I waited for her to continue. She looked away, avoiding my gaze, and slumped against her desk.
“Agnes knew what had happened to me—what I had become. Right after I was changed, I left home, left my family. I had to. But almost twenty years later Agnes tracked me down. It was weird seeing her. She was my baby sister, but her hair was gray and her skin loose and here I was.” Nina shrugged her small shoulders, gestured to her eternally young facade. “She begged me to come home with her—her son, Louis, was sick. At that time, there was no cure for polio, no vaccines. It was a death sentence, or in the very best of situations, crippling. She begged me to change him.”
“She wanted you to kill her son?”
Nina’s eyes were fierce. “At that time, it was the only way to save him. I didn’t want to, but she was my sister. I had already caused her so much pain. I couldn’t watch her watch him die. It was excruciating to watch a mother—my sister—helplessly standing by while her son withered and just waited to die.”
“So you changed him?”
Nina nodded and smiled wistfully. “The polio was gone. Louis was strong again. He was going to live forever.”
I tried to smile. “Well, that’s nice that you were able to do that … for them.”
“Always nice to damn your family.”
“Nina—” I tried to be sympathetic, but she held up a silencing hand.
“So, the favor. He’s going to be here in San Francisco. Can he stay with us for a little while? He’s been having some trouble with the vamp family he’s been living with back East. They move around too much, are always dropping in with a new coven. I just think he needs some stability right now.”
“Yeah, of course he can stay with us.” What’s more stable than a vampire, her breather roommate, and a city with a psycho killer on the loose?
Nina grinned.
“Okay, it’s settled. Louis stays with us. Now I’ve got to meet Parker—” I tried to turn, but Nina put one cold hand on my forearm and batted those lashes again. I sighed. “Okay, Nina. What now?”
“Another eensy weensy—”
“Spit it out.”
“Can you pick him up from the Caltrain station? I would do it, but I’ve got so much work….”
I jutted out one hip. “You mean you have a date?”
Nina smiled sheepishly. “It just came up. I met him at Cala Foods….”
“Why do vampires need groceries? Oh, never mind. What time does his train come in?”
“Six thirty. Oh, Sophie, you’re the best!”
“I know. Wait, how am I going to recognize him?”
“He’s a vampire.”
I put my hands on my hips.
“And a teenager. He’ll be easy to spot, I promise. Besides, I told him what you looked like, so he’ll be keeping an eye out for you, too.” Nina hugged me to her. “Ooh, thanks again!” She turned on her heel and started for the door.
“Wait!” I said. “If this date just came up, why did you already tell Louis what I looked like?”
Nina’s smiling face remained unchanged. “How about I buy you a kitten?” she asked, dodging the issue.
“No,” I said, drawing out the word. “No kittens. Just be glad I like you. I’ll pick up Louis and he can stay with us as long as he likes.” I shrugged. “Besides, it might be fun having a kid around for a bit. Should we get some movies or something? Something for him to do? What do teenage boys like?”
Nina smiled. “Teenage girls. Anyway, Louis can entertain himself. He’s one hundred and twelve years old … and a little troubled.”
I felt my eyes bulge. How much more troubled can a vampire get?
“But he’s super, duper nice,” Nina said. “For a vampire. Thanks again!”
“Nina!”
She hurried for the door, holding up a yellow legal pad and pen. “Can’t talk, going to be late for my meeting. You’re such a doll, Soph, thanks! I totally owe you my afterlife!”
When I stepped out into the hall I was stopped when a fist full of drooping chocolate cosmos was rammed against my thigh. I paused, and Steve stepped out from behind the offending bouquet, a slick grin spread across his graying troll face, his yellowed, snaggle teeth exposed.
“These are for you.” Steve wagged the flowers in front of me, and I stooped down, plastered a smile on my face, and buried my nose in the chocolaty scent of the flowers. Anything to avoid the swamp-mud/aging-gym-sock smell of troll.
“Thanks, Steve,” I said. “But you know UDA clients are not supposed to be back here.” I pointed to the front office. “You’re supposed to stay behind the partition, remember?”
Steve shrugged. “Steve will always be where Sophie needs him to be.”
“That’s the thing, Steve. What I need is for you to be behind the partition.” I tucked the flowers in a clean mug I snatched from Nina’s desk while I held my breath. “I mean, I really appreciate the thought and that you like me and all….”