The Vampire and the Virgin(21)

"Your secret admirer? Who is he?"

"His name is Robert Alexander MacKay. Robby for short."

Eleni looked confused. "He doesn't sound Greek."

"He's Scottish." When her grandmother gave her a blank look, she elaborated. "You know, Scotland? Plaid kilts and bagpipes?"

Eleni pursed her lips. "He's from an island?"

"Yes."

"Hmm. Then he can't be too bad." She rolled another grape leaf. "Did he come here? Why didn't I meet him?"

"It was after midnight. You were asleep."

"Why so late? Is he some kind of smuggler?"

"No. He jogs at night. I saw him the first night I was here. And he saw me. From a distance. We didn't talk. Then the next night, he left this rose."

"Hmm." Eleni frowned as she stuffed another grape leaf. "And you talked to him last night?"

"Yes. In the courtyard."

"He didn't try any nonsense, did he?"

"No. He seemed...really nice." Olivia returned the rose to the vase. "He told me I was brave and beautiful, just like Grandpa told you."

"That's good." Eleni tilted her head. "Now I'm sensing worry and fear. What's wrong?"

Olivia took her teacup to the sink and rinsed it out. She knew her emotions were waffling back and forth. One minute she was basking in the warm glow of her attraction to Robby, and another, she was backing off in cold fear. "I told him about my abilities."

"How did he take it?"

"He...seemed all right with it."

"Seemed? Couldn't you tell how he was feeling?"

"No, I couldn't." Olivia strode to the table. "Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever met anyone you couldn't read?"

Eleni shook her head slowly. "No. Never."

A chill tickled the back of Olivia's neck. "Doesn't that strike you as really strange?"

"I suppose. This is...making you fear him?"

With a groan, Olivia sat and rested her elbows on the table. "A little, yes. I thought if I told him I could detect lies, he would make a run for it. But he didn't."

"You tried on purpose to scare him away?"

"Yes."

Eleni regarded her with narrowed eyes. "Child, you're not making any sense. Didn't you tell me you have trouble dating because you always know when a man is lying?"

"Yes."

"So you don't want to date men you can read, and now you don't want to date the man you can't read. You have two choices, and you're rejecting them both."

Olivia winced. She hated to admit it, but Yia Yia was making a good point. "I didn't realize I would ever have a choice. Robby caught me completely off guard. I simply reacted emotionally."