“We got that from listening to Kaplan. Can’t say I like who they put to work for them.” Will was playing Mr. Righteous, trying to get back into my good graces.

As usual, Damian ignored him. “Their security will be extremely tight. They ’d be happy to let you in, Gloriana, but not your guards. And as for getting out . . .” Damian ran a hand through his dark hair. “Damn it, I don’t like the idea of Florence having anything to do with them.”

“You could just ask her if her boyfriend is an EV.” Valdez yawned.

Will put his head on his paws. “You know that lady keeps her secrets. Hell, Glory didn’t have a clue her roommate was painting vampires on her wall downstairs.”

“Speaking of downstairs, I’ve got to relieve Lacy. Maybe Flo will come by later. I’ll call her. Leave a message if she doesn’t pick up. She doesn’t like vintage unless she bought it herself, but a werecat sold me a brand-new pair of Christian Louboutin suede pumps back in the day. Never worn. Flo’s size. That should bring her in.” I stood and smoothed my sixties skirt. I was a walking advertisement for the shop. Thank God I was a packrat who’d kept my favorite outfits through the years. Vamp magic that I would forever wear the same size. Sucksville though, that the size was a twelve, not a six like roomie Flo. Tonight I wore a red off-the-shoulder peasant blouse with my long skirt. Oh, shoot, I hoped the sixties look wasn’t because I still had Greg Kaplan and his free love era on the brain.

“I’ll go down with you.” Damian handed me my crocheted hobo bag. “If Florence comes in, we’ll both confront her.”

I locked up and headed downstairs with my entourage. When I got to the door of the shop, I could see through the glass that things were hopping. A crowd clustered around the counter. Waiting to pay? I smiled and opened the door.

“There she is.” Lacy looked harried when the crowd parted. I could see why. “I was just about to call you, Glory. Look who’s here.” She gestured to a woman I recognized immediately.

“Donna Mitchell, Channel Six News. I interviewed you on the night of the fire. ” She smiled and held out her hand. “Your shop looks amazing. When I heard you’d reopened, I thought you might agree to a follow-up. Free publicity.”

“Sure, sounds good.” I shook her hand and read her mind. She also wanted a shot at another feature. And rumor had it this was a slow news night. Then her eyes widened when she saw Damian behind me. He had that effect on women. “Hot bod alert.”

“Uh.” Donna’s mind had gone completely blank. I had to step between them, to block her view of the Italian before I could get her attention again.

“What did you have in mind?” No way was I introducing her to Damian. He was here to help with the Flo situation, not bewitch a new girlfriend.

“Well, first we need to get a shot of this fabulous mural.” Donna laughed. “By da Vinci, of course. What a hoot.”

“Yeah, hilarious.” I saw Lacy roll her eyes. “My roommate painted it. Customers seem to get a kick out of it.”

“Let me call my cameraman.” She glanced at her watch. “We might be able to get this on the ten o’clock news if they’ve got a spot open. At the very least, it’ll be on the weekend wrap-up and the Web site.”

“Web site. Yes. We have one too now. Vintagevampshop .com.” I steered Donna over to the mural, well away from Damian.

“Maybe I could plug it.”

Donna had her cell phone to her ear. “Good. See you in ten.” She snapped her phone closed and smiled. “Sure, you can plug your new site. Let’s do a walk through. Tell me about your business. ” She kept glancing at Damian, who lounged next to the counter putting the flirt on one of my customers.

The fiftyish woman laughed at something he said. Yes, he could be charming. And useful. Like now, when he picked up a length of crystal beads and draped them around the woman’s neck. She flushed and I heard her tell Lacy to add them to her bill. Donna hadn’t missed the exchange either. “Who is that man?” she whispered.

“Nobody. Now where would you like me to stand for the interview?”

“I don’t suppose you could get your partner here. You two made such a cute couple and she did paint the mural.”

Damian choked and moved closer, his eyes twinkling. “I’m Gloriana’s ‘partner’s’ brother, Damian Sabatini.” He bowed over Donna’s hand, leaving her wide-eyed. “It’s a pleasure to meet a woman who is even more beautiful in person than she is on television.”

Donna’s mouth opened and closed but no sound came out. I knew the feeling.

“Damian, why don’t you try calling Flo while Donna and I discuss the shoot? I know she’d hate to miss this.”

“Of course. Excuse me, ladies.” He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and stepped outside. I saw him speaking so maybe Flo had actually picked up, even though she had a policy of turning off her cell during dates.

“What a hunk.” Donna clutched my arm. “Tell me he’s not gay.”

Hmm. Tempting. And I’d spread that rumor myself when he’d pissed me off. But he was helping with Flo. “No, very straight. But I wouldn’t get too close if I were you. He’s strictly love ’em and leave ’em—” Donna gave me a sharp look—“according to his sister.”

“He looks like he might be worth the risk. Too bad I’m in a relationship.” It didn’t take a mind reader to see that Donna was reevaluating the whole relationship issue. If her significant other didn’t get back into a gym soon and quit eating the last of the butter pecan ice cream . . . She eyed Damian’s abs again when he came back inside.

“I can’t thank you enough, Donna, for setting this up.” I took her arm and dragged her back to the mural, halfway between the screamer and the vamp. “Why don’t we shoot here first?”

Now the reporter was all business, pointing out a likely spot for the camera. Damian caught my eye and shook his head. Obviously he’d gotten Flo’s voice mail.

I excused myself long enough to head to the back room to freshen my lipstick and fluff my hair. If I’d known I was going on TV, I would have chosen a different outfit. A fifties shirtwaist would have really sent the message that we had a cool shop. Or a forties suit with a cute little hat. I gestured for Valdez to come back with me, then shut the door.

“How do I look?” What a pain that vamps don’t reflect. “Oh, God, this skirt makes my ass look huge, doesn’t it? I’ve heard the camera adds ten pounds too.”

“You look okay. But you got lipstick on your teeth.”

“Thanks.” I scrubbed my front teeth with my finger. “Now?”

“Fine.” Valdez cocked his head. “Not like a vampire at all, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Actually I’d forgotten all about that part. I touched my tongue to my fangs. Retracted, just like they would stay unless someone came in with AB negative. I’m a slut for AB negative. Especially AB negative men. Remember the firefighter Steve incident?

“I hope I don’t forget to mention we carry men’s clothing. ” I sat on a stool for a minute. “Maybe all this publicity isn’t such a good idea. You can’t tell me Westwood’s men won’t see it. And then there are the EVs. I wonder if they watch TV. I know Greg did. He said he’d seen me on the news.” I was babbling. Nerves.

“Too late for a low profile now, Blondie. You’ve got a business to run. Let Westwood’s men report back to him that you’re not intimidated by his tactics.”

A knock. “The cameraman’s here, Glory.” Lacy opened the door. “You look cute. The sixties look is hot right now. But you’re a little pale.” She handed me a makeup bag. “Throw on some blush.”

“She’s supposed to be pale.” Valdez was obviously defensive. “She never sees daylight.”

“No need to advertise the fact.”

I’d gone through a fake tanning phase. Part of my lifelong obsession with blending. I ’d managed to avoid a lot of grief by pretending to be mortal. But since I’d been in Austin, I’d discovered how much better life could be surrounded by my own kind—I glanced at Lacy, the were-kitty—and other assorted entities. Lacy gave me a critical look after I brushed a little blush on my cheekbones.

“Perfect. Don’t forget to mention the address at least three times. So people will remember it.”

“Right.” I took a breath, stepped out and ran straight into Donna.

“Ms. St. Clair, please stand over here.” Donna had powdered her own nose and slipped on a green silk blazer. “We’ve already taken some shots around the store and I filmed my intro outside. We’ll put it all together later.” She nodded to the cameraman and turned to look at me. I almost ran out of the store when I saw her thoughts.

Fourteen

"We’re here with Gloriana St. Clair, owner of Vintage Vamp ’s Emporium. If you remember our previous report several weeks ago, this shop was practically destroyed in a fire that the Austin fire department has determined was arson. Unfortunately there have been no arrests in the case.” The microphone shifted to me. “Gloriana, we’re glad to see you’ve reopened.”

“Thank you, Donna.” I braced myself because I could see what was coming. “It wasn’t easy, but I’m glad to say it’s business as usual at Vintage Vamp’s Emporium, your vintage clothing store in the heart of historic Sixth Street. ” I smiled and kept smiling. Yeah, I sounded like a commercial and why not? I was about to be ambushed and putting Donna under the whammy wasn ’t an option, not with a crowd of interested shoppers looking on.

“You’ve certainly made your shop unique. Right now we’re standing in front of a mural your partner painted on one wall inside your shop, a painting of a vampire attacking a man. Are you sending a message?” She thrust her microphone under my mouth, this time close enough to bite in two. And don’t think I wasn’t tempted.