door and held it until I was inside, then rushed back to her own shop.
Brad was rearranging a display. The surprise on his face when he looked up and saw me come in with the arrangement was priceless and left me feeling like I’d been given the best gift. I set the vase at the end of a display case near the door, smiled at Brad, and left without a word.
Two minutes later I was breezing into the Hallows like I owned the place, which I guess I did. Since I’d apparently decided to stay and all.
The alleged vampire was standing in the same spot where I’d ‘met’ him two days before.
“John David Weir. Hello,” I said.
His black eyes went straight to the medallion revealed as I peeled back the shawl and lingered there.
“I just got it,” I said. “What do you think?”
His eyes drifted back up to mine slowly. “Very nice. Are you going to make me buy something?”
“I’m new here, but I assume the shop can always use patronage. Do you want to shop?”
“No.”
I wondered why Maggie was nowhere to be seen whenever he showed up.
“Well, what can I do for you then?”
“Nothing.”
I shook my head. “You’re gonna have to help me out. I’m new here and I just don’t know how to respond to that.”
Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but I thought I might have seen a corner of his mouth twitch. That was followed by a blank expression and no more words forthcoming.
“Okay. So. What do you want me to call you? John David?” He nodded slowly. “Good. We’re getting somewhere. So. John David. Do you eat? I mean food?”
He looked first offended and then a little angry. “Of course I eat. What kind of cockamamie question is that?”
“A mistake, I guess. But I have a reason for asking. I’m having a little impromptu lunch in my kitchen at noon. If you’re still around, you’re invited.”
“Invited?” He said the word like he couldn’t imagine anything more outrageous.
“Yes. Would you like to come? I’ve asked Olivia to experiment with gumbo and hush puppies. Lily’s coming. And Dolan. And Maggie, of course.”
After looking at me like I was certifiable for a full thirty seconds, which can feel longer than you might think when a vampire is staring at you, he said, “I accept your invitation.”
“Oh good. Come around at noon. Or if you’d rather stand in the shop and do nothing, that’s okay, too. To each his own. Now that I know you’re not a creeper, I’m okay with you hanging around.”
“Creeper?” He looked sincerely horrified.
I waved that off. “Sorry. It’s probably an American term. It’s not something you’d want to be, but I used a negative qualifier. Not a creeper is what I said. Anyhow, I need to find Maggie. Don’t steal anything.” I smiled as I walked away, strongly suspecting the suggestion that he might steal something would scandalize him to the very soul that he might or might not have. I hadn’t reached that detailed level of study yet.
When I set foot on the threshold that led to the back of the shop, I called Maggie’s name.
“Here,” she called from the workroom. I turned left and found her with Dolan. She looked up when she saw me and said, “Tryin’ to decide what to do with this. I think we should paint it red. Dolan has other ideas.”
I walked around the end of the table so I could see the chair from another angle. Certainly, it was unique, a combination of German carving and antlers. It had, at one time, been painted black and the spotty finish didn’t help the first impression it made.
“What do you think?” Maggie asked.
“I think it’s a monstrosity, but somebody will want it anyway. Dolan, what did you have in mind?”
“Dark stain. Gloss finish,” he said with an admirable economy of words I could only aspire to.
Given what he had to work with, that was definitely the best choice.
‘He’s right, Maggie. If this thing can be even partially redeemed, dark stain with a gloss finish is the only thing I can see doing it.” I looked between them. “Annnnnnnd, I’m having both of you for lunch in my kitchen.”
“You are?” Maggie glanced at Dolan.
“Yes. Olivia is doing a cooking challenge. The four of us are going to eat together.” I remembered the conversation on the sidewalk in front of the Braid. “Oh. And Lily’s coming, too.” Maggie looked at Dolan who shrugged. “Almost forgot. Jugular John is