"Yes," Anne smiled. "I have to pick up Mom. We're meeting my husband at Casey's for dinner. But first I have to stop at an instant teller to get Greg... er... that money I owe him."
"Oh." Lissianna glanced at Greg, and he managed a smile that froze when Anne went on, "Actually Greg, if I stop at an instant teller it will make me late picking up
Mom. You guys don't have any plans, so why not join us for supper?"
Greg opened his mouth to try to bow gracefully out of the dinner, but Anne added, "It's been so long since you had dinner with Mom, and I'm sure she'd love to meet Lissianna. Of course, John and I will buy dinner, then I can get you the money after that. It would make things much easier for me."
Watchoo, he thought. Harpooned through the guilt bone. He cast an apologetic glance Lissianna's way and nodded a yes to his sister.
"I'm sorry," he murmured several minutes later, once they were seated in the backseat of his sister's car. He'd joined Lissianna in the back, claiming it would save moving when they reached his mother's, but really he wanted to talk to her.
"It's all right," Lissianna assured him.
"I suppose you didn't get to feed with Anne chasing after you into the ladies' room?"
She sighed and shook her head. "It was too busy anyway, full of teenagers. I couldn't possibly control them all while I fed on one."
"Well, when we get to the restaurant, go to the bathroom and give it another try. And if Anne follows you this time, bite her."
Lissianna's eyebrows went up at the suggestion, but before she could speak, Anne called out, "Here we are!"
Greg glanced around to notice they were slowing, and Lissianna hissed by his ear, "What if they're watching your mother's for us?"
Greg's eyes widened in alarm. He hadn't thought of that. For a moment he panicked and didn't know what to do. Then Lissianna unsnapped his seat belt and her own and pulled him down to duck in the backseat even as she did.
He felt the car turn right, then Anne brought the vehicle to a stop in what he knew must be his mother's driveway.
"What are you two doing?"
Greg and Lissianna glanced up to find her leaning over the front seat, staring down at them with bewilderment.
"Er... surprising Mom?" he suggested, and saw his sister blink, then she smiled widely.
"What a great idea! She'll love it. You guys stay hidden, I'll go get her."
Greg released a relieved breath as she disappeared from overhead, and he heard the car door close. His gaze slid to Lissianna who was kneeling in the floor space between the front and backseats, with her head on the backseat. As he watched, she began to chuckle.
Greg smiled uncertainly. "What's so funny?"
She raised her eyebrows. "Look at us. Did you imagine this situation before all this madness started last Friday?"
He smiled faintly. No, he certainly hadn't imagined a situation like this. His life had been incredibly predictable and boring. Now he didn't know what it was. Greg stared at her tired face and still found her beautiful Easing forward on the floor, he kissed her softly, sighing against her lips as Lissianna turned her head on the backseat to make it easier.
"Here we are."
Greg heard the word and the sound of two doors closing, but was learning he had a great capacity for shutting things out. He did so now, shutting out his sister's voice and concentrating on kissing Lissianna.
"I have a surprise in the-- Oh... er... Maybe I'll show you when we get to the restaurant," he heard his sister say over their heads and knew she was peering over the front seat at them. He couldn't care less.
Greg stopped kissing Lissianna long before they reached the restaurant; partially because kissing her and not being able to do anything else was terribly frustrating, and partly because he was starting to get a cramp from their confined positions. That was also the reason he rose up to sit on the backseat and said, "Hi, Mom."
There were several moments of surprised exclamation as Greg explained his presence there and introduced Lissianna, then they were arriving at the restaurant. As he'd expected, his mother seemed to like Lissianna on sight and chattered away to her happily, welcoming her as if she were family. John arrived shortly after they did, and Greg introduced Lissianna again. They had placed their orders and their drinks had been delivered when Lissianna excused herself to go visit the ladies' room.
Much to Greg's relief, Anne didn't chase after her this time and he began to relax, thinking she would be able to feed, when his mother turned a concerned expression his way and said, "She seems a lovely girl, son, but she's awfully pale. Are you sure she isn't sickening?"
"She'll be fine once she eats," Greg assured her honestly, then added the He, "She's a touch hypoglycemic." It was probably the wrong thing to do.
Lissianna's steps were clipped and hurried as she pushed through the door to the bathroom, but they stopped abruptly when she was confronted with a row of empty stalls and a counter full of sinks that weren't being used. The bathroom was empty.