Forbidden Nights with a Vampire(42)

"She's an angel," Phineas breathed.

 

"She's a police officer."

 

Phineas blinked. A shudder visibly shook him, and he turned to Phil with an appalled expression. "I–I don't do well with the po-po. I have an outstanding warrant."

 

Phil winced. "That could be a problem."

 

Phineas's gaze drifted back to LaToya, and his brown eyes widened with a look of awe. He squared his shoulders. "Nothing will stop me." He stepped forward.

 

When his shoe crunched on glass, Phil pulled him back. "Wait a minute." He motioned to a waiter to clean up the mess.

 

Phineas stiffened suddenly and grasped Phil's arm. "Did you see that? She looked at me!"

 

Phil glanced at the dance floor, and sure enough, LaToya was checking Phineas out.

 

"I'm in love," Phineas whispered.

 

That was fast. Phil suppressed a grin. "What about your date with Lisa?"

 

"Who?"

 

"Lisa. The blonde…or brunette. They're both Vamps like you. LaToya's mortal." Even though a lot of male Vamps were falling for mortal women, Phil knew the guys deeply regretted the fact that they would have to turn their wives at some point, or lose them to the ravages of time.

 

Phineas sighed. "LaToya is La-One. La-angel."

 

"All right, Pepe LePew, but you haven't actually met her yet."

 

Phineas stepped back as two waiters approached with a dustpan, pail, and mop. "I'll meet her now." He popped a Vampos into his mouth, then stuffed the roll of mints into his trouser pocket. "I need to act cool, man. Turn up the mojo. Impress her with my savoir faire and debonairness."

 

He unbuttoned his tuxedo jacket to reveal a bright red cummerbund. "The Love Doctor is in the house. Come on, bro. You can be my assistant. Make me sound good."

 

"I'll do my best." Phil accompanied the young black Vamp to the dance floor.

 

Phineas had one hand pressed to his cummerbund and was suddenly walking like John Wayne.

 

"What are you doing?" Phil whispered.

 

"This is my pimp walk. The ladies can't resist it."

 

"Are you sure that's the right approach to take with a police officer?"

 

"Oh yeah." Phineas smirked. "It's working, bro. She can't take her eyes off me."

 

"I'm not sure that's a good thing," Phil muttered.

 

The music stopped, and Jack spotted them. "Phil, Phineas, how are you? Have you met Lara's friend, LaToya?"

 

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."