Chapter Twelve
Shit. Gregori sat back and adjusted his cuff links. There was no mistaking the censure in Abigail's voice, which meant there were now two points against him: vampire and playboy. No wonder she kept scooting down the booth. She expected him to either bite her or ravish her.
He'd figured Pru and her friend were up to no good. They had their own agenda, obviously, and that included scaring Abigail away from him. He'd heard them talking as he'd approached the table.
He took a sip of Bleer and set the glass down. "Just for the record, I've never had sex on the ceiling."
Abigail stiffened and her cheeks turned pink. "It's none of my business." She ventured a glance his way. "Is that true?"
"Yes. Did those ladies claim that I slept with them?"
"No." She shook her head, and her blush deepened. "But they want to. Along with hundreds of others."
"Hundreds?" He tried not to laugh. "I'm not much of a playboy, am I, if I've neglected to sleep with hundreds of willing victims?"
She tilted her head, considering. "That would depend on how large a pool of volunteers you started off with."
He lifted his eyebrows. Did she think he was operating in the thousands? "Well, thank God I'm with a scholar. I'm sure you can devise a formula for determining the correct number."
She frowned at him. "It's none of my business."
"No, it's not." He gulped down the last of his Bleer.
She drank some of her soda.
So he hadn't been a saint. She had no right to judge him. He clunked his empty glass onto the table. "After about five thousand or so, I stopped counting."
She gasped. "Fivethousand?"
He glowered at her. "I was kidding."
"It's not amusing."
"I'm not laughing." He leaned toward her. "Why are you so prickly all of a sudden? Are you jealous?"
She snorted. "Jealous of what?"
"Five thousand make-believe lovers."
She lifted her chin. "If you must know why I'm upset, it's because I have serious doubts you can be trusted. I don't want to be left abandoned in the middle of China while you take off chasing women."
"China? Is that where we're going?"
"We aren't going anywhere. I'll have to report to my father that you're not suitable."
Shit. He loosened his tie. The personal insult was bad enough, but he had too many Vamps depending on him to make sure the alliance with the president went through.
He twisted to face Abigail, resting one arm across the back of the booth and the other along the table. "You judge me guilty without a trial? Where's your evidence? How many women here have I slept with?"
She shrugged.
"The answer is none," he continued before she could answer. "If you don't believe me, call them over and ask them yourself."
"You would have slept with Prunella Culpepper if you had more time."
"How do you know that?"
"You told her the sun was setting in thirty minutes, and you needed the entire night to worship and pleasure someone as beautiful as her."
He snorted. "That was a rejection line. I turned her down."
"Because you only had thirty minutes."
"I'd take thirty minutes with you!" He froze. What the hell was he saying? She looked equally shocked, her pretty eyes wide and her soft lips parted. It had been so long since he'd kissed a mortal. Her lips would be warmer than a Vamp's. Sweeter.
"Well, don't you two look cozy?" an amused voice asked.
Gregori shifted to face front and gave Phineas an annoyed look. Abigail attempted to scoot farther away from him, but since his arm was stretched along the back of the booth, he grabbed on to her shoulder and blocked her movement. She nudged him in the side with her elbow.
"I'm having a great time!" Madison grinned as she sat down. "Dr. Phang is a wonderful dancer."
"You're pretty hot yourself." Phineas winked at her. "You make the other chicks look half dead."
Madison laughed, then beamed a smile at her sister and Gregori. "I'm glad you two are getting along. Dad will be so relieved."
"Be sure and tell him that," Gregori said with a smile that only wavered slightly when Abigail nudged him harder in the ribs.
"I'm going to get something to drink," Phineas said. "Anybody want something from the bar?"
"I'm fine, thank you," Abigail murmured.
"Me too." Madison took a long drink from her martini.
"I'll take another Bleer," Gregori said.
Phineas nodded and strode toward the bar.
Madison set her martini glass down and gave him a confused look. "Did you say beer?"
"Bleer. Half blood, half beer," Gregori explained. "It's part of Vampire Fusion Cuisine. We call it VFC for short."
"VFC?" Madison's eyes lit up. "Oh my gosh, that's like KFC, but for vampires." She giggled. "You guys are so funny."
Gregori smiled. "We aim to please."
Abigail turned toward him an inquisitive look. "Is there a lab that comes up with this stuff?"
He nodded. "Romatech Industries."
Her eyes widened. "The lab that invented synthetic blood?"
"Yes. That's where I work."
She blinked. "You have a job?"
He gritted his teeth and lowered his voice. "You think I spend my entire life partying?"
"So are all the Vamps here drinking Bleer?" Madison asked as she peered around the room.
"They could be drinking a number of things," Gregori explained. "Straight synthetic blood in their favorite blood type or something like Chocolood, chocolate-flavored synthetic blood."
Madison grinned. "Oooh. If I was a vampire, that's what I would drink."
Gregori smiled. "It's very popular among the ladies. And for those who overindulge, we can help them shed a few pounds with Blood Lite."
Madison laughed. "You guys are so cute." She gulped down the rest of her martini.
"Dietetic blood?" Abigail asked.
He nodded. "It has an extremely low blood sugar and cholesterol count. And then there's Bubbly Blood: half blood, half champagne, for those special vampire occasions."
Madison laughed. Even Abigail looked amused.
"And there's a new one, a favorite among the Scottish vampires - Blissky. Half blood, half - "
"Whisky?" Madison guessed.
Gregori winked at her. "You got it, Sweetcakes."
Madison giggled, then leaned toward her sister. "A vampire called me Sweetcakes."
Abigail grimaced. "I can hit him, if you like."
"Why?" Madison asked as she reached for her sister's neglected martini.
"It's embarrassing," Abigail muttered.
Madison took a sip. "It is?"
"I wasn't embarrassed," Gregori said. When Abigail shot him an irritated look, he smiled and squeezed her shoulder.
Madison drank some more and licked her lips. "Tell me some more funny vampire drinks."
"We're introducing a new one in a few weeks. Blardonnay: half blood, half - "
"Chardonnay!" Madison lifted her arms like she'd score a touchdown, then burst into giggles.
Gregori grinned. "You got it, Toots."
Abigail shuddered. "Toots?"
Her sister giggled some more, then hiccupped.
Abigail winced. "Maybe you should stop drinking."
Madison waved a dismissive hand. "I always get loopy at nightclubs. It doesn't matter. Josh won't let anything bad happen to me." She lifted her martini glass and saluted the Secret Service man who was watching her carefully from a short distance. "Love you, Josh!"
An angry look flashed over the guard's face before it returned to its usual deadpan expression.
Gregori felt a surge of sympathy for the two Secret Service men. They were babysitters just like he was.
"What do you do at Romatech?" Abigail regarded him with a hopeful look. "Are you a chemist?"
Damn, he hated to disappoint her. Again. "No. I'm vice president of marketing."
"Oh." She fiddled with her glass.
"Here's your Bleer." Phineas slid one across the table to him, then sat on the booth opposite Madison. "Cheers." He clinked his glass against Madison's martini glass.
"Bottoms up!" Madison downed the rest of her drink.
Abigail turned toward him again. "If Romatech manufactures Vampire Fusion Cuisine, then it's operated by vampires?"
Gregori nodded. "My boss is a vampire. And a brilliant scientist."
Her eyes widened. "Roman Draganesti?"
"You've heard of him?"
"Every scientist in the world has heard - Oh my gosh, he's a vampire?"
Gregori nodded. "And a really nice guy. Lovely wife, two beautiful children."
Her mouth dropped open. "He . . . fathered children?"
"Like I said, he's a brilliant scientist. He figured out a way."
"How fascinating." Her eyes gleamed with excitement. "Is it possible to meet him? I would love a tour of the labs."
At last, something he could do that would impress her. "I'd be happy to arrange it for you. How about tomorrow night?"
She nodded, smiling. "Yes. Thank you."
Excellent. Gregori took a long drink. The more he thought about it, the better he liked the idea of taking Abigail to Romatech. This nightclub might have won Madison over to the Vamp cause, but Abigail needed to see smart, hardworking Vamps like Laszlo. She needed to meet Roman, whose invention of synthetic blood saved thousands of mortal lives every year.
His Droid vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out to check the text message. Maggie and Gordon had finished filming two new versions of the Blardonnay commercial and wanted him to see them.
He took a sip of Bleer. "Would you guys mind if I left for about ten minutes? I need to teleport to DVN - "
"What's that?" Madison asked.
"The Digital Vampire Network. It's a television studio. Vamps have their own shows to watch. Soap operas and such."
"Oh my God," Madison breathed. "That is so awesome."
Gregori adjusted his tie. Maybe this would impress Abigail. "I produce all the commercials for Romatech. I'm having a new one made to advertise Blardonnay."
Abigail's eyes widened, but she remained silent.
"It stars Simone, the famous model," Gregori continued.
"I know who she is!" Madison bounced on her seat. "Oh my God, do you think I could meet her? That would be so cool!"
Gregori inclined his head. "I can arrange it."
Phineas grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. "Gregori's da man! He knows all the hot vampire chicks."
Abigail scoffed. "I bet."
He gave her an annoyed look and whispered, "Still jealous, Toots?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Don't call me Toots."
"You prefer Sweetcakes?"
"If we were alone, I'd slap you."
He leaned close and whispered in her ear, "If we were alone, I'd give you a good reason to slap me."
Phineas choked on his Bleer.
"Are you all right, Dr. Phang?" Madison asked.
He nodded and slanted an amused look at Gregori.
So he had heard. Gregori scooted down the booth. "If you guys will excuse me, I'll be on my way."
"But I want to go!" Madison jumped to her feet and clasped her hands together as if she were begging. "Please! I want to see the television studio!"
Gregori stilled. "I-I'm teleporting there. I'll be back soon."
"But I want to go," Madison whined. "Please!"
"Is it far away?" Abigail asked quietly, her cheeks still flushed from his last verbal poke at her.
"Brooklyn," Phineas said. When Gregori shot him an angry look, he shrugged. "We gotta keep them happy, bro."
"Yes!" Madison squealed. "It would make me so happy!"
Gregori sighed. Phineas was right. They had to keep the girls happy, no matter what. "Very well. We're all going to DVN."
"It's complicated," Gregori whispered to Maggie and Gordon thirty minutes later at DVN. "But if you want to help us avoid the Vampire Apocalypse, you'll let these girls do whatever they want. We have to keep them happy."
"All right," Maggie agreed. "I recognize the blonde. She's the president's daughter."
"They're both the president's daughters." Gregori glanced at them across the recording studio. "Madison is the one gushing all over Simone. Abigail's the other one."
Abigail and Josh were looking curiously about. Charles had driven them to the Digital Vampire Network using Gregori's directions. Upon arrival, he had decided the entire location needed to be checked, so he was running about while Josh remained with the girls.
"I didn't know there was a second daughter," Maggie whispered.
"She's a bit of a mystery," Gregori said as he watched Abigail. He still didn't know why she kept herself so carefully hidden from the public eye, but he suspected it had something to do with her mother. Or maybe her job as a biochemist. The mission she planned to do in China was certainly being kept secret. What on earth could she want in China?
He could understand their desire for secrecy. If she traveled there as the president's daughter, it would become a media event, and her every move would be scrutinized by journalists and the Chinese government. Obviously she wanted to see something that the Chinese were reluctant to show her. Or she planned to take something without their knowledge.
Maggie tugged at his sleeve, drawing his attention. "Gregori, Gordon said your name three times. You didn't hear."
"Oh, sorry. Lot on my mind lately."
Her eyes twinkled as she glanced at Abigail. "I can see that."
"Do you want to watch the commercials?" Gordon asked.
"Yes, of course." Gregori walked over to the monitor with Maggie and Gordon.
"You must see me acting!" Simone motioned for her new entourage to follow her to the monitor. "I was brilliant!"
"Oh, I'm sure you were." Madison rushed after her.
Abigail and Josh followed after them.
"Both commercials have potential," Gordon explained as he punched some buttons. "But we may need someone with a stronger presence than Pennington to pull them off."
"Mais oui." Simone waved a dismissive hand. "That Pennington is too weak." Her gaze settled on Josh. "Oh, mon Dieu, don't you look nice and strong." She sidled up close to him, and he stepped back.
"Simone." Gregori shook his head and gave her a warning look.
She huffed. "Pourquoi pas? You want him for yourself?"
He cursed silently and clenched a fist, wishing he had a stress ball.
The commercials started. Pennington did his lines, then Simone came onscreen.
"That's me!" Simone pointed at herself.
Gregori watched amazed as Simone completed both commercials without falling over or injuring herself.
Maggie turned to Gregori when the commercials were done. "Well, what do you think?"
"I like them! You did a great job, Maggie." He gave her a high five. "Thank you."
"I did well, too!" Simone cried.
He smiled at her. "Yes, you did. I was very impressed." He looked around the studio. "Is Pennington still here?"
"We told him he was done for the night," Maggie said. "We've been debating whether we should try another guy."
"I think you're right," Gregori admitted. "He didn't quite pull it off."
"I know who could do it!" Madison grabbed Phineas's arm. "Dr. Phang! He would be excellent."
Everyone turned to look at Phineas.
He shrugged.
"And I want to do it, too!" Madison clasped her hands together. "Please! I've always wanted to be in front of a camera."
What a surprise, Gregori thought. He caught Gordon's attention and nodded his head.
"Why, yes, of course." Gordon smiled at Madison. "We would be delighted to have you in a commercial."
"Wheeee!" Madison bounced for joy. "I'll do the first one with Dr. Phang, and Abby can do the second one with Gregori!"
Abigail gasped. "What?"
"Oh, come on, Abby." Madison leaned against her sister and gave her a soulful look. "It'll be fun. When's the last time you ever had any fun?"
"Good question," Gregori muttered. Abigail scowled at him, but he simply lifted an eyebrow. "I'll do it if you'll do it with me."
She snorted. "You've probably done it in front of a camera before."
He chuckled. "No, sweetheart. You're my first."
"Yes!" Madison punched the air with her fists. "Then it's all settled."
"Madison," Abigail whispered. "We can't make commercials. We're not allowed to endorse anything."
"It's not for real." Madison waved a hand impatiently. "It's just for fun. And it'll make me happy."
"Then you do it." Abigail frowned. "I don't know if I can."
"Of course you can." Madison patted her on the shoulder. "You only have one line. 'Take me.' It's easy."
"Take me," Abigail repeated, then cast a nervous glance at Gregori.
He smiled slowly, enjoying the blush that crept up her cheeks.
After twenty minutes of makeup and practicing their lines, Phineas and Madison were ready to tape Blardonnay commercial number one.
"Roll 'em," Gordon said.
Standing alone in a bathroom set, wearing a towel fastened around his hips, Phineas began in a deep voice, "Hello, ladies. Come closer. Look at my eyes."
The camera zoomed in.
"You're hypnotized now, aren't you? Look at my chest. That's right. Do as I say. You're under my command."
The camera moved back as Phineas walked into a bedroom set.
"This is my bedroom. Wouldn't you like to join me? Look at the man next to you. Now look at me. Yes, you want to be with me."
The camera moved right to catch Madison running toward him. Meanwhile, Phineas was handed a bottle of Blardonnay.
"Oh yes, Dr. Phang!" Madison exclaimed as she reached his side. "I want to be with you."
"Of course you do." Phineas lifted the wine bottle. "And if you want me, you'll want my Blardonnay."
"Oh yes, Dr. Phang!" Madison leaned against him and placed a hand on his bare chest. "Can I pop your cork?"
"Anytime, baby. I have a corkscrew under my towel." He winked at the camera. "If you love me, you'll love my Blardonnay."
The camera zeroed in on the bottle of Blardonnay, then Gordon said, "Cut."
"Yes!" Madison squealed, then threw her arms around Phineas. "You were fantastic!"
He laughed. "So were you!"
Maggie strode toward them, grinning. "You guys were great!"
Gordon looked at Gregori. "What do you think?"
Gregori chuckled. "It was good."
"It was damned good!" Gordon yelled.
Everyone clapped and cheered except Simone, who shrieked, "But what about me?"
"All right!" Gordon shouted. "Let's do commercial number two."
The crew rolled the bedroom/bathroom sets out of the way, then brought in a brick wall and lamppost. Crinkled newspapers were scattered on the floor to make the scene look like an inner city alleyway. The lights were dimmed, so the only light appeared to come from the lamppost.
Gregori's suit had been okayed for the shoot. Abigail's dress, too, but without the shawl. He watched her as she approached the set. The makeup girl had made her eyes look sultry and sexy, her lips bloodred. Her dress clung to her curves, the black color making her pale skin look luminous. Her necklace sparkled, leaving a glittering trail of rhinestones down to the valley between her beautiful breasts.
He swallowed hard. They'd succeeding in making her look glamorous, but she still possessed a wide-eyed innocence, a fresh-faced, wholesome sweetness that was vulnerable and endearing and, surprisingly enough, sexy as hell.
"Are you ready?" Maggie asked.
Abigail nodded.
"You know your lines, Gregori?" Maggie asked. "First you say, 'Mortal, I have you now.' Then after she says, 'Take me,' you say, 'No, I'm tired of the same meal every night. I want something different. I want Blardonnay.' "
He nodded. "Got it."
Gordon settled into the director's chair. "Let's do it. Roll 'em."