Reaching behind me for the seat belt, I clicked it into place. I tried to arrange my face into something that resembled a smirk, but I probably failed miserably. “I told you that you need to translate. I don't speak Swedish.”
He laughed loudly at my statement and started the car, the engine a quiet purr. “Soon, vackra. Until then, you will just have to wonder. Du är vacker när du är arg.”
I angrily crossed my arms under my chest. He was still laughing as he pulled out of my driveway onto the main road, heading into town.
We were sitting on the patio at Deus. It was nearly nine o'clock at night and the restaurant/bar was crowded with locals and tourists alike. It was artsy with surf boards and motorcycles on display throughout the building. I picked at my duck salad and greedily sucked down mojitos. Stefan moved chicken wontons around his plate while twisting his mouth in distaste, switching glasses with me when mine would empty, which was quite frequently.
“I think you're trying to get me drunk. Is that what you're trying to do?” I giggled as I downed my second drink, slamming the glass on the table. He smoothly switched drink glasses with me, so quickly that I almost didn't catch the movement of his hand.
“Explain what the purpose would be for me to do that, Josephine? We are already well acquainted and I have no need to try to get into your pants,” Stefan teased, his eyebrows waggling seductively. “In fact, there are numerous parts of you I would like to revisit.” He seemed to be distracted by watching me eat and drink, his eyes tracing over the curve of throat as I ate my dinner.
“Interesting. Care to share what places you'd like to revisit?” Biting my lip, I slipped my foot out of my shoe and slowly rubbed my foot up the inside of his leg. Stefan rested his elbows on the table and tented his fingers under his chin, grinning cockily. The alcohol was making me feel very bold and uninhibited. I was just getting ready to lean across the table when a tap on my shoulder interrupted my plans.
“Josie Anderson is out two nights in a row? Should I alert the media?”
Glancing up, I was stunned to see Anna and her companion of the evening standing at the edge of our table. I rose unsteadily to my feet and hugged Anna briefly, wondering why I hadn't been able to see this happening. This was at least the second time I'd been caught off guard by not having a mental vision to forewarn me. Anna patted me on the shoulder and pushed me back down in my chair, interrupting my inner thoughts. She flipped her dark brown curls over her shoulder, grabbing her date by the arm.
“Do you mind if we join you?” Anna asked, her brown eyes wide as she took in our table. I took a moment to focus on her date, noticing the similarities between Stefan and Mr. No Name that stood beside her.
He wasn't the kind of man Anna usually chose to date. She normally went for the blond surfer type, the kind of man that was all action and not much of a mental challenge. Her date tonight wasn't as tall or handsome as Stefan and looked to be a few years older, but he had the same iridescent quality to his ivory skin. His short hair was black and his ice blue eyes had a familiar sparkle to them.
Glancing across the table at Stefan, it was obvious by the look on his face that he knew the mystery man. A tiny smile lifted the corners of his lips and he winked at me.
“Please sit down. Josephine and I would love for you to join us. Lukas, it's good to see you,” Stefan said, motioning to our table. Anna took the seat next to me and Lukas sat down across from Anna, next to Stefan. I had no idea my night out was going to include watching ‘VampBook’ in action.
“My manners are shitty, Josie. This is Lukas Meijer. He came in to look at properties two weeks ago and we struck up a friendship. Yada yada yada, he stopped in today before I left work and asked me to dinner. So, Josie this is Lukas. Lukas, my good friend Josie Anderson that I told you about. And Lukas, it's obvious you know Josie's friend. ” Anna gave Lukas one of her patented death stares. I'd been on the receiving end of one of those looks once and I shivered involuntarily at the memory.
“Put that look away, bitch. It won't work on me,” Lukas lisped in a loud voice. My eyes widened in surprise as I realized that not only was this vampire not Anna's date, he was flamboyantly gay. Lukas grabbed menus from the server that been silently standing by, watching the whole display with wide eyes.
He handed one to Anna and looked at the server. “She'll have an Amaretto Sour. And make it a big one so Ms. Bitch here will untighten the knot in her panties,” Lukas paused for a dramatic effect. “And I'll have a Cosmopolitan.”
“Of course you'd have a Cosmo. You're gayer than a unicorn farting out a rainbow.” Anna rolled her eyes at Lukas. I felt another giggle escape from my lips as I looked across the table at Stefan in disbelief. His broad chest was shaking with silent laughter at Anna's cutting remarks. I was beginning to wonder if I was in some sort of Twilight Zone episode. I'm intimately involved with the sexy beast of a vampire seated across from me and now I'm in the presence of a vampire version of a much prettier Rupert Everett. Shaking my head in amused disbelief, I downed the rest of my third mojito in one swallow.