into the kitchen and came out with a bottle of synthetic. She shoved it into my hand. "You look terrible."
"Thanks." I took a swig. "Not a total breakup, hopefully. Just a time-out. Don't worry about me. I always bounce back. I've had lots and lots of practice." I pushed down the urge to throw myself on the couch and cry bitter tears. Nope, I had a job to do here. Might as well get on with it. But two weeks with Jerry gone. I ached already.
"So you guys have split before?" Penny peered at me like she was trying to break through my mental blocks. No way was I letting her into my thoughts again, though constantly keeping her out was a pain and a half. Literally. It always gave me a nagging headache and vamps can't exactly take Excedrin.
"We're taking a break. We do that sometimes. He'll be back." I stared down into my bottle, then determinedly shook off the urge to smack myself with it. "Now tell me about your transformation, Penny. How did that weird vampire get hold of you?"
Penny sighed and sat across from me. "This story won't cheer you up. It was pretty pathetic."
"I understand pathetic. I just barely stopped short of grabbing Jerry's ankle and having him kick me off. And looking like this." I waved my hand at my rat's nest of a hairdo. "Spill."
"I had a blind date. The only kind I ever have lately." Penny made a face. "Surprise, surprise."
"Nonsense. You're full of potential. Jerry has a sister with hair that color. The Scots love it." I smiled encouragingly. "Keep talking."
Penny sighed. "Thanks. Anyway, I have had boyfriends, other lab rats who don't notice things like how I fill out a pair of jeans."
"News flash, Penny. I never met a man yet who didn't appreciate a woman's assets." I looked her over. "I just don't know why you're hiding yours in baggy sweatpants and a sweater that's two sizes too big." I kept my feelings about her horizontal stripes to myself.
Penny blinked. "You want to hear this or not?"
"Sorry. About that night." I waved my hand.
"Anyway, as I was starting to say, my usual dates had never taken me to a fraternity party." She sighed. "Just once I wanted to have a normal college experience, you know?"
"Not a clue. Never got a whiff of college myself, but I can imagine your sister is living it up. Am I right?" I bet Jenny, so cute in that cheerleading outfit, never missed a Saturday night out.
"Of course she is." Penny frowned and picked at a pull in her sweater. Where had she found it? The last-chance bargain rack in a thrift shop? I wanted to rip it off and use it as a dustrag. "So when I had an opportunity for a blind date at a frat party, I jumped at it."
"I get that. I hear about stuff like that from students all the time. Sounds like they have fun." But if Penny had gone looking like this . . .
She gave me a look. "Your block is slipping, Glory. I didn't wear this. Jenny picked out a cute outfit for me. White jeans and a red-and-white-striped top."
"So what happened?" I heaved my block back into place. White on that butt? Sister Jenny wasn't doing this kid any favors. And the stripes too? Well, well. Made me wonder.
"But Jen didn't want me to go. She said she'd heard rumors this wasn't a regular frat party. I ignored her. I'd spent way too many nights chained to my computer working on my latest project." Penny leaned forward. "I've got a grant to study the molecular structure of . . ." She obviously saw my eyes glazing over. "Never mind. I get really wrapped up in it."
"Fascinating. If Ian MacDonald were here, he'd be thrilled to talk to you about it." I shook my head. "But let's get back to the vamp connection. So what about this blind date?"
"Turns out it was one of those parties where the guys at the frat house are supposed to bring a loser, try to get them drunk and then do ugly things like drive them out to the middle of nowhere and dump them. You know, cruel jokes." Penny shuddered. "I'm pretty unaware of social things, but I thought this guy might be into me. He was cute, bringing me punch. Dancing with me."
"And he was setting you up for some kind of mean prank?" I felt my