Part of me wanted to linger and listen to what came next in their conversation, but the practical part of me decided to go while the getting was good. Aware that all eyes swung back in my direction once I re-entered the bar, I found Bridget sitting at one of the round tables, surprised but relieved to find her alone.
“What happened to Cole?”
“Eh, he was too much of a mama’s boy for me. I mean I like to explore domination as much as the next girl, but nobody likes a bottom that’s scared shitless to breathe without permission, you know?” I nodded like I understood what she was talking about, but I was sure there was more to what she said that went completely over my head. “Thanks for getting my back earlier. I could have taken that twit, but it’s nice to see you represent.”
“Right, about that… Bridget, you have to be more careful in a place like this…” I began, but I could see she was only half listening to me, her eyes on Scotty the bartender.
“Whatever, I’ve been in way tougher bars than this place. I’m not afraid of some chick who’ll start to cry the second you scuff her shoes,” she snorted. I wondered if I should try again to impress her with the danger of what might have happened had I not intervened, but in the end I decided it might be better to let it all blow over.
I wasn’t much of a drinker, so when the waitress came over in her retro fifties cocktail dress, I shook my head. “No thanks, I’m good.” I probably should have thought of that before I’d come to hang out in a bar.
“Compliments of Mr. Kursik,” she smiled, dipping low to place the fresh zombie before me.
“I don’t know any Mr. Kursik.” There had to be a mistake, though the drink did look tasty, and I was feeling warm and parched again. Did all vampires go through hot flashes? Was it part of the transition process, or was I going through early menopause because of my unusually aged blood?
“It appears he wants to get to know you,” she smiled mischievously, her head nodding towards a table where an elegant man in a dove gray suit watched me intently. Standing directly behind him was a hulk of a guy dressed in leathers, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses, looking dangerously alert. Bodyguard? Why would a vampire need one in a vampire bar? Kursik’s blue eyes immediately caught my attention. Did I know him? The way he looked at me… the man lacked flowing hair, but he was blonde sure enough. Could he be my Viking? The name didn’t sound Scandinavian, but the ID in my pocket didn’t have my true name on it either. Clearly I couldn’t judge a book by its cover. “Ah, please send him my thanks,” I murmured, realizing the waitress still hovered, watching the two of us.
“See, I told you that was a good look for you. You should go talk to him, thank him in person,” Bridget nudged me, and I realized I’d almost forgotten she was there, still nursing her beer.
“I don’t think that’s a very good plan, I don’t want to give him the wrong idea.” The way he watched me made me feel like he already had an idea or two.
“I think he looks sexy.”
“I think he looks dangerous.”
Bridget gave an indelicate snort. “Why else did you come here, Anja? Were you thinking you might find some new members for your glee club?”
“It’s not a glee club,” I scowled, looking away.
“Maybe you’re due for a bit of dangerous?”
She had a point. What was I doing there anyway? I wanted to talk to vampires, didn’t I? I raised the glass, holding it up to Kursik in a salute before I drank deeply. The burn of the alcohol somehow made me feel stronger.
“Atta girl,” Bridget winked. “Now go talk to him.”
My eyes flicked to where Bishop stood in the corner with Mason, both men seemed oblivious of Kursik’s interest. “I think I need another drink first.”
“Coward,” she hissed as I headed for the bar to see the tattooed bartender.
“Are you looking for a job?” Scotty asked, as soon as I approached the bar.
“A job?”
“Yeah, I’m thinking we could use you as a bouncer. That was pretty impressive back there,” he grinned and I caught sight of another piercing inside his mouth. Wow.
“Serena was more bluster than anything else,” I replied dismissively, hoping it would all blow over soon.
“The look on her face was priceless. I think she seriously underestimated you. Maybe we all did.” Scotty leaned across the bar and I got the distinct impression he was checking me out again.
Oh boy…“Really, it was nothing…”
“But actually, I meant how you stood up to Bishop in the back. Not many of us would willingly disobey him like that. You’ve got some brass ones, baby.”
“You heard that?” My eyes widened. Bishop was going to kill me if it ever got back to him.
Scotty shrugged. “Some of it. I take it the two of you know each other fairly well?”
“Better than he’d like,” I murmured, and he chuckled, pushing another drink across the bar to me. On the plus side they were definitely all buying that I wasn’t a newborn, but I was drawing more attention than I’d intended. That, and now how was I supposed to ask any questions when they’d assume I already knew the ins and outs of vampire life?
“Well, here’s to hoping we get to know you better here too.” He pulled a bottle out from under the bar, raising it to me before taking a deep swig. I sipped dutifully at my drink, surprised I wasn’t feeling more of the effects. I didn’t feel drunk or out of control at all, just bolder, like there were no consequences of anything I did.
“I’m sure this won’t be the last time you see me,” I conceded. No matter what Bishop had to say about it… Turning back around, a shock went through me as I found Bridget wasn’t at our table. Had Serena come back and dragged her out? My eyes scanned the bar, a breath of relief leaving me as I spotted her sitting with that Kursik guy. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? At least she wasn’t rubbing up all over him, she just chatted up a storm like she did with most people.
“Excuse me, Scotty. I’d better go join my friend before she ends up in another mess,” I murmured, keeping my eyes on the pair. Kursik’s gaze swung towards mine the moment I took a step in their direction and I had a moment’s trepidation, but I tried hard to keep it from showing on my face. You are a strong, confident vampire…
“So pleased you could join us,” Kursik rose with fluid grace as I approached, pulling out his own chair for me. His voice was like smooth obsidian, dark and polished, his English well spoken with a faint Russian accent. “Your lovely companion was regaling me with the tale of your adventures this evening. Really, very stimulating,” he smiled, taking the seat beside me.
“Oh, it wasn’t such a big deal. Just a little girl talk,” I tried to downplay it.
“You are too modest, Miss…”
“Anja, Anja Eh…Gudrun.” I remembered my false name at the last moment, hoping Bridget wouldn’t rat me out.
“Yeah, you’re too modest, An. You put her down like a dog, I didn’t know you had it in you,” Bridget grinned. If she noticed the name change, she didn’t react to it.
“There’s plenty you might find surprising about me,” I murmured, shooting her a look. “Why don’t you go see your friend Scotty, get yourself another drink?”
“What a good idea.” Bridget rose, catching on to the fact that I wanted to be alone with the guy, though I’m sure she had the wrong idea about why. “Can I get one for you, man?” she looked up at the imposing guard who stood off to the side, but he gave no sign that he heard her at all.
“Booth does not drink... alcohol.” Kursik waved the offer away and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes over that one, it was a little melodramatic, like those old black and white vampire movies.
“Then I’ll have one for him. Later, Anja.” With a final wink, she scooted off to flirt with Scotty, who I’m sure filled her in on the news that our drinks were on the house for the night, since I noticed she swit
ched to boilermakers.
“I almost forgot to thank you for the drink earlier, that was very kind of you.” I remembered my manners belatedly.
“It was nothing,” he waved my thanks away. “In truth, I hoped to speak with you tonight. You present an interesting contradiction.” Kursik studied me boldly, his bright eyes assessing carefully.
“I do?”
“Oh yes, I find you a delightful combination of old world charm and modern sensibilities. It is not often one meets one of our race that has learned to adapt so well.”
Holy moley, it sounded like he’d been giving it quite a lot of thought. How closely had he been watching me? “How do you mean?”
“Your appearance caught my eye, of course. You have managed the modern trappings better than most. But the skilful use of power… enough to pacify the situation without abusing your position. Masterfully done, my dear.” He raised his glass to me and I raised mine in turn, buying time to figure out how to reply as I took a sip. The guy gave me way more credit than I was due for flying by the seat of my pants, but I’d take it if it bought me the right kind of street cred.
“I dislike confrontation as a rule,” I said finally, and he leaned forward, completing my sentence with his own.
“But if you give an inch, they’ll take a mile. No one will make that mistake with you again, will they? You’ve shown you’re not to be trifled with.” His eyes glittered with what I took as admiration.
“That was the general idea,” I returned his smile, trying to look as though it had been my intention the whole time. Even if I did live to be a few hundred years old, I didn’t think I’d ever have his poise. The guy oozed power in a way that made me feel a little on edge, but not in a bad way, it was exhilarating. It was like… standing at the top of a very tall building and looking down. I felt small and powerless beside him, but there was the smallest urge to lean out further, to see how far I could take it.
I decided to go on the offensive; he seemed to like strong women, I couldn’t let him dominate the conversation. “Have we met before, Mr. Kursik? You seem almost familiar to me.”
“I’d like to believe we’d both remember it with much more clarity if we had. And please, call me Aleksandr.” The look in his eyes pierced me right down to my toes. Oh yes, I definitely would have remembered him if I’d met him before. He was definitely not the man I’d seen at the auditorium earlier that night.
“Only if you call me Anja,” I agreed. “Have you been in San Francisco long, Aleksandr?”
“Not long, only a few days, but I intend to stay a while to expand my holdings here. What of you? I don’t recall hearing any mention of someone of your delicious attributes on my past visits.”
Delicious attributes. Did he want to date me or eat me? “I’ve been here for ages,” I replied vaguely, but then I remembered that didn’t exactly synch up with the fact that no one in the bar knew me except for Bishop. “I’ve made my home here, but I only recently decided to rejoin the local community,” I added quickly, figuring it stood to reason that vampires might take a time out every now and again.
“It appears I’ve come at an opportune time then. Perhaps we can discuss a joint venture in the future.”
“Perhaps,” I smiled serenely, taking a sip of my drink, but on the inside I was a bundle of nerves. I assumed a vampire of his age or mine would have all sorts of business holdings, was he proposing we get into bed together for a business venture or something more literal? “This is a business trip for you then?”
“I hope I’m skilled enough to know how to combine business with pleasure.”
Those eyes did things to me, the sort of things usually reserved for mooning over movie stars I knew I’d never get a chance to meet, and I did a surreptitious check to make sure I wasn’t drooling. “Here’s to a productive trip for you then,” I raised my glass, not exactly sure what I was proposing, but I was dying to find out. At that point I didn’t even care if he was giving off equal parts dangerous and sexy vibes, I was willing to live a little dangerously now that I was dead.
Unfortunately, Bridget picked that moment to reappear, weaving slightly as she made her way back to the table. “Hey An, this place kinda blows, I wanna go dancing. I know this club on Stark, where it’s hoppin’ until dawn. How about we roll down there and see what’s shaking? Or no… how about we go get blueberry pancakes!” Her eyes grew wide with excitement, convinced in the brilliance of her plan even as she wavered in place.
“I don’t think that’s a very good idea, Bridge. You’ve had too much hopping already. I think maybe I’d better get you home.” Before she said anything else to give me away…
Aleksandr’s eyes flashed with annoyance before his smile reasserted itself. “Your friend has perhaps had enough excitement for the night. I could easily arrange for an escort to take her home if you would like to continue our discussion somewhere more private?”
Oh I was tempted… but I couldn’t ditch Bridget with one of his lackeys. Plus, I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to be completely alone with the guy yet, even though part of me was dying to find out what he had in mind. “That’s very kind of you, but I’ll see her home. I brought her here, she’s my responsibility.”
“Get over yourself,” she snorted. “One fight and you think you’re all that. I can take care of myself.”
“Bridget, that’s enough, wait for me outside.” I made my voice low and deadly serious, praying the message got through to her alcohol soaked brain before she ruined everything. To my relief, she fixed me with a sunny smile.
“Wait for you outside,” she beamed, lurching for the door.
Allowing myself a brief prayer of thanks for small miracles, I turned back to face him with a rueful grin. “I’m sorry, I really do need to go. It was great meeting you though, Aleksandr.” I got to my feet, ready to make a break for it if I heard Bridget get into any trouble and he rose with fluid grace, pulling the chair out for me. His calm façade back in place, Aleksandr had an air of easy come, easy go that made me wonder if he was all that disappointed after all. But when he spoke, it was of seeing me again.
“Perhaps we might meet again. Sometime where there are fewer… distractions.”
Was that vampire speak for give me your phone number? I wasn’t sure I wanted to give him my cell and I didn’t want to ask for his for a round of ‘don’t call me, I’ll call you’. In the end I settled for, “I’ll be around.” With what I hoped was a mysterious smile, I left him in the bar. It didn’t even occur to me to turn around and see if Bishop was still there.