shopping. Her parents had asked her to come spend the holiday with them in Florida, but she just wasn't up to the trip. Linda invited Marisa to spend the day with her and her family, but she declined, deciding what she really needed was some time alone.
Being alone had seemed like a good idea on Wednesday after a busy day at work. Thursday morning she thought it stank. Everyone she knew was spending the day with friends and family, and she was going to be sitting home by herself.
Well, it was her own fault. She spent the morning wrapping Christmas presents, ate lunch, watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.
Later, bored, she did a load of wash. She was folding it when the phone rang.
She answered it on the second ring. "Hello?"
"Marisa?"
"Edward, how are you?"
"Fine. And you?"
"I'm good. I thought, well, I thought you'd probably left town by now."
"No." He didn't say why he was still in the city, but they both knew it was because he was worried about her. "I was... that is, I know you're probably busy, but I was wondering, if you're not doing anything... would you like to go out for dinner with me?" He said the last in a rush, as if he was certain she would refuse him and he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.
"I'd like that," she said, surprising them both.
"You would? That's great. What time shall I pick you up?"
"Five?"
"I'll be there. And Marisa? Thank you."
"Thank you."
She was humming when she hung up the phone.
Edward arrived promptly at five, bearing a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine. He looked quite handsome in a light gray suit. She stared at him a moment, trying to figure out why he looked different, and then realized he wasn't wearing brown.
"Hi," she said, "come on in."
"Thank you." He handed her the flowers and held up the wine. "Shall I open this now?"
Marisa nodded. "I'm going to put these in some water."
He followed her into the kitchen and poured two glasses of wine while she pulled a vase from one of the cupboards.
"They're lovely." She arranged the bouquet in a cut-glass vase that had belonged to her grandmother, and then placed it on the kitchen table. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He handed her a glass. "You haven't heard from Alexi, have you?"
"No. Why? Do you think he's come back?"
Ramsey shrugged. "I don't know, but if he does, you'll probably be the first to know it."
"That's a comfort. There haven't been any more deaths reported in the papers." She read the Times every morning, always afraid she'd see those awful headlines that read vampire killer strikes again.
"Have you seen Chiavari?"
Marisa shook her head. "No." Except in my dreams, she thought. But she couldn't tell Edward that.
"So," Edward said, "where shall we eat?"
"I don't care. It's up to you."
"Do you want turkey and all the trimmings?"
"I'd rather have lobster."
They went to dinner at a seafood restaurant. Edward ordered fried shrimp; Marisa had lobster.
"How much longer will you be in town?" Marisa asked.
"I don't know. I rented a house down by the beach."
"You did!"
He nodded, somewhat sheepishly, she thought. "I really like it down there. I've never lived by the ocean. It's... I don't know, kind of peaceful."
"Kind of expensive, too, I'll bet."
"Yeah, but I can afford it."
"I never thought about it, but I guess there must be good money in vampire hunting."
"Yeah, it's a specialized field," Ramsey agreed. "People are willing to pay a great deal to get rid of a vampire."
"Do you have any family anywhere?"
"Here and there. I've got an old maiden aunt in Chicago, and a couple of cousins in Boston. What about you?"
"My folks live in Florida. They moved there two years ago when my dad retired. My brother, Mike, lives in Denver. He's a stockbroker. I haven't seen him since last Christmas."
"Christmas," Ramsey murmured.
"I'm going to Florida to spend it with my parents," Marisa said. "I'm not really in the mood, but they're expecting me. My brother and his family will be there. It's about the only time of the year we're all together."
"Must be nice," Edward remarked.
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know. Maybe I'll go back to Chicago and see my aunt, get rid of my apartment, pick up my mail, change my address." He grinned crookedly. "Sounds like a fun holiday, doesn't it?"
"I'm sorry."
"Hey, no problem. I'm used to it."
"Maybe we can get together when I get back," Marisa suggested.
"Yeah, I'd like that."
They spoke