Phil shook her hand. "A pleasure to meet you. And may I introduce Phineas McKinney, a valued member of the MacKay Security and Investigation team."
"And head of the special Malcontent Terrorist Task Force, but I can't discuss that." Phineas waved a dismissive hand. "Top secret stuff, you know."
Jack gave him a wry look. "That is a well kept secret."
LaToya frowned. "Are you for real?"
"Of course." Phineas took LaToya's hand. "Don't worry, sweetness. I won't frighten you with the gruesome details of my missions as super spy, code name Dr. Phang."
"Fang?" LaToya jerked her hand away and leaned close to Jack. "He's a vampire?"
"He's a good Vamp," Jack whispered. "Like me."
"The jury's still out on that," LaToya muttered.
Jack sighed. "And he has excellent hearing."
LaToya turned back to Phineas and huffed when she caught him ogling her. "Don't go looking at my neck, sucker."
"He drinks synthetic blood like the rest of us," Jack said.
Phineas executed a gallant bow. "I could drink in your majestic beauty for an eternity."
"You're not drinking anything from me," LaToya said, then turned back to Jack. "I saw those holes on Lara's neck when she came back from that undercover mission. I didn't realize what it meant at the time, but if you ever do that again—"
"It couldn't be helped," Jack interrupted. "I was posing as a Malcontent, so I had to act like one."
"I'm just warning you." LaToya waved a finger at him. "If I see any more bite marks on my friend, I'm coming after you like a gator on a dead chicken. And you—" She turned to Phineas. "Don't think you can pull any of that super mojo on me. As far as I'm concerned, you're just another dead carcass trussed up in a fancy tuxedo."
"I'm the Love Doctor, sweetness. I've got the cure."
"You're a dead doctor. I don't care how handsome you are. I'm not interested!" LaToya marched off.
Jack winced. "Sorry, old boy. She's a bit sensitive about vampires at the moment."
Phil patted Phineas on the back. "Maybe she'll come around in time."
Phineas smiled slowly. "She said I was handsome. Did you hear that?" He smoothed back his short hair. "Dr. Phang strikes again. The chase is on."
"You should take it slow," Phil warned him, but the Love Doctor took off, following LaToya.
Phil sighed. He couldn't even take his own advice. Now that he knew Vanda was genuinely attracted to him, he was pursuing her as fast as he could. He congratulated Jack, then hurried off to the conference room to make sure Father Andrew was ready.
And then, somehow, he needed to get Vanda there for the meeting.
As it turned out, Vanda didn't need to get in line to meet Jack's fiancée. After she and Maggie retrieved two more glasses of Bubbly Blood, they returned to the corner behind the mortal refreshment table and found Lara there.
Lara filled them in on the wedding plans, then Maggie shared her family photos and described the ranch in Texas. Vanda sat, sipping her Bubbly Blood, while she waited for Phil to return. Not that she was in any hurry to see him. She was still peeved about his snooping around in her past.
Constantine came back, wanting more cookies, so Maggie distracted him with photos of her ranch.
"Can I go?" Tino asked. "I want to ride a horse."
"I would love for you to visit." Maggie gave him a hug. "I'll ask your mom about it."
Lara filled a plate with boiled shrimp, then drizzled some hot sauce on top. "So tell me, Vanda, what do you do for a living?"
"I run a—" She glanced at the little boy. "A dance club."
"Can I go?" Tino asked.
"No," Vanda and Maggie both answered quickly.
"But I like to dance." Tino skipped over to the table to snatch a cookie.
"It's just for adults," Maggie explained, then her eyes widened. "Lara, it would be the perfect place for a bachelorette party."
Lara's eyebrows shot up. "It's that kind of place?"
"Exactly," Vanda replied. "But with male Vamps doing the…dancing."
"I want to dance," Tino said.
Lara sighed. "It sounds interesting, but I don't know if we can get my maid of honor to agree. She's a little—"
"I told you to stay away from me!" A loud voice interrupted Lara. "You come after me again, and I'll sucker punch you into next week. You got that?" A young black woman in a red dress strode into the corner area. "Lara, that Blackula dude is stalking me."
"Who, Phineas?" Lara waved at the young Vamp, motioning for him to stay back. She lowered her voice. "LaToya, he's a nice guy. I think he looks like Denzel."
LaToya crossed her arms with a huff. "A dead Denzel."
"He was one of the Vamps who rescued me from Apollo's compound," Lara continued. "He helped rescue all the girls. He's brave and loyal—"
"I don't care," LaToya grumbled. "He's still one of them. I don't know how you can stand to be around them."
Lara winced. "LaToya, this is Constantine, Maggie, and Vanda."
LaToya smiled at them. "Hey there." She patted Tino on his head. "Aren't you a cutie? Did you come here with your mommy?" She glanced again at Maggie and Vanda as if she were trying to figure out which one of them was the mom.
"Yes," Tino said. "Do you want a cookie?"
"Don't mind if I do." LaToya grabbed a plate and circled the refreshment table, helping herself. "Thank God I found the place where all the normal people are hanging out."
Vanda set her empty glass on the floor underneath her chair. "So what do you have against Vamps?"
"Oh, the usual." LaToya popped a grape into her mouth. "They're dead and slimy, probably stink during the day—"
"That's not nice." Constantine frowned as he grabbed the last cookie.
"LaToya, cool it," Lara whispered. "I'm in love with a Vamp."
"I know." LaToya grimaced as she tossed shrimp on her plate. "And now you want to quit the police force and work for that stupid vampire company."
"MacKay Security and Investigation," Lara said. "I can work alongside Jack."
"I like Jack." Tino stood close to the table, watching the women argue.
"Whatever." LaToya drizzled hot sauce on her shrimp. "All I know is, I came to New York to be a police officer with you, and now you're quitting. I might as well go home. At least there I wouldn't have to deal with a bunch of creepy vampires."
"Where is your home?" Maggie asked.
"New Orleans." LaToya stuffed a shrimp in her mouth.
Maggie covered her mouth to hide her grin, but Vanda wasn't that polite.
She snickered. "No Vamps in New Orleans?"
"Dammit." LaToya set her plate down. "There's no escaping those monsters."
"They're not monsters," Tino grumbled.
"You're right, sweetie." Lara tousled the little boy's curls. "They're real people. And they have real feelings." She gave LaToya a stern look. "You're hurting Phineas's feelings. He doesn't deserve that."
"All right. I'll let Blackula know just how sorry I am." LaToya walked off.
Lara watched her go, then turned back to Vanda and Maggie with a confused look. "That seemed a little too easy. She's usually more stubborn than that."
"Maybe she's had a change of heart." Maggie stood up to survey the crowd. "Where is she?"
"There." Lara pointed to a bar. "She just picked up a Vamp drink."
"Maybe she's taking it to Phineas," Maggie suggested. "It would be a nice gesture."
Vanda walked over to the refreshment table for a closer look. "I don't think she's giving him a peace offering. The hot sauce is gone."
"The red stuff?" Tino asked. "I saw her take it."
Lara gasped. "I've got to stop her." She ran after her roommate.
"We should warn Phineas." Maggie searched the crowd. "Do you see him?"