Stupid girl, getting flustered over a pretty guy. In my defense, Rossi's looks were somewhat unexpected - vampirism did not guarantee eternal beauty (thanks for that misnomer, Twilight), only immortality and eternal blodlust.
At my insolence, Rossi pulled back his lips into a toothy snarl, his canines extending nearly an inch downwards. Or at least, I thought it was directed at my rudeness until I noticed a tiny bloodred rose on his left fang. I caught myself leaning forward to get a better look before remembering why I was here.
I cleared my throat and stuck out my hand. "Corrie Eaton with W&B. A pleasure to finally meet you in person."
Rossi's fangs retracted as he grabbed my hand and brought the underside to his lips. "The pleasure's mine, Ms. Eaton," he said, and he pressed a light kiss to my wrist, his eyes growing even darker, predatory. I shivered, more in fear than lust, I think.
"Please, call me Corrie," I said, my voice only quivering slightly.
"You can call me Ross. My real first name is somewhat of a secret." My hand still held hostage, he led us towards a secluded table at the back of The Graveyard.
"You know, you have client confidentiality," I said conversationally, my curiosity peaked.
The left side of his mouth inched up. "I'm counting on that."
Before I could respond, a cocktail waitress appeared at the side of our table. "The usual, Ross?" she asked, looking up at him seductively through spidery eyelashes. She must have taken the exact opposite approach that I took to getting dressed. It was an architectural mystery how her dress managed to cover her at all.
Ross paused before answering. "Actually, Maddy, I'll have a pint of AB negative, if you've got it on tap." Crap. My blood type.
Maddy turned to me, none-to-discretely sizing up her competition. I raised an eyebrow, and she at least had the grace to blush. "And for you, ma'am?"
"A glass of Merlot."
As Maddy sashayed away from our table, Ross focused his impenetrable gaze on me. "I must say, I expected someone older. More...experienced."
I bristled at that. "I assure you, Mr. Rossi, both Jim and I are fully confident in my ability to handle anything you have to throw my way. For the record, I graduated magna cum laude from Yale's School of Magical Communications, and consulted on a number of inter-species cases before I even graduated."
"Ah. I'm a Yalie myself."
At my insolence, Rossi pulled back his lips into a toothy snarl, his canines extending nearly an inch downwards. Or at least, I thought it was directed at my rudeness until I noticed a tiny bloodred rose on his left fang. I caught myself leaning forward to get a better look before remembering why I was here.
I cleared my throat and stuck out my hand. "Corrie Eaton with W&B. A pleasure to finally meet you in person."
Rossi's fangs retracted as he grabbed my hand and brought the underside to his lips. "The pleasure's mine, Ms. Eaton," he said, and he pressed a light kiss to my wrist, his eyes growing even darker, predatory. I shivered, more in fear than lust, I think.
"Please, call me Corrie," I said, my voice only quivering slightly.
"You can call me Ross. My real first name is somewhat of a secret." My hand still held hostage, he led us towards a secluded table at the back of The Graveyard.
"You know, you have client confidentiality," I said conversationally, my curiosity peaked.
The left side of his mouth inched up. "I'm counting on that."
Before I could respond, a cocktail waitress appeared at the side of our table. "The usual, Ross?" she asked, looking up at him seductively through spidery eyelashes. She must have taken the exact opposite approach that I took to getting dressed. It was an architectural mystery how her dress managed to cover her at all.
Ross paused before answering. "Actually, Maddy, I'll have a pint of AB negative, if you've got it on tap." Crap. My blood type.
Maddy turned to me, none-to-discretely sizing up her competition. I raised an eyebrow, and she at least had the grace to blush. "And for you, ma'am?"
"A glass of Merlot."
As Maddy sashayed away from our table, Ross focused his impenetrable gaze on me. "I must say, I expected someone older. More...experienced."
I bristled at that. "I assure you, Mr. Rossi, both Jim and I are fully confident in my ability to handle anything you have to throw my way. For the record, I graduated magna cum laude from Yale's School of Magical Communications, and consulted on a number of inter-species cases before I even graduated."
"Ah. I'm a Yalie myself."
