“Oh, well, some days are harder than others. So who is the young lady you’re dating?”
“I’m not dating! I’m taking the president’s daughters on a friendly little outing to prove how trustworthy I am.”
His mother made a tsking noise. “I’m not sure if that Madison Tucker is the right girl for you.”
“I’m not interested in her. And how did you hear about this?”
“Well, Emma called. And then Olivia called. So are you interested in the other daughter? Shall I come back to Romatech so I can meet her?”
“No. Stay away.”
She huffed. “That’s not very nice. I just want to meet your new girlfriend.”
“I’m not dating!”
“There’s no reason to raise your voice.”
Gregori took a deep breath and carefully squeezed the stress ball. “I gotta go now, Mom. Important stuff to do. Talk to you later.”
“Very well. Have a wonderful time on your date.”
He hung up and threw the stress ball across the office. “Important stuff to do.” He pulled a bottle of Blissky out his bottom desk drawer and wrenched off the top.
He took a drink and wiped his mouth. “It’s not a date.”
But you wish it was.
He took another long drink to drown out the foolish voice inside him.
Chapter Ten
Madison’s pretty blue eyes widened. “Wow! I haven’t seen you look this good in years!”
“Gee, thanks,” Abigail muttered as she eyed herself in the mirror. What would Gregori Holstein think of her now? She tugged at the neckline of the black cocktail dress her sister had picked out for her on a whirlwind shopping trip that afternoon. “I still think this is too revealing.”
“Will you get off that?” Madison tilted her head, frowning. “But it does need something. Just a minute.” She rummaged through her Louis Vuitton suitcase and pulled out a velvet jewelry case. “I should have something here.”
Abigail sat on the edge of the bed and winced at how much of her pale legs were showing. She hadn’t worn a dress in years. She hadn’t taken a day off work in years, either. Mom was always telling her she needed a life, but her mom deserved to live, too.
When she’d explained to her mom that Madison had actually been right and not only were vampires real, but they would be going out with one tonight, her mom had taken the news quite well. In fact, Abigail couldn’t recall the last time she’d seen her mother this excited. She’d looked five years younger when she’d seen them off this morning.
So Abigail had decided not to feel guilty for missing work. Or for costing Dad a small fortune. Madison was used to traveling to New York on a private jet, but Abigail had never indulged in the glamorous lifestyle. What was the point? She’d realized years ago in college that having a six-hundred-dollar tote bag wasn’t going to help her pass a chemistry exam. And now she worked in a lab where everyone wore white coats. Her colleagues got excited over formulas and life-forms, not the latest trend in the fashion world.
After landing in New York, Josh and Charles had whisked them immediately into a black Suburban limousine and taken them to the Waldorf Astoria, code name Roadhouse. She and Madison were sharing one bedroom of their elegant suite, so the guys could use the other. The agents planned to sleep in shifts so one of them would always be on guard duty.
Abigail sighed. The combined cost of the hotel suite and her dress was more than she earned in a month. She had to admit, though, it had been exciting, running around Manhattan with the paparazzi chasing them and the Secret Service guys guarding them like they were something special.
“This will be perfect!” Madison held up a glittering rhinestone necklace. Her grin faded. “What are you doing sitting? You’ll wrinkle your dress.”
Abigail returned to the spot in front of the mirror, wobbling on the borrowed high heels. “I’m going to fall over in these things. I’d rather wear the flats I brought.”
“Don’t be silly. You need the heels. You’re a little short, you know.” Madison looped the necklace around Abigail’s neck and latched it in the back.
Abigail winced. A long string of sparkling rhinestones ended in the valley between her breasts. It was like a flashing billboard that advertised, Look what I’ve got!
This was crazy. A vampire nightclub? Sexy cocktail dresses? This was nothing like the mission she’d proposed to her dad. That trip would require hiking through rough mountainous terrain. But she supposed this was a safer way to get acquainted with Gregori and his world.
Madison checked her makeup in the mirror, then glanced at Abigail. “You need some lipstick. Here, this color will suit you.”