A Bite to Remember Page 0,49

bewilderment.

"Yes, you know, like Bastien. Exotic names rather than normal pedestrian names like everyone else has today," she explained.

"Actually, Bastien was a common name when I gave it to him," Marguerite murmured with amusement.

"Yes, and so was mine," Vincent added.

Jackie grimaced. "Yes, well, that's my point. Older vampires have older names that are no longer in common usage. Like Stephano."

"Actually, I believe Neil is the immortal and Stephano the human," Marguerite announced with amusement, then raised an eyebrow at Vincent. "Am I not right?"

Vincent nodded and Jackie's eyes widened with surprise. "You're kidding?"

"No."

She considered that briefly, then sighed and dropped into her chair. Just when she thought she had these guys figured out, they pulled a fast one on her. Immortals usually had strange or exotic names and metallic eyes. It looked as if the metallic eyes part was the only thing she could count on.

"So..." Vincent raised an eyebrow. "What do we do first? Meet everyone here to give them the once over? Or get the list of employees from Dracula, the Musical?"

"Both," Jackie decided. "Sharon can round up the list while you introduce me around, then we'll take the list home with us so Tiny can help go over it."

Vincent nodded at the suggestion and had started to push his chair back when the office door suddenly swung open, making them all glance toward it. Sharon entered carrying a tray with two coffees, cream, and sugar on it.

"Oh, Sharon, thank you," Vincent said, getting to his feet.

The secretary set the tray on the desk and explained, "I don't know how to make coffee. Fortunately, there was some left over from the day shift."

"That's fine," Vincent assured her, then glanced to Jackie before adding, "I brought Jackie in today to meet everyone and familiarize her with the business. Aunt Marguerite wished to come along since she'd never been here."

Jackie bit her lip to keep back her amusement as he repeated almost word for word what she'd suggested. It did the trick. Sharon relaxed and smiled as she said, "Of course. Is there anything I can help with?"

Vincent's glance slid to Jackie, then he said, "Actually, yes there is. We're going to need another copy of the employee list you and Lily brought over yesterday."

"Another copy?" She frowned, but said, "Of course. I'll round up the paperwork again and photocopy it."

"Thank you," Vincent said as she left, then stood and leaned over the desk to peer at the coffee tray. Jackie stood as well and they both moved to fix a cup each. Vincent reached for the sugar and Jackie the cream, but both of them paused and grimaced as Jackie poured the cream into the nearest cup and the liquid turned a dark gray. This coffee was terribly old and unbearably strong. There was no doubt it was undrinkable.

"There's a cafeteria downstairs," Vincent announced, setting the sugar back on the tray. "We can stop in there and grab a cup on our introduction tour."

"Good thinking." Jackie set the creamer on the tray and straightened as he walked around the desk. It seemed they were leaving right away, which was fine with her. Jackie and Marguerite followed him to the door. When he opened it for them, they stepped into Sharon's office, then paused at the sound of slightly raised voices coming from an open door behind Sharon's desk.

"What do you mean they were the originals?" Sharon's voice sounded shocked.

"I told you that when you insisted on driving me over," Lily's voice answered with exasperation. "I was supposed to fax over copies, but you insisted on taking them over in person and I said I'd make copies and you said no, we'd just take the ones I had. Well, those were the originals, our copies. We don't have any more of them."

"Well, I didn't realize they were the originals," Sharon said shortly.

"You had to, Sharon. You took them out of the drawer yourself and insisted we take them." Lily sounded completely bewildered by the other woman's words.

Jackie's glance slid to Vincent as he moved past her to approach the open door.

"Is there a problem, ladies?" he asked as Jackie and Marguerite followed and peered over his shoulders into a small file room.

"I'm afraid we brought the original copies of the employee list to you yesterday," Sharon announced with a glance in the hapless Lily's direction. "We don't have backups. I hope it's not too important?"

Jackie's gaze narrowed on the woman. The secretary didn't look terribly sorry to have to make