about was how safe she felt with Mick as a vampire and how some of that must have carried over to Josef.
A shiver ran up her spine as his lips descended on hers, surprisingly gentle for the look in his eyes when he touched her. His kiss promised much more than he allowed at that moment, but as far as Josef was concerned, he had accomplished his goal in that she was breathless and thoroughly distracted by the time he pulled back and let his eyes slip back to their human appearance.
Beth couldn't help raising an eyebrow at Josef as he led her over to the sofa and sat down, gently pulling her down beside him. "I'm surprised, Josef. You can't wait until we get back to your place?" she said with feigned disapproval.
"Believe me, darling, you make it exceedingly difficult," he said with his usual smile. He had no qualms about making it known he was attracted to her, and the change for Beth from what she was used to with Mick's reluctance was quite refreshing. It felt good to be desired, right somehow.
"So, I do believe that a gala performance of 'Phantom of the Opera' begins in just about three hours, which should be plenty of time for you to get ready and for us to meet Mick at the theater for dinner." Josef talked about going to the theater in much the same way he did about going to the ballpark. He simply expected Beth to go with him, and she really did have a hard time saying no to such offers.
The tuxedo was stylish and well fitted, Beth thought, and the fact that Josef was wearing it at all suggested that she was going to have a hard time finding anything to wear to match it. Maybe that dress she had from last year covering that charity ball, but…
"I'm not sure I have anything suitable for such a formal event… I'll have to go look." She started for her bedroom but Josef gently laid a hand on her arm and smiled.
"No, I don't think that little cream-colored dress will do you proper justice for tonight," and he grabbed his cell and hit a number on speed dial before Beth had a chance to voice her disbelief of Josef's knowledge of her wardrobe. He had been in her apartment before she got home... "Send her up," was all he said before closing the phone and waiting. He loved surprising the women in his life, and whether he intended to or not, he had let Beth become part of his life. Sure, he had to share her with Mick as long as Mick behaved himself, but she would still be his for a time. And perhaps again if Mick falters.
"Um… Josef? Who is coming up exactly?" Beth asked once she recovered her composure.
"Don't worry. You'll like Simone. Trust me," Josef said as he placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. There was a knock on her door a second later. Clearly whoever it was had not been waiting downstairs.
Josef was at the door before Beth could react and was escorting in a twenty-something woman with dark blue eyes and long black hair, and she was carrying an extra long garment bag over one shoulder. Her smile was warm and inviting, and as much as Beth wanted to dislike this stranger that Josef had just invited into her home, she couldn't.
"Hi. You must be Beth." She turned to Josef, "she's just as beautiful as you described." The comment was sincere and Beth found herself blushing slightly as the woman turned back to her. "I'm Simone, so nice to meet you. I'll be helping you get ready for your evening if you don't mind. I have a gorgeous Valentino in here that should look great on you. Why don't we go fit it for you?" Simone was thrilled and her giggle as she pulled Beth into the bedroom was infectious. Beth felt like she was back in high school going shopping at the mall for prom, but this time with men really waiting for her.
Josef found himself standing in her living room again, waiting for her to get dressed. He really hoped this wasn't going to become a habit because he'd much rather be helping her get undressed given the choice. It was time to check up on Mick and settle the other third of their number's nerves.
"Yeah, she's getting dressed with Simone now. I had her pick something easy to get out of when the time comes." Mick was still uneasy with the evening's agenda, but he knew there was no way he could back out now. Josef decided it was time he got used to the idea, and made no secret of his own personal interest in removing Beth's garments. Too bad Simone hadn't agreed to the Velcro.
"You swear this was her idea? Not something you started there under duress?" Mick asked for the tenth time.
"You were dropped on your head as a fledgling, weren't you? Here I thought Coraline was kidding when she said that. Look,Mick, she was upset, but it wasn't of my making, it was yours. I was trying to reassure your sweetheart that just because you were being an ass didn't mean that you weren't in love with her. She figured out that yours truly being involved would improve the crash test rating long before you did." Josef was still amazed it took Mick this long to come to the same conclusion, well, and to admit that he might need help with this.
"So everything is still a go for this evening?"
"You doubted my abilities? She's nervous, Mick. She's worried you'll change your mind, or that somehow you'll be upset with her for suggesting this, and she's insecure, largely because of you. Now, as we discussed, you are going to reassure her from the beginning how desirable and she is. Aren't you." The last part wasn't a question.
Mick couldn't help but laugh a little. He was just as nervous and insecure, having always run from intimacy with Beth when he wanted to stay, and old habits die hard. "We've been through this and I'm going to make sure she understands. And if there's a problem, you'll be there to help me get the point across. Josef, just try not to enjoy it too much, okay?"
"You don't honestly expect me to agree to that, do you? I imagine we'll be underway here in an hour." Josef hung up, wondering if he really was going to spend the evening calming everyone's nerves instead of reveling in his good fortune. Maybe he should have hired a shrink instead of a personal stylist.
Josef knocked on Beth's bedroom door and wasn't surprised when Simone answered it. "Tell Cinderella we need to be in the car in thirty minutes or it turns into a pumpkin."
"You said I'd have forty-five with her, so can it, Mr. Impatient. You can't rush perfection." Before he could open his mouth to protest, the door had been closed again. Josef could only smile; they'd have fifteen minutes to spare.
While Josef checked on the Asian markets and a few pending deals in the former Soviet Union, Beth showered and had her hair expertly done by the friendly Simone. The dress was absolutely stunning on her, she thought. It was a nearly floor length dark green velvet, sleeveless but with a matching embroidered jacket. Beth smiled when she noticed the ¾ length sleeves were only that length because they had been artfully and purposefully folded back. Simone was quick to reassure her that they did indeed come down all the way to the wrist if she wanted to change the look. "Perfect for dinner," Beth thought with a quick flash of Josef enjoying his fact-finding mission. Overall, the look was elegant and sophisticated, modest until the jacket was removed, and the soft material was heaven.
When Beth finally emerged from her room, exactly forty-five minutes later Josef noted, she was stunning. The dress had helped her confidence as he knew it would, and if his heart could beat it would have stopped at the site of her. As it was, he had to settle for a hungry stare that left Beth with no doubt as to his opinion.
"Beth, you look stunning. Mick will be stumbling all over himself just to be by your side this evening. But I notice that something is missing… jewels perhaps? To complement your dress?"
Beth realized Simone hadn't said a word about earrings or a necklace or anything, but before she could head back into her room to look for something, Josef pulled out a velvet case from the inside pocket of his jacket. "I believe these will do quite nicely," and he opened it to reveal an emerald and diamond necklace, set entirely in white gold, with what had to be several hundred carats of stones. Each one of the matching earrings probably cost more than she made in six months.
"God, Josef, they're beautiful."
"Not as beautiful as you are." He loved watching her face light up at the site of such a treasure. He carefully picked up the necklace while Beth held the case and moved around behind her, draping it around her neck and fastening it in back. His hands were replaced by his lips and she wanted to just collapse back into his arms and beg him to stop teasing her, but she could feel his smile against her neck as he gauged her reaction. When he finally worked his way around to the front, he stepped back to admire the view while Beth added the earrings.
"So what do you think?" Beth asked, already knowing the answer.
"I think we might not even make it to the theater," Josef said as he smiled at her, pleased to see her so self-assured. He'd have to remember to tip Simone well.
Beth fingered the necklace while she said, "I've never worn anything this expensive before, but I'll try to make sure they get back to you intact at the end of the evening."
"Who said you had to give them back?" Josef took her hand and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Just wear them to bed when I ask and you can keep them forever."
Too stunned to answer right away, she wasn't given a chance as he took her arm and led her down to the waiting limo, helping her inside.
As he settled himself next to her, of course close enough to be touching from shoulder to knee, Josef took Beth's hand and held it without demanding more of her.
"Thank you, Josef, for the dress, the jewelry, helping with Mick… everything." There were unshed tears in her eyes.
He smiled and handed her his handkerchief. "Don't thank me yet, Beth. I'm sure it will be my pleasure, and yours too, this evening. And may I say that you look ravishing, my dear, or perhaps you look ready to be ravished, I haven't decided yet." He leaned over and kissed the side of her neck, running his tongue over his bite. "Are you completely certain we have to wait until Mick with us?"