Vince snorted. “With that display of speed? Figured he had to be that or the real Superman. What about it?”
“Jo-Jo can only work nights,” I explained. “He can only travel then, too. Won’t that present problems?”
“Not for most club gigs, but it will for TV.” He frowned. “Please tell me you can be filmed.”
“Yes, sir. Vampires show up on camera.”
“Good, then we can work around the interview appearances I have in mind. You do write your own material, correct?”
Jo-Jo glanced at Saber and me. “I had a little help with the routine I did tonight, but, yes, most of it’s my work.”
“Excellent. I offer a standard contract you can have an attorney review. Don’t have any with me, but I’ll have my secretary fax one tomorrow. Will you be here tomorrow night?”
Jo-Jo shook his head. “I don’t think so, and I don’t know any attorneys.”
“I do,” Saber said.
“So how do I get you a copy of my contract?” Vince asked.
I spoke up. “I’ll come by your hotel tomorrow afternoon to pick up the fax. You can leave it at the front desk if you and your wife will be out.”
Vince nodded. “Fair enough. Now, Jo-Jo, I don’t want to rush you, but if the contract is agreeable, I’d like to sign you before Sunday. The wife and I leave that day.”
“That is rushing him,” Saber broke in. “Jo-Jo’s just getting started. What if he wants to contact other agents?”
“Perfectly good question, but that will take time. I’m prepared to have at least two performances lined up for next week. One in Vegas, one in L.A., and I’m reasonably certain I can have Jo-Jo on Leno in a matter of weeks. I have a contact on his staff.”
“Vegas?” Jo-Jo said, brown eyes wide with worship.
“Leno?” Saber echoed.
“Next week?” I asked. “Jo-Jo would be leaving that soon?”
Vince nodded. “No point in waiting, is there?”
“Well, except that I want to do the show Highness has lined up in Daytona. I can’t cut out on that.”
“When is it?” Vince asked me.
I glanced at Saber, who shrugged.
“It wasn’t a firm date,” I told Vince, “but I’ll call the manager to see if Jo-Jo can perform Saturday. That is, if Jo-Jo wants to accept your offer to represent him.”
“Your Royalness, forgive my familiarity, but it’s Vegas, baby.”
The oddest tightness gripped my chest. “Yep, and Jo-Jo will be in the house.”
I don’t usually phone people after nine in the evening, especially if I don’t know them well. It’s just not polite. But Jo-Jo and Saber insisted I call Donita, and as it turned out, she didn’t mind. She seized the chance to have Jo-Jo do his act at Hot Blooded on Saturday night and said she’d get the advertising rolling.
When I disconnected, Jo-Jo grinned.
“Thank you, Highness. If you and Miss Maggie and Saber here hadn’t encouraged me, I don’t know what I would have done.”
“So you’re going to sign with Vince for sure?” I asked.
“If the contract looks good to Saber’s lawyer friend, I will. Why not?”
“I don’t want you to get taken.”
“Highness. Do you know a human who’d try to take a vamp to the cleaners?”
“Good point, but will you feel comfortable in a new place surrounded by humans you don’t know?”
“I’ll manage. I wonder if Jemina will find out I’m playing Vegas.”
Saber laughed. “You want some payback, huh?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Send her a clipping when you get a rave review.”
“I want her to see me on TV, too. Can you imagine it? Me on Jay Leno?” He paused. “I wonder if Vince’ll get me on Oprah.”
The reverence in his voice when he said Oprah had me imagining a choir of angelic voices singing the name. Was this how I’d sounded to Maggie? Not about Oprah, but had I been that agog when I landed the tour guide job I wanted so badly?
“Just don’t forget the little people when you’re rich and famous,” Saber said. “And do not, under any circumstances, mention that you taught Cesca to fly.”
Jo-Jo blinked. “But I haven’t finished that task yet, and I need to.” He looked at me. “You’re close to being ready to fly on your own, Highness. We just need a few more sessions. Would you like to practice now?”
From Saber’s satisfied expression, he obviously wasn’t going to object. I looked back to Jo-Jo’s eager face.
“Don’t you want to savor your success tonight?”
“I am.”
I glanced at the clock on my desk. Almost midnight. “Don’t you have to go to work soon on the computer help line?”
“I can be a little late. Besides, I’ll have to resign if I’m as busy as Vince says I’ll be.”
I started to ask, “Don’t you want to give me a break?” but I know when not to waste my breath.