Mutual Aid for Magical Creatures

Your Friendly Neighborhood Baggest Rep

Of course Charlie immediately flirted with the cute girl Max brought home, even though Max just saved his brother's life. How did his brother always know the right thing to say while Max fumbled with basic communication? Max thought back to earlier when he was hiding in that dumpster. His first sentence was something dumb about not wanting to get caught by the police. Ugh. Not a move fitting of the bad boy image he was trying to cultivate at all.

Charlie chatted with Lori while Max picked up the blood and started putting the bags away in the fridge. He wasn't going to let all of his hard work go to waste! Max couldn't hear much of what they were talking about, but he betted it was some drama-filled version of how his brother became a vampire. As if Charlie was the first guy to get go on a date with someone he met online only to learn she was different from her profile. Max rolled his eyes and shut the fridge door. 

"So you're not messing with me?" Lori asked.

She walked over to Charlie and stared directly at his fangs. Lori held her shaking hand out to Charlie's face, and after hesitating for what felt like ages, gently pressed her fingertips against his cheek. I wonder what Lori's hands feel like, Max thought. He felt himself blush, then coughed a few times into his hand in a poor attempt to hide his jealously. Luckily, Lori didn't notice though. She was too busy staring at Charlie after all. 

"The cold skin, the fangs, the blood! You're a real life vampire! Holy crap!" she said, her hand still on Charlie's cheek. 

"In the flesh. If not in the blood anyway." Charlie said. 

He was so obnoxious. Max had to say something to Lori before Charlie won her over with his Twilight-esque charm.

"So Lori-"

A knock on the door interrupted Max's best attempt at cutting in to the conversation. Everyone froze, scared of who could be knocking. The person outside knocked again, then shouted "It's your friendly neighborhood Baggest Rep" in a nasally twang.

"Baggest Corp?" Max mouthed at Charlie. 

When he brother shook his head in confusion, Max shooed Charlie into the cabinet back under the kitchen sink. Then he and Lori opened the door together to a woman with the biggest hair Max had ever seen. 

"Hi! I'm Cherri! Can I come in for a minute?"  

A small woman with hot pink high heels and a hot pink pant suit to match stood outside Max's apartment door. She snapped her gum once, then again, as she patiently waited to be invited inside.  When Max and Lori didn't move, she talked again. 

"I brought free samples, sweetheart." 

Cherri floofed her teased hair up and out. Whenever she moved her hand, the rhinestones on her acrylic nails shimmered.  "You're gonna want to see these. My products will change your life!"

"Free samples of what?" Lori asked. She opened the door a little bit more to fully and tried to peer in Cherri's handbag. 

"Liquid Delight! Obvi! Now, where's my friend with the fangs?" Cherri looked through the door past Max and Lori. She dramatically sniffed the air. "I can smell that he's here. Can I come in or what?"

Max was pretty positive he shouldn't let this Fran Fine impersonator inside his apartment, but he also really wanted to know what Liquid Delight was. He couldn't keep stealing from blood banks forever. His stress levels couldn't take it. Maybe Cherri could help him figure out how to keep Charlie safe. Plus, what did he have to lose? 

Max opened the door and ushered Cherri inside. 

"Please come in," he said.

It wasn't until she fully stepped through the doorway that Max saw Cherri's tail.