"No Kendra, that wasn't my question. If I keep the contract with him he's going to be in and out of your house working on the security system and teaching classes. Do you want to have to keep seeing him? If you were to see him right now the other vampires would smell your pain and hurt and sadness towards him and know something was up with the two of you."

  "It shouldn't be too hard to avoid him. And, if it gets that bad I'll take a vacation somewhere. Or if you need to send an emissary for something I can go for you. Speaking of which, you are correct that I'm going to want to stay busy for a while. You mentioned a while back that you wanted to look into putting a small bar somewhere close to the University. If you still think that's a good idea I can start looking for a place, something within walking distance to the new dorms they are building would be good, I think. We could serve cheap food aimed at college kids for lunch and dinner and then revert to more of a bar atmosphere that evening. When I lived in, oh, I forget where, but somewhere I've lived there was a bar near a college campus called The Library, and kids thought it was cool to tell their parents they went to The Library yesterday, because it made their parents think they were busy studying instead of partying."

  "Sure, see what you can find and get the contractor and decorator involved if you find something you like. Take it from concept to opening night all on your own and you'll get twenty-five percent of the net profit as long as it remains in business, same as always. Keep me updated on things, I'll want a walk through and a plan from the decorator and cost estimate from the contractor before we sign papers to buy or lease, but the rest will be all yours."

  "Cool, I'll send an email to the Realtor and see if he can meet me tomorrow evening after the sun goes down to show me some things. I've got my laptop in my car, I'll run out and get it and then head downstairs. Can I have the yellow room for my rest today?"

  "Of course, I'll see you when we arise, then."

  Chapter Six

  The next few days went by in a blur and Kendra tried to keep busy. She met with the Realtor and found three possible locations, though none were perfect. The available unit that was easiest to use for her purposes would make the patrons who lived in the new dorms have to cross a very busy road, but the spots on the correct side of the road were either smaller than she wanted or larger than she wanted. Meanwhile, she'd put herself on the 'on call' list at all of Abbot's other establishments so when they were short someone she could go in and help. She didn't waitress, but she could do doorman duties and bouncer duties and was more than capable of managerial duties, of course.

  So, five nights later when Abbot warned her that Eric would be coming at 8:00 the following night with his proposal, she made sure she was up and gone before he arrived. She had told Eric he was going to have to call her, and she meant it. She kept her cellphone in her pocket and on vibrate all night to make sure she knew if it rang, but it didn't. She was almost in tears when she headed home after helping to close up the restaurant she'd helped at that night. She went to her room and read for a while, finally deciding to check email just before dawn to see if the Realtor may have sent something before he went to bed for the night.

  She was surprised to see an email from Eric.

  I hoped to see you when I went to the house tonight, but you weren't there. Can we talk? Without you just disappearing on me again? I miss you.

  She hit reply.

  Sure, we can talk. I'll be going into TBR around 9:00 tomorrow night to help out since the regular manager's wife just had a baby. Sunset is at around 7:15 so I should awaken around 6:30 or 6:45 if you want to call me and tell me where you want to meet. I can be ready to leave the house by the time the sun goes down so I can drive somewhere to meet you, but I don't want to talk here at the house.

  There, that let him know that she was going to have to work him into her schedule, but also told him she was willing to do that. She read it over a few times and finally hit the send button and then powered her laptop down and fell back into bed to think until the sun came up and she died for the day.

  She awakened the next evening closer to 6:00 than she'd expected to. She took a quick shower and then checked her email. She saw something from Abbot, the Realtor, and Eric. She opened Abbot's first and saw that he liked Eric's plans and wanted to talk to his inner circle about them before he talked to Eric again, he was calling for a meeting the following morning at 4:00 at the house. She could do that, no problem. Next she opened the email from the Realtor, there was a unit that would be coming off of its lease in a month that he'd like to show her. She emailed him back and told him she could meet him the following night to look it over if that was okay. As Abbot's Realtor he was used to dealing with vampires and she knew he would email her back with an appropriate time.

  And finally she opened Eric's email.

  Please come to the marina. There is a trail that leads up the hill to a large rock outcropping overlooking the river. I'll bring a blanket so we can sit up there and talk.

  Damn, he wasn't good at following instructions. She'd said he'd have to call her. And then she'd emailed him to call her. Since when is an email the same as a phone call? But, he did make the effort by sending her an email. She guessed that would have to be good enough, if she insisted on a phone call at this point she risked looking petty. She dressed for TBR but put boots on instead of heels, she'd carry heels to change into before going to TBR.

  When she arrived at the marina he was standing below the parking lot at the water's edge, throwing what looked like dog food to the ducks. She got out and went to him and he handed her the bag. She took it and looked at it questioningly, "Dog food?"

  "No, it's duck food. I buy it at a farm supply store so I can feed them something that's actually got some nutrition in it. Most people feed them crackers or bread and that's really not all that good for them." He gave her that magical little warm smile of his. "Toss the rest of that and we'll walk up the hill."

  They made smalltalk as they walked up the hill. She told him she was looking for a place to put a small bar in down by the University, he told her that the whole vampire thing had given him a great idea for a project and he'd gotten permission from Abbot to write vampires into a video game. Abbot had told him he had to make some things wrong and had even told him a few of the things to make wrong and a few of the things he couldn't tell. Abbot wanted people to continue to think that stakes through the heart killed them, for instance, and he didn't want anyone to know how to successfully tie a vampire up with rappelling rope.

  When they reached the top he laid the blanket out. It was waterproof nylon on one side and soft fluffy fleece on the other side, a pretty cool concept. She took her boots off and sat with her legs criss-crossed and he sat down beside her and pulled her to him, tucking her up under his arm as they both looked out over the river.

  "Kendra, I missed you."

  She didn't say anything, though she did allow him to hold her. It felt good.

  After a few moments he said, "Now you are supposed to tell me you missed me, too."

  "Eric, I told you how I felt. I told you I wanted a relationship with you, whatever kind of relationship you are interested in, we'll find a way to make it work. I told you I like you, and that I want to spend time with you. You make me feel alive and it's been a long time since someone made me feel that way. Knowing that, it should be obvious that I've missed you, shouldn't it? The ball is in your court now. Do something with it."

  He pulled back from her. "You sound angry."

  She realized he was right. She was angry. She liked him and he didn't know what to do, and that put her out of control, and it made her heart hurt. But being angry at him wouldn't solve anything. She hugged her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around her legs, and looked out at the water. "I'm sorry. I'm angry at the situation I guess, but not at you. Sometimes it sucks to be a vampire."

  He spoke in short sentences, as if he wasn't really sure of himself, or wasn't sure of what he was saying. "Okay then. I want to see you, do things with you. I want to date you. But I can't be exclusive with you. We should both continue to date other people. I don't know where we'll end up and this is as good as I can do for now. I can't stand the idea of saying goodbye to you, but I'm also not ready to say goodbye to the idea of a traditional wife and family. This is the best I can come up with that lets me be true to how I feel."

  "Fair enough, I guess. Thanks for being honest with me, Eric. The Realtor thinks he's got a place that will be coming available soon for my project down by the University, once we find a place that will work I'll be busy for the next couple of months from sundown until around 11:00 as I deal with decorators and contractors and the application for a liquor license and hiring people and ordering supplies and coming up with a menu and, well, there is a lot to do. I've put myself on the on-call list, to fill in when Abbot has someone call in sick somewhere, but unless I get called to help somewhere I should have free time from probably midnight until dawn most nights, so call or email me if you want to see me, I guess."

  "No, Kendra, I'm not going to let you leave it like that."

  "What do you mean you aren't going to let me leave it like that? You are the one who is still not so sure about a relationship. I absolutely will not push you into something you aren't sure about. So yes, you are going to have to come up with date ideas and then ask me out. I need to know you are at least invested enough in our relationship to do that much."

  Dammit, she was getting emotional. What was it with this man? She hugged her legs harder and thought about just disappearing on him again. They had probably said all that needed to be said, he knew he needed to call her and ask her out on a date, what more was there to say?

  "Kendra, here, let go of your legs, it's okay. Let me hold you. I seem to have hurt you by taking so long to try to figure things out. I'm sorry, I should have called you sooner. I worked on the proposal and tried to give myself time to think. I figured I'd just see you when I got the proposal done and met Abbot and Josef at the house with it, but then you weren't there. I'm sorry, you're so strong, so confident, so... worldly, I never imagined I could hurt you. Please don't shut down on me."

  Finally, she could hear in his words that he wanted her. Everything he'd said up until then had been spoken as if he wasn't sure of what he was saying, and finally he was sure of something. But, for how long? Just until something freaked him out again? Stupid mortal man. She should just walk away from him, save herself the heartache. Sure, he could make her feel alive now, but what happened when he met some cute hang glider somewhere and they started dating and decided to get married. She could never compete with that, and if the cute hang glider was what he really wanted then Kendra shouldn't even try to compete. She'd be as pathetic as Jake, thinking Angel would be his if only Kye would go away. She felt her eyes threatening to water, she had to go.

  "I need to get to TBR. Call me if you want to do something and I'll have to see how busy I am."

  And she disappeared on him. It had taken them five minutes to go up the hill, and she was in her car with the key in the ignition in less than fifteen seconds. She was pulling out of the marina onto the street when her cellphone rang, it was Eric.

  "Dammit Kendra, stop doing that."

  "Are you just calling to give me orders Eric? Because if you are then I'm not interested."

  "Please stop disappearing on me like that. I said I was sorry I hurt you and then you were just gone. I didn't even get to kiss you. Come back, please, and let me kiss you, and then you can go to work."

  "No Eric, I'm not coming back to kiss you. Like I said before I left, if you want to ask me out then call me."

  "I'm calling you now, I want to ask you out. Come back here after you get off tonight. Please."

  "No."

  "No?"

  "Eric, we are open until three in the morning and then I'll have to stay and lock up after everything gets cleaned up. I told you to call when you want to ask me out. On a date. Showing up on your boat at four in the morning isn't a date, it's you wanting me to come have sex with you. Sorry, not interested."

  "If you aren't going to be available until after midnight for maybe months then how am I supposed to ask you out on a date? I can't take you to a movie after midnight, or to the theater. And you don't eat food so I can't even take you to a restaurant. You aren't leaving me many options here, Kendra."

  He was right, time to give a little bit. "My Friday and Saturday nights will probably be open. While I might meet with the decorator or the Realtor on a weekend night, I won't be meeting with the contractor or attorneys. So come up with something on the weekend that we can do after sundown."

  "Okay. I miss you. I wanted to hold you, kiss you. Please stop disappearing on me."

  If he missed her so damned bad why the hell had he taken so long to want to see her again? But instead of saying that she just said, "Goodnight, Eric."

  "Goodnight Kendra, I hope to see you again soon."

  She hung up and drove home. She went downstairs and beat on the punching bag they kept in the workout room for a while and then changed her clothes and touched up her hair and went to TBR. A little late, but she needed to get that out of her system so she didn't hurt a customer who might need to be ejected tonight.

  Luckily it was a pretty uneventful night. As she was driving home after working all night her phone rang. Eric again. Shit. Days without hearing from him and suddenly he wouldn't go away. "Hello again Eric."

  "The community theater is doing a production of Lost in Yonkers, the show starts at 8:00. I'm online now and can get us good seats for either Friday or Saturday night. Which is better for you?"

  "Saturday night."

  "Okay, I'll knock on your door a few minutes after sundown to pick you up."

  "Great, I'll see you then."

  "Kendra, that's almost a week away. If you have some time between now and then and you'd like to see me, let me know. Okay?"

  She didn't point out that he'd gone six days without contacting her while he figured things out. That would sound too much like she was trying to punish him for making her wait. She wasn't punishing him, she was just busy. But she didn't get why it was suddenly an emergency to see her now when it had not been before. Had he thought she'd just drop everything and come running when he finally made up is mind?

  "Goodnight Eric, I'll see you Saturday night."

  Chapter Seven

  Tuesday night Abbot had warned Kendra that Eric would be at the house on Wednesday night to meet with Josef and the contractor to begin finalizing the security system plans. The inner circle had liked the proposal and now it was up to Eric and Josef and Gavin to actually put the plans into motion. So on Wednesday night she left the house as soon as the sun went down, telling Josef she had a date that weekend and had some shopping to do and needed to get to the mall before it closed, and before she had to be at TBR to work for the night.

  Once she was at work things were pretty slow since it was a stormy night and not that many people had braved the weather to go play pool. She talked with the bartenders and waitresses and even accepted an invitation to play a game of pool with what she assumed were some college guys and later found out were part of the University's football team. They were hunks. Self-centered overly macho hunks with egos bigger than their shoulders and chests, but hunks none the less.

  And so when Eric walked in that night he saw her cutting up with them and playing a game of pool with them. She didn't see him at first, but she smelled him as he walked behind her on his way to the bar. She turned things up just a notch with the college guys, not really flirting, as that wasn't her style, but having fun with them. She pretended to notice Eric about five minutes later, giving him a smile but not going to him yet. When her game with the football players was over she told the boys she had to get back to work.

  She walked to the bar and stepped behind it, pouring herself a glass of bourbon on the rocks. It wouldn't get her drunk, but two or three of these would at least help her chill out a little bit. Then she just looked at Eric, waiting for him to say something first.

  "I didn't realize that filling in for the manager meant fraternizing with the customers."

  She shrugged her shoulders, "It's a slow night, they asked me to join them for a game, I did. You are the one who said we aren't going to be exclusive. Why are you here, are you stalking me now?"

  He shook his head and looked down, uncertain for a moment but then looking back up with more certainty. "No, Josef told me you were working here tonight and I thought I'd come in and say hi. And, I'm sorry for saying anything. You're right, I did say we wouldn't be exclusive and I have to remember that goes both ways. If I don't want you flirting with other guys I have to agree to not flirt with girls, too. I keep screwing up Kendra. I'm sorry."

  "I need to go check out the kitchen and walk through the other rooms and make sure everything is still okay everywhere. I'll tell Ace your drinks are on the house, sit here as long as you want."

  She walked to the other side of the bar to let Ace the bartender know that Eric's drinks were on the house and then she headed back into the kitchen before making her way to check on the vampire room. She ordered six ounces of blood while she was back there, just the smell of Eric had made her hungry. Then she strolled through the party room that was almost empty and the smokers room that wasn't empty before heading back to the main pool room. Eric was still sitting at the bar, still nursing a beer, and he had some cheese fries he was eating, too. When she came back into the room the biggest football player walked over to her. "Doll, is that guy bothering you? You looked sad when you were talking to him. I can get rid of him if you want me to."