At first, heads turned, then drew together in whispered conversation as the whole room stared at me as if I had grown another head.
"I hope I didn't embarrass you, Skeeve ... can I call you Skeeve? ... but I'm just so excited." Cassandra was back in her seat, focusing all her attention on me. "Imagine, me out on a date with the Great Skeeve!"
"Umm ... that's all right, Cassandra," I assured her, but now my attention was elsewhere.
Over her shoulder ... heck, from all around us ... I could see people starting to make their
way towards our table. Now, as I've mentioned, I've been chased by mobs before, but never starting surrounded! Still, they didn't look particularly hostile or angry. If anything, they all seemed to have exaggerated smiles on their faces ... which considering the array of teeth in the room, wasn't all that pleasant to behold.
"Excuse me, Cassandra," I said, eyeing the incoming people, "but I drink ... I mean, I think we're about to have company."
The slip of the tongue was because I had just tried to take another sip of my drink, only to find the glass was empty except for the ice cubes ... strange, because I didn't remember finishing it. Then the first person reached the table.
It was a male vampire, all decked out in a fine set of evening clothes which he wore with enviable grace.
"Excuse me for interrupting, Mr. Skeeve," he said with a smile, "but I wanted to shake your hand. Always wanted to meet you, but never thought I'd get the opportunity."
"Uh, sure," I said, but he had already seized my hand and was pumping away.
"I was wondering ... could I have your autograph?" a young lady said, trying to edge around the first gentleman.
"What? I suppose so ..."
Unfortunately I couldn't seem to get my hand loose from the vampire who was still shaking it, though he seemed to be looking elsewhere at the moment.
"Hey! Waiter!" I heard him call. "Another round of whatever Mr. Skeeve and his guest are drinking ... and put it on my tab!"
"Umm ... thank you," I said, extracting my hand and turning to the girl who had asked for an autograph. "Do you have a pen?"
"Gosh no!" she exclaimed. "But I'll go get one. Don't go away, I'll be right back."
I really didn't know what to think. I had been nervous about coming back to Limbo because of my near criminal activities during my last visit, and here they were treating me like a celebrity!
"Mr. Skeeve. If you don't mind. It's for my little girl."
This last was from a were-tiger who thrust both paper and pen at me. Fortunately, after the last visitor, I knew what he was after, and hastily scribbled my signature on the page.
Our ghost waiter materialized through the growing crowd and set our drinks on the table ... except there were three of them! From the color, one for Cassandra, and two for me.
"What's with the extra?" I said.
"Compliments of the table over there, sir," the waiter said, pointing somewhere off to my left.
I tried to look where he was indicating, and almost put my nose in the navel of another young lady who was crowding up beside me. Actually, she was one of three, any one of whom would be eye-catching under normal circumstances, but were just part of the crowd here.
"Where are you going from here, Mr. Skeeve?" the taller one purred. "There's going to be a party at our place later if you want to come by."
"Wipe your chin, Sweetheart," Cassandra smiled, slipping her arm around my shoulder. "He's my date ... and I plan to keep him busy all night."
That had an intriguing sound to it, but just then someone else started tugging on my sleeve.
"Excuse me, Mr. Skeeve," said an awesome set of teeth from a point too close to focus on. "I was wondering if I might interview you sometime at your convenience?"
"Well ... I'm kind of busy right now, "I hedged, trying to lean back far enough to get a better look at my questioner ... which unfortunately pressed the back of my head up against one of the party girls.
"Oh, I don't mean now," the teeth said, matching my retreat with a move forward so I still couldn't see what or who was talking. "If you can stop by our table over there later, we'll set up an appointment. I'll have a drink waiting for you ... Bloody Mary, right?"
"Right. I mean, okay. But ..."
But by that time the person was gone. I only hoped that they'd recognize me if I got into the general vicinity. Right now, my attention was caught by the fact that whoever I was pressing backward against was now pressing forward against the back of my head ... far too insistently for it to be an accident.
"Say, Skeeve," Cassandra said, giving me an excuse to break contact, which I took, pausing only to take a gulp of my drink before I leaned toward her.
"Yes, Cassandra?"
"If you don't mind, can we head out of here after you finish your drink? There are a couple other places I'd like to hit tonight ... you know, to show you off a little?"
"No problem" I said, "but it might take a while."
Somehow, during the last flurry of discussions, my two drinks had multiplied into four.
"Oh, I'm in no hurry" she said, giving me a quick kiss. "I know you've got to deal with some of these people now that they know who you are. It goes with the notoriety. It may be old hat to you, but I'm having a blast!"
To say the least, it wasn't old hat to me. Maybe if it was, I would have handled it better.
I remember signing my name a lot ... and some more drinks being delivered ... and kissing Cassandra ... and, I think, another club ... or two other clubs ... and more drinks ...
Chapter Ten:
"Happiness is defined by one's capacity for enjoyment."
BACCHUS
OPENING MY EYES, I suffered a brief moment of disorientation, then things started swimming into focus.
I was in my room ... in my own bed, to be specific, though the covers seemed to be twisted and disheveled. I was naked under the covers, though I had no recollection of getting undressed. I assumed it was morning, as there was sunlight streaming through the window. In short, everything looked normal.
So why did I feel there was something wrong?
I was lying on my side, and I realized my sinuses had flooded, making it impossible to breathe out of the nostril on the "downhill" side. In an effort to alleviate this situation, I rolled over and ...
It hit me!!!
A pounding headache ... a nauseous stomach ... the works!
There had been times in the past when I had gotten sick, but nothing like this! At first I was afraid I was going to die. Then I was afraid I'd live. Misery such as I was feeling should have a finite end.
Groaning slightly and burrowing into my pillow, I tried to gather my thoughts.
What was going on here? What happened to make me feel ...
Suddenly, the memory of the previous night flashed across my mind ... or, at least, the beginning of it.
The blind date ... The Wooden Stake ... the admiring crowds ... Cassandra!
I sat bolt upright and ...
Big mistake. BIG mistake.
Every pain and queasiness I had been feeling slammed into me threefold. With a moan, I fell limply back onto my pillow heedless of the new unpleasant sensations this move caused. You could only feel so miserable, and I had bottomed out. Nothing could make me feel worse. Forget any effort at rational thought. I was just going to lie there until my head cleared or I died ... whichever came first.
A knock sounded at the door.
Disoriented as I was, I had no difficulty deciding what to do: I was going to ignore it. I was certainly in no condition to see or talk to anyone!
The knock came again, a little louder this time.
"Skeeve? Are you awake?"
It was Bunny's voice. From what I could recall of the beginning of last evening, I really didn't want to talk to her right now. All I needed to make my misery complete was to have her carping on me about my taste in dates.