The Moon Rises (26 page)

Michael snorted. “What a whiner. Fine, let’s go
upstairs. I’ve got peanuts up there too.”

Taking Finn’s hand, Gigi followed after Michael.
The three of them watched soccer in silence which was how most of their time
with Michael was spent. Finn held her hand the whole game and brought her
drinks and sneaked peeks at her.

Gigi knew if he had a chance to be with her, Finn
wouldn’t tease or push her away. Finn was special and he should be hers, but
Gigi couldn’t have him and she again found herself alone.

Gigi was thinking about Finn while she dressed in
the club’s locker room. Earlier Silas had hugged her so tightly her feet didn’t
touch the ground. The hug was unexpected, but Silas’s immediate switch in mood
wasn’t. Weres were such teases. Hot and cold. That’s why Finn was special. If
he could have her, he would always run hot.

Gigi thought about Anton and Declan and how they
teased. Well Declan teased. Anton just seemed to want her and not like wanting
her. Either way she felt grumpy as she buttoned her vest.

The new waitress Violet was nearby, silent as
usual. Dahlia was at the mirror, admiring her reflection. Justine sat on a
bench and wiggled her feet into the work boots. Sighing, Gigi thought again
about Anton’s weird behavior.

“Something wrong, Gigi?” Dahlia asked, never
taking her dark eyes off her reflection.

“I’m feeling frustrated.”

“Frustrated about what?” Justine asked.

“Since I almost died, some of the males I like have
kissed me. I get excited because it feels good, but then they push me away and
act weird like they don’t like me. It’s frustrating.”

“Giving you blue balls, huh?” Ella said, entering
the dressing room. “Yeah, they’re Weres, aren’t they?”

When Gigi nodded, Ella sighed.

“Those bastards tease constantly. I know Dave
screwed Lisa years ago, so the rest of the Weres won’t date us. They still tease
though. If I had a buck for every time one of them came on hot then turned cold
at a moment’s notice, I’d buy the fucking club and ban those shitheads from coming
here.”

Justine grinned. “Weres are dicks.”

“Yeah, and what about you, dummy?” Ella said to
Justine. “How long has Nolan been teasing you? A year at least? Talk about giving
a girl blue balls.”

“Blue balls?” Gigi asked.

“Yeah, they get you all hot and horny and then
just blow you off.”

“That’s it!” Gigi cried. “They gave me blue
balls.”

The females laughed and Gigi sensed it wasn’t
with her. Nonetheless she had a term for her problem now. Leaving the locker
room, Gigi was startled when Dahlia appeared next to her.

“Simon would like to see you.”

“I have to work the ghoul floor.”

Dahlia stared with her dark eyes and Gigi stared
back. The Vamp finally sighed.

“He won’t keep you long. Just meet him downstairs
in the lounge.”

Nodding, Gigi took the stairs to bypass the main Vamp
area. Part of her wanted to see Simon while another part was tired of all the
male interest. Stepping into the lounge, she found it empty. Gigi glanced in one
direction then in the next. When she glanced back, Simon was standing before
her.

“Miss me?” he asked with a grin.

Gigi smiled. “Thought about you all day actually.”

Simon laughed and took her hand. Leading her towards
the couch, he relaxed into the velvet material and Gigi joined him. Simon’s
hand held hers as he studied her face.

“Trust no one and act dumber than ever,” Simon
said as his lips grazed her cheek.

“How come?”

“You are a miracle and miracles don’t happen
often in the Circle. I have seen quite a few over the millenniums and the
reaction is always the same. Curiosity, suspicion, hostility. You are too
valuable to me to be harvested, but they’ll try. Be careful.”

“Okay,” Gigi said casually.

Simon gave a slight roll to his eyes then kissed
her hand. “I will be sending a request for a date in the next few days. Feel
free to wait with bated breath.”

Gigi frowned. “Why don’t you just ask me now? I’m
right here.”

“I enjoy the anticipation.”

“Of what?”

“Of the possibility of you declining my request.”

“Why would I?”

“I know, right?” Simon said with a grin.

Laughing, Gigi shifted around on the couch to see
him better. He immediately looked at her with a sudden unease. Her hands
weren’t where he needed them to be. Finally Gigi knelt on the couch and pressed
her hands in her lap.

“Better?” she asked.

“Much.”

Gigi leaned forward. “I’m not going to hurt you,
Master Vamp. I’m going to kiss you. Don’t be afraid.”

Simon laughed and Gigi smiled, but she kept
leaning forward until her lips met his. A part of her wanted to jump on him and
rip off his clothes, figuring Simon wouldn’t push her away. She instead decided
a quick kiss was probably best after her weird day. When she pulled away, Gigi
sighed.

“I’m going to seriously consider your request for
a date, but I can’t promise anything.”

Simon smiled, showing off his bright white teeth.
“I dare you to say no.”

Shrugging, Gigi sat back on the couch. “Are you
done teasing me?”

“No,” Simon whispered and leaned forward to kiss
her. His tongue tasted her lips before he pulled away. “Now you are dismissed.”

Sighing, Gigi started to leave then Simon was
suddenly next to her as she neared the door.

“With bated breath, Gigi,” he whispered in her
ear and she smiled.

Without looking back to prevent more teasing,
Gigi walked into the stairwell and headed for the ghoul floor. Using the back
entrance, Gigi wondered if Simon would really ask her on a date. Sara said
Simon would be the first to show interest, but she also said not to trust him.
Gigi wanted to trust Simon though. He seemed like the kind of male who would be
nice to depend on.

Finally reaching the ghoul floor, Gigi found the
children enjoying lollipops while sitting on the dance floor. When they saw
Gigi, they all jumped up and tottered towards her. She hugged them, no longer
bothered by their unpleasant appearances, having been charmed by their sweet
little personalities. Some of them could talk well enough for her to understand.
The ones who couldn’t speak well had friends who translated.

Gigi noticed Murphy and Tobin watching her like
two scientists might study a mouse in a maze. She smiled at them and they
smiled back. When she served them, they made friendly chitchat, initially not
asking the questions.

Thinking about what Simon said, Gigi figured he
knew more about the Circle than she did. When Murphy eventually inquired into
the specifics of the attack, she acted confused and muttered something about
being unsure. Acting dumb and her staring were turning out to be assets.

Simon’s invitation was delivered by a nervous
human messenger holding flowers and a package. Gigi took the pretty pink
flowers and the package then thanked the man who nodded and bolted down the
stairs.

Gigi liked the spaghetti strapped dress Simon
sent her. The pale pink dress was soft against her skin and Gigi liked the way
it rolled along her curves. She knew Simon picked the dress because he liked to
look at her body. He often mentioned doing things to it, but never exactly
what. Assuming he meant sex, Gigi knew not to ask for specifics.

Gigi was nervous when the driver came to pick her
up because she wasn’t entirely sure where she going. The car dropped her at The
Veinyard restaurant which was filled with Vamps. Gigi knew they were Vamps
because they wore all black and were too pale and many of them felt the need to
stare hard at her then glance away like she was unimportant.

Simon was waiting for her in a back booth of the
restaurant. He wasn’t wearing black and he didn’t look too pale. He looked
blond, tanned, and handsome in his dark blue shirt and gray slacks. Seeing her,
his smile erased the snotty expressions she was receiving from the other
customers. Once she arrived at the booth, Simon kissed one cheek then the
other with his lips brushing against hers in between.

“You look the picture of health,” Simon said
while his too green eyes watched her.

“Thank you for the dress. It’s really pretty.”

Simon grinned. “I wasn’t sure you had anything to
wear. I hope it wasn’t too presumptuous of me.”

Once Simon sat in the booth, Gigi slipped next to
him and grinned. Liking how he was lying to her, she knew he didn’t care if he
was presumptuous. She also liked how he used a big word with her. She was mostly
just happy she knew what it meant.

“I really like the dress. The material is very
soft,” Gigi said, smiling. “You can touch it if you want.”

Simon smiled slowly until his white teeth
sparkled in the dimly lit restaurant. “Someone is feeling frisky.”

“I’m happy to be here with you.”

Simon eyed her again, seeming suspicious. He
often looked that way when Dahlia lingered near his booth.

“How are your dog admirers?” When Gigi sighed
loudly, Simon let out an amused laugh. “Oh, yes, they are emotional little
bitches, aren’t they?”

Gigi giggled mostly because he seemed so amused.

“They’re young,” Simon said when his laughter
died out. “Weres should live a long time, but they are so terribly stupid as a
species they tend to die before their fortieth birthdays. I respect Silas for
making it to a hundred. The Alphas in the Circle are so young and their
behavior is quite immature.”

“A hundred?”

Simon nodded with a smirk. “Still a babe though.”

“How old are you?”

“It’s rude to ask.”

“Oh, but I want to know.”

Simon smiled. “Nearly a thousand give or take a
few decades.”

Gigi’s mouth popped open then she covered it with
her hand. “Is it fun being that old?”

“Of course. I would have died long ago, if it
weren’t fun. Would you like to be that old one day?”

“What would I do for that long?”

“Oh, you’d find something to keep yourself
occupied.”

“Is sex really good enough to keep someone
occupied for so long?”

“No, probably not. A good hundred years, maybe
two, could just be the sex. You’d eventually have to find a hobby.”

Grinning, Gigi started to speak, but the waiter
arrived. Simon ordered for them both and Gigi wasn’t sure what food would arrive
for her, not that she cared.

“If you bite me, will it hurt?”

“Yes. Not as much as you’d think and it would be
worth it.”

“I don’t think I would like being a Vamp.”

“Then why ask?”

“I like you and I’m curious.”

“Of course you are.”

Gigi sucked on her lower lip which caused Simon’s
too green eyes to lighten.

“If I changed you, I wouldn’t take you as a mere
lover,” he said, sipping his clear drink. “I haven’t had a bride in a long
time. I think you would make an excellent one.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Well take Dahlia. She was Lawrence’s lover, but
he has many lovers. It’s why he didn’t spend the time to raise her correctly
and why she wanders around looking for someone to save her. She’s perfectly
capable of saving herself, but she was young when changed. She’s no longer all
that young, yet she remains stupid. Lovers are fine and I treat mine well, but
they aren’t meant to be anything beyond a diversion.”

“Would Sara have been your lover or your bride?”

Eyeing her again, Simon nodded. “She was lovely.
Since her disappearance, I’ve often wished she would have allowed me to change
her. No matter her loveliness, she would have been my lover because I would
have grown bored of her too quickly.”

“I think you’d grow bored of me too. I don’t find
me interesting.”

“You’re not supposed to find yourself
interesting,” Simon said with a grin. “While I enjoy my own company, hundreds
of years on my own would be intolerable. And I do think you’ll keep me entertained.”

“What would I have to do?”

“The main difference between a bride and a lover
is how a lover is temporary, but brides remain bound for much longer. My last
bride lasted sixty years.”

“Lasted? Did she die?”

“Oh, no. She’s in Buenos Aires now. I just grew
tired of having her around, so I sent her away. Amelia was very interesting,
but too demanding. I have no interest in having a child. When she didn’t get
her way, she would throw elaborate tantrums. I wouldn’t pay them any mind and
she would throw even greater tantrums. She would run off and I wouldn’t follow.
She would take lovers, so I took lovers to replace her. Amelia wanted me to
remind her of my undying love every moment of the day. I was happy to remind
her every decade or so. Yet she was a fine bride for the first thirty years.”