Amid an odd groan or two, the room echoed with laughter.
“You’ve heard about vampire nests, right?” A few in the crowd murmured agreement. “Yeah, they’re sort of like a fraternity with fangs. And coeds. And those female vamps? They make us males put the toilet seats down. In the men’s room. I mean, come on. Who died and put females in charge of toilet seats? It wasn’t me.”
Jo-Jo paused while the crowd reacted again. Even Neil’s lips twitched.
“Most vampires have jobs. Did you know that? It’s true. I’m a computer help tech. On the night shift, of course. Some folks think that all night shift techs live in India. I had a call last night from a lady who asked me ten times in three minutes if English was my first language. The next time she asked, I said, ‘No, it’s my eighth, but I’ve been speaking it for two hundred years.’ She hung up on me, and Bill Gates is gonna be pissed when he finds out. He probably won’t send the money he owes me for forwarding all those e-mails.”
Jo-Jo twinkled at the audience, and they loved it.
“To wind up for the night, and to demonstrate my vampire prowess”—he waggled his brows and leered at a giggling group of
women at the table in front of us—“I’m now going to show you a skill I perfected as a court jester. Maestro?”
He looked to his right, and the emcee tossed three neon yellow tennis balls to him.
“The last time I did this trick,” Jo-Jo said, beginning a slow juggle that steadily got faster, “I used swords. Trouble was, I wasn’t used to vampire speed. I sort of impaled a crown prince at the head table and had to vamoose out of town.” He shook his head. “I haven’t hung out with royalty since then. Not until I met St. Augustine’s Cesca Marinelli, that is. Or, as I call her, Princess Ci. Give us a royal wave, Ci.”
A spotlight blasted our table. Neil groaned, Maggie laughed with a few others, and Saber applauded along with the crowd. Me? I slid down in my seat and plotted revenge.
“All right, folks, time for me to do this trick before Princess Ci busts my balls.”
My embarrassment at being singled out melted to amazement when Jo-Jo shifted into vampire gear. The tennis balls suddenly blurred into a yellow halo, as if Jo-Jo were twirling a baton instead of juggling. The audience ahhhed, and I felt the room hold its collective breath—even Neil. Then Jo-Jo whooped once, twice, three times, and in another blur of movement, he’d lined the tennis balls at his feet.
He grinned and waved. “Good night, everyone. Hope you enjoyed the show!”
With that, the audience exploded into applause and whistles that lasted so long, Jo-Jo came out for a quick bow before bounding off the stage and heading toward our table.
“Miss Maggie and Mr. Neil, thank you for coming!”
“We enjoyed it, Jo-Jo,” Maggie said. “You did good.”
“Highness, what did you think?” Eagerness and anxiety mixed in his expression. “Was I good enough to do the gig in Daytona?”
“Good? Hell,” a jovial voice boomed from the table behind us, “you’ve got stage presence, charisma, and a gimmick. I’m going to make you the next hottest comic in the country.”
TEN
012
A middle-aged man with a little paunch and a wide grin came forward to shake Jo-Jo’s hand.
“Vince Atlas. I’m a talent agent out of L.A.” Vince passed around business cards, the first to Jo-Jo, then one each to the rest of us.
“Are you already being represented, Jo-Jo?”
Jo-Jo looked as dazed as I felt and shook his head. “No, sir. This is my first night onstage in a long while.”
“I don’t know why. You’re a natural. Perfect timing. Why haven’t you been working?”
Jo-Jo seemed to blush. “I, uh—”
“He came to St. Augustine to get a fresh start,” Saber inserted.
“Well, you’re fresh, all right. There’s not another act like yours in the world, and I know exactly how to capitalize on it. How does that sound?”
“Um, Highness? Saber?”
“Highness?” Vince echoed, his gaze ping-ponging between Jo-Jo and me. “Your Princess Ci is really royalty?”
I shrugged. “Jo-Jo thinks so. If you don’t mind my asking, Mr. Atlas—”
“Call me Vince.”
“—what is a big Hollywood talent agent doing in a little comedy club in St. Augustine?”
“You mean am I legit? I am. You mind if I sit?”
“Here, take our seats,” Maggie said, rising with Neil. “We need to get home. Fine job, Jo-Jo.”
Jo-Jo sank into the last chair, and Vince scooted close.
“I’m serious about representing Jo-Jo. I’ve been an agent for twenty-four years, and you can check my website to see my talent list. As for what I’m doing here, it’s my vacation. The wife got too much sun today and stayed in this evening. I decided to stop in here, and I’m sure glad I did. I gotta tell you, I never expected to find an act like yours.”
“You do get Jo-Jo is a real vampire, right?” Saber asked.