“That may be true, but there is no if here. We will succeed.”
I cocked my head to the side, considering.“What makes you so sure?”
He glanced toward me with a big, toothy smile and winked.“Because it’s the only way you’ll agree to that date. Which means I will make sure we win this thing. You can count on me, Tawny. Count on what we have.”
Yeah, I guess we’d see about that…
16
Our drive wasn’t even three minutes long. One of the reasons I’d decided to rent my cottage was because of its proximity to downtown. I guess Parker wanted to have a getaway car at the ready, which is why he decided to drive us there. He now guided the car into the lot a couple blocks away from Vanessa’s restaurant, and the two of us sat waiting in place until Fluffikins appeared in the lot and motioned for us to proceed. I hadn’t known we were waiting for his cue, but Parker clearly had.
“Did you get a more detailed rundown of the mission than I did?” I asked, feeling frustrated as we picked our way across the gravel parking lot.
Parker strolled leisurely toward our destination, and I had a hard time forcing myself to keep pace.
“Yes. Fluffikins came by to talk with me this afternoon and share more of the plan that he, Connie, and R concocted back at HQ. From what I understand, he paid a visit to Buckley, too.”
“But not me and Melony?” I don’t know why I was worried about Melony being left out. I’d hated her well before this vampire curse took hold. Still, fair was fair. And our current predicament was not fair.
Parker frowned.“You and Melony are still very new. It wouldn’t be fair to put too much on you.”
“But it’s fair to leave us out of planning?” I bit back.
“This isn’t about what’s fair,” he whispered as we approached the restaurant and began to mix with other pedestrians on the street. “It’s about what gets the job done. Now hold my hand and look like you’re happy to be with me.”
I laced my fingers through his, despite not appreciating him telling me what to do. He then pulled open the door and held it as I led the way in.
A smiling hostess greeted us. No fangs, which meant she either wasn’t a vampire yet or was still too young to have grown into her full powers.
“Welcome to the grand opening of Bollyweird. We offer a bold new take on traditional Indian flavors. Table for two?”
“Please,” Parker answered with a matching grin.
The hostess grabbed two menus and led us to a table in the back near the silver buffet I’d spotted during my earlier visit with Connie.
“Looks busy,” Parker said, then pulled a chair out for me.
I took a seat, unfolded a cloth napkin, and placed it over my lap.“This place basically appeared overnight. I wonder how they managed to get the word out so fast,” I observed as I took in the full house.
“Well, va—I mean, let’s say, vegetarians,” Parker said with a half-cocked grin. “Vegetarians can be very charming when they want to be. It’s easy for them to pull others near.”
A chill ran through me. Could I do that, too? And if not now, would I be able to soon? Would I lose myself to this newfound power? I shook my head and whispered,“I’m starting to think there’s not much that vegetarians can’t do.”
“Yes, that’s why they’re a problem.”
“To be honest, I don’t see how anyone except me or Connie stands a chance against them.”
Parker scoffed at this.“You’ve been a v… vegetarian for all of ten hours and already you think you’re better than me?”
I picked up the laminated menu and opened it before me.“It’s not an emotional thing. I’m simply stating facts here.”
“Maybe, but you don’t have enough information to reach an accurate conclusion.”
The waitress appeared then, notepad in hand. Also not a vampire, I realized. She seemed to have a difficult time navigating the pathways between tables while wearing her deep purple sari with gold trim.
“The lady and I will have the buffet,” Parker announced before I’d even had a chance to finish looking over the appetizers. “Provided you have suitable options for vegetarians?”
I kicked Parker under the table while smiling up at the waitress. We had to keep our cover, and he knew that, which is why he was teasing me.Ugh.
“Oh, yes. We actually specialize in vegetarian cuisine,” the waitress answered in a sing-song voice. “I’ll be back around with your waters. Go ahead and help yourselves to the buffet. Enjoy!”
“After you,” Parker offered with a smug look of satisfaction.
I rose from the table, working hard not to show how irritated I was with my“date.” He followed behind me, even trying to grab my hand, but I refused to let him take it.
We each picked up a plate from the warmer and began to make our way down the serving line. I’d enjoyed feasting on Indian food whenever I found myself in New York or another big city to meet with my editor or host a book signing. Rural Georgia felt like a strange place for a restaurant like this, but who was I to judge? I knew next to nothing about the food business.
I passed over the butter chicken with a sigh. Normally, that was my favorite, but Parker had gone and told the waitress I was a vegetarian, and I would hate to draw suspicion to us over such a small and unimportant detail. So instead, I loaded up on chickpea curry, various paneer dishes, and a massive stack of naan.
Did I actually feel hungry? No.
Was I going to miss an opportunity to stuff my face with such delicious looking food? Not a chance.
As soon as we sat, I tore off a piece of naan and added a spoonful of curry before popping the giant morsel in my mouth.
But the moment the food hit my tongue, I grabbed the napkin from my lap and spit out my entire mouthful.
“Don’t eat anything,” I whispered to Parker in warning. “Something’s wrong with the food.”
17
“What’s wrong?” Parker asked, thankfully setting his spoon down without drawing the compromised food to his mouth.
“Don’t overreact…” I leaned over the table to whisper to him. “But I’m pretty sure the food is poisoned.”
“How would you know that?” he asked at full volume.
“It tastes…” I rolled my hand at the wrist, searching for the right word.
“Weird?” Parker supplied with one eyebrow raised. “It’s in the name, remember? BollyWEIRD.”
I shook my head and fell back into my chair.“No, something’s off. I don’t know what exactly, but something. I can taste it.”
“You haven’t eaten yet since becoming a, uh, vegetarian, though, right? Maybe you’re just overwhelmed by all the flavors and how they’re hitting your enhanced senses,” Parker pointed out. I understood his reasoning, but it still irked me that he couldn’t just take my word on this. We were losing precious time here.
Remembering what Parker had said about vampires being able to draw people to them, I chose my next words carefully. Could I use my magic to stop all arguments?
“There’s something that shouldn’t be there.Trust me.” I gave that last command extra emphasis, tasting each syllable as it rolled over my tongue.
Parker reached across the table and put his hand over mine.“I believe you,” he acquiesced at last. Had I changed his mind with my magic? Part of me didn’t want to know. Being able to compel anyone to my will felt like too much power. Perhaps that’s why neither Connie nor Fluffikins had mentioned it to me.
I pushed my seat back and stood.“I’m going to the bathroom,” I announced, putting on a pleasant smile for anyone who was watching. “See if you can get through to the others,” I whispered to Parker before heading off.
He pulled out his phone and immediately began texting. I eyed Buckley seated on the other side of the restaurant with Melony as I made my way toward the bathrooms. He had his phone out and was already studying the screen with a furrowed brow.
With a quick glance back to make sure Parker’s attention was otherwise occupied, I slipped past the restrooms and into the kitchen.