Real Vampires Don't Wear Size Six(17)

"That's never going to work." Penny gave me a venomous look. "I get that my bloodlust is a problem, but otherwise . . . Come on, Glory, she's my twin. We don't keep huge secrets like this."
"You do now. You're the brain around here. Quit arguing and start doing. Erase her memory of the scene she walked into and wake her up. Introduce us. Tell her about the new living arrangement. Your new life starts now." I sat back, cat in my lap and waited.
"I hate you." Penny stood, her hands fisted by her sides.
"I can live with that. Just do it." I ran my hand across Booger's back while Penny told her sister she had just walked up to the door, had felt dizzy because she'd skipped dinner and Penny had caught her when she'd passed out. Then she told her to wake up.
"Jenny, I hope you're feeling better." Penny handed her sister a bottle of cold water from her refrigerator and a protein bar.
"Yeah, I know better than to skip a meal." Jenny twisted off the cap and took a deep drink. "Thanks. You sure you can spare this bar?"
"You left it here. I'd rather eat the wrapper. Of course I can always zap you a frozen pizza. Sausage." Penny smiled like this was an old joke between them.
Sure enough Jenny shuddered. "I'd rather eat the box."
"This is Glory St. Clair." Penny waved in my direction. "Glory, my sister, Jenny, who made that dramatic entrance. She's on a vegetarian kick. That's why the shudder."
I smiled. "I get it. I have dietary restrictions myself." I ignored Penny's gasp. She'd just have to get used to vampire humor. "Nice to meet you. Penny and I have known each other awhile. I've persuaded her to move in with me. Share the rent. She's moving in tonight."
"No kidding?" Jenny's eyes went wide. "That's odd. I thought you liked it here, Pen." She gazed around the cluttered room and winced. "Though I never could understand it. Where's your place, Glory?"
"On Sixth Street in an apartment over my shop, Vintage Vamp's Emporium." I put Booger on the floor when he scratched my hand to be let down. He ran to Jenny and hopped up into her lap.
"I love that store. Perfect for finding a Halloween costume. You own it?" She gave the cat a quick pat. "Down, big guy, you're shedding all over my new skirt." She sat him on the floor.
"Yes, vintage clothes are my thing." I could see at a glance that everything on Jenny was brand-new, right down to her silver thongs. Her toenails were painted a hot pink to match her clingy T-shirt. The skirt she didn't want decorated with cat fur was a dark-wash denim and now had orange hair on it. She got busy plucking it off and dropping it on the rug.
"Well, now you can mention Penny's name and get a discount." I kept smiling but Penny's sister was a little too perfect and perky for my taste. I didn't read her mind. I wasn't in the habit of prying unless I felt it was absolutely necessary.
"That is so cool." Jenny frowned when Booger tried to jump up into her lap again. "You are letting her take the cat with her, aren't you? I just can't have him with me in the sorority house."
"Of course. I had less of a problem with the cat than with what she calls her big-ass computer."
Jenny laughed. "I know what you mean. What a mess." She patted Penny on the arm. "She says she knows where everything is in that pile of junk, but beats me how she finds anything."
"Speaking of, I need more boxes and to get packing. Did you still need help with that math, Jenny?" Penny glanced at her watch. "It's getting late."
"No, I've got it. Just wanted to touch base. You said you had a date. How'd it go?" She looked around, like maybe she doubted the date story.
"It was fine. It's the frat guy I saw last weekend. Josh. We hit it off." Penny edged away from her sister.
Surely she wasn't being hit by the bloodlust again. After taking Josh down a pint or more? I jumped up.
"I met him. He's cute and into Penny. Which is great. Right, Jenny?" I watched her reaction.
She gaped at the open bedroom door. "You brought him here? You didn't-"
"No! Geez, Jen." Penny flushed. "Give me a little credit. Yeah, I'm a slob, but guys don't notice stuff like that. He said he'd call me."
Jenny pasted on a bright smile and jumped up to hug her sister. "Then I'm sure he will. Guess I was wrong about that party after all. I wish I had time to hear all the details. Call me tomorrow and we'll dish." She brushed at her skirt. "I've got to go. Need my beauty sleep, you know. It is late. Surely you're not going to move stuff tonight."
"We'll just take a load or two." Penny ignored the party comment. "Glad you stopped by. You can always text me when you want to get together but I'll be super busy for the next two weeks. This grant project is coming to a head. If we meet, it'll have to be at night."
"Sure. And I've got finals looming." Jenny looked me over, taking in my vintage designer jeans and red sweater. As usual I'd gone for a V-neck and a color that was good for me. I might not be a six, but I knew how to work what I had. "How did you and Penny meet, Glory? I'm sure it wasn't over a dress rack. Though I bet you're the one who got her into flats. Am I right?" She winked at me.
"Yes, Jenny hates my boots as much as you do, Glory." Penny hunched her shoulders and I felt sorry for her.
"Hate's a pretty strong word. But Penny looks good tonight, doesn't she, Jenny? Josh couldn't take his eyes off of her. And she had another guy hitting on her last night at N-V." I couldn't resist. Jenny was just too cute, and Penny, when she'd shown up on my doorstep, had been far from it. Why the great divide? "Trey couldn't wait to get her on the dance floor."
"You went to that new club last night?" Jenny's eyes were saucers. "You're kidding me."
"Oh, we were there. Glory's best bud owns it. Rafe's cool. And Trey's a hunk, isn't he, Glory?" Penny's shoulders were back again and she was smiling.
"I've never been." Jenny looked me over speculatively. "You already out of school, Glory?"
"Oh, yeah. I'm way out of school." I gave Penny a look that kept her from jumping into the conversation. "Actually, Penny and I have a mutual friend. He put us together. You know how these things work. I had an extra bedroom and needed the rent money." I swept my gaze around the cluttered living room. "And Penny needed to live with someone who could keep her environment reasonably organized." I grinned. "Someone your grandfather would approve of."
Jenny laughed. "Oh, I get that. Good luck to you on the organization thing. I gave up years ago."
"Hello. I'm in the room." Penny glowered at both of us. "Laugh all you want. But when I'm rich and famous and cure the incurable, we'll see who's laughing."
Jenny planted a kiss on her sister's cheek. "My bets are on you all the way, sis. Now I've got to go." She turned to me. "I'll be praying for you, Glory." She hit the door and left without a backward glance.
"That went well. She never really questioned my decision." Penny collapsed on the couch.
"Good thing. Because she wouldn't have gotten any answers."
"Am I a total pervert for having a moment or two where all I could think about was tasting her blood? I know Jen's blood type. It's not exotic like Josh's. It's just plain old B positive. But I had to fight my fangs when I got too close to her and the sound of her heartbeat . . ." Penny stared at me. "Damn, Glory, it sounded loud as a drum to me."
"Only natural. Now you need to grab what you want to take right away. We'll get Damian to arrange for the rest of your stuff to be moved." I glanced at her computer. "You can come tomorrow night and supervise." Booger rubbed against my leg. "You have a cat carrier? We might as well take this guy with us."
"Sure. I have to use it when he goes to the vet. Pick him up first. If he sees me get the carrier out of the closet, he'll hide and we'll never find him." Penny walked into her bedroom.
I grabbed Booger and hugged him. "Such a sweet boy and such an ugly name. I think I'll call you Boogie. Like the way I danced during the war."
"Which war was that?" Penny was back and I felt Boogie stiffen, his claws digging into my arm.
"WW Two, of course. I was over in England and helped keep the troops happy in the USO canteens. I love to dance." I dropped the cat into the carrier and slammed the lid shut while Penny gathered food, litter and the litter box.
"Amazing. I can't imagine what a long life you've had." Penny had her arms full. "Let's go. I have enough underwear in my backpack for tomorrow and you bought me those new clothes. Please call Damian when we get back to your place. I really want my big computer with me. I've got my laptop, but my major work is on Chuck here. I guess it's never too late to call a vampire."
"As long as it's between dusk and dawn, we're good." I lugged the carrier to the door. "You have a car?"
"Yep. It's a relic, but it runs. Should I park on the street in front of your shop?"
"No, there's parking in the alley behind it." I shivered. There'd been a lot of bad things that had happened in that alley. It was almost a death trap. "Follow me and, when you get out of your car, stay alert. I've had some trouble back there so pay attention. I'm sure the demons aren't through with me, for one thing."