The Moon Rises (6 page)

“Because you don’t care?”

Michael sighed. “You’re a nag, aren’t you?”

“She has a point though,” Ella said. “You don’t
care. It’s why you have no friends or a mate. You suck pretty hard.”

Rolling his eyes, Michael studied Gigi again, but
this time his eyes weren’t so grouchy.

“I could look into it, but I won’t find anything.”

“Okay,” Gigi said excitedly and Michael frowned
from the nose up while grinning from the nose down. It was weird. He looked
happy and mad at the same time.

“Give me her name and address.”

Ella moved quickly and handed him a piece of paper.
Just as quickly, she grabbed Gigi and pulled her towards the door.

“She’ll pay you if you find something. You can
reach her at the club.”

Michael frowned, grouchy again. He looked at the
paper then glared at Ella who was nearing the door with Gigi.

“Thank you, Michael,” Gigi said.

“For what, I haven’t done anything yet?”

“Yes, you have.”

“Yeah, great,” Ella said, shoving Gigi from the
office. Once outside, the redhead sighed. “I can’t believe that worked. Dudes
really dig you. We should find a way to use that skill to our advantage. Maybe
start a con or something.”

“What’s a con or something?”

Ella grinned at Gigi and patted her head. “Smart,
you are not, but you certainly have other qualities. Michael never helps
anyone, especially not humans, but he said he would help you. Miracles do
happen.”

“He might not do it. People lie sometimes.”

“Yes, but Michael’s obsessive. Once he starts
looking into Katia’s disappearance, he’ll keep looking until he finds something
or there’s nothing left to find. Even then, it’ll nag at him. It’s why he
doesn’t like helping anyone. He hates obsessing and he’ll obsess like crazy
over this.”

Gigi glanced back at the office before her eyes
found Ella.

“I’m not stupid,” she said calmly. “I just don’t
know anything yet.”

Ella studied her with a grin. “Okay, but even if
you were stupid, I’d still think you were pretty adorable. Most chicks irritate
me, but you don’t.”

“Thank you. I like your freckles.”

“Yeah, I noticed. Oh, and by the way, if the
opportunity ever arises for you to refer to either Declan or Anton as dogs,
please do it when I can see their reactions. Just priceless.”

Thinking back to when she talked to Anton about
being a dog, Gigi smiled, but she wasn’t sure why asking a dog if they were a
dog was funny. Of course most things people found funny weren’t funny to her.
Maybe it was one of those things she just didn’t know yet.

When Sara hugged her, Gigi realized two things.
Sara didn’t hate her anymore and Gigi really liked hugs. She could have hugged
Sara for another half hour, but the girl pulled away and smiled at her.

“I can’t believe you got him to agree.”

“I think he wanted to help. I think he just fakes
being so grumpy.”

Gigi didn’t believe those words, but she was
starting to realize the power of lies. While people always said they wanted the
truth, they really wanted pretty lies. Gigi liked pretty lies too.

“No one has ever done anything to help me like
this before and I know no one ever helped Katia. Maybe whatever’s wrong with
you is a good thing?”

Gigi shrugged which was a new move she learned
this afternoon while at lunch with Ella. Shrugging meant maybe or I don’t know.

“What floor are you on tonight?” Sara asked as
she tied her hair into a ponytail. “I heard Silas got crap last night for
sticking you with the witches. The pack floor was pissed.”

“I’m on the Vamp floor,” Gigi said, wondering if
a ponytail would look good on her too. “I get to work with Dahlia.”

Sara saw Gigi pulling her hair into a ponytail
and gently pressed on her hands.

“Don’t show your neck to the Vamps. It’s not
polite.”

“And don’t hide my hands,” Gigi said, repeating
advice from Ella. “Don’t make sudden movements or hand them things too quickly.
Oh, and don’t laugh at their dancing.”

“Who told you that?” Sara said with a grin. “Ella
or Justine?”

“Ella.”

“Well she’s right. The Vamps are pretentious, so
don’t laugh at them period. Even if they seem like they’re joking with you,
they’re not. They are always laughing at you, never with you. Just let Dahlia
do all the talking until you get the hang of it. Dahlia creeps me out, but she
showed me the ropes and made sure I didn’t make any Vamp faux pas.”

Gigi took a deep breath and shrugged. She really
liked shrugging.

“I’m on the pack floor,” Sara said, checking her
appearance in the mirror again, “which means I’ll spend the night listening to
horny guys complain about how they can’t look at your ass. If I was smart, I
would do what Monica did last night and cry so I can get pity tips. I won’t
though because I can’t cry on command and besides I have a little pride left.”

Gigi smiled because she realized Sara was being
funny.

“So, Gigi, do you want to have lunch one day?”

“Yes. Wait, with you, right?”

“Yes, with me,” Sara said with a grin. “I don’t
have school tomorrow afternoon. We could meet somewhere. Do you know how to
drive?”

“I’m not sure,” Gigi mumbled, still wondering if
she had a car in the apartment garage.

“Then I’ll pick you up.”

Gigi gave Sara her phone number before they
separated. So excited about having another friend, Gigi didn’t really worry
about Dahlia not being around to show her the ropes with the Vamps. Riding down
on the elevator, she just remembered to keep her hands in front of her, be
quiet, and don’t laugh.

The music hit her first – loud to the point of
hurting her ears. Gigi was shocked by the sheer volume of the music and
wondered if Vamps were deaf?

Instead of pool tables, the Vamp floor had a
large dance area where people dressed in black danced in ways which involved
their crotches rubbing together. Gigi didn’t know how to dance, but if all
dancing was like that, she didn’t want to learn.

The whole floor was barely lit except for strobe
lights which threw odd colors on the walls. Gigi didn’t like the loud music and
the whole floor was ugly and dark. She also smelled something yucky underneath
the scents of sweat and cologne. No matter how unpleasant the floor was, she
planned to focus on work. Gigi pulled out her pencil and paper, hoping to keep
her hands busy so she wouldn’t forget to keep them visible. She was near the
bar when the Vamps suddenly noticed her and the place became very quiet – well
except for the insanely loud music. The Vamps frowned at her then returned to
their crotch dancing.

The bartender ignored her, so she turned back to
the floor and noticed Dahlia in a corner, taking orders. Eyes on the pretty Vamp
waitress, Gigi barely noticed the movement to her right. Strangely fast slow
movements that would have startled her had she been paying more attention.

Suddenly he was just there. Tall, blond, and
handsome with very green eyes, he hovered over her - near her while at the same
time in his own space. Gigi got the impression he was moving even when he was
standing still. It was disorienting, but she just stared at him like she stared
at everyone. She was careful to keep her hands in view though.

“Do you need something, sir?”

“You’re Gigi.”

Nodding, she lifted her pencil and let it linger
on the paper. Yet she sensed he wasn’t going to order anything.

“Dahlia didn’t do you justice.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“Oh, I’m sure you do.”

Gigi’s smile faded. “No, I don’t. Is it a joke? I
don’t get most jokes.”

Eyes narrowing, he studied her. They always
needed to study her and she wondered if whatever was wrong with her was obvious
just by looking. The Vamp leaned closer, his green eyes lightening even in the
dark room. Frowning, she watched him as he watched her.

“Is there something wrong?” he asked.

“I shouldn’t say.”

“No, please do. I’m curious now.”

Gigi glanced around then back at his handsome
face. “The music is very loud.”

“Oh, is it bothering you? Should I ask them to
turn it down?”

“Could you?” Gigi asked, shocked that he would
offer.

The Vamp frowned, his strong jaw tensing, and
then he grinned. “You’re serious.”

Gigi thought to pretend as if she was joking, but
it was too late. He already knew she wasn’t. He leaned towards the bar and
stared at the bartender. The same Vamp who had ignored her a few moments
earlier now nodded at the green eyed Vamp who hadn’t said anything.

The music lowered until the volume was closer to
the level on the witch floor. The other Vamps groaned with irritation. Once the
green eyed Vamp frowned, the groans ended and the Vamps returned to what they
were doing.

“Better, Gigi?” he asked, looking amused in the
way males tended to look when they thought she was stupid. It was the same look
Silas gave her when she asked if there was a reason all the girls wore the same
outfits. Now the Vamp was thinking she was dumb.

“Yes, thank you. Why was it so loud?”

“To set the mood.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

The Vamp smiled and it was a genuine smile. “It
takes courage to admit a lack of knowledge.”

“I was trying to fake it until I make it, but it
gets hard faking it and I think people were catching on.”

Leaning forward, the Vamp his green eyes
lightened again.

“Simon,” a silky voice called out and Gigi turned
to find Dahlia.

“Hello, Dahlia,” Simon said, his eyes on Gigi.
“Gigi is quite entertaining.”

“Yes, but it’s her first night, so I better show
her around.”

Simon stopped smiling at Gigi and turned his gaze
to Dahlia. When he frowned and Dahlia stepped back, Gigi got the impression he
was threatening the Vamp in the same way he told the bartender to turn down the
music. Simon was talking to them using his mind, but Gigi couldn’t hear him. Of
course she wasn’t a Vamp which was a relief since she didn’t want him talking
to her in her head.

“Gigi will be serving my table tonight and my
table only. Do you understand?”

Dahlia nodded, her eyes lowered, her hands behind
her back. Gigi wondered if the hand thing was only for non-Vamps, but she
wasn’t going to ask. When Simon returned his gaze to her, he smiled.

“Dahlia is very young,” he said then glanced at
the bartender. “You can bring my drinks when they’re ready, Gigi.”

Gigi nodded with a smile, but she was nervous
now. Noticing how scared Dahlia was, Gigi wanted to be scared too. While she
wasn’t actually scared, she was inching closer to the feeling.

Once Simon disappeared to his table in the
corner, Dahlia hurried to Gigi’s side.

“Be careful with Simon. He is very powerful and
can make you do things you don’t want to do.”

“What kind of things?”

Dahlia said nothing as her dark eyes flickered
around the room.

“He is a Master Vamp and is used to getting what
he wants. He can enthrall you. Do you know what that means?”

Gigi shook her head.

“It means he can look at you and control you and
then you’ll do whatever he wants.”

“What does he want though?”

Dahlia didn’t frown, but her eyes hardened. “He
wants what they all want from you.” When Gigi didn’t react, the Vamp sighed.
“He wants to have sex with you. Worse, if he likes having sex with you, he’ll
turn you into a Vamp so he can use you until he gets bored.”

Gigi wasn’t sure what sex entailed, but it
sounded bad so she wanted to avoid it. She also wanted to avoid being a Vamp,
if it meant listening to loud music, dancing with her crotch, and hearing
someone in her head.

“What do I do?”

“Try to bore him, I guess. Simon gets bored
easily and most waitresses don’t last long. He likes Sara, but not enough to do
anything about it. He really likes you though, so just be boring and act dumb.”

Acting dumb wouldn’t be a problem, but being
boring might be tough since she didn’t know how to be boring on purpose. Dahlia
didn’t give her any more advice, just moved away in her weird Vamp way. Gigi
took Simon’s drinks and walked to his table where two other Vamps were sitting.
When she arrived, the other Vamps grabbed their drinks and walked away.

Simon looked at her with his too green eyes and
smiled with his bright teeth. His face was not at all pale like Dahlia’s. He
took his drink then gestured for Gigi to join him. She thought to say no, but
sensed Silas might be mad if she did.

“Do you like the music?” Simon asked, sipping the
clear liquid in his glass.